Australian Macworld: Mac Basics Superguide 2

Macs are simply wonderful machines – they take a matter of minutes to set up out of the box then they purr along, hiding all the nasty bits of computing from you while you use a simple, friendly interface and concentrate on the task in hand. Apple makes those tasks so simple. Most users really have no other software to buy once they’ve bought a Mac. Want to surf the internet? You have Safari. Use email? You have Mail. Create Word-compatible documents? TextEdit. Make movies and music? iMovie and GarageBand. Store and edit photos? iPhoto. The list goes on and on. In terms of hardware, we’re living in a Golden Age for Macs. Just have a look at Page 10 to see Apple’s current lineup. ‘Impressive’ is the word. But you’re reading…

Getting acquainted with any new operating system – even one as elegantly designed as Apple’s Mac OS X – can be a challenge. Newcomers face strange terms, unfamiliar interface elements, and a host of seemingly inexplicable features. It can be particularly challenging if you’ve come from another operating system and you’re used to how that system did things – heading to the Start menu to shut down, for example. Wondering what longtime Mac users mean when they refer to the sidebar or to the Spotlight menu? Not sure what to call the list of applications at the bottom of your screen? Here’s a quick look at some common OS X Snow Leopard interface elements.…

Apple is the only company manufacturing Mac hardware. However, that doesn’t mean that your options for entry into the world of Mac are particularly limited. Mac hardware is very nearly as diverse as the range of people who use it. Here’s a quick look at each of the products in Apple’s present range (as of November 2009). MACBOOK The MacBook is Apple’s basic laptop. Designed with students in mind, it has a tough ‘unibody’ polycarbonate plastic shell that can take a fair bit of bumping around. Don’t be fooled by the plastic, though: this is a powerful machine. In sheer performance terms it’s comparable to the higher-priced MacBook Pro, but lacks that model’s FireWire port and SD card slot. Who’s it good for? Anybody who needs a fully-featured but cheaper Mac to take…

There’s a certain mythology around Apple and the Mac. Sometimes this is a good thing – it makes the company seem cool and hip – and sometimes it’s a bad thing. Sometimes the mythology leads people to believe things about the Mac that simply aren’t true. A lot of those myths have already been busted – such as the one about how Apple was going to go out of business in 1997 – but many persist even to this day. When you’re shopping for a Mac it’s a good idea to be armed with truth. Myth: I’m a power user; therefore, I need a Mac Pro. Truth: For many power users who once bought a Power Mac by default, the Mac Pro is overkill, and one of the new iMacs or MacBook…

Not sure where all of those cables go? Here’s a quick guide to the ports and plugs found on current Macs. MAGSAFE POWER PLUG. Found on Apple’s latest laptops, this power plug uses magnets to secure the connection. This creates a snug link between the laptop and the cord and prevents damage if a passerby snags the cord – it easily disconnects when too much tension is placed on it. There’s no up or down to this connector – you can plug it in either way. ETHERNET. Current Macs include Gigabit Ethernet ports but no modems. To connect a Mac to your DSL router or to a wired network, plug an Ethernet cable into this port. FIREWIRE 400. The original version of FireWire (also known as iLink or IEEE1394a), FireWire 400 is how many digital video…

When many people new to the Mac first hear the name Finder, they assume that the Finder is OS X’s search feature. But in fact, the Finder is where you interact with your Mac – it is OS X’s metaphorical face (it’s even represented in the Dock by a smiling blue face). When you look at your desktop or at a window showing your files and folders, you’re looking at the Finder. You’ll use the Finder for many of your day-to-day tasks. For instance, it’s where you create new folders to organise your files; review information about the size of files; move, duplicate, and delete files; burn files to CD-R or DVD-R discs; and browse your Mac’s hard drive. And yes, the Finder can actually help you find files – it’s…