Quick Scan
If your iMac G5 has a weak Airport connection, take a look inside to see if the wire is loose.
iSync is the app to use to sync your cellphone with your new Mac.
Adding a Gmail account to Mail couldn't be easier. Mail makes it automatic.
iMac Airport Strength, Cellphone Syncing and Using Mail for Gmail
Welcome to My First Mac's Q&A column. It is said that Macs are easier to use, but they are still complex in their own right. Here are a few questions we have received lately from readers like you. Sometimes we reformat the questions for clarity and presentation.
This week we have questions about iMac Airport strength, cell phone syncing and using Mail for Gmail.
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Hi, someone told me about Airport Extreme. Will it fit in my iMac G5? Will it improve my wireless internet signal strength? | |
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If your iMac G5 has wireless networking, it already has Airport Extreme. This is the name Apple gives to its version of standard 802.11g wireless networking. As a one-time owner of an iMac G5, I can tell you that weak signal strength is a fairly common problem. Some iMacs were shipped with the antenna cable not fully inserted into the Airport Extreme card. If you're comfortable opening up the iMac (this model was actually designed to be user-serviceable), you can check to see. You can find instructions on how to open the iMac and install the card on Apple's support site (http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/imacG5_20inch_AirPort.pdf). I remember on mine it took quite a bit of pressure to get the cable seated properly. Your other options to improve signal strength are to either move the iMac or the wireless router so they are closer together, or adding a another wireless hub to extend the signal. |
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How do I synchronize my calendar and address book with my cell phone? |
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iSync is an application Apple includes with all Macs that will help you synchronize many popular cell phones with your calendar and address book. To get started, open iSync (located in your Applications folder). Hook up your cell phone via USB or Bluetooth (be sure your cell phone is discoverable) and select "Add Device". If your cell phone is supported, iSync will discover it. You will then be able to manage which contacts and calendar information you want to sync. If your cell phone is not discovered, it is not iSync-compatible. However, do not give up just yet. Google "iSync plug-in for <insert phone name & model>" to see if someone has written a iSync plug-in for your phone. If so, extract the file and place it in the /Library/PhonePlugins folder. |
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How do I setup Mail to get my Gmail (Google Mail)? | |
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In Mail, go to Preferences/Accounts. Click the plus (+) and type in your Gmail address and password. Make sure "Setup Automatically" is selected. Click "Create" and Mail will automatically set everything up. Yes, it is that easy. One of the many reasons to love your Mac. If for some reason this did not work, you can follow the manual directions offered by Rich Trouton at The Apple Blog - |
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You can send in your questions via the Contact page or email us at editor[AT]myfirstmac[DOT]com. Because of the volume of email we receive, we can't reply to each and every question personally. We read each question that comes in and reply to the ones that fit the scope of this column. We also save some questions for future columns.
If you need your specific question answered right away, try asking it in the Comments section of a related article or in the MFM Forums.
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