Switching to a Mac For Dummies

443 Pages·2011·9.57 MB·English

by  Arnold Reinhold

Personal Computers/Macintosh
Making Everything Easier!™ OS X Lion Edition
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Using a Mac is easy. This guide OS X Lion hi n
Edition witc
S
makes switching easy too!
Open the book and find: S
w
Congratulations! You’ve decided to leave hassles behind and (cid:129) How a Mac can simplify your life
join the user-friendly, more secure community of Mac users. i
(cid:129) Tips on keeping your Mac t a c
Consider this guide your welcome basket. It’ll tell you what to M
updated and secure c a
o
t
expect, how to choose a Mac (if you haven’t already), and how h ®
(cid:129) Ways to unleash your creativity
to make the switch a breeze. Discover cool new OS X Lion
with photos, audio, and video i
features, the Mac’s handy built-in apps, and how to work the n
Mac way. (cid:129) Advice on navigating with
g
Launchpad and Mission Control
(cid:129) Meet the family — compare the MacBook Air®, MacBook Pro,
t
(cid:129) Help with switching specialized
iMac®, Mac Pro, and Mac mini o
software to your Mac
(cid:129) I’m a Mac, and you’re leaving a PC — see what’s alike and what’s
(cid:129) Special tips for seniors and a
different, and learn to use Apple menus and the Finder
parents of young kids

(cid:129) Can I keep it? — find out which peripherals will still work with M
your Mac (cid:129) Instructions for Mac network
and Wi-Fi setup
a
(cid:129) Moving day — transfer your files, address book, and content
stored on other media (cid:129) How to enjoy Facebook® and c
other social networking sites
(cid:129) Ready, set, connect — set up your Internet service and e-mail ®
application, and connect to your printer and other peripherals
(cid:129) Get an apptitude — add apps from the Mac App Store; manage Learn to:
your music, photos, movies, and more with iTunes®, iPhoto®,
and iMovie®
(cid:129) Choose the Mac that’s right for you
Go to Dummies.com
(cid:129) Safety first — learn what makes Macs safer and why strong ®
passwords are still important for videos, step-by-step examples, (cid:129) Transfer your files from Windows®
how-to articles, or to shop!
(cid:129) If you just can’t say goodbye — see how to run Windows® on
(cid:129) Surf the web, send and receive e-mail,
your Mac
and make FaceTime® video calls
(cid:129) Get the most from Mac OS® X Lion
and create cool projects with the
iLife® suite
$24.99 US / $29.99 CN / £17.99 UK
Arnold Reinhold has more than three decades of experience in the ISBN 978-1-118-02446-1
software industry. His first Apple product was a Mac 512. He has authored
or coauthored numerous books, including Mac mini Hacks & Mods For
Dummies, Green IT For Dummies, and Internet Quick Reference For Dummies.
Arnold Reinhold
Reinhold
Get More and Do More at Dummies.com
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Switching
to a Mac
®
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
mAC OS‰ X LION™ EDITION
by Arnold Reinhold
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Switching to a Mac® For Dummies®, Mac OS® X Lion™ Edition
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Copyright © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2011936932
ISBN 978-1-118-02446-1 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-17369-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-17370-1 (ebk);
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About the Author
Arnold Reinh old has more than three decades of experience in the soft-
ware industry. His fi rst Apple product was a Mac 512. Arnold helped found
Automatix, Inc., a pioneer in robotics and machine vision, and is coauthor of
The Internet For Dummies Quick Reference, E-Mail For Dummies, Green IT For
Dummies, and Mac mini Hacks & Mods For Dummies. He developed and main-
tains Diceware.com, widely regarded as the gold standard in password secu-
rity, and The Math in the Movies Page (http://mathinthemovies.com).
Arnold studied mathematics at City College of New York and the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology and management at Harvard Business School.
You can check out his home page at http://arnol dreinhold.com.
Dedication
To Max and Grete, who put me here, and Josh, who keeps me going. B’’H.
Author’s Acknowledgments
Thanks to Barbara Model, Josh Reinhold, Carol Baroudi, and Barbara
Lapinskas for their help and suggestions and to Rebecca, Kathy, and Dennis
at Wiley for numerous corrections and suggestions that improved this book.
Also, thanks to the folks at Apple and their loyal customers, who keep alive
the dream that personal computers, cellphones, and music players can be
not just utilitarian machines but also tools that empower and inspire us.
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Contents at a Glance
Introduction ................................................................ 1
Part I: Informed Switching Starts Here .......................... 7
Chapter 1: Why Switch? Demystifying the Mac Mantra ................................................9
Chapter 2: Meet the Mac Family ....................................................................................23
Chapter 3: Deciding What to Buy ...................................................................................49
Part II: Making the Switch ......................................... 83
Chapter 4: The Big Day: Setting Up Your Mac ..............................................................85
Chapter 5: Mac OS X for Windows Users ......................................................................99
Chapter 6: Moving Files from Your PC to the Mac ....................................................131
Chapter 7: Switching Applications ..............................................................................149
Part III: Connecting Hither and Yon .......................... 169
Chapter 8: Getting Your Mac Online ...........................................................................171
Chapter 9: Networking the Mac Way ...........................................................................195
Chapter 10: Staying Secure in a Connected World ....................................................215
Chapter 11: Connecting with iDevices, iTunes, and iCloud......................................235
Part IV: More Software, More Choices........................ 247
Chapter 12: Picturing iPhoto ........................................................................................249
Chapter 13: Producing Movies and Music on Your Mac ...........................................261
Chapter 14: Building Your Space on the Web ............................................................273
Chapter 15: Enjoying Other OS X Goodies ..................................................................283
Chapter 16: Oops, It’s a PC: Running Windows on Your Mac ..................................297
Part V: Specialty Switching Scenarios ....................... 307
Chapter 17: Switching with the Whole Family in Mind .............................................309
Chapter 18: Switching Your Business to Macs ...........................................................329
Chapter 19: Desktop to Dashcode: OS X Advanced ..................................................335
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Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 347
Chapter 20: Ten Terrifi c Troubleshooting Tips .........................................................349
Chapter 21: Ten Ways Your Mac Can Help the Planet ..............................................361
Chapter 22: Ten Creative Uses for Your Old PC ........................................................369
Appendix: Mac Speak versus Windows Speak:
A Translation Glossary ............................................. 373
Index ...................................................................... 401
Bonus Chapter 1: Converting from OS 9 and
Other Operating Systems ..........................................BC1
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Table of Contents
Introduction ................................................................. 1
About This Book ..............................................................................................1
Foolish Assumptions .......................................................................................2
How This Book Is Organized ..........................................................................3
Typographic Conventions ..............................................................................4
Icons Used in This Book .................................................................................5
Where to Go From Here ..................................................................................5
Part I: Informed Switching Starts Here ........................... 7
Chapter 1: Why Switch? Demystifying the Mac Mantra. . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Taking Your Best Shot ..................................................................................10
“Macs are too expensive” ...................................................................11
“Switching is too hard” .......................................................................11
“I’ll be left with no software” ..............................................................11
“Macs are dying out” ...........................................................................12
“Macs are not expandable” .................................................................13
“Macs don’t comply with industry standards” ................................13
“I need Windows for work” .................................................................14
“Macs are a poor game platform” ......................................................14
“Windows 8 will kill Apple” .................................................................14
Considering All Aspects — Advantage Apple ............................................15
One neck to wring ................................................................................15
Apple is the industry thought leader ................................................16
Appearances matter ............................................................................16
Looking forward, not backward .........................................................17
Getting top-notch products ................................................................18
iPad, iPod, and iPhone ........................................................................18
Switching Sides Can Sting .............................................................................18
Chapter 2: Meet the Mac Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Checking Out Common Features .................................................................23
Connecting on the Go with Your Apple Laptop .........................................26
Traveling light with MacBook Air ......................................................29
Taking the high ground with MacBook Pro ......................................30
Furnishing Your Lair with Mac Desktops ...................................................32
Starting small: The Mac mini ..............................................................34
Getting it all in one box: The iMac .....................................................35
Maxing out with a Mac ........................................................................37
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viii
Switching to a Mac For Dummies, Mac OS X Lion Edition
Getting the Right Graphics Processor ........................................................39
Adding On and Filling In ...............................................................................40
Apple 27-inch Thunderbolt display ...................................................40
Time Capsule Wi-Fi base station and backup disk ..........................41
AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi base station ...................................................42
AirPort Express, a Wi-Fi relay .............................................................43
iPhone, iPad, and iPod ........................................................................44
Apple TV (ÚTV) ...................................................................................44
Support ..................................................................................................45
Application software offerings ...........................................................47
Server software solutions ...................................................................47
Chapter 3: Deciding What to Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Selecting a Conversion Strategy ..................................................................50
Taking it slow .......................................................................................51
Living on the go ....................................................................................51
Giving your PC the heave-ho ..............................................................52
Spending lots of dough........................................................................52
Gaming glow .........................................................................................53
Relaxing as a couch potat-oh .............................................................53
Following the KISS principle ...............................................................55
Figuring Out What’s on Your Windows Computer ....................................55
Navigating from PC to Mac Ports ................................................................57
Finding your way around the back of a Mac ....................................57
Ports that require an adapter for Macs ............................................61
Stuff that won’t work ...........................................................................63
Using Your Old Equipment with a Mac .......................................................63
Displays and projectors ......................................................................64
Keyboard and mouse ..........................................................................65
Printers, scanners, and fax machines ...............................................68
External hard drives and fl ash drives ...............................................69
Internal drives ......................................................................................69
Networking devices .............................................................................70
Digital cameras and camcorders .......................................................70
Cellphones and portable music players ...........................................71
CardBus cards ......................................................................................71
Miscellany .............................................................................................72
Getting Ready to Buy ....................................................................................73
Choosing options for your new Mac .................................................73
Selecting other accessories ................................................................74
Shopping for Your New Mac ........................................................................80
Shopping at your local computer store ............................................80
Visiting the Apple Store ......................................................................81
Buying your Mac online ......................................................................81
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