tag:switchtoamac.com,2008-01-31:/guides/2 2011-06-18T18:59:58Z Guides that help you learn to use a Mac Movable Type 4.13 tag:switchtoamac.com,2011:/guides//2.2533 2011-06-07T01:38:54Z 2011-06-18T18:59:58Z

Lion also known as Mac OS X Lion, is the next iteration of the Mac OS X operating system for Apple's Macintosh line of computers. Lion was officially unveiled by Apple during the 2011 WWDC keynote address on June 6,...

switchtoamac Snow Leopard which was released in August 2009.  Lion has been designated a version number of 10.7 and is the eight iteration of the Mac OS X operating system. ]]>

• Multi-Touch gestures - change the way users interact with a Mac.  The operating system is more intuitive than ever.  Key new gestures include rubber-band scrolling, page and image zoom, and full-screen swiping.
• Mission Control - is an encapsulation and rebirth of prior OS X features Dashboard, Exposé, and Spaces.  In conduction with full-screen apps users gets a great way to see everything running on a Mac.  Via a trackpad swipe, the Mac OS X brings up Mission Control where you can view just about everything on your Mac and switch to it with a click.
• Full-Screen Apps - Lion takes the Mac OS X app experience to the next level via full-screen systemwide support that takes advantage of your entire screen space.  You're able to run multiple full-screen apps at a given time alongside standard apps.  Think of it as a way of fully leveraging the power of Mac OS X Lion and your screen.
• Launchpad - Launchpad is a new, full-screen view of the apps installed on your Mac.  From the standard built-in apps and utilities that come with Mac OS X to the apps you installed via the Mac App Store and third-party installed, you can easily launch and find your apps. After you click the Launchpad icon in the Mac OS X Dock, the one windows on your Mac fade away and get replaced by a full-screen app view.  You can arrange your apps as you do on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch - you place them in the order of your choosing or you can group and organize them into folders.  Deleting an app from your Mac is easier than ever.
• Resume - makes working with your apps that much easier and streamlined.  Return to your apps after in the state they were in when they were closed.  Software updates are now a breeze as you do not need to save your work, close an app, and set it up again following an update.
• Auto Save - The manual save process is shown the door in Lion.  You concentrate on your work while Mac OS X Lion automatically saves what you're working on.  You'll be more productive!
• Versions - Versions is a cool new timeline-browsable snapshot feature that keeps a historical track your documents.  This is another productivity booster allowing you to review your past work, restore an old version of your work, or copy and paste from an old version to a new one.
• AirDrop - makes wirelessly sharing files with people nearby a breeze, you don't even need Wi-Fi or set anything up.  All you do is click the AirDrop icon in the Finder sidebar and your Mac auto detects other AirDrop users in your vicinity (30 feet range). Sharing a file is easy, all you do is drag the file that person's name and once they accept, the file is sent to them with encryption protection and shows up in the Downloads.  Say goodbye to USB thumb drives.

Mail and the Mac App Store
Lion also brings forth a major rework to Mail.  From widescreen view to the new favorites bar, to conversations and timelines, Mail is easier to use and helps you stay organized.

Lion also includes the Mac App Store, a feature that Apple implemented in the Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.6 update.  The Mac App Store is a great way to find, purchase, and download apps for your Mac.  Choose from a variety of free and paid apps.

For an overview and history of Mac OS X, please read What is Mac OS X?

Upgrading to Mac OS X Lion
Lion will only run on Intel-based Macintosh computers specifically those equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor.  Lion will be released via the Mac App Store for $29.99 in July 2011.  Lion will be the first version of Mac OS X that is not available on disc.

Users need to be running the latest version of Mac OS X Snow Leopard before the can upgrade to Lion.  The server version of Lion will be priced at $49.99 for current Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server users.]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2010:/guides//2.2509 2010-04-06T20:34:35Z 2010-04-06T20:40:04Z

switchtoamac What can I do with Disk Utility?
The version and features of Disk Utility depend on the version of Mac OS X.  The following image demonstrates Disk Utility in Mac OS X Snow Leopard.  Note that some items are grayed out because they are not applicable to the "disk" I have highlighted in the left pane of the Disk Utility Window.

The left pane shows the "disks" currently connected to your Mac.  At a minimum, you'll see the hard drive that has the "Macintosh HD" partition.  If you have additional internal hard drives or external hard drives connected to your Mac, they too will be visible.  If your Mac has an optical drive, you will see it as well.  The image below shows only an internal hard drive and optical drive.


What are some important feature of Disk Utility?

• First Aid - to repair file systems and file permissions
• Erase - erases all the data on a disk or volume
• RAID - allows you to stripe or mirror disks in a RAID
• Restore - allows you to copy or restore a disk image to a disk

You can think of Disk Utility as both a "disk repair" and "disk image" utility.

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2010:/guides//2.2508 2010-04-06T19:43:04Z 2010-04-06T20:07:35Z

switchtoamac Utility in the Mac OS X operating system that helps Mac users install Microsoft Windows on their Intel-based Mac.  The latest version of Boot Camp (version 3.0.x) offers support for Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP.  Boot Camp Assistant requires that a Microsoft Windows installation disc be used to perform the Windows installation. ]]> How does Boot Camp Assistant facilitate Windows to be installed on a Mac?
Boot Camp Assistant helps you create a Windows partition that will "house" the Windows installation.  This partition will reside separate from Mac OS X and once Windows has been installed, you'll be able to boot your Mac into Mac OS X or Windows.

Don't I need Windows drivers?
Yes you do, you will find these drivers on the Mac OS X installation disc that came with your Mac and/or via a Boot Camp Assistant update from Apple.

Can you explain it a high-level?
The Boot Camp Assistant utility helps the person performing the Windows installation create a partition.  It then restarts your Mac after you have inserted the Windows installation disc. You then follow the steps to install Windows.  Finally, install Mac-specific drivers to allow you to optimally use Windows on your Mac.

So the three key steps are:

1. Run Boot Camp Assistant
2. Install Windows
3. Install the Boot Camp drivers on the Windows partition

What are the requirements?

• An Intel-based Mac
• A USB keyboard and mouse, or for Mac portables, a built-in keyboard and trackpad
• The latest version of Mac OS X - (refer to Software Update)
• At least 10 GB of free space on an internal hard drive
• A built-in optical disc drive or a compatible external optical drive

Key points about the Windows installation disk
A full Windows installation disc is required, an upgrade version is not supported.
Windows 32-bit version
Windows 64-bit is supported on the Mac Pro and MacBook Pro early 2008 or later

By enabling the installation of Windows on a Mac, Apple has made it that much easier for users to make the Switch To A Mac.  Users can have a single system that can run both Mac OS X and Windows thereby allowing users to use the operating system they need at any given time.]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2484 2009-08-28T04:00:00Z 2009-08-28T12:33:29Z

switchtoamac Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5), the prior generation of the operating system.  Snow Leopard has been designated a version number of 10.6 and is the seventh iteration of the Mac OS X operating system. ]]> Snow Leopard contains several refinements, enhancements and new features when compared to Leopard such as:

• Finder - has been rewritten in 64-bit Cocoa to better take advantage of the operating systems as well as other improvements such as Grand Central Dispatch.  It also operates more efficiently and faster.
• Grand Central Dispatch - Is a new feature in Snow Leopard. Mac OS X's multicore awareness has been enhanced via this feature and can better leverage today's muticore processors thereby improving the performance of your recent Macintosh.  Mac OS X can now optimally assign tasks to multiple processors and cores which results in overall better performance for the built-in Mac and third-party applications
• OpenCL - Is a new technology introduced in Snow Leopard that allows developers to utilize the processing power in today's graphics processors and leverage it for general purpose / application use.
• QuickTime X - an enhancement to Quicktime that provides a newly designed player and support for modern codecs.  It offers better playback and Internet video streaming in addition to running faster than the prior versions. Be sure to read What is QuickTime? and What is QuickTime Player?
• Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 support - Is a new feature in Snow Leopard.  Windows systems (XP, Vista, 7) most often access Exchange environments via Outlook (can also use IMAP or POP client with limited.  The Mac OS X Mail application provides out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 thereby allowing Mac users to be better positioned to use their Macs across a wider range of environments such as at home or work. Mac users can easily access their Exchange Server email, calendar, address book, tasks and notes all within Mail.  You'll have a holistic view as you can readily view your personal email, calendar, and contacts alongside your Exchange-centric work environment and still leverage key Mac OS X technologies such as data detectors, Spotlight, and Quick Look.
• Expose - Has a more refined look, better window display, and can now be launched via the Dock
• Stacks - Dock items are available as folders can now be easily scrolled, a win-win for ease of use and productivity.  
• iChat - Now supports up to 640 x 480 pixel resolution at one-third the upstream bandwidth for video chats and iChat Theater. iChat's reliability has been enhanced with intelligence to use the AIM relay server when a direct connection cannot be established.
• Safari - Offers better performance for the Mac OS X built-in Internet browser.
• Universal Access - Snow Leopard offers improvements, enhancements, and new features to those with disabilities.  A Mac portable's trackpad can now tie back to the screen allowing users to better use VoiceOver, Mac OS X's advanced screen reading technology.  There's also better web browsing and VoiceOver integration.  Snow Leopard includes support for over 40 braille displays.  Many other improvements are available in Snow Leopard.
• Improved Time Machine backups - Backup speed is improved so your backups will complete in a shorter period of time
• Smaller hard disk footprint - Snow Leopard has been optimized and slimmed down to utilize up 7GB less hard drive space.  This will allow users to preserve space for more applications and files.
• Faster wake from sleep and shutdown - A clear productivity enhancer!
• Auto Time Zone detection - Is a new feature in Snow Leopard that auto detects and sets your Mac's time zone.  It's an ideal for travelers because Snow Leopard taps into the OS X Core Location technology to locate known Wi-Fi hotspots to determine and subsequently auto set the time zone.
• Automatic printer drivers updates - Is a new feature in Snow Leopard that checks and downloads the latest printer driver(s) for printers used by your Mac. available over the Internet.  It can also work with Mac OS X Software Update to download the latest drivers.
• Better Security - Is a function of Snow Leopard's 64-bit architecture and applications.  Mac OS X Snow Leopard's applications will are more secure and better protected from malicious programs and hackers due to more advanced security techniques.  Memory protection is enhanced using more advanced mechanisms to prevent memory from being corrupted.

For an overview and history of Mac OS X, please read What is Mac OS X?

Upgrading to Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard will only run on Intel-based Macintosh computers.  PowerPC Macs cannot upgrade to Snow Leopard.  The upgrade version of Snow Leopard is officially supported for users of Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5) "Leopard".  The official way to upgrade a Intel-based Mac running Mac OS X Tiger (version 10.4) is via the Mac Box Set, a packaged offering of Snow Leopard, iLife '09, and iWork '09.]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2473 2009-06-15T16:46:43Z 2009-06-15T16:55:03Z

Airport Utility is a Mac OS X utility that allows users to set up, manage, and configure Apple's lineup of AirPort Wi-Fi base stations such as AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule....

switchtoamac Airport Utility is a Mac OS X utility that allows users to set up, manage, and configure Apple's lineup of AirPort Wi-Fi base stations such as AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule. What does AirPort Utility do?
The AirPort Utility allows users to create wireless networks and share USB-attached devices including a hard drive or printer.  AirPort Utility steps you through a series of screens to quickly setup your wireless networks.  If you have a high-speed Internet connection, simply connect your cable or DSL modem to your Airport Extreme or Time Capsule device, launch Airport Utility and follow the instructions.  Once it has been setup, you can easily make changes by relaunching AirPort Utility.

Airport  is also used to update the firmware on Airport Wi-Fi base stations.

Airport Utility is available for both Mac OS X and Windows (XP and Vista).
]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2472 2009-06-15T16:17:51Z 2009-06-15T16:25:07Z

Activity Monitor is a Mac OS X utility that provides runtime details about a Mac's CPU (processor), System Memory, Disk Activity, Disk Usage, and Network....

switchtoamac utility that provides runtime details about a Mac's CPU (processor), System Memory, Disk Activity, Disk Usage, and Network. ]]> Activity Monitor makes it easy to:

• View active processes
• Inspect active processes
• Determine the Process ID (PID) of a process
• Quit and kill processes
• View the load on the CPU
• View the memory usage and size by type (free, wired, active, inactive, used)
• View hard disk metrics such as reads, writes, and performance
• View the utilized and free space of hard disks
• Monitor network usage and metrics (packets)

By default Activity Monitory shows you the the applications (and hence processes) running under your user account under a view called 'My Processes'.
]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2471 2009-06-15T15:24:34Z 2009-06-15T15:32:50Z

Instead of navigating to the Applications folder and then the Utilities folder, Apple has created two quick methods to allow you jump to the Utilities folder via Finder....

switchtoamac Finder. ]]> Use Finder

• Switch to the Finder
• On the Finder menu bar click Go
• Select Utilities

Keyboard shortcut
When you're in Finder, simultaneously press the Shift-Command-U key combination
]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2470 2009-06-15T15:00:02Z 2010-04-06T20:41:39Z

The Mac OS X Applications folder contains a a Utilities folder that houses a number of tools that allow you monitor, tune, configure, and tweak your Mac....

switchtoamac Applications folder contains a a Utilities folder that houses a number of tools that allow you monitor, tune, configure, and tweak your Mac.
]]> Which Utilities am I likely to use?
You'll most likely use only a few of the utilities within the Utilities folder.  These are the most commonly used utilities:

• Activity Monitor
• AirPort Utility
• Boot Camp Assistant
• Disk Utility
• Exposé
  
• Migration Assistant
• Spaces
  
• System Profiler
• Terminal
  

Although other utilities exists (such as Network Utility, ODBC Administrator, RAID Utility, and X11), if you are not a network administrator or one who wants to get into the underlying UNIX architecture of Mac OS X you probably won't need to use these utilities.

Just navigate to the Utilities folder to see the different utilities that are available.

Updates

• April 6, 2010 - Content revision, added links to specific Utilities
  

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2469 2009-06-15T14:37:01Z 2009-06-15T14:38:39Z

switchtoamac
]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2447 2009-05-28T21:31:09Z 2009-05-28T21:35:12Z

switchtoamac Steps

1. Launch Finder
2. Click on the Finder Menu and then select Preferences
3. Click the 'Sidebar' icon located in the top row
4. Under 'Show these items in the Sidebar' check the items you wish to have shown in the Sidebar.

Note that as you're selecting or deselecting items, the Sidebar will automatically show or hide the items you have configured in Preferences.

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2441 2009-05-01T22:51:13Z 2009-05-01T23:05:04Z

There's a quick and easy way to know which updates have been installed by Software Update on your Mac....

switchtoamac Software Update on your Mac. ]]>

Launch System Preferences and click on Software Update

Select 'Installed Updates'

You will be shown a list that details the following:

• Date Installed
• Name
• Version

If the list is long, you can click on the arrows or drag the scroll bar to see the entire list of updates.  If you click on 'Open as Log File' you will be shown the file 'Software Update.log' in the Console application.  Notice that it's a bit more detailed.

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2440 2009-05-01T22:24:59Z 2009-05-01T22:37:49Z

switchtoamac manually, use the following steps to disable the feature. ]]>

Launch System Preferences and click on Software Update

Select 'Scheduled Check' and uncheck 'Download important updates automatically'

The feature is now disabled.

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2439 2009-05-01T20:39:34Z 2009-05-01T22:24:03Z

switchtoamac What's new in Mac OS X Leopard?
Instead of installing an update one by one and then showing you the status in Software Update (a behavior in Mac OS X Tiger), Software Update in Leopard will download all the updates you have selected and then installs them.  See the following link that describes how Software Update works in Tiger.  Pay close attention to the image in step five.

Another change in Leopard is that you can allow Software Update to automatically check for new updates in the background.  It will then notify when a new update is available.  You can choose to install the updates immediately, defer it to a later time, or tell Software Update to ignore the update.

Manually running Software Update

1. Choose Software Update from the Apple Menu.  You'll see a a check for new software will initiate.
   
   
   
   If during the check updates are identified, a list will be created that shows the available updates.  Software Update displays information about a particular update.  Just click on an item to view its description in the lower pane.  Some update will show a left pointing arrow, an indication that in order for the update to be installed your Mac, a restart will be required
   
   
2. Select the items you want to install (uncheck the items you don't want to install)
   
   
3. Click Install on the lower right corner.  Notice that in this example there are eleven updates hence the button states "Install 11 Items".  The button automatically updates based on the number of updates that will be installed.  This will change based on the checking / unchecking of boxes or the number of updates identified the next time you run Software Update.
   
   
4. A box will pop up asking you to enter you Mac Admin user name and password
   (I've have removed the name in the image below)
   
   
5. You'll see a progress of the update in that it will first download updates as follows:
   
   
6. The next round of screens will depend on whether or not a restart is required or not.
   
   (a) If a restart is required you will be shown the following box.  If you click 'Restart', the install will proceed.
   
   After this screen, Software Update will transition to a procedure that takes over control of your Mac, installs the updates, then restarts.
   
   (b) If a restart is not required, the install will proceed as follows (note that the following screens are from another run of Software Update, not the one shown above):
   
   
   If you click 'OK', Software Update will subsequently check if any other updates are available.  It does this because you might not have selected to install a particular update or because some updates show up after prior ones have been installed.  Notice that it places a green checkbox to the ones that have already been installed.
   
   
7. Once all updates have been installed, Software Update will show the following:
   
   This will be shown immediately after all updates that do not require a reboot have been installed or after Software Update is re-run following the installation of updates that required your Mac to be rebooted.
   

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2438 2009-05-01T01:30:32Z 2009-05-01T01:43:30Z

switchtoamac

If the application's icon has been placed in the Dock, just double-click on the application to launch it

If you have placed the Applications folder on the right side of the Dock (a nice tip for switchers to mimic the Windows Start menu), you can easily launch an application - you may have to navigate through the stack to get to the application if it is located in a folder

If the application's icon is located in the Finder Sidebar, just click on the application to launch it

Use Mac OS X Spotlight

Navigate to the Applications folder in the Finder and double-click an application's icon

In the Finder, single click on the application's icon then simultaneously press 'Command' and the letter 'o' or 'Command' and the down arrow key

Open the Terminal utility.  You will then type the 'open' command followed by either the name of the Application (if you are located in the Applications folder) or the full path to the name of the application under the Applications folder.  For example:

• If you are in the Applications folder, the following command will launch iTunes (note that you don't have to use the single quotes):
  
  open iTunes.app
  
  
• If you are not in the Applications folder, the following command will also launch iTunes (you don't need to use the single quotes):
  
  open /Applications/iTunes.app

]]> tag:switchtoamac.com,2009:/guides//2.2437 2009-04-30T19:52:09Z 2009-06-15T14:56:56Z

switchtoamac
]]> Use the F3 key
The following details how you can use the F3 key to invoke the three Exposé actions:

• The F3 key on aluminum Apple keyboard is the substitute for the F9 action (All windows).
• Simultaneously pressing the Control and F3 is the substitue for the F10 action (Exposé the window(s) of the active application)
• Simultaneously pressing the Command and F3 is the substitue for the F11 action (Show Desktop)

Use the function key
You can press the function key (fn key in the lower left corner of the keyboard) along with F9, F10, or F11 key to invoke the Exposé action.

Modify the configuration to use the default F9, F10, F11 keys
There is a workaround that will allow the default configuration for Exposé as set in System Preferences to invoke the three Exposé actions.  This is done via the "Keyboard & Mouse" preferences.  Click on the the checkbox that says "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys"

What about adjusting volume via the keyboard?
If you've made the configuration change as described above, all you'll have to do is press the function key (fn key in the lower left corner of the keyboard) while simultaneously pressing the F9, F10, and F11 to adjust the volume.

Updates

• June 15, 2009 - Content revision

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