Wiley Mac Secrets
Contents
1. a 100 Positive feedback ltem condition Refurbished y Consistently receives highest Time left 2 days 4 hours Jan 18 2010 18 20 12 PST buyers ratings Ships it ick Bid history 42 bids v Ships items quickly v Has earned a track record of excellent service Current bid US 990 00 Ask a question Save this seller Your max bid US Place bid See other items Enter US 1 000 00 or more Other item info Item number 160395454748 Shipping FREE shipping Standard Flat Rate Shipping a Service See more services w See all detalis Item location SAN DIEGO CA Estimated delivery time varies United States a Retums 7 day money back buyer pays return shipping Ships to Worldwide Read detalls Payments PayPal See detalls Coverage Pay with PayPal and your full purchase price is covered See terms ma e D nnt FIGURE 1 8 Buying a secondhand Mac or an older model is a great way to pay less than the premium that Apple charges on brand new computers CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac You need to check that the machine you are picking up is powerful enough to meet your needs Aside from this the main considerations with picking up a sec ondhand model are ensuring that the device is in good working order determining whether it has warranty still available and making sure you pay a reasonable price GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT A SECONDHAND MAC Because you are unlikely to buy a secondhand Mac from a store you may w2. e00 gt Refurbished Mac Help Account Cart Wp Apple Store 1 80 Featured Products Shop Refurbished 2 66GHz Inte Core 2 Duo Only 1 949 00 2 8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Only 1 949 00 1 6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Only 1 099 00 Refurbished 17 inch MacBook Pro Refurbished 15 inch MacBook Pro Refurbished MacBook Air Refurbished Mac 4GB memory 320G8 hard drive 4GB memory 500GB hard drive 2G8 memory 120GB hard drive r z MacBook Air 4 MacBook Pro ae as iMac Mac Pro Apple Certified Refurbished Xserve We test and certify all Apple refurbished products and include a 1 year warranty Ors free shipping on orders over 50 f i il S i 1 ies aesecnonaas J Refurbished iMac 21 5 inch 3 06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 999 00 21 5 inch LED backlit glossy widescreen display Save 200 00 Refurbished iPod 4GB memory 16 off 500GB hard drive IPod shuffle _ 8x SuperDrive OVD R DL DVD RW CD RW NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics with 256M8 memory Built in iSight camera IPod nano iPod classic iPod touch Apple TV Refurbished MacBook Air 1 6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 1 099 00 FIGURE 1 11 The refurb section of the Apple Store enables you to pick up a Mac that was re turned to Apple and refurbished Refurbs come with a 12 month warranty CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac When you purchase a Mac from the Apple Online Store you need to select a number of options before you finalize your purchase The range of optio
3. Upgrading Your Processor The processor option is normally available only with a brand new Mac Not every Mac has an upgrade option and often the price of upgrading can be high However upgrading the processor is an option worth exploring Processors are hardwired into all Macs and upgrading a processor after you ve purchased a Mactan option A faster processor enables a Mac to perform complex tasks more quickly Most Macs come standard with powerful processor units A faster processor is unlikely to make a huge difference unless you do a lot of high end work Picking a base unit with the standard processor will give you many years of performance Having said that opting for a faster processor will extend the usable lifetime of your Mac Getting Optional Extras with a Mac Purchasing Extra Memory Another option to consider when buying a new Mac is whether to purchase extra memory More memory enables Macs to run programs faster and more efficiently and to run multiple programs at the same time Prior to Mac 0S X Snow Leopard most Ww applications ran in a 32 bit environment where the greatest amount of memory p even our available was 4GB Since the introduction of Mac OS X 10 6 Snow Leopard a Mac pro snow Leon B aaO gram can use up to 321 of theoretical memory supp sy MEMO paa yrcently a 22G TIP Ifyou want to get a bargain on memory don t purchase it from Apple at suppor t _ the same time you purchase your Mac Ap
4. http store apple com us browse home specialdeals Wait you say Isn t refurb just another term for secondhand or even worse aterm that means previously broken Getting a Better Deal on a Mac Not only do you get the full 12 month warranty that comes with a new Mac you also get the option to purchase an additional AppleCare plan to extend the period of service and repair to 3 years That should be enough to calm your nerves about the quality of the product aise 92 Typically you will save at least 10 percent on a machine and this amount rises p you Aed phones to around one third off the retail price So where do therefurbished products in oA eS Base the Apple Store come from Some of them are Macs that were returned as faulty and D tor a pst have been repaired But others may have been returned for other reasons such as gloout a sae non payment on a credit plan Apple also loans equipment to media sources to test wc pro j out and for events and trade shows such as Macworld Expo When the equipment has been used to show off Apple products it is placed into the refurbishment scheme You shouldn t count on a refurbished model not showing any signs of previous use but if you re happy to have a Mac that may have been used before but has been p ae as checked out works properly and comes with guarantee then the refurb section of aree W the Apple Store as shown in Figure 1 11 is worth checking out Lovet cefuro
5. Mac fresh from the box packs plenty of power and usually has all you need to get up and running You can always add on extra features at a later date SUMMARY The first step toward Mac nirvana is getting a machine and just looking at all of the possibilities can be lots of fun in and of itself When you purchase a new Mac a secondhand Mac or a refurbished Mac you can be secure in knowing that your new machine will be of the highest quality Whether you use your new Mac for business or pleasure it comes equipped with plenty of software to get you up and running and there is an abundance of additional software and hardware so that you can get your Mac to do whatever you need it to
6. min The Environment Tech Specs The new mightier mini More memory A faster processor And still the world s most energy efficient desktop computer Starting at 500 FIGURE 1 3 The Mac mini is Apple s best value machine and its small stature makes it a great choice for PC owners looking to put a Mac on their desk CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac Its small size and low power consumption have endeared the Mac mini to Apple enthusiasts who ve found a range of uses for the device beyond that originally envi sioned by Apple For example it s possible to attach a Mac mini to a television set to create a great media center Many people also use the Mac mini as a server for a home office or other small office and Apple recently created a special edition called the Mac mini Server that comes with two internal hard drives but no optical drive and is packaged with Apple s Mac OS X Server software MacBook wore The MacBook is one of the most popular computers Apple has ever produced First P apple ee aptop gt introduced in 2006 the MacBook is Apple s entry level notebook eke ade ae The MacBook sports a 13 inch display and the keyboard is made from square ee AP een 2 plastic keys often referred to as the chiclet design because the keys resemble Lor pieces of Chiclets chewing gum as shown in Figure 1 4 It also houses Apple s large nou glass multi touch trackpad to control the on screen mouse and perform gestu
7. ww apple com retail onetoone Getting a Printer to Go with Your Mac A printer to physically output information to paper used to be considered an essential accessory for any computer These days it s considered more of an extra The type of printer you choose depends on your needs Typically people interested in printing graphics go for inkjet printers and users with business needs go for laser printers or all in one units Be aware that the biggest cost of a printer isn t the unit itself but the cost of replacement ink cartridges this is especially true with inkjet models p Toae file You may not really need a printer Mac OS X can tur virtually any document into a T an PDF Portable Document Format file which you can view on Macs Windows PCs and 3 Vicario UNIX Linux computers e mail to other people and display on iPhones or iPods More ee cle v and more people are forgoing printers completely and using digital files instead Pri oT e A POF AN save 9 is CONSIDERING OTHER ACCESSORIES TO GO WITH YOUR MAC Although Apple offers a comprehensive set of hardware and software options witha Mac there are some other common items you might consider purchasing along with your Mac gt Apple Airport Extreme Base Station and Airport Express Base Station These are both extremely good Wi Fi routers While they require a modem to CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac provide an Internet connection they are both likely to
8. Capsule 178 Shop Mac Ea Ba AuPom Erromo tasa Shop IPod 5 Sanon Shop iPhone Mac fonk MacBook Pro MacRook Air Mac mini ie 10 6 Sow Just 959 From 2199 From 1499 From 599 bee 1199 pee rom ire s59 Mac Accessories Mac Box Set Mac Software Mac 05 X Server v20 5 oe Build a Mac Top Software Mobility One to One nacre Aiport Dareme IPhone Accessories Timo Capsule u P Loge Studio ERT pusa the ultimate me ee eons ontiqure it to your exact specs at the MacBook Ad Sosa play Western Digital 1TB My MacBook Pro Book for Mac ines Mac mini e sure which options to aa Tigger rs era iHome iHM79 Me r helpfis quide to configuring Rechargeable Mini your iwc Speakers Mac Pro Towler South BookAre Xserve Deski mand for Mac Accessories o AirPort amp Wireless LaCie 500GB S je 500GB Sack FIGURE 1 7 Apple s online store is an increasingly popular way to customize a Mac and have it delivered directly to your door Getting a Better Deal on a Mac Buying a Mac from an Apple Reseller As well as buying a Mac directly from Apple you can also purchase one from an Apple Authorized Reseller These resellers are stores both online and physical that spe cialize in selling Macs and have passed stringent quality control from Apple in offer ers ing both knowledgeable service and aftersales Supporta ree ar f meres Although fierce price cutting isn t as predominant within the Mac retail com
9. PART BECOMINGA MAC SETUP PRO CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 Buying a Mac IN THIS CHAPTER Choosing one of the many Mac models to buy Deciding whether to get your new Mac from Apple or an Apple resel Finding a better deal by buying an older or secondhand Mac Checking for hardware errors and getting a guarantee Buying a refurbished Mac Getting extras such as an upgraded processor or software Congratulations you are or are about to be the proud owner of an Apple Macintosh computer or Mac Even if you re a seasoned Machead this chapter will give you advice for picking up your next model This chapter covers what you need to know about getting a Mac everything from choosing which model to buy to deciding where to buy a Mac to getting a good deal on older secondhand or refurbished models This chapter also describes the optional extras Apple offers with its new Macs plus accessories you should consider for a Mac But first you must choose which Mac is right for you CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac ot X0 Ifyou don t have a Mac already which one should you get That s a conundrum that PT War s ae wen only you can answer The good news however is that there are no bad Mac computers sayy 3 an on wad Unlike the free for all bazaar that makes up the rest of the PC market Apple makes ever G ail just a few models and it makes sure all of them a
10. a permissions problem with a file installed by the Mac OS X installer click Repair Disk Permissions F Show details Clear History Verify Disk Permissions Verify Disk Disk Description SAMSUNG HSO82HB Total Capacity 80 03 GBX 0 026 361 856 Bytes S M A R T z Connection Bus ATA te Status Read Write j Connection Type internal T Status Verified status verified Connection ID Device 0 Partiti c A iftition Table FIGURE 1 10 Disk Utility enables you to check the S M A R T status of the hard drive CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac One final method of checking for a problem is to physically listen to the noises the hard drive makes when idle and during use A good way to listen to the hard drive in action is to copy a large file from one area to another or highlight a large file such as a movie clip and select File gt Duplicate from the menu bar or press 8 D Nor mally the hard drive should remain relatively silent when not copying a file and you may hear a faint clicking noise during copying Ifthe hard drive makes a scraping or whining noise something may be amiss A persistent audibledigh pitehed whine should be of particular concern Trp lf you have never owned a Mac prior to buying one secondhand try to get some time with one either in a store or with a friend prior to making a pur chase Familiarize yourself with the sounds that the device makes Quite often a computer component makes an od
11. advanced com ponents and larger display options than the MacBook MacBook Air First introduced in 2007 the MacBook Air is a unique model that some Mac users con sider a slightly odd purchase The MacBook Air is similar to the 13 inch MacBook Pro except it is shrunk down to an ultrathin case that measures just 0 76 inches thick as shown in Figure 1 6 As the name suggests the MacBook Air is all about being light weight It weighs in at just 3 pounds almost 2 pounds less than the MacBook Apple MacBook Air The new even mare powerful MacBaak Air MacBook Air Design features Graphics Why MacBook Air The Environment Tech Specs Buy h FIGURE 1 6 The MacBook Air s lightweight structure makes it a popular choice for users who spend a lot of time carrying around a notebook Choosing Which Mac to Buy The screen remains the full 13 inch size and it has the same full sized backlit keyboard as the MacBook Pro Although it lacks the glass trackpad from the MacBook and MacBook Pro it does have multi touch capability Another omission is the opti cal drive which you can purchase separately and attach via USB Apple has a feature called Disc Sharing that enables a MacBook Air to borrow the optical drive from another Mac or PC computer The reason the MacBook Airis considered amodd purchas i is because on paper proms the specs don t add up Despite costing considerably more than other MacBooks the yracBo
12. ant to check that the advertised Mac matches the description You might also be able to get a lot of information about the Mac that even the seller might not be aware of You can get information about a Mac via a Mac OS X application called System Profiler as shown in Figure 1 9 If you are inspecting a Mac in person you can use System Profiler to check the Mac To access System Profiler choose Apple gt About This Mac from the menu bar and click More Info Mark Hattersley s MacBook Air 16 01 2010 22 25 Contents Hardware Overview Vv Hardware ATA Model Name MacBook Air Model Identifier MacBookAir1 1 Audio Built In Processor Name Intel Core 2 Duo Bluetooth Processor Speed 1 6 GHz Diagnostics Number Of Processors 1 Disc Burning Total Number Of Cores 2 L2 Cache 4MB Ethernet Cards Memory 2 GB Fibre Channel Bus Speed 800 MHz FireWire Boot ROM Version ipl ria i i SMC Version system 1 23 FRR Pes Serial karak system W8810F1YY51 Hardware UUID 3FBCEBCA CC71 521D 8930 95CF036830DE Memory Sudden Motion Sensor PCI Cards State Enabled Parallel SCSI Power Printers SAS Serial ATA USB Y Network AirPort Firewall Locations Modems Volumes WWAN Y Software L Applications Develan FIGURE 1 9 The System Profiler utility displays a wide range of information about a Mac from the type of hardware it contains to the installed software Getting a Better Deal on a Mac TIP When buying a
13. buying an older model Low End Mac has a com plete list of all profiles from older Macs www lowendmac com profi les htm Also useful is Macworld s Speedmark testing www macworld com info speedmark Macworld s reviews contain comprehensive Speedmark testing for all current and older models Buying a Secondhand Mac Another great way to pick up a Mac for less money is to get a secondhand model as P ape oe shown in Figure 1 8 Apple has a lot of power users and aficionados who are always sel after the latest models and are more than happy to sell you an old one As with buying an older model picking up a secondhand model doesn t necessarily mean that you ore on a are buying an obsolete Mac Macs have a healthy life span and even a model from a mave ooy couple years ago will still function admirably ene Apple MacBook Pro 17 2 5GHZ 4GB RAM 640GB Mint Laptop eBay item 160395454748 end time Jan 18 10 18 20 12 PST al L oF http cgi ebay com Apple MacBook Pro 17 2 SGHZ 4GB RAM 640GB Mint Laptop WOQQit EQ Google Y Search Atenent y Sell My eBay Community He eb Sign in or register Site M Categories Motors Stores Daily Deal EE Back to Search Results Listed in category Computers amp Networking gt Apple Laptops amp Notebooks Watch this ites oy Apple MacBook Pro 17 2 5GHZ 4GB RAM Top rated seller ig 640GB Mint Laptop efechnology Massive HDD 512MB Video great for professionals Snow a7
14. ck MacBook Air has much lower specifications However by shaving two pounds offthe swear YY os A ic weight of a MacBook without compromising on the screen or keyboard Apple has walking a wit made a notebook that s incredibly popular among users who carry around a notebook all owes Wwe all day long se grome a aan ewe weary a ever pa S FOUR REASONS PEOPLE BUY MACS asked the Apple experts why people buy Macs over PCs and they gave me four main reasons gt Security Macs are more resistant to viruses malware and hacking than Windows based computers Although several thoughts exist about why this is true the fact remains that you are less likely to suffer certain Internet based problems when running a Mac gt Reliability Macs are by and large more reliable than Windows comput ers This is partly because the Mac OS X software is better coded and works with a more limited set of hardware Also Apple creates both the software and the hardware so the two are designed to work together with out trouble gt Ease of use Apple is obsessed with making computers and software easy to use Nobody in the world designs a software interface as well as Apple gt Style Sometimes it just matters So there are four reasons so many people buy Macs They re secure reliable easy to use and amazing looking Why on Earth would anybody want to use anything else CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac Once you ve decided w
15. d noise before it fails CHECKING THE OPTICAL DRIVE The optical drive is another area you should check prior to purchasing a secondhand Mac Unlike with the hard drive Disk Utility can t check the physical status of an optical drive because the disks are by nature replicable However The best way to do this is to insist on observing a Mac s optical drive in action At the very least you should ensure that the drive accepts and ejects CDs without problem That is the machine should eject a disc smoothly with an electric whir You should also ensure that you can copy files from the optical disc to the hard drive without error As with hard drive you should listen for any unusual noises A slight whirring is normal as the optical disc spins up prior to the data being read However be wary of any scuffing noises that suggest the disc isn t spinning cleanly in the drive And as with hard drives any high pitched whines are not normal Most Macs apart from the Mac Pro and MacBook Air come with slot loading opti gt Replacing these is both expensive and difficult so make sure to test the optical drive thoroughly CHECKING THE KEYBOARD TRACKPAD AND MOUSE Be sure to give the keyboard trackpad and mouse a thorough test prior to purchas ing a secondhand Mac Although these components are well built and sturdier than most they are also the parts that receive the most physical use To test the keyboard open the TextEdit applicati
16. ficially similar laptop for 550 Upon closer inspection the specifica Awe Dell computer offers a far lower spec and I would argue a lower build qualitythanthe p park Ww some ba P e MacBook ne ynat a APP Us e I won t get too far into a Mac versus Windows PC debate However you should computers ue be aware of several good arguments for paying the premium Apple charges superior Wie build quality integrated hardware and 0S more security against malware and virus CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac threats industry standard software such as Final Cut Pro that is unavailable on a PC and superior home software such as iPhoto and GarageBand that is Mac only None of these arguments however means much if your budget simply won t stretch So what can you do if you really want to own a Mac but simply can t stretch to the amount that Apple charges Fear not There are some secret tricks that can get youa great Mac on a budget GETTING A COLLEGE DISCOUNT Apple has a discount scheme for college students The good news is that to qualify you can also be a college or K 12 teacher administrator staff member or board member at any level in an educational establishment Go to ww apple com education for more information about getting up to 10 percent off the price of a new Mac You can also get up to 10 percent off the price of a new Mac by joining the Apple Developer Connection http developer apple com For an annual membersh
17. h an internal structure that makes adding and replacing components easy CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac CeoOsspeFr Chapter 10 has more information on upgrading options for Macs Most home users find the Mac Pro overkill Unless you have a specific require ment for a Mac Pro feature such as RAID to perform Mac 0S X Server functions or if you require high end computing function video editors scientists and 3 D graphic designers typically fall into this category you should consider Apple s consumer model the iMac instead iMac The iMac is perhaps the computer for which Apple is most famous The iMac started out as a classic colorful unit that Apple used to re launch itself into the computing market It has since evolved into a svelte aluminum widescreen unit as shown in Figure 1 2 BOO Apple iMac The ultimate all in one desktop computer a tT o www asple com imac ik Loading X I Qr Googie Design Features Performance Why iMac The Environment Tech Specs The new iMac The ultimate all in one Now with the ultimate display FIGURE 1 2 The iMac is Apple s all in one desktop computer aimed at home users One of the biggest advantages of purchasing an iMac over other Mac models is the large high quality widescreen display that makes up the bulk of the computer including the hard drive The minimalist design of the iMac also makes it a superb space saving option When you purchase a new iMac you get a
18. hich Mac to buy the next obvious task is to get one Because Apple tightly controls distribution you are less likely to get a better deal by shopping around for a Mac than you are when buying a PC Having said that there are deals out there and there are reasons for buying a Mac from a store other than Apple But let s start with going straight to the horse s mouth Buying a Mac Directly from Apple Apple makes computers and sells them directly to its customers Typically you can purchase a Mac from Apple in one of two ways gt Apple Online Store Apple offers a comprehensive online store at ww apple com store You can also select a range of configuration options and custom ize your selection to a granular level as shown in Figure 1 7 gt Apple Retail Store Apple has a network of 300 worldwide stores Apple stores operate in most major cities in the United States and Europe as well as in Japan Apple even has a store in China You can find a complete list of Apple Retail Stores at ww apple com retail storelist The key advantage to visiting a physical store is that all Macs are on display enabling you to get hands on experience before deciding on a purchase Apple also has a range of specialists on hand in each Apple Retail Store to answer your questions Loading X C fe gt Shop wae Welp Account Cart Apple Store ANO MY APPLE Chat New for Mac Apple Magic Mouse Apple Remote Time
19. ip fee the Developer Connection gives developers access to the latest software development tools A student with an active membership in the Apple Developer Connection can use both discounts simultaneously Buying an Older Model As mentioned earlier in this chapter one of the joys of buying a brand new Mac is that typically Apple sources high spec components that are designed to outperform other computers on the market Apple is often the first to market with new computer PT ae Ns processors and Macs are typically stuffed to the brim with the fastest components Wy ile This high end performance is great news for new owners who can be sure their an tick wit Mac has healthy life spa b The typical Mac lasts up to five years before technology S cl Tria WAS re ds require an upgrade But it s even better news for bargain hunters because modas W 50 a itmeans that even last year s Mac is technically better than most of this year s a manine Windows based PC models Get an older model Mac and you ll get a healthy discount mnt ae lost xwe ona great computer years Because Apple is so secretive regarding new launches the Apple Resellers may have plenty of old models in stock when a new model is launched You can shave one third of the price off a Mac by buying a previous generation model Getting a Better Deal on a Mac TIP Make sure to buy a machine powerful enough to handle your tasks Two websites are useful if you re
20. mu er longen nity as itis in PC stores Apple Resellers do sometimes run special offers such as free warranties va e hardware or software with new Mac purchases You can find an Apple Reseller near aia tO away e you online at ww apple com buy locator enero dial apple yw Apple also has Online Authorized Resellers that sell Macs online These websites ae are worth checking out before making a purchase just in case you can find a bet ter deal than you can get from Apple Apple has a list of Authorized Online Resellers operating in the United States online at http solutionprofessionals apple com catalog One high profile exception is eBay The sellers on eBay are unlikely to be Apple Authorized and you may want to be careful about purchasing a Mac on eBay Having said that Apple warranties are valid with Apple regardless of where you purchased your Mac and Apple uses an online system to track products via serial numbers and authorize products for repair CROSSREF Chapter 21 has more information on troubleshooting a Mac GETTING A BETTER DEAL ON A MAC i een aes u One of the most common and to be fair in some cases justified reasons against p gt We T costs e purchasing a Mac over a PC is cost Apple makes premium computers and charges a cae computers premium cost pon of PO At this writing the lowest priced Apple notebook the MacBook is priced at wit siwilan 0 ons 999 Dell offers a super
21. n Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse by default However you can opt for a wired Apple Keyboard and or a wired Choosing Which Mac to Buy Apple Mouse New Mac Pro computers come with the older wired mouse and keyboard but you can pay extra to upgrade to the newer Magic Mouse and wireless keyboard CHOOSING A BIGGER DISPLAY Designers and video editors aren t the only ones who benefit from a large dis play In 2005 Pfeiffer Consulting tested the Apple 30 inch Cinema HD display against a 17 inch display in a number of tasks The report found that working on a 30 inch display doubled productivity when using applications such as word processing or spreadsheet editing it tripled productivity when using design programs such as Adobe Photoshop If you consider how much you re paid per hour spending the extra money on a large display can pay for itself To read the report see http images apple com pro pdf Cin_Disp30_report pdf Mac mini The Mac mini is Apple s lowest cost model It was originally targeted specifically at Windows switchers people who used Windows PCs but wanted to move to Mac As its name suggests the Mac mini is an exceptionally small unit as shown in Figure 1 3 What the Mac mini lacks in stature it certainly doesn t lack in performance offering much the same specification as the MacBook jane Apple Mac mini The most affordable energy efficient Mac Mac mini Design Feamures Why Mac
22. nections that most PC peripherals use most notably USB and they are largely made using the same type of physical internal components hard drives RAM and so on Digital cameras camcorders printers and other devices work as well ona Mac as they do ona PC Choosing Which Mac to Buy gt Macs don t have any software More than 12 000 applications are available for Macs covering about every kind of computing task you can imagine Just about every major program Microsoft Office Adobe Creative Suite FileMaker and so on is available for Mac If you hear any negative talk along these lines you can be sure that it s a com plete myth When choosing a Mac the model you pick largely depends on the features you require Macs are available in six different models and each one is aimed at a par ticular kind of user Mac Pro The Mac Pro as shown in Figure 1 1 is the most powerful Mac on the market Often it s the most powerful home computer on the market It s also the most upgradable Mac offering a level of internal access denied on models such as the iMac 606 o ooon Apple Mac Pro The fastest and most powerful Mac ever Lade flt nnp wwwapple commacpro 0 Features Performance Environment Tech Specs Beauty outside Beast inside introducing the new Mac Pro featuring the Intel Xeon Nehalem processor Learn more gt FIGURE 1 1 The Mac Pro model is the most upgradable Mac wit
23. ns may seem a little daunting at first as Figure 1 12 shows but it s important to choose the right options Configure Apple Store U S J nttp store apple com us configure MB952LL A mco MTM3NDc2NDg a Hi Qr Google 1 699 00 Configure your iMac 27 inch Thinking about your first Mac S i et same as cash Use the options below to build the system of your dreams Answers to some of the mast common a Gr 82 tanks PC to Mac questions Ships 1 week Free Shipping inte Processor Gore 2B Enjoy incredible performance from the Intel Core 2 Duo processor which features two processor cores on a single chip Choose the speed you want sarn mere gt 3 06GHz intel Core 2 Duo 3 33GHz intel Core 2 Duo Add 200 00 Memory More memory RAM increases performance and enables your computer to perform faster and better Choose additional 1066MHz DDR3 memory for your Mac ace 8 4GB 1066MHz DOR3 SDRAM 2x2GB O 868 1066MHz DORI SDRAM 4x2G8 Add 200 00 8628 1066MHz DOR3 SDRAM 2x4GB Add 600 00 8 16G8 1066MHz DORI SDRAM 4x4G8B Add 1 400 00 K N Hard Drive A larger hard drive gives you more space for data and applications Choose the right capacity for you Learn more gt 178 serial ATA Drive O 278 Serial ATA Drive Add 250 00 FIGURE 1 12 Apple offers a range of optional extras with a new Mac Choosing the right options enables you to build the machine that is right for you
24. on by choosing Go gt Applications or pressing 36 A and double clicking TextEdit Type out some sample text Getting a Better Deal on a Mac CHECKING A MAC NOTEBOOK When purchasing a Mac notebook secondhand there are a few things you should check in addition to what you check when considering a desktop model gt Check for dents Aluminum MacBooks are sturdy creatures but one sign of mistreatment specifically that the device has been dropped is to check for dents in the case gt Look for signs of scruffiness The white MacBook models are prone to collect ing dirt Although this isn t necessarily a problem it may be a sign that the owner has taken less care of your new pride and joy than you will gt Check the lid Make sure the lid opens and closes smoothly without dif ficulty The modern MacBook range has a magnetic clasp that connects the lid to the base Older MacBook Pro models have a silver tab on the front of the MacBook that you push in to release the lid These tabs are particularly error prone so make sure the lid opens and closes smoothly gt Make sure the backlit keyboard works Ifthe unit has a backlit keyboard look at whether it works correctly The only real way to test it is to darken the room gt Make sure the device sleeps When you close the lid the notebook should go to sleep The best way to test this is to look at the white Apple logo on the reverse of the display This logo should light up
25. ooks and the iMac Some people find that working with two screens makes life CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac easier and more efficient Attaching a larger screen to a Mac notebook along witha keyboard and mouse enables you to use it like a desktop computer Choosing Apple Keyboard and Mouse Options If you purchase an iMac or Mac Pro from Apple your purchase will include a mouse and keyboard by default You can opt for different wired or wireless mouse options and choose international language keyboards before purchasing Adding an Apple Remote An Apple Remote used to be standard with all Macs but nowit is an optional extra The Apple Remote enables you to access the Front Row interface on a Mac and play music watch videos and display photographs from a distance It is also used to con trol an Apple TV Getting a Mini DisplayPort Adapter Apple recently included a new kind of display connection called a Mini DisplayPort At this writing the Mini DisplayPort is a relatively rare monitor connection Apple includes three options to connect MiniDisplay ports to other common monitor connections gt Mini DisplayPort to DVI gt Mini DisplayPort to Dual Link DVI gt Mini DisplayPort to VGA The adapter required depends on the connection used on your monitor Typically modern monitors with the exception of those made by Apple use DVI with Dual Link DVI required for monitors with 30 inch or larger displays VGA is used on older monito
26. pecifications and a wider range of features The two most instantly noticeable differences between the MacBook and the MacBook Pro are the silver aluminum casing and the larger display as shown in Figure 1 5 As well as the 13 inch screen on the MacBook the MacBook Pro has p tee 15 and 17 inch display options These larger screen options also have more power wa acibork FF cawiess uy es ful innards most noticeably the presence of a discrete graphicsicard A discrete cae n ener ay pexween A cee graphics card has its own memory unlike the integrated graphics option used on agticient a nee i the MacBook which shares its memory with the main system This ensures thatthe pr a wcs MacBook Pro is a much more powerful unit especially for graphics intensivetasks gsere ae such as digital image and video editing or for running games or programs that use card for nee 3 D graphics perfor The MacBook Pro also features a backlit keyboard When the light in your envi ronment fades the keys light up enabling you to easily continue typing CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac MacBook Pro Design Feansres Graphics Why MacBook Pro The Environment Tech specs QD The new MacBook Pro family High performance now comes in three sizes 13 inch 15 inch and 17 inch The new MacBook Pro brings precision engineering and advanced technology to everyone WAM AA FIGURE 1 5 A range of MacBook Pro notebook models offer
27. ple charges a premium for RAM on wwe amp and you can typically purchase a RAM upgrade for less than the amount Apple wae PFO charges You can get RAM from a lot of different companies such as Kingston www kingston com and Crucial ww crucial com Adding a Larger Hard Drive Your hard drive is the central storage area for your Mac and it s important to get one that fits your needs If you re coming from an old computer you might find the stor age space on the latest Macs bountiful But hard drives fill up quickly when you start installing applications downloading movies importing photos and so on Whether you purchase a larger hard drive with your Mac depends largely on what you feel your needs are Although most Macs come with a reasonably large hard drive the MacBook Air is a notable exception it is reasonably easy to upgrade the inter nal hard drive on most Macs However it s generally easier and more practical to add extra storage to a Mac in the form of an external hard drive CeOsspeFr Chapter 6 has information on keeping your hard drive free from clutter and Chapter 10 has more information on upgrading your hard drive space Getting a Display with Your Mac Most desktop Macs come with a display attached with the exception of the Mac mini or Mac Pro So if you re purchasing one of these unless you already have a display you need to consider getting one It is also possible to attach a second display to Mac noteb
28. provide much better service than a Wi Fi router provided by your Internet service provider The AirPort Express is smaller and designed to be taken on the road the AirPort Extreme has multiple antennas for faster performance Chapter 8 has more information on networking gt Time Capsule This unique device is similar to the AirPort Extreme Base Sta tion but also includes a hard drive for remote backups Chapter 7 has more information on backing up your Mac with a Time Capsule gt TV tuner The ability to watch and record digital television and radio ona Mac is a great inclusion and a number of USB devices enable you to record programs gt External hard drive Getting an external hard drive is a relatively inexpen sive way of increasing the amount of storage available Also you can use an external drive to back up a Mac using Apple s Time Machine software gt Laptop bag If you re getting a Mac notebook you probably want to also pick up a laptop bag to store it and carry it around safely gt Speakers and earphones Every Mac even the Mac mini has a built in speaker but the sound quality is better on some models than on others If you havea Mac Pro or Mac mini you might want to consider investing in a pair of exter nal speakers Alternatively you can attach a pair of earphones to any Mac to listen to audio While there is any number of cool accessories to go with a Mac you shouldn t feel the need to get carried away A
29. res 800 Apple MacBook The 999 notebook completely redesigned 4 ta Cnn www apple com macbook 32 Loading X Qr Google MacBook Design Features Why Macbook The Environment Tech Specs Buy Nol The notebook you love In a whole new edition Introducing the completely redesigned better in every way MacBook Still just 999 FIGURE 1 4 The MacBook the most popular computer Apple has ever made is Apple s entry level notebook and offers a lot of power for a reasonable price Choosing Which Mac to Buy CROSSREF Chapter 14 has more information on multi touch trackpad gestures The white MacBook is the only model not to feature a backlit keyboard that lights up automatically when the ambient lighting fades With the exception of the Mac mini the MacBook is the highest value for the money Mac It s no surprise that the MacBook is Apple s best selling Mac of all time WHAT S A UNIBODY All of Apple s notebook models feature a unibody casing In a unibody casing the external frame of the case houses the internal components Although this may sound commonplace it s actually quite rare Most devices are created using an internal frame with external parts attached to it The unibody design enables Apple notebooks to be lighter and stronger than rival models MacBook Pro Like the MacBook the MacBook Pro is a portable notebook As the Pro moniker sug gests the MacBook Pro has higher s
30. rrive at your desk in peak condition culo OM act Each model is markedly different from the others but the differences are based on annver eal your needs not quality ae a hee Every new model is typically ahead of the technology curve is well designed and ee cet a has the kind of build quality you d expect from a premium manufacturer such as BMW Gar more wits or Mercedes This quality comes with a premium price tag but with a bit of savvy misses shopping you may be able to get a better deal than you originally thought FOUR MYTHS ABOUT MACS When you re in the process of buying a Mac especially if you re moving from a PC to a Mac you may have some misconceptions Although Macs have become much more popular recently a lot of people who ve never started up a Mac have plenty to say about them as computers usually based on nonsense they ve heard from other non Mac users Here are four of the biggest myths about using Macs gt Macs aren t compatible with Windows PC Almost every type of file that you can open ona PC Microsoft Office documents movies and so on can be opened on a Mac You can make changes to these files on a Mac and share them with Windows users You can even run Windows inside Mac OS X gt Macs can t run Microsoft Office Wrong Macs have been able to run Microsoft Office since 1989 and Microsoft Word first appeared on the Mac way back in 1984 gt Macscan treuse PC peripherals Macs use the same con
31. rs and is often found on projectors Selecting Software with Your Purchase Apple offers a range of software that you can purchase along with your new Mac Every new Mac comes with Mac OS X and the iLife suite of applications Mac OS X has a wide range of programs included for tasks such as using the Internet sending e mail managing contacts and other basic functions It even has a built in dictionary and text editing programs that function as a good if somewhat basic word processor Considering Other Accessories to Go with Your Mac Purchasing MobileMe with Your Mac uay P yo can vs MobileMe is an online membership service that you pay for annually MobileMe sove money o J copy e enables you to use your Mac from another location via the Internet It includes bung from e mail online iCal and Address Book syncing syncing of certain Mac OS Xitems of wool such as preferences and Keychain online storage and remote access called Back To m pma on My Mac It syncs information on Mac and Windows systems so it s a good choice for oe users of multiple operating systems Chapter 22 has more information on MobileMe Selecting One to One Membership One to One is a scheme Apple offers that enables you to get personal training with anew Mac Training typically takes place in Apple Retail Stores in the form of an noche als its individual meeting with e Genius more information on One to One see r A ex an Geniuses pet S
32. secondhand Mac make sure to get the installation discs for any software included in the sale If you don t possess the physical discs you may have legal problems regarding the license and you may find it difficult to obtain updates Also if you don t have the installation discs you won t be able to re install the software if there are any problems CHECKING FOR HARDWARE ERRORS One of the key concerns most people have when buying a secondhand Mac is whether it has an unknown fault with the hardware Problems with the software can usually be rectified Here is a list of items to check prior to handing over your money CHECKING THE HARD DRIVE Open the Disk Utility application by choosing Go gt Utilities from the Finder menu or pressing SHIFT 38 U and double clicking Disk Utility The first thing to check is the S M A R T Self Monitoring Analysis and Report ing Technology status ofthe hard drive You can check this at the bottom of the Disk Utility window which should say Verified as shown in Figure 1 10 600 SAMSUNG HS082HB r errr Partition T RAD E 80 03 GB SAMSUNG HS082HB nate E Macintosh HD If you re having trouble with the selected disk Click Repair Disk If the repair fails back up and erase the disk If Repair Disk is unavailable click Verify Disk If the disk needs repairs start up from your Mac OS X installation disc and then choose Utilities gt Disk Utility If you have
33. the best thing you can do prior to buying a secondhand Mac is to ask the person selling it if he or she knows of any problems whatsoever Of course there s no guarantee of the person s honesty but getting a guarantee prior to purchase in case you discover any errors is a good way to go about any sale One advantage to purchasing via an auction site such as eBay ww ebay com is that you can check whether the seller offers a guarantee and uses the PayPal Buyer Protection program and eBay Resolution Center http resolutioncenter ebay com ifthere are any problems CHECKING THE APPLE WARRANTY AND APPLECARE Apple offers 12 months of support and care with all new Macs You can also purchase a longer support package called AppleCare that offers 3 years of coverage from the original date of purchase AppleCare provides telephone support plus global repair of both hardware and software HOW MUCH IS THAT MAC WORTH There are two good ways to measure the worth of a Mac The first is to head to a website called Mac2sell www mac2sel1 com to get an accurate valuation Another way to determine the value of a secondhand Mac is to check a popular auction site such as eBay www ebay com for auctions of the type of Mac you want that are just closing or have already completed Getting a Refurbished Mac In addition to buying a new Mac or a secondhand model you have a third option You can buy a Mac from the refurbished section of the Apple Store
34. when the notebook is in use and should quickly turn off when the lid is closed gt Ensure that the battery charges Make sure the device is plugged in during testing and that the battery charges correctly The chargers on recent Apple notebooks should connect and be held in place magnetically a system called MagSafe Alight on the side of the connection keeps you informed of charg ing status orange signifies charging and green indicates fully charged gt Ensure that the battery holds charge One thing you need to be careful of when buying a secondhand machine is the amount of charge the battery still holds A MacBook battery when new provides between 5 and 8 hours of use depending on the size and type of battery but this capacity can drop over use A full charge on an old battery lasting 30 minutes isn t unheard of and eventually the battery will fail to hold any charge at all You should check the battery life indicator in the menu bar and make sure it displays the time instead of the percentage by clicking on the battery icon and choosing Show gt Time from the drop down menu Then you need to wait a few minutes for the notebook to operate without a charge and see how much remaining time is displayed CHAPTER 1 Buying a Mac Apple builds high quality machines but Macs like all computers are complicated pieces of machinery and there are lots of things that can go wrong GETTING A GUARANTEE It may sound obvious but
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