How Macs Work, Millennium Edition

by Rizzo, John; Clark, K. Daniel

• ISBN13: 9780789724281
• ISBN10: 0789724286
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-01-01
• Publisher: Que

Summary

Have you ever wondered exactly how those beautiful lime or tangerine or blueberry iMacs work? Or how the operating system works on your iBook? Old and new generations of Macintosh users alike can find the answers in How Macs Work, Millennium Edition. Topics include: how different types of memory function, how data is stored, how FireWire transfers huge amounts of real-time digital data from consumer electronics devices like video camcorders into your Mac, increasing Mac speed and maximizing potential, how AirPort provides Internet access and creates networks on Macs without wires, and how Mac¿s new digital video editing technology can turn a VHS tape into polished digital video. The book will also explain how the Mac operating system works, including OS X ("OS Ten") the completely new implementation of the Macintosh operating system which features state-of-the-art technology throughout and an entirely new user interface called "Aqua."

Table of Contents

Introduction	xi
Part 1: Inside the Mac	1	(15)
Inside the iMac	4	(4)
Inside the Power Mac	8	(4)
Inside the PowerBook and iBook	12	(4)
Part 2: Mac OS	16	(28)
How Startup Works	20	(6)
How the Mac OS Works	26	(10)
How the Finder Works	36	(8)
Part 3: Processor and Memory	44	(38)
Binary Numbers and Transistors	48	(4)
How the Processor Works	52	(8)
How RAM Works	60	(8)
How Virtual Memory Works	68	(4)
How a Cache Works	72	(6)
How a RAM disk Works	78	(4)
Part 4: Disk Storage	82	(22)
How a Floppy-Disk Drive Works	86	(4)
How a Hard-Disk Drive Works	90	(6)
How Optical and Zip Storage Works	96	(8)
Part 5: Getting Information In and Out	104	(44)
How USB Works	108	(4)
How Fire Wire Works	112	(4)
How the Keyboard, Mouse, and Trackpad Work	116	(6)
How SCSI Works	122	(4)
How Expansion Slots Work	126	(10)
How Multimedia Works	136	(12)
Part 6: Display	148	(26)
How QuickDraw Works	152	(8)
How Aqua Works	160	(4)
How a CRT Display Work's	164	(4)
How Flat-Panel Displays Work	168	(6)
Part 7: Networks and the Internet	174	(30)
How Mac OS Networks	178	(4)
How Networks Work	182	(10)
How Wireless Networks Work	192	(4)
How Internet Connections Work	196	(8)
Part 8: Printing and Publishing	204	(28)
How Printers Work	208	(6)
How PostScript Works	214	(4)
How Print Publishing Works	218	(8)
How Web Publishing Works	226	(6)
Index	232