Switching to a Mac For Dummies

411 Pages·2009·6.471 MB·English

by  Arnold Reinhold

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Personal Computers/Macintosh
Making Everything Easier!™ 2nd Edition
Switching is almost as easy
as using a Mac, and we’ll 2nd Edition
guide you all the way! S
Open the book and find:
w M a c
Sporo ynoeu w’voe rdlde coifd tehde tMo ajoci?n C tohneg mraotruel aintitounitsi!v Teh, lies sbso voirku tse-lls (cid:127) How a Mac can simplify your life it Sw i t c h i n g to a ®
(cid:127) Special advice for seniors and
you what to expect, how to choose a Mac (if you haven’t c
parents of young kids
already), and how to make the switch a breeze. Discover all h
(cid:127) T ips on keeping your Mac updated
the cool preloaded software, how to make your Mac talk to
i
and secure
your iPhone™ and iPod®, and how to work the Mac way. n
(cid:127) Ways to unleash your creativity
g
(cid:127) Meet the family — compare MacBooks and the Mac mini, iMac®, with photos, audio, and video
and Mac Pro
t
(cid:127) How to configure your new Mac
o
(cid:127) I’m a Mac, and you’re leaving a PC — see what’s alike and what’s
different, and learn to use Apple menus and the Finder (cid:127) Help with switching specialized

software to your Mac a
(cid:127) Can I keep it? — find out what peripherals will still work with
your Mac (cid:127) Mac networking instructions
M
(cid:127) Moving day — transfer your files, address book, and content (cid:127) How to get both WiFi and backup
stored on other media capability by using Time Capsule® a
(cid:127) Get connected — set up your Internet service and e-mail c
application, and connect to your printer and other peripherals
®
(cid:127) iLove all these apps — play, buy, and organize music with
iTunes®; edit, sort, and share photos with iPhoto®; make movies Learn to:
with iMovie®; and more
(cid:127) Choose the Mac that’s right for you
(cid:127) Safety first — learn what makes Macs safer and why strong Go to Dummies.com
®
passwords are still important
for videos, step-by-step examples, (cid:127) Transfer your files from Windows®
how-to articles, or to shop the store!
(cid:127) If you just can’t say goodbye — see how to run Windows® on
(cid:127) Connect your Mac to the Internet by
your Mac
using a wireless network
(cid:127) Get the most from Mac OS® X Snow
Leopard™ and create cool projects
with the iLife® suite
$24.99 US / $29.99 CN / £17.99 UK
ISBN 978-0-470-46661-2
Arnold Reinhold has more than three decades of experience in
the software industry. His first Apple product was a Mac 512. He has
coauthored numerous books, including Green IT For Dummies.
Arnold Reinhold
Reinhold
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Get More and Do More at Dummies.com
®
Start with FREE Cheat Sheets
Cheat Sheets include
(cid:127) Checklists
(cid:127) Charts
(cid:127) Common Instructions
(cid:127) And Other Good Stuff!
To access the Cheat Sheet created specifically for this book, go to
www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/switchingtoamac
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Dummies.com makes your life easier with 1,000s
of answers on everything from removing wallpaper
to using the latest version of Windows.
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(cid:127) Videos
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Switching to a Mac®
FOR
DUMmIES
‰
2
ND EDITION
by Arnold Reinhold
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Switching to a Mac® For Dummies®, 2nd Edition
Published by
Wiley Publishing, Inc.
111 River Street
Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774
www.wiley.com
Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2009933381
ISBN: 978-0-470-46661-2
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Arnold Reinhold 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
security, and mathinthemovies.com.
Arnold studied mathematics at City College of New York and MIT, and man-
agement at Harvard Business School. You can check out his home page at
arnoldreinhold.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, Carol Baroudi, and Barbara Lapinskas for their
help and suggestions. And, thanks to the folks at Apple computer and their
loyal customers, who keep alive a dream that personal computers, cell-
phones, and music players are not just utilitarian machines but can be tools
that empower and inspire us.
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Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located
at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care
Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].
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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 ...................................................................................53
Part II: Making the Switch ......................................... 83
Chapter 4: The Big Day: Setting Up Your Mac .............................................................85
Chapter 5: Mac OS X for Windows Users ......................................................................97
Chapter 6: Moving Files from Your PC to the Mac ....................................................125
Chapter 7: Switching Applications ..............................................................................141
Part III: Connecting Hither and Yon .......................... 159
Chapter 8: Getting Your Mac Online ...........................................................................161
Chapter 9: Networking the Mac Way ...........................................................................183
Chapter 10: Staying Secure in a Connected World ....................................................201
Part IV: More Software, More Choices ....................... 221
Chapter 11: Easy Listening with iTunes ......................................................................223
Chapter 12: Picturing iPhoto ........................................................................................233
Chapter 13: Producing Movies and Music on Your Mac ...........................................245
Chapter 14: Building Your Space on the Web ............................................................257
Chapter 15: Enjoying Other OS X Goodies ..................................................................267
Chapter 16: Oops, It’s a PC: Running Windows on Your Mac ..................................277
Part V: Specialty Switching Scenarios ....................... 287
Chapter 17: Switching with the Whole Family in Mind .............................................289
Chapter 18: Switching Your Business to Macs ...........................................................311
Chapter 19: Desktop to Dashcode: OS X Advanced ..................................................317
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Part VI: The Part of Tens .......................................... 329
Chapter 20: Ten Terrifi c Troubleshooting Tips .........................................................331
Chapter 21: Ten Ways Your Mac Can Help the Planet ..............................................343
Chapter 22: Ten Creative Uses for Your Old PC ........................................................349
Appendix: Mac Speak versus Windows Speak:
A Translation Glossary ............................................. 353
Index ...................................................................... 379
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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 .................................................................................4
Where to Go from Here ...................................................................................5
Part I: Informed Switching Starts Here .......................... 7
Chapter 1: Why Switch? Demystifying the Mac Mantra. . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Be Happy You Waited ...................................................................................10
Take Your Best Shot ......................................................................................10
“Macs are too expensive” ...................................................................11
“Switching is too hard” .......................................................................11
“I’ll be left with no software” ..............................................................12
“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
“Vista, er . . . Windows 7 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
Innovating with the enemy .................................................................18
iPod and iPhone ...................................................................................18
Switching Sides Can Sting .............................................................................19
Chapter 2: Meet the Mac Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23
Checking Out Common Features .................................................................23
Connecting on the Go with Your Apple Laptop .........................................25
Getting just what you need with MacBook .......................................28
Traveling light with MacBook Air ......................................................31
Taking the high ground with MacBook Pro ......................................32
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viii
Switching to a Mac For Dummies, 2nd Edition
Furnishing Your Lair with Mac Desktops ...................................................33
Starting small — the Mac mini ...........................................................35
Getting it all in one box: The iMac .....................................................37
Maxing out with a Mac ........................................................................38
Getting the Right Graphics Processor ........................................................42
Adding On and Filling In ...............................................................................43
Apple displays ......................................................................................43
Time Capsule Wi-Fi base station and backup disk ..........................44
AirPort Extreme Wi-Fi base station ...................................................45
AirPort Express, a Wi-Fi relay .............................................................46
iPod and iPhone ...................................................................................47
Apple TV ...............................................................................................47
Support ..................................................................................................48
Application software offerings ...........................................................50
Server software solutions ...................................................................52
Chapter 3: Deciding What to Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Selecting a Conversion Strategy ..................................................................54
Taking it slow .......................................................................................54
Living on the go ....................................................................................55
Giving your PC the heave-ho ..............................................................56
Spending lots of dough........................................................................56
Gaming glow .........................................................................................57
Relaxing as a couch potat-oh .............................................................57
Following the KISS principle ...............................................................57
Figuring Out What’s on Your Windows Computer ....................................58
Navigating from PC to Mac Ports ................................................................60
Finding your way in the back of a Mac ..............................................61
Ports that require an adapter for Macs ............................................64
Stuff that won’t work ...........................................................................66
Using Your Old Equipment with a Mac .......................................................66
Displays and projectors ......................................................................66
Keyboard and mouse ..........................................................................68
Printers, scanners, and fax machines ...............................................70
External hard drives and fl ash drives ...............................................70
Internal drives ......................................................................................71
Networking devices .............................................................................71
Digital cameras and camcorders .......................................................72
PC cards ................................................................................................72
Portable music players and cellphones ............................................73
Miscellany .............................................................................................73
Getting Ready to Buy ....................................................................................74
Choosing options for your new Mac .................................................74
Selecting other accessories ................................................................75
Shopping for Your New Mac ........................................................................80
Shopping at your local computer store ............................................80
Visiting the Apple Store ......................................................................80
Buying your Mac online ......................................................................81
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