Chapter 1 - McGraw-Hill Professional
Contents
1. Same thing goes for automated backup and even getting your e mail messages All of that can be automated so the iMac wakes up and goes back to sleep on its own A lot of this is covered in Chapter 24 For now you just need to know the Sleep command Click once on the Special menu then click the Sleep command Your iMac s screen blanks after a few seconds and the POWER key turns amber On a slot loading iMac the Power Button actually strobes almost as if the iMac were snoring This tells you that iMac is in Sleep mode You can also tap the POWER key while iMac is still awake to get that same windowful of options Click the Sleep button to put iMac into Sleep mode To wake up your iMac just tap the POWER key or any other key The screen will light back up it may also shimmer a bit and iMac will beep to acknowledge your command You re ready to compute 23 24 How to Do Everything with Your iMac things This can be the sign of a software or hardware problem the sort of thing discussed in Chapter 30 But it also just sometimes happens when a minor error occurs In that case you should know how to quickly get your iMac working again First of all make sure your iMac is really frozen There are a few steps you can take to figure out if it s really time to restart your iMac Is iMac waiting for you to do something Sometimes you need to insert a particular CD ROM click a certain option or otherwise follow the instructions2. The keyboard is meant to save space but still offer nearly all the special keys of a typical Macintosh keyboard HM Feel free to switch the mouse from one side to the other USB devices can be unplugged and plugged back in even while the iMac is turned on and active E On the original iMac the CD ROM drive needs to be worked with carefully If you don t have a CD in the drive already you can open it by pressing the colored button on the front The drive pops open If you do have a CD in the drive drag the CD icon on the iMac s desktop to the Trash icon This is explained more in Chapter 2 You Il need to pull the CD ROM drive tray out with a finger Then place CDs as you would in any CD player and lightly push the tray back until it clicks shut You ll hear the drive whir up to speed and the CD s icon will appear on the Mac s desktop Speakers improved in this version Power button usessesrsiiii slot loading CD ROM or DVD ROM drive Heh The slot loading iMac from the front CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 13 E On the slot loading iMac CDs and DVDs are a little easier to deal with Just slide the disc lightly into the drive until the drive catches and pulls it in the rest of the way If you don t feel the drive catch don t force it make sure you don t already have a disc in the drive first When is a CD is ejected be careful not to grab it too quickly make sure it s completely ejected by the iMac f
3. the reset and programmer s buttons are best selected with a straightened paperclip On the slot loading iMac the reset button is an actual button Be careful though selecting either while your iMac is running will cause you to lose data USB ports accept USB cables in one direction only so if the USB connector doesn t fit easily turn it over Firewire ports are the same way E The ports for the external speaker and microphone are stereo miniplug ports The microphone port will accept a PlainTalk microphone from Apple a miniplug compatible microphone or a line in connection from an audio source like a stereo receiver The speaker port is a line out source it isn t amplified so it will only CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 15 work with powered speakers or a stereo receiver not with headphones or inexpensive nonpowered PC speakers M iMac DV models include a video out port which you can use for video mirroring This allows you to connect an external monitor that can display the same image as the iMac s screen at the exact same time Before You Set Up iMac If you ve just gotten your iMac and you re waiting for me to tell you how to get started this is your section Pll also talk about some relevant issues for users who have their iMac running stuff not necessarily covered by the iMac manual from Apple Let s take a quick look Get a Surge Protector Not enough people get surge protectors for their computers
4. and I suggest you run out and buy one right now or at least later today if you plan to start or continue using your iMac A surge protector is usually a power strip that plugs into the wall outlet then allows you a number of sockets into which you can plug computer components This will be really important if you need to plug in a printer scanner camera and so on as well as an iMac The surge protector is designed to stop power surges from reaching your valuable equipment It keeps your iMac from getting fried basically when a power surge occurs thanks to a lightning strike power outage or problem with your or your power company s wiring You need to get the kind of surge protector that includes protection for the phone line too In my experience extreme surges occur more frequently over phone lines than over power lines Since your phone line will probably almost always be plugged into your Mac s modem port it s possible for such a surge to go straight into the modem causing it to cease functioning In fact this could affect your entire iMac A good surge protector costs at least 25 probably more depending on the features Don t get an 8 protector and think you re done often those are just power strips giving you more plug outlets not protectors Check the box to see if the manufacturer offers a guarantee or equipment replacement insurance If so there s a decent chance the protector actually works well Keep
5. before iMac can continue Can you move the mouse pointer around If you can but nothing happens when you click and there s no waiting message iMac might just be thinking things through Wait a few minutes to see if anything happens Can you interrupt the current application If you can move the mouse pointer but nothing else is happening try to interrupt the current program Press the ESC key or simultaneously press the period keys You should also try pressing 6 Q to quit the application Can you force the current application to quit Sometimes an application encounters an error but it doesn t give control back to the iMac In that case you ll need to force quit the application Press 6 OPTION ESC Then click the Force Quit button This should quit the application and return you to the Finder Save work in your other applications and restart your iMac Can you emergency recover If nothing else is working try pressing 6 POWER that s the actual POWER key on the keyboard If a text box appears on the window type G F and press RETURN That might return you to the Finder Save your data and restart the iMac Can you reset with the power button If all else fails hold down the POWER key on the iMac s front until you hear the startup chime This can be five seconds or more That will reset your iMac The POWER key method only works on Revision B and newer iMacs those built in late 1998 and on including the flavo
6. make bullet proof shielding But don t let the fashionable looks fool you The iMac is a full computer based on the Macintosh operating system called Mac OS Your iMac can run just about any Macintosh program read and edit just about any computer document and can certainly take full advantage of the Internet In fact it s designed to be just as functional in a school or small business as it is at home As the title of this book suggests if you have an iMac you can do just about anything you can do with any other sort of computer You re ready to go What Makes iMac Different and Cool iMac offers a number of distinguishing features beyond looks The iMac is a powerful computer based on Apple s PowerPC G3 processors It has at least 32 megabytes of computer memory which allows you to run more than one computer program at once and at least a 4 gigabyte hard disk for storing programs and documents CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac Ease of use was important when Apple created iMac The iMac is designed to help you get on the Internet connect peripherals and even attach to a network easily It has all the important stuff built in a modem Ethernet port graphics plus the easy modern way to add extras the Universal Serial Bus Moreover it comes with applications already installed that you can use for a variety of home or home office tasks The iMac is also designed to work collaboratively with other computers over the Interne
7. the optional tilt bar on the bottom of the iMac This will raise the screen slightly 2 The keyboard is similarly adjustable Pick up the keyboard and you ll see there s a bottom bar you can swing out to tilt the keyboard up in back a little which is probably the more comfortable position 3 Some folks don t like the iMac s mouse but its compact size actually has ergonomic advantages Try loosely cupping the mouse in the palm of your hand instead of gripping it with your fingers I find that more comfortable You end up clicking the CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 17 mouse with the inside of your knuckles if you have average adult sized hands and you may find it s more comfortable In any case always try to have a relaxed grip on the mouse Still don t like the mouse A number of companies make snap on plastics for the iMac mouse that turn it into something a little larger and easier to handle for some folks Look for them in Mac catalogs or stores Of course you can also opt for a new USB mouse which should connect just as easily as the iMac s mouse does l 4 Some physical therapists also recommend that your mouse and keyboard be as close together as possible and always on the same level so you re not reaching far for the mouse With the iMac s compact keyboard that s not a problem at all Put your mouse right next to the keyboard on a clean mouse pad Do you have lots of mouse pads and wrist accessories D
8. Glare to a Minimum Another important consideration before you set up your iMac is where the windows are I mean actual windows those things in the wall that let sunlight in In general avoid having a window directly in front of the iMac that is when you sit at the iMac the window is at your back or directly behind the iMac when you look at the iMac s screen you can see the window behind it The reason for this is simple glare and eyestrain If the window is directly behind you then sunlight will glare off the screen and make it harder to see text and images on your iMac If the window is directly behind the 16 How to Do Everything with Your iMac iMac your eyes will have trouble adjusting to the varying levels of light causing strain and fatigue Along those same lines it s always a good idea to look away from your monitor for a minute or more every 15 minutes That means looking out the window which should be directly to your right or left if possible reading a bit performing eye exercises raising a dumbbell getting up for some water or simply doing whatever else you do to relax Don t Forget the Ergonomics It s also important especially if you plan to use your iMac for an extended period of time to consider the ergonomic implications of your setup While I m not a doctor or chiropractor I can pass on some general advice You might want to consult an expert regarding your setup especially if you re exp
9. Welcome to iMac 4 How to Do Everything with Your iMac How to Prepare yourself for using your iMac Figure out all the parts of the iMac Set up and move your iMac Start restart and put iMac to sleep CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac jf 1998 Apple Computer set out to create a slightly different sort of computer from those that had been seen in the past one designed specifically for consumer users who wanted to get on the Internet They called it the iMac to suggest that it was the first Internet Macintosh marketed It uses a lot of the parts and software that a regular Macintosh computer uses but it offers enough differences to make it a whole new idea And it s a very exciting idea a friendly easy to use computer that can still do just about anything at all In the fall of 1999 Apple refreshed the iMac line with a new iMac called the iMac DV This iMac may look only slightly different from the original iMac but it piles on the features including more RAM a faster processor and better video The major difference though is the addition of digital video capabilities both the ability to watch DVD movies and the ability to edit your own movies created with a digital camcorder Along with that comes support for Firewire the connection standard used both for digital camcorders and for high speed peripherals like external hard disks and removable disk drives Of course one of the main differences between the iMac and mos
10. ausing undue harm to your iMac just choose File Quit or click the close box If necessary you can start up the Assistant again It s located in the Assistants folder on your iMac s hard drive The Internet Setup Assistant The first major decision you need to make regarding the Internet is how you plan to connect There are four basic ways to do it The first way is through a special deal that Apple has made with the Earthlink service It s also the easiest one The second way is through any different Internet Service Provider or ISP You ll find these both nationally and locally check your local newspaper if you d prefer to go with a local service The third way is using the America Online service which can also act as an ISP The fourth way is to hook up to the Internet over a network instead of using your modem Depending on which option you choose you ll answer the Internet Setup Assistant differently E Earthlink or Other Apple Recommended ISP If you choose to create a new Earthlink account click Yes when asked if you want to set up Internet access Then click No when you re asked if you already have an account Follow the onscreen instructions for finding and creating a new Internet account E Your Own ISP Choose Yes you want to set up Internet access and Yes you already have an account You ll need to enter information about your ISP which the service provider should be able to give you easily See Chapter 23 to l
11. earn more about the information required for an Internet account CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 21 America Online Tell the Assistant No you don t want to set up Internet access Do it through the AOL service See Chapter 19 for more on America Online E Over a Network If you have a LAN cable modem DSL or similar connection that uses Ethernet tell the Assistant Yes you want to set up Internet access and Yes you already have an account Then choose to connect via Network This is discussed more in Chapter 23 If all goes well you ll end up with an Internet account I briefly discuss how to connect to the Internet in Chapter 2 then you ll see all sorts of things you can do on the Internet in Chapters 18 through 22 iMac On Off Sleep Info Once you get past the Assistants you re greeted with the desktop the space that shows your hard drive icon a few words across the top of the screen and even a little Trash can Pll discuss this area in more depth in Chapters 2 through 5 For now we need to talk about a few important commands Which Mac OS Do You Have The first one is the About This Computer command Throughout this book I ll be referring to different versions of the Mac OS In order to know if a particular feature is available to you you ll need to know if you have Mac OS 8 1 Mac OS 8 5 Mac OS 8 6 Mac OS 9 or a later version loaded on your iMac To find out move your mouse pointer to the top of the scree
12. eriencing any pain or strain from repetitive movements First your hands and legs should generally approach the table and chair that support your iMac at a 90 degree angle That means elbows at 90 degrees and knees at 90 degrees with your feet flat on the floor if possible Adjust your table and or chair if neither of these angles is correct Next you shouldn t look far down or far up at your monitor don t crane your neck in other words If you re looking down on your monitor make a trip to the computer store to purchase a stand to raise the iMac You can also lower your adjustable chair if you have one as long as that doesn t adversely affect your sitting position The top of the iMac s screen should be level with your eyes when you re looking straight ahead In fact looking straight ahead is exactly what you want to do Do you have a desk that positions the monitor off to the side at an angle They should be illegal You should look directly at a monitor that is in front of you not to one side Otherwise you ll have your neck and or back cocked sideways for minutes or hours at a ttme not a good thing It s like driving cross country while looking out the driver side window That would start to hurt after a while wouldn t it Need to make some adjustments to your iMac Here s how 1 The iMac screen position is adjustable You can choose to set the iMac straight down on its little feet or lift the iMac and swing out
13. etwork Once you have an address you re ready to send and receive Internet documents To learn more about using the iMac with the Internet see the section The Internet Setup Assistant in this chapter as well as Chapters 18 through 23 in which I discuss the Internet in detail iMac Is Still a Mac The iMac ultimately is a Macintosh computer It s been simplified designed in very clever ways and made to work well on the Internet At the heart of the iMac though is a standard PowerPC G3 processor and the Mac OS Any of those Macintosh programs designed for your iMac s version of the Mac OS available in the store or through mail order will work with your iMac Even new versions of the Mac OS available from stores support the iMac automatically you don t have to 7 8 How to Do Everything with Your iMac buy special software that s only for iMac There are really only three things you need to look for when shopping for software E Does it run on CD ROM Remember the iMac doesn t have a floppy drive iMac DV and DV Special Edition models can also support software that runs on a DVD ROM E Is it designed for PowerPC Some older Macintosh programs aren t specifically designed for PowerPC processors like the powerful processor in an iMac Those old programs should still run but they might slow down the system E Isit designed for your iMac s version of the Mac OS Make sure the program is designed to be compat
14. ible with the version of the Mac OS that your iMac is running That means specifically that it is compatible with Mac OS 8 1 9 or later if you ve updated to a version of Mac OS 9 or later It s possible that you Il encounter software designed to run on Mac OS X Apple s next generation Mac OS If your iMac isn t running Mac OS X then those programs will not work with your iMac The iMac does not run software specifically written for DOS Windows Windows 95 98 or Windows NT 2000 although many programs are written in both PC and Macintosh versions Sometimes you ll even find both versions on the same CD ROM And that s not to say the iMac can t run PC software at all it just can t run PC software right out of the box Special software programs such as Connectix Virtual PC and FWB Software s SoftWindows allow you to run those programs on your iMac That software called emulation software can trick Windows programs into believing that they re being run on a Windows based machine even as they re being run on your iMac It s a neat trick and it can be done pretty inexpensively Computers that use Intel compatible processors and DOS Windows or Windows NT are often called PCs for the sake of convenience and to differentiate them from Macs and iMacs I ll follow that convention despite the fact that your iMac is a personal computer Also Windows and DOS compatibility for your iMac is discussed in greate
15. irst then grab it From the Side The ports for your iMac s peripherals and Internet or network connections are on the side of the iMac On the original iMac you open the port door by putting your finger in the hole and lightly pulling down and away Now you ll see the ports for connecting your iMac to devices to the phone line and to the Internet Figure 1 3 shows those ports The slot loading iMac doesn t have a port door Instead the ports are simply recessed in the side of the iMac Figure 1 4 shows the slot loading iMac s ports External External USB Ethernet port speaker port microphone port ports Reset button Programmer s button Modem port phone cable goes here CVE The original iMac s ports 14 How to Do Everything with Your iMac Firewire ports not on base model Modem port USB ports Ethernet port Microphone Speakers Reset button Programmer s button Video out behind door not on base model KEVAS The slot loading iMac s ports Here are some things to keep in mind about the side of your iMac E The modem and Ethernet ports look similar but they accept different types of cable The phone cable accepts a typical RJ 11 modular telephone cable connector The Ethernet port accepts an RJ 45 10BaseT cable also twisted pair connector If your connector isn t fitting properly examine the cable and the ports carefully E On the original iMac
16. n and point it at the little multicolored Apple picture Click the mouse button once A menu appears Now move the mouse down the menu until it points at About This Computer Click the mouse button again The About This Computer window appears About This Computer Yersion Mac 0S 9 0 Built in Memory 64MB irtual Memory 65 MB used on Macintosh HD Largest Unused Block 1 4MB amp Apple Computer Inc 19835 1999 Internet Explorer 4 5 28 5 MB EE Mac os 27 5 MB J Sherlock 2 21M8 D Q Stickies 468k D 22 How to Do Everything with Your iMac This window tells you some other things about your iMac including how much system RAM random access memory it has and how that RAM is being used Turn Off iMac You ve already turned on your iMac successfully using the POWER key on the iMac s keyboard Actually the POWER key on the front of the iMac will work pretty much the exact same way just tap it to turn on the iMac The light glows amber to show you that it s powering up then it turns green when it successfully lights up the screen But what about turning off the iMac There are a couple of different ways to do that and it s important to turn it off correctly Let s start with the one way not to turn off your iMac Don t just cut power to the machine That means don t just pull the cord out of the wall or surge protector and it means don t just throw the power switch on the surge protector If your iMac e
17. nd pull the door open On the slot loading iMac you don t need to do this The ports are in recessed holes on the side of the iMac 18 How to Do Everything with Your iMac 8 Using the phone wire that came with the surge protector or another that you have around the house connect the phone wire from your wall socket to the Phone In socket on your surge protector Use the phone cord that came with your iMac to stretch from the Phone Out on the surge protector to the modem socket on the iMac Note you can use a small phone splitter from Radio Shack or a similar store if you want to place a telephone next to your iMac Plug the iMac s keyboard cord into one of the two USB ports Place the keyboard cord in one of the lower corners of the iMac s port door and close the door It should snap shut with room for the cable to snake out without being pinched Plug your iMac s mouse into the appropriate USB port on the keyboard depending on whether you work the mouse with your left hand or right hand Press the POWER key on the iMac s keyboard The little light on the POWER key built into the iMac not on the keyboard will light up That s it If all goes well your iMac should fire up and be ready to go You ll see the famous Happy Mac followed by the Welcome to Macintosh message Soon if this is the first time you ve turned on your iMac you ll be greeted by the Setup and Internet Assistants If you d
18. ng iMacs also feature improved higher fidelity sound thanks to improved integrated speakers These iMacs have also been designed to avoid using an internal fan so they run quieter than most other computers CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 11 From the Front Here you can get acquainted quickly with the all the different ways you ll interact with your iMac on a daily basis Figure 1 1 shows an original iMac form factor from the front Figure 1 2 shows a slot loading iMac from the front Here are some basic notes about the front of your iMac E Note that the mouse is close to the keyboard and that it is on a mouse pad which is recommended for smooth movement and to help keep the inside of the mouse clean E Both the keyboard and the iMac s front have a POWER key The two keys are functionally equivalent except that the iMac s front POWER key can be used to restart some iMacs when frozen see the section later in this chapter on resetting your iMac On the slot loading iMac the power button on the front of the iMac pulses while the iMac is in Sleep mode The display 15 about 13 8 viewable Front power button CD ROM drive Headphone jacks Speakers poke USB connector _ Nie KOUSAR The original iMac form factor from the front 12 How to Do Everything with Your iMac You may also notice that the iMac has in fact a full featured keyboard it even includes PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN keys and ARROW keys
19. on t let them allow you to get lazy The ideal wrist position is actually over the keys slightly not resting on the wrist pad at least according to most things I ve heard and read If you took piano lessons as a kid then you know how you re supposed to hold your hands Keep them aloft for a while When you re tired don t rest your wrists on little gel things quit typing Finally the second you start to feel pain or strain get ahold of your doctor You may be able to get add on keyboards mice or some other solution for working with your iMac Or your doctor may prescribe a vacation to the Bahamas for two weeks especially if you slip her five bucks or so Set Up iMac Now for the moment of truth When you ve accounted for surges glare and ergonomics the setup instructions that come with your iMac are perfectly acceptable 1 Pull the iMac out of the box place it on the table and use the little bar to tilt it up slightly if desired Even though technically it s portable the iMac is heavy at 40 pounds 35 for the slot loading model Apple recommends grasping both the handle and the area under the front of the iMac s screen right under the CD ROM drive and you should lift or carry the iMac with both hands _ _ 2 Plug the power cord into the power socket on the back of the iMac then plug it into your surge protector 3 Put your finger in the hole in the door on the lower right side of your iMac a
20. on t see anything on the screen if you see something blinking or if it s been say 20 minutes and nothing is happening and the power light is either amber or off turn to Chapter 30 to troubleshoot your iMac Get Online with the Assistants Once the iMac has started up and loaded all the little icons have traveled across the bottom of the screen and the desktop appears you ll be greeted by an Assistant The Mac OS s Assistants are designed to walk you through some of the basic settings that your iMac needs to operate without making you dig too deep into all the configuration controls The Assistant instead asks you plain questions and helps you enter the answers see Figure 1 5 On some newer iMacs you ll be greeted by a different Assistant that helps you register your iMac with Apple and set up Internet access Oddly these iMacs in my experience don t go on to launch the Mac OS Setup Assistant I d still recommend you launch this Assistant however since it helps you make some important settings To launch the Mac OS Setup Assistant double click your Macintosh HD icon then double click the Assistants folder icon Now double click the icon called Mac OS Setup Assistant Now you can follow along with the rest of this section CHAPTER 1 WelcometoiMac 19 Close box Mac OS Setup Assistant Regional Preferences EAEN Your system software has default settings for keyboard layout time date text and number fo
21. ondi blue and had a 233MHz processor The major difference was its 6MB of video RAM making it more capable for gaming E iMac 266 These were the first iMac models available in five different colors blueberry tangerine strawberry grape and lime These iMacs had a 266MHz processor 32MB of RAM a 6GB hard disk and 6MB of video RAM E iMac 333 These were the second iteration of colorful iMacs with a 333MHz processor 32MB of RAM a 6GB hard disk and 6MB of video RAM Slot loading iMacs In the fall of 1999 Apple introduced a new line of iMacs that all feature slot loading CD ROM or DVD ROM drives These currently at the time of writing come in three different models E iMac slot loading This is the base model which features a 350MHz processor 64MB of RAM a 6GB hard disk and 8MB of video RAM It has a CD ROM drive and does not feature Firewire or a video out port although it does have a slot to accept an AirPort wireless networking card It is only available in blueberry E iMac DV This is the first model to support digital video viewing and editing It features a 400MHz processor 64MB of RAM a 10GB hard disk and 8MB of video RAM It has a DVD ROM drive Firewire ports a slot for an AirPort card and a video out port It s available in all five iMac colors H iMac DV Special Edition This model is similar to the iMac DV but includes 128MB of RAM and a 13GB hard disk It s available in graphite only All slot loadi
22. oose Restart CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac from the Special menu You can also tap the POWER key and choose Restart Your iMac goes through the same procedure as when you issue the Shut Down command except that the power is never turned off to the iMac and the Mac OS starts right back up again after the contents of system memory are cleared Reset Your iMac When Frozen Unfortunately your iMac will sometimes freeze while you re working with it things on the screen stop moving around and you can t move the mouse pointer and or click on Put iMac to Sleep Here s the cool option You know how it takes a minute or so for your iMac to start up when it s completely off Well you can choose to put the iMac to sleep instead so that it wakes up more quickly and is ready to work The best part is that the iMac is still using very little power even though it s turned on and working That means two things First you don t have to shut down your applications before iMac can go to sleep You can open things up and get right back to work You will however have to quit your Internet or America Online session if you re using the modem Second it means the iMac can still receive a fax even though it s in low power mode That s great for when you want to leave your office or home office for the day but are expecting an incoming fax Just put your iMac to sleep and it will save power but still be ready when the calls comes in
23. pherals made for older Macintosh computers can still be used but you ll need an adapter and some know how We ll discuss various peripherals in Chapter 27 iMac A Quick Tour Before you get into the heart of setting up your iMac let s take a quick look at it to get an idea what everything is and how things connect You ll find that the iMac has some interesting and surprising nooks and crannies 10 How to Do Everything with Your iMac Different iMac Models Among the things you ll need to know throughout this book are the different iMac models This is important for two different reasons First some iMac models offer particular software bundles and computer programs that other iMacs don t If I discuss a program that you don t have you ll want to be sure it s because you have a different iMac model not because you ve lost the CD I ll point out which models have what software throughout this text Second some iMac models differ significantly in how you deal with them including for instance how you plug in devices or how you insert CD ROMs Original iMacs There are four distinct versions of the original iMac series if you don t count each color as a different version Each of these iMac versions has a tray loading CD ROM drive E iMac Rev A This was the original iMac which came only in Bondi blue and had a 233MHz PowerPC G3 processor 4GB hard disk and 2MB of video RAM E iMac Rev B This iMac was also B
24. r detail in Chapter 29 _ ___ iMac Uses a New Type of Hardware Get your iMac home and there s a decent chance that you ll soon want external peripherals for it you may want a printer a document scanner and a digital camera or you may want to connect your iMac to other computers and copy files between them Part of the excitement of the iMac stems from its Universal Serial Bus USB and Ethernet ports for upgrading iMac DV models also include Firewire ports that can be used to connect high speed peripherals CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 9 USB is incredibly easy to use you pretty much just plug things in and they work Plus it s a standard that the latest Mac and PC computers can both use That means your iMac is compatible with most of the USB peripherals that are being made for computers these days When you shop for USB peripherals have these two things in mind E USB Make sure the peripheral offers a USB connector or adapter designed specifically for that item HM Mac Driver Software Some USB peripherals require special driver software for compatibility with the iMac Some peripherals don t require driver software including most keyboards mice trackballs and USB hubs devices that give you more USB ports More sophisticated devices require the software so read the box carefully ask a salesperson or just focus on USB devices that show up in the Mac section of the store If it has a Mac or iMac logo on
25. red iMacs and the slot loading iMacs If you have an original Revision A iMac you ll need to straighten a paperclip and insert it in the reset button hole to restart your iMac You may need to do this for other iMacs that don t respond when you press the POWER key on the front Figure 1 6 shows you how CHAPTER 1 Welcome to iMac 25 JCU Resetting an original iMac form factor using its reset button If you have a slot loading iMac the reset button is a raised button on the right NOTE side of the iMac near the ports The button has a small triangle on it This procedure may cause you to lose data it s only recommended as a NOTE last resort Finally did none of that work Then unplug the iMac wait 30 seconds and plug it back in Press the POWER key on the keyboard or on the front of the iMac to see if it starts up
26. rmats This assistant adjusts those settings based on the specific language version you are using Which set of formats do you prefer to use Australian Brazilian Portuguese Answer questions and British 3 Spanish make choices here US Choose a language then click the right arrow to continue Click left arrow Click right arrow to go back to move forward mlclN meem Most of the Mac OS s Assistants work this way The Mac OS Setup Assistant The first Assistant you ll encounter is the Mac OS Setup Assistant This little guy s job is to learn what it can about you and your iMac so it can make some basic settings Run through the Setup Assistant and answer the questions When you ve answered a question click the right arrow to continue If you need to go back to a previous question click the left arrow A few notes about the Setup Assistant s questions 1 The name organization date and other questions should be fairly self explanatory Enter all this information clicking the right arrow to move to the next screen 2 When you re asked if you want to use the Simple Finder the answer is No Simple Finder just hides some of the basic commands for dealing with files P11 discuss all that stuff thoroughly so you ll want all those options available in the Finder 3 On the next screen the computer s name can be anything Todd s Computer Sleepy iMac 2079 34 Fourth Grader
27. s iMac and so on If you connect the iMac to a network this is the name that will be used to represent your iMac to any 20 How to Do Everything with Your iMac other computers on the network This doesn t include the Internet just networks in offices schools on university campuses or in your house if you have two or more computers hooked up to one another 4 The password can be anything up to eight characters long but it needs to be something you can remember and keep private You won t need it to get into your iMac and use its files it s only for when you want to access your iMac from another computer over a network connection 5 On the next screen you probably won t want a shared folder unless you re setting up a network in your office or organization See Chapter 28 for more on networking 6 If your printer is connected via a USB port it s a Direct Connection If it s connected via the Ethernet port or if you print to a printer somewhere else on the network it s a Network Connection If you don t have a printer yet choose Direct Connection 7 Finally choose the type of printer you have if it s an Apple brand printer Other printers need to be set up separately as shown in Chapter 26 That s it With all those decisions made you can click the Go Ahead button and the settings are entered Next up it s the Internet Setup Assistant You can quit the Assistant at any time without c
28. t or a local area network of Macs or PCs It offers some special ways to transmit share and translate files that other computers use so you can share and edit them with others What Is the Internet It s obvious just from the iMac s name that the Internet will be a huge focus of this book and your experience with the computer so you ll need to know what it is The Internet is the name given to a global system for connecting computers to one another using various sorts of cable and wire Once connected these computers can share documents and transfer files among one another The result is electronic mail message areas and the World Wide Web The Internet began as a government project to move data over long distances with redundancies to survive some sort of wartime or natural disaster Eventually it became an important way to connect university computing centers and later on individuals In the early 1990s the corporate world caught on and electronic mail and messaging became one of the most popular ways to use a personal computer So what makes it the Internet Any computer using a particular language called the Transmission Control Protocol Internet Protocol TCP IP can connect to the Internet All you need is a modem or a network connection and an Internet connection through an Internet Service Provider ISP The ISP gives you an address on the Internet called an IP address which gives your Mac a unique identity on this global n
29. t other computers is its looks Designed as an all in one computer the iMac is also attractive something that not many other computer manufacturers have accomplished The idea that an iMac could more easily be integrated into the decor of your home or office was apparently a big hit and iMac has been a huge hit Actually there are tons of cool things about the iMac including M A radical new design that conserves space and offers a tapered back end so it fits better on many tables and desks MH A side mounted door for cables and wiring that helps control wires and keeps the back of the iMac from looking like the Frankenstein monster On the newer slot loading iMac and iMac DV models the door is gone but the ports are still easily accessible on the side of the iMac s enclosure E An integrated monitor that s much higher quality than that of most any competitor with a higher scan rate than most monitors resulting in a rock solid display E Special keyboard and mouse both designed to be compact and stylish and which work for adults and kids M Improved and simplified upgrading through the Universal Serial Bus USB E Lots of ways to get sound into and out of the machine including built in speakers and dual headphone jacks for sharing the iMac playing games listening to music or working with educational software M Networking connections and a modem for a telephone connection to the Internet or other online services b
30. the box then it likely includes the software drivers you need You can also upgrade using the Ethernet port which is a special port designed for high speed networking connections for transferring files between computers The port doesn t have to be used for networking there are actually some very clever peripherals and adapters that use the Ethernet port to make it easy to upgrade your iMac Most of the time though you ll find the Ethernet port is used to connect your iMac to other computers Devices like high speed modems cable Internet access boxes and high speed printers use the Ethernet port If you have an iMac DV model your iMac includes additional ports called Firewire ports These high speed ports are included on the iMac DV for copying data between your iMac DV and a digital camcorder so you can edit video But that s not all Firewire is good for It is also popular for connecting other devices including high speed external hard disks and removable disks You ll find that many external devices are available with Firewire connections As an added bonus Firewire is easy to set up with the same hot pluggability that USB offers You need to watch out for peripherals made for older Mac computers These days all of Apple s new products use USB ports but older Mac printers and scanners may use either serial ports or SCSI ports for their connections That s not the end of the world actually many of those other peri
31. uilt in A handle It s a 40 pound machine but the iMac is still somewhat portable which is quite a feat for a full sized computer 5 6 How to Do Everything with Your iMac Care for the Case Wondering how to clean your iMac s case The plastics are durable but they can still be scratched by abrasives or hard edged objects Of course any computer case can be scratched but the iMac will look a little worse for the wear since it s designed to be more attractive than most computers To clean the case Apple recommends you shut down the iMac pull its plug from the wall socket or surge protector and wipe the case with a dry lint free cloth Avoid using water or liquid cleaners since the iMac s case has seams where liquid could conceivably penetrate the case and damage the electronics To clean the screen use a slightly damp clean lint free cloth or a cloth from packets designed specifically to clean computer monitors you can get them at computer and office supply stores Don t spray liquids directly on the iMac spray water lightly on the cloth itself and don t use any harsh cleaners E Special to the iMac DV models is support for digital video including a DVD ROM drive for watching DVD movies and Firewire ports for connecting a digital camcorder and other high speed peripherals to the iMac On top of all this the iMac is great looking The translucent polycarbonate shell is actually the same plastic used to
32. ver crashes you may have to resort to this sort of thing but not yet Instead shut down your iMac gracefully by choosing the aptly named Shut Down command In the Finder move the mouse up to the Special menu If you don t see the Special menu click once anywhere on the desktop background Click once on the Special menu item and the full menu appears Now point to the Shut Down command and click the mouse again Your iMac shuts down Another way to do this is to tap the POWER key on the keyboard or on the iMac s chassis once A dialog box appears allowing you to do a number of power related things To shut down just click the Shut Down button with your mouse A Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now You may notice that after choosing Shut Down your iMac goes through a few hoops It will ask all open application programs if they need to save anything then it tells them to quit During that process the application may ask you if you want to save something Once all that business has been taken care of the iMac quits all those programs writes some last minute things to the hard disk and shuts itself down To start up again tap the POWER key Restart iMac Sometimes you don t really want iMac to shut all the way down Instead you want it to simply restart maybe you ve just installed a new program or you re experiencing odd behavior because of an errant program or similar issue In that case you ll ch
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