MacBook^TM For Dummies^®

by Mark L. Chambers (Columbia, Missouri)

• ISBN13: 9780470048597
• ISBN10: 047004859X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-08-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

What the book covers: laptop basics, getting acquainted with Mac OS X, connecting and communicating for the road warrior, taking your music mobile, turning iPhoto into your portable darkroom, working with networks, getting connected to wireless devices, sharing access and information, troubleshooting, and more. Series features: Information presented in the straightforward but fun language that has defined the Dummies series for more than a dozen years.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
What's Really Required	1	(1)
About This Book	2	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	3	(1)
Stuff you type	3	(1)
Menu commands	3	(1)
Web addresses	4	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	4	(2)
Part I: Tie Myself Down with a Desktop? Preposterous!	4	(1)
Part II: Shaking Hands with Mac OS X	4	(1)
Part III: Connecting and Communicating	4	(1)
Part IV: Living the iLife	5	(1)
Part V: Sharing Access and Information	5	(1)
Part VI: The Necessary Evils: Troubleshooting, Upgrading, Maintaining	5	(1)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	5	(1)
Icons Used in This Book	6	(1)
Where to Go from Here	6	(1)
A Final Word	7	(2)
Part I: Tie Myself Down with a Desktop? Preposterous!	9	(42)
Hey, It Really Does Have Everything I Need	11	(16)
An Overview of Your Mac Laptop	12	(6)
The parts you probably recognize	12	(3)
The holes called ports	15	(1)
Don't forget the parts you can't see	16	(2)
Location, Location, Location!	18	(1)
Unpacking and Connecting Your Laptop	19	(2)
Unpacking for the road warrior	19	(1)
Connecting cables 101	20	(1)
Great, a Lecture about Handling My Laptop	21	(1)
An Overview of Mac Software Goodness	22	(3)
What comes with my laptop?	22	(1)
Connecting to the Internet from your lap	22	(1)
Applications that rock	23	(1)
Boot Camp For Dummies	24	(1)
Other Stuff That Nearly Everyone Wants	25	(2)
Turning On Your Portable Powerhouse	27	(12)
Tales of the On Button	28	(1)
Mark's Favorite Signs of a Healthy Laptop	28	(1)
You're Not Going to Lecture Me About Batteries, Are You?	29	(1)
Setting Up and Registering Your Laptop	30	(2)
Setting up Mac OS X Tiger	31	(1)
Registering your Mac	32	(1)
Importing Stuff from Another Mac	32	(4)
Importing Stuff from Windows (If You Must)	36	(3)
The Laptop Owner's Introduction to Mac OS X	39	(12)
Your Own Personal Operating System	40	(5)
The Tiger desktop	40	(3)
Why get so excited by Tiger?	43	(2)
All the Features of Windows (Just Better)	45	(2)
Like Windows done right	45	(1)
Loading the truck	46	(1)
And Just in Case You Need Help . . .	47	(4)
Tiger's built-in Help system	48	(1)
Apple's Web-based support center	48	(1)
Magazines	48	(1)
Mac support Web sites	48	(1)
Mac newsgroups on Usenet	49	(1)
Local Mac user groups	49	(2)
Part II: Shaking Hands with Mac OS X	51	(60)
Working Magic with the Keyboard and Trackpad	53	(20)
Using the All-Powerful Finder	53	(2)
Wait a Second. Where the Heck Is the Right Button?	55	(3)
Launching and Quitting Applications with Aplomb	58	(2)
Juggling Folders and Icons	60	(7)
A field observer's guide to icons	60	(3)
Selecting items	63	(1)
Copying items	64	(2)
Moving things from place to place	66	(1)
Duplicating in a jiffy	66	(1)
Keys and Keyboard Shortcuts to Fame and Fortune	67	(2)
Special keys on the keyboard	67	(1)
Using Finder and application keyboard shortcuts	68	(1)
Performing Tricks with Finder Windows	69	(4)
Scrolling and resizing windows	69	(2)
Minimizing and restoring windows	71	(1)
Moving and zooming windows	71	(1)
Closing windows	72	(1)
Getting to the Heart of the Tiger	73	(14)
Your Home Folder Is Your Homestead	73	(3)
Personalizing Your Desktop	76	(2)
Customizing the Dock Just So	78	(2)
Adding dock icons	79	(1)
Removing dock icons	79	(1)
Using dock icon menus	79	(1)
Taking Out the Trash	80	(2)
Saving Time and Trouble with Dashboard and Expose	82	(2)
Using Dashboard	82	(1)
Switching between apps with Expose	83	(1)
Printing in Mac OS X	84	(3)
System Preferences Are Your Friends	87	(14)
An Explanation (in English, No Less)	87	(2)
Locating That Certain Special Setting	89	(1)
Introducing Mark's Favorite Preference Panes	90	(11)
The Display pane	91	(1)
The Desktop & Screen Saver pane	92	(1)
The Dashboard & Expose pane	93	(1)
The Appearance pane	94	(2)
The Energy Saver pane	96	(1)
The Dock pane	97	(1)
The Sharing pane	98	(3)
Sifting through Your Stuff	101	(10)
A Not-So-Confusing Introduction to Spotlight	101	(5)
Searching for all sorts of things with Spotlight	103	(1)
Working with matching stuff	104	(1)
Tweaking Spotlight in System Preferences	105	(1)
Other Search Tools Are Available Too	106	(1)
Putting Sherlock on the Case	107	(4)
Searching that darn Internet for data and pictures	108	(1)
Getting movie information in the new millennium	109	(1)
Keep an eye on my stocks, Watson!	109	(2)
Part III: Connecting and Communicating	111	(40)
Taking Your Laptop on Safari	113	(14)
It's Not Just Another Web Browser	113	(2)
Handling Basic Safari Chores	115	(5)
Entering Web addresses	115	(2)
Putting the toolbar to work	117	(3)
Searching for Specific Web Sites	120	(2)
It's a snap to search with Google	120	(1)
Looking back with the History list	120	(2)
Searching the current page	122	(1)
Safari Power User Tips and Tools	122	(5)
Putting down roots with a new home page	122	(1)
Organizing favorite spots with bookmarks	122	(3)
Using secure connections	125	(1)
Reading RSS feeds	126	(1)
Mac Is .Made for Mac Laptops	127	(12)
Where Is My .Mac Stuff Stored?	127	(2)
Opening a .Mac Account	129	(2)
Using Your iDisk on the Road	131	(4)
It's all in the folders	132	(1)
Mirror, mirror, on your drive	133	(1)
Monitoring and configuring your iDisk	134	(1)
Back Up Your Laptop with .Mac	135	(4)
Installing Backup	136	(1)
Saving your stuff	136	(3)
Spiffy Connections for the Road Warrior	139	(12)
Connecting USB and Network Printers	139	(5)
USB printers	140	(3)
Networked printers	143	(1)
Connecting Scanners	144	(1)
Putting Your iSight Camera to Work	145	(2)
Using iSight with iChat AV	145	(1)
Using iSight with Photo Booth	146	(1)
Using iSight with iMovie HD	147	(1)
Performing Magic with Front Row and the Apple Remote	147	(4)
Part IV: Living the iLife	151	(96)
The Multimedia Joy of iTunes	153	(20)
Boy, Check Out That iTunes Window!	154	(2)
The Lazy iTunes Guide	156	(12)
Listening to song files, playlists, Internet radio, and audio CDs	156	(6)
Watching video	162	(1)
Organizing, sorting, and searching	163	(2)
Adding or editing song information	165	(2)
Visualization --- music for your eyes	167	(1)
Pulling in Songs and Spitting 'Em Out	168	(5)
Importing songs from CD and hard drives	168	(1)
Buying Billie Holiday from the Apple Music Store	169	(2)
Burning like a true techno	171	(2)
Turning iPhoto into Your Portable Darkroom	173	(18)
Shaking Hands with the iPhoto Window	173	(2)
Working with Images on Your Laptop	175	(10)
Import mode: Coaxing photos from your camera	176	(1)
Organize mode: Organizing and sorting your images	177	(5)
Edit mode: Removing and fixing stuff the right way	182	(3)
Publishing Your Own Photo Book	185	(3)
Photocasting for the People!	188	(1)
Mailing Photos to Aunt Mildred	189	(2)
Making Film History with iMovie HD	191	(18)
Shaking Hands with the iMovie HD Window	192	(2)
A Bird's-Eye View of Moviemaking	194	(1)
Importing the Building Blocks	195	(5)
Pulling in video clips	195	(1)
Making use of still images	196	(2)
Importing and adding audio from all sorts of places	198	(2)
Building the Cinematic Basics	200	(6)
Adding clips to your movie	200	(1)
Removing clips from your movie	201	(1)
Deleting clips for good	201	(1)
Reordering clips in your movie	202	(1)
Editing clips in iMovie HD	202	(1)
Adding transitions	203	(1)
Oh, we got effects!	204	(1)
What's a masterpiece without titles?	205	(1)
Doing iMovie Things iMagically	206	(1)
Sharing Your Finished Classic with Others	207	(2)
Creating DVDs on the Road with iDVD	209	(20)
Introducing You and Your Laptop to iDVD	210	(2)
Starting a New DVD Project	212	(2)
Creating a new project	212	(1)
Opening an existing project	213	(1)
Automating the whole darn process	213	(1)
Creating a DVD from Scratch	214	(6)
Choosing just the right theme	214	(1)
Adding movies	215	(3)
Great, now my audience demands a slideshow	218	(1)
Now for the music . . .	219	(1)
Giving Your DVD the Personal Touch	220	(3)
Using Uncle Morty for your DVD Menu background	221	(1)
Adding your own titles	221	(1)
Changing buttons like a highly paid professional	222	(1)
Give my creation motion!	222	(1)
Previewing Your Masterpiece	223	(1)
A Word about Automation	224	(3)
One-click paradise with OneStep DVD	225	(1)
Exercising control with Magic iDVD	226	(1)
Recording a Finished Project to a Shiny Disc	227	(2)
GarageBand on the Go	229	(18)
Shaking Hands with Your Band	230	(2)
Composing and Podcasting Made Easy	232	(12)
Adding tracks	233	(2)
Choosing loops	235	(3)
Resizing, repeating, and moving loops	238	(5)
Tweaking the settings for a track	243	(1)
Sharing Your Songs and Podcasts	244	(3)
Setting preferences	244	(1)
Creating MP3 files	244	(3)
Part V: Sharing Access and Information	247	(52)
Your Laptop Goes Multiuser	249	(18)
Doggone It, Bob's Gotta Share My Mac!	249	(1)
Throwing the Big Shiny Multiuser Switch	250	(10)
Assigning access levels	251	(1)
Adding a new user account	251	(3)
Tweaking existing user accounts	254	(1)
Deleting accounts	255	(1)
Assigning login items and parental controls	256	(4)
Mundane Chores for the Multiuser Laptop	260	(7)
Logging on and off in Tiger For Dummies	260	(3)
A word about what you can (and can't) share	263	(1)
Protecting your stuff with encryption	263	(4)
Working Well with Networks	267	(20)
Should You Go Wired or Wireless?	268	(2)
Be a Pal --- Share Your Broadband!	270	(1)
Using your laptop as a sharing device	270	(1)
Using a separate Internet sharing device	271	(1)
What Do I Need for a Wireless Connection?	271	(5)
Laptop hardware	272	(1)
Base stations	272	(3)
Creating or joining a wireless network	275	(1)
What Do I Need for a Wired Connection?	276	(3)
Laptop hardware	276	(1)
Network hardware	277	(1)
Joining a wired Ethernet network	278	(1)
Connecting to the Network	279	(5)
Verifying that the contraption works	279	(1)
Sharing stuff nicely with others	280	(4)
Use Your Firewall!	284	(3)
Making Friends with Wireless Devices	287	(12)
Bluetooth: Silly Name for Cool Technology	288	(5)
A little Danish history	288	(1)
Is your Mac Laptop Bluetooth-ready?	289	(1)
Tiger and Bluetooth, together forever	289	(3)
Mr. Security speaks --- yet again	292	(1)
Adding Wireless Keyboards and Mice to Your Laptop	293	(1)
Getting Everything in iSync	294	(2)
The Magic of Wireless Printing	296	(3)
Part VI: The Necessary Evils: Troubleshooting, Upgrading, Maintaining	299	(38)
When Good Mac Laptops Go Bad	301	(12)
Repeat after Me: Yes, I Am a Tech!	301	(1)
Step-by-Step Laptop Troubleshooting	302	(10)
The number one rule: Reboot!	302	(1)
Special keys that can come in handy	303	(1)
Using Disk Utility to squash problems	304	(3)
Mark's should-be-patented laptop troubleshooting tree	307	(5)
My Mac Needs Professional Help	312	(1)
Chatting with Apple Online	312	(1)
Local service, at your service	312	(1)
Adding New Stuff to Your Laptop	313	(10)
Adding Memory Always Helps	313	(5)
Figuring out how much memory you have	314	(1)
Installing memory modules	315	(3)
Considering a Hard Drive Upgrade?	318	(3)
Consider your external options	319	(1)
Gotta have internal	320	(1)
A List of Dreamy Laptop Add-Ons	321	(2)
Game controllers	321	(1)
Video controllers	322	(1)
TV hardware	322	(1)
Audio hardware	322	(1)
DVD recording	322	(1)
Tackling Housekeeping	323	(14)
Cleaning Unseemly Data Deposits	323	(3)
Getting dirty, or cleaning things the manual way	324	(12)
Using a commercial cleanup tool	336
Backing Up Your Treasure	326	(6)
Saving files	327	(1)
Saving images	328	(3)
Commercial backup programs	331	(1)
Maintaining Hard Drive Health	332	(1)
Automating Those Mundane Chores	333	(3)
Building Automator applications	333	(2)
Running applications at startup	335	(1)
Updating Mac OS X Automatically	336	(1)
Part VII: The Part of Tens	337	(14)
Top Ten Laptop Rules to Follow	339	(6)
Keep Your Laptop in a Bag	339	(1)
Maximize Your RAM	340	(1)
Install a Tracker Application	341	(1)
Keepest Thy Home Folder Encrypted	341	(1)
Brand Your MacBook	342	(1)
Disable Your Wireless	342	(1)
Bring a Surge Protector with You	343	(1)
Use Tiger's Power Saving Features	343	(1)
Use an External Keyboard and Mouse	344	(1)
Not Again! What Is It with You and Backing Up?	344	(1)
Top Ten Things to Avoid like the Plague	345	(6)
USB 1.1 Storage Devices	345	(1)
Phishing	346	(1)
Oddly Shaped Optical Discs	347	(1)
Submerged Keyboards	347	(1)
Antiquated Utility Software	348	(1)
Software Piracy	348	(1)
The Forbidden Account	348	(1)
Unsecured Wireless Connection	349	(1)
Refurbished Hardware	350	(1)
Dirty Laptops	350	(1)
Index	351