Mac SIG Meets 2nd Thursday Of Month / Next Meeting: May 8

>Last Updated:< Monday, April 28, 2008

>Favorites<


>Favorite Mac Articles<

>Podcast Portals<

>Mac Law Office Software<

>Mac Magazines Online<

>Info. For Dot-Mac Subscribers<

>Need Help? Look Here<


Mac Sites To Check Out


From The Latest Issue Of Computer File, The Official Publication Of CKCS

The Mac Corner

Can You Tell Me...
So many questions. So little time. That sums up my experience teaching Mac users at CKCS. Over the past few years, I've taught classes on the Mac operating systems (Jaguar to Tiger) and using the Internet to AppleWorks and iPhoto.

There's never enough time to answer all of the questions that come up in class. We've encountered folks who've been using Macs for years but need help getting up to speed with a particular issue, as well as folks who've never turned on a Mac. We've helped students who were quite familiar with decades old Mac operating systems (remember System 7, OS 8 and 9, anyone), but sought help learning OS X (10).

With that in mind, here are some of the most common questions that students have asked me over the past few years. (Feel free to print this for future reference):

How can I tell which Mac operating system (OS) I have on my machine?
Click on the blue apple in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. In the drop-down menu, click on About This Mac. The box that opens will tell you which operating system you're running. Note: If you're using these operating systems...Mac OS X Jaguar (10.2); Mac OS X Panther (10.3); or Mac OS X Tiger (10.4), the apple will be blue. If you're running an old version of the Mac OS (System 7, OS 8 or OS 9), the apple will be rainbow colored. If you're running Mac OS X Leopard (10.5), the apple will be black.

What's the Finder?
The Finder is the software that keeps the Mac Desktop running. The Desktop is the blue texture or the picture or some other colorful background on your Mac's screen.

How can I tell how much RAM (random access memory) my Mac has?
Again, click on the blue apple in the upper left-hand corner of your screen. In the drop-down menu, click on About This Mac. The box that opens will tell you how much memory is installed.

My grandson bought a new Mac, my neighbor just bought a Mac and now I've bought one. What's going on?
This is one of the most common remarks, because Macintosh computers are selling faster than personal computers in general. In spring 2007, Apple announced that Macs were selling three times faster than the industry growth rate.

My son tells me there are no viruses, spyware, or adware attacking Mac OS X. Is this true?
Declan McCullagh, who reports for CNET News, says "Nearly all known spyware programs infect Microsoft Windows, not Apple's OS X operating system or other Unix or Linux variants." There are no known viruses, spyware, or adware infecting OS X through the Internet. Viruses are software that infect computers and do harm. Spyware is any sort of software that secretly records information about the Web sites you visit to what keys you type on your keyboard. Adware is software that displays ads, typically in pop-up windows. There is anti-virus software for the Mac, but it is typically used to destroy Windows viruses that a Mac user might receive. Macs can carry Windows viruses, but those viruses do no damage to the Mac.

Is there a Web site to help me become comfortable with Mac OS X?
Visit
Apple's Mac 101 site

This is my first Mac that runs OS X. Can you recommend any good books?
If you've used Macs before, but want to become more familiar with OS X (pronounced 10), I would recommend these books. (Check which version of OS X you're running to make sure you buy the right book).

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger: Peachpit Learning Series by Robin Williams ISBN: 0321330226

Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard: Peachpit Learning Series by Robin Williams ISBN: 0321502639

Mac OS X Tiger 10.4: Visual QuickStart Guide by Maria Langer ISBN: 0321305264

Mac OS X Leopard 10.5: Visual QuickStart Guide by Maria Langer ISBN: 0321496000

Mac OS X Tiger: The Missing Manual by David Pogue ISBN: 0596009410

I have a PC running Microsoft Windows (or had one) and just bought a Mac. How can I use what I know about Windows to get up to speed on my Mac?
This is quite common as more and more folks "switch" to a Mac or "add" a Mac to their household. It's very common for folks to have more than one computer in their homes and offices. The Windows machine is often used for Office-type functions (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.), while the Mac is used for Internet-related functions. Often, a wireless Internet signal is used so that both machines can be online at the same time.

Here are some books for folks who are most acquainted with Windows, but want to more effectively use their Mac:

Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition
by David Pogue and Adam Goldstein
ISBN: 0596006608

Mac OS X For Windows Users
A Switcher's Guide
by David Coursey
ISBN: 0321168895

Switching to a Mac For Dummies
by Arnold Reinhold
ISBN: 0470140763

Are there any free office-type programs for the Mac?
There are several, including:

NeoOffice

Open Office

Where can I download Mac games?
There are dozens of Web sites providing Macintosh computer games, but my favorites include:

FreeVerse
FreeVerse offers games such as X-Word Deluxe, Wingnuts 2, and Euchre Deluxe.

GameHouse
GameHouse offers favorites such as Scrabble, Monopoly Here and Now, and Mah Jong Medley.

Find more games on:
Apple's Games Website

Mac Game Store

Download.com

Inside Mac Games

Mac Game Store

Big Fish Games

Where can I find updated Mac software?
Two of my favorite places are:

MacUpdate

VersionTracker

Happy Mac Computing!

Comments or Questions?
lextownmac@yahoo.com


Go to Favorite Mac Articles
Go to Mac Help Pages
Go to the Computer File Mac Corner Column
Return to the top of this page

Return To CKCS Home Page