Getting Started
Now that you've got your first Mac, where do you go from here?
Here's some more advice on getting started.
Waiting for someone to get back to you via email? Use instant messaging for fast answers, telepresence, sending large files and more.
Did Santa leave a new Mac for you under the Tree? Make it the best gift ever by making the most of your Mac.
Keep improving your Mac by following these next steps. They will make your Mac experience more safe and comfortable.
Floppies are dead and buried. Long live the flash drive! Find out why these little guys are so useful and why you should have one.
Surfing the web can be like panning for gold. Know how to save and sharev the nuggets you find.
If you own a PC, you better get all the latest anti-virus software up and running before even connecting to the internet. What about Macs?
I can never find them when I need them. You know, the arrows, boxes, symbols and accents. It's not as easy as it should be.
The Mac cannot compete with Windows in the gaming arena, but here's one (cheap) way to reclaim some of that ground. Half-Life 2 anyone?
Craig gives you an overview of what services are offered and what some competitive options could be.
What do you do when you get that message that your hard drive is almost full? The trick is in finding your biggest files you don't need.
Time Machine will likely be the one thing we remember about Leopard years from now. Is it all that? Paul takes us through what he likes about it.
Will I lose my data? Do I need a new hard drive? Adam looks at what installing Leopard means for your new Mac.
Using aliases is all about efficiency. You can reduce your file clutter and the amount of time it takes to get around that mess of a hard drive.
Have you come over from Windows and wondered where the Control Panels are? The Mac version is called System Preferences and that is where you can control the finer points of your Mac experience, from setting up right-clicking to sharing a printer.
Did you think you got away from paying the Microsoft tax by switching to Mac? They still want $150-$500 for you to use Office. Skip the tax and give NeoOffice a try. You'll like the price.
Confused by installing applications you downloaded from the internet? Let us help you sort it out and get rid of the extra junk files.
What is this “Exposé” that everyone seems to love? It’s hard to explain, but we’ll tell you why and how you should be using it all the time on your new Mac.
So you’ve bought a new Mac and this .Mac thing is constantly being pushed at you. Should you get it? Is it worth it? Let’s take a look!
Still trying to figure out where to start with iPhoto? Our exclusive iPhoto Cheat Sheet will give you a quick reference for the most used functions found in the Organize View of iPhoto. You'll be organizing Albums and creating books in no time at all.
So you are planning to buy or just bought a new Mac and you are wondering if you need to get anything else to go along with it. I'll break down what else you will need to get and some other things you may want to buy to round out the whole Mac experience.
If you haven't spent much time using iTunes, we'll give you the essentials to get you off and running. This is the first in our Cheat Sheet series where we provide a visual graphic you can print or save to keep with your Mac that explains all the important basics to get started.
Do your eyes glaze over when looking at a spec sheet? My First Mac tells you all you need to know about Mac specs and which specs you can skip.
Worried about what you will have to give up if you switch to a Mac? We'll break down what you can and can't do on a Mac that you do right now on your PC.
Your new Mac should come with over 30 applications in this folder, some of which are very useful and some of which aren't. I'll try to break these down for you and suggest a way of organizing them.
OK, you skipped the part in setting up where you were asked for your email info, or you just want a fresh start with the Mail program. No problem. We can get you started with your email now.
Your new Mac has at least nine ports (MacBook), and can have up to eighteen (Mac Pro). It's not likely that you will use all of them, so let's find out which ones are really important and what they are used for. I'll list them in order of importance, and what you will likely use them for.
Which program to choose for managing your email? You have more options than just Apple Mail or .Mac.
Here are 5 easy steps to take after you get you Mac turned on to make sure you get off on the right foot.
Your new Mac comes with over thirty applications, so do you have everything you need? Your Mac software should cover all your basic needs, but you should think about increasing that capability. We'll take a look at some of the other software you may want add, and what your options are.