Hey, What's This?
If you're familiar with our ebooks, you've probably noticed that this one is different. It was written by our friends (some of whom also write for Take Control) at Macworld. Since they did a great job, we saw no reason to do something similar, so we're selling their ebook next to ours.
Written for those who want to master the basics, the Macworld Mac Basics Superguide, Mountain Lion Edition covers finding your way around on a Mac, using the Dock, configuring your Mac, printing, searching, security, troubleshooting, and more. You'll find getting-started tips on using all of Apple's bundled apps, including Safari, Mail, Messages, Calendar, Contacts, Reminders, Notes, Preview, QuickTime Player, and Image Capture, among others, and you'll learn how to install and update software, both from the Mac App Store and developers' Web sites.
Foreword
It’s a special moment, getting your first computer. I’ve been using Macs since I was old enough to double-click, but I didn’t get one that was truly mine until 1998—a Bondi blue iMac with a silly-looking mouse and a carrying handle built into the case.
Like buying your first house, getting your first Mac is both exciting and terrifying: For the first time, you have something that’s entirely yours to customize, tweak—and occasionally screw up. And as easy as Macs are to learn and set up, dealing with a new computer can be daunting if you’ve never done so before.
That’s why we offer the Mac Basics Superguide, which is dedicated to helping you get started with all things Mac. There are plenty of manuals and guides that explain every single system feature and setup detail; this book is instead designed to actively get you up and running on your Mac without making you feel like you’re studying a textbook.
Our superguide has you covered from the first time you turn on your Mac: We walk you through the process of setting up your Mac and transferring any old files you might have, and we introduce you to the menus, windows, and places you need to know about to get going. From there, we help you customize Multi-Touch gestures, organize your files, and tweak your preferences. We’ll get your Mac suited up with third-party apps and accessories. And we offer troubleshooting tips and security suggestions to keep your computer safe and sound.
You won’t find everything you need to know about the Mac in this book. (That’s what Macworld magazine and Macworld.com are for.) But we hope we can give you the tools to begin, and get you excited to learn more.
—Serenity Caldwell
Boston, November 2012
Table of Contents
Get Started with OS X
- Set Up Your Mac
- Meet Your Mac
- Transfer Other Files
- Get to Know Your Desktop
- Gestures, Gestures, Gestures
- Welcome to the Finder
- The Dock, Launchpad, and Dashboard
- Mission Control
- Notification Center
Customize Your Mac
- System Preferences Basics
- Change Your Personal Settings
- Change Your Hardware Settings
- Change Your Internet & Wireless Settings
- Change Your System Settings
- Add Third-Party Utilities
Work with Apps
- Application Basics
- OS X’s Built-in Apps
- Explore the Mac App Store
- Venture beyond the Mac App Store
- Connect Your Mac
- Print Documents
- Share Your Files (and Your Screen)
- Work with Accessories
Secure Your Mac
- Lock Up Your Mac
- Protect Your Computer from Wayward Apps
- What Are Sandboxed Apps?
- Back Up Your Mac
Troubleshooting Tips
- Your Mac’s Troubleshooting Tools
- Recover from Crashes
- Treat Kernel Panic Attacks
- Cure Startup Woes
- How to Make OS X Less Like iOS
- Seek Outside Help
