How To Get the Most From Your Mac
Posted on October 31st, 2009 by jroberts
Illan Olsen recently bought an iMac and I portended a peppering about problems. Because of this peril, I was propelled into preparing a paper for Mac potentates. Others have proposed I pencil my points, but Illana panicked me into producing.
For this, Illana is the Ethernotes “Hero for the Day” on 31-Oct-09
Getting the Most Out of Your Mac
Do Your Work online
- Figure out how to get broadband speed and get it.
- At school we use Firefox to surf, but . . .
- At home, learn to use Safari and Mail. I can get you the settings to set up Mail I think. The integration between Safari, Mail, Addressbook, iLife ‘09 is too crucial and convenient to ignore.
- Get a Google Apps account and forget Microsoft nearly forever.
Begin with Google Docs
- Some times, though, you do need a full featured office suite.
Get NeoOffice for free
I donate $10 every Jan. 1
Consider donating to all the “free” apps every Christmas or 1-Jan.
I donate $10 every Jan. 1
Consider donating to all the “free” apps every Christmas or 1-Jan.
- Learn Mac “How tos” at MacWorld
Start with the Most Popular how-tos.
- Bad Things Do Happen. Go to MacWorld again
- Lots of ideas for practical, usually must have software regardless of cost.
Look for information about 1 Password at Mac Gems
- Everybody likes free. Keep up with the the best at Opensource Mac.
- Get Handbrake. Must have.
- Consider Miro unless you don’t have broadband.
- VLC (must have) and Perian (nice to have) help play any type of video
- Test your Flash and Shockwave installs. Get any updates here too.
- Get Adobe Reader while you are here.
Utilities
There are free utilities that do the same. AppleJack and MacJanitor come to mind.
- Get a USB 2.0/FW 800 combo external HDD for backups if you don’t have one
Be sure to install your OS on it for a second boot drive.
- Backup utilities
Time Machine is included.
These make recovery better especially SD
Use Carbon Copy Cloner to back it up
SuperDuper is more user friendly
- Figure out if you need Pacifist
- Bookmark these online utilities
A Community Creating Lifelong Learners
- Apple Tutorials
- Apple Online Seminars
- Locate Apple Face-to-Face seminars
- Library services: Check out eBooks and real books with your library card
Find your local library
Login with your library card
MEL’s elibrary search
How to get eBooks from MEL
Filed under: Heros for a Day, Macintosh, WWW Browsing
John, That is great information. Armed with that kind of power we are sure to become life long learners.
I am glad you were finally able to pen a general protocol for anyone wanting to have and use a personal MAC.
Trish