by Mark L. Chambers
Connect, Communicate, Compute, and Commute with your MacBook!
Includes coverange of the MacBook Pro
 |
| MacBook For Dummies |
Mark L. Chambers has been an author, computer consultant, BBS sysop, programmer,
and hardware technician for more than 20 years — pushing computers
and their uses far beyond “normal” performance limits for decades
now. His first love affair with a computer peripheral blossomed in 1984 when
he bought his lightning-fast 300 BPS modem for his Atari 400. Now he spends
entirely too much time on the Internet and drinks far too much caffeine-laden soda.
With a degree in journalism and creative writing from Louisiana State
University, Mark took the logical career choice: programming computers.
After five years as a COBOL programmer for a hospital system, however, he
decided there must be a better way to earn a living — and he became the
Documentation Manager for Datastorm Technologies, a well-known communications
software developer. Somewhere in between designing and writing
software manuals, Mark began writing computer how-to books. His first book,
Running a Perfect BBS, was published in 1994 — and after a short decade or
so of fun (disguised as hard work), Mark is one of the most productive and
best-selling technology authors on the planet.
Along with writing several books a year and editing whatever his publishers
throw at him, Mark has also branched out into Web-based education, designing
and teaching a number of online classes — called WebClinics — for Hewlett-Packard.
His favorite pastimes include collecting gargoyles, watching St. Louis
Cardinals baseball, playing his three pinball machines and the latest computer
games, supercharging computers, and rendering 3-D flights of fancy
with TrueSpace — and during all that, he listens to just about every type of
music imaginable. Mark’s worldwide Internet radio station, MLC Radio (at
www.mlcbooks.com), plays only CD-quality classics from 1970 to 1979,
including everything from Rush to Billy Joel to the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Mark’s rapidly expanding list of books includes iMac For Dummies, 4th
Edition; Mac OS X Tiger All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies; Building a PC
For Dummies, 5th Edition; Scanners For Dummies, 2nd Edition; CD & DVD
Recording For Dummies, 2nd Edition; PCs All-In-One Desk Reference For
Dummies, 2nd Edition; Mac OS X Tiger: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks;
Microsoft Office v. X Power User’s Guide; BURN IT! Creating Your Own Great
DVDs and CDs; The Hewlett-Packard Official Printer Handbook; The Hewlett-
Packard Official Recordable CD Handbook; The Hewlett-Packard Official Digital
Photography Handbook; Computer Gamer’s Bible; Recordable CD Bible; Teach
Yourself the iMac Visually; Running a Perfect BBS; Official Netscape Guide to
Web Animation; and the Windows 98 Troubleshooting and Optimizing Little Black Book.
His books have been translated into 14 languages so far — his favorites are
German, Polish, Dutch, and French. Although he can’t read them, he enjoys
the pictures a great deal.
Mark welcomes all comments and questions about his books. You can reach
him at mark@mlcbooks.com, or visit MLC Books Online, his Web site, at
www.mlcbooks.com.
Author’s Acknowledgments
It hit me right in the middle of this project — while writing a book about
Apple’s well-designed Macintosh laptops and software, I had the “bestdesigned”
people in the technology publishing business working alongside
me! These folks made sure that what you read is accurate, funny, and easy to understand.
Coincidence? I think not. That’s the Wiley Way.
First, I’d like to thank my technical editor, Clint McCarty, whose expert knowledge
of Apple hardware and software ensured that I didn’t get Firewire 400 mixed up with Firewire 800!
As with every book I’ve written, I’d like to thank my wife, Anne, and my children,
Erin, Chelsea, and Rose, for their support and love — and for letting me follow my dream!
Finally, I need to send my heartfelt thanks — once again — to two wonderful
editors at Wiley: my project editor, Susan Pink, and my acquisitions editor,
Bob Woerner. A book like this wouldn’t be possible without the patience,
guidance, and hard work that Susan and Bob provide . . . and they’re great friends as well. It’s win-win!
Introduction
Laptop owners are special people.
You see, a laptop owner demands everything from a computer that a desktop
owner does: reliability, performance, expandability, and ease of use. Owners
of PowerMac desktop computers can draw the line right there, because their
computers are designed for a stationary existence. But, you and I are laptop
owners. We also need that same computer to be an inch thick. We demand
that it run for hours on a single battery charge. We require that it be light as a feather.
Today’s Apple laptops deliver all that, and more! If you’ve bought one of
these modern masterpieces — or you’re thinking about it right now — I
applaud your good taste, common sense, and discerning eye. Apple laptops
have everything: super performance, a top-shelf LCD screen, rugged reliability,
and a trouble-free, powerful operating system. Heck, your Intel-based
Apple laptop can even run . . . wait for it . . .
Windows XP. (If you absolutely have to, the option is there.)
I wrote this book for myself — and for every other Apple laptop owner who
desires to become a laptop techno-wizard. In these pages, you’ll find a guide
to both your laptop’s hardware and Mac OS X Tiger, the latest version of
Apple’s superb operating system. After I cover the basics that every laptop
owner should know, you find out how to accomplish all sorts of cutting-edge
audio, visual, and Internet projects. (Oh, and if you already have another of
my books, you know that I don’t skimp on the power user tips and tricks
that’ll save you time, effort, and money.)
Like my dozen-or-so other For Dummies titles, I respect and use the same
English language you learned in school, avoiding jargon, ridiculous computer
acronyms, and confusing techno-babble whenever possible. (Plus, I try to
bring out the humor that’s hidden inside every computer. Finding out how to
use your Mac should be fun, and not a chore!)
What’s Really Required
If you’re not an engineer with a degree in Advanced Thakamology — imagine
that — there’s no need to worry! Here’s a reasonably complete list of what’s
not required to use this book:
I make no assumptions about your previous knowledge of computers —
laptop or otherwise — and software. We start at the beginning, which is
where every book should start.
Still considering buying a MacBook or MacBook Pro? Heck, you don’t
even need the computer! If you’re evaluating whether or not a Mac
laptop is right for you, this book is a great choice — I introduce you to
both the hardware and software you’ll get, so you can easily determine
whether a Mac is the machine for you. (It is. Trust me.)
Upgrading from the monster that is Windows XP? I have tips, tricks, and
entire sections devoted to the hardy pioneers called switchers! You’ll discover
the similarities and differences between the two operating systems,
how you can make the switch as easy and quick as possible, and
how to run Windows on your new laptop, if you absolutely must.
If your friends and family have told you that you’re going to spend half
your savings on software — or that there’s no decent software available
for Mac computers — just smile quietly to yourself! These are two persistent
myths about Mac computers, and those same folks are going to
be blown away by the images, music, movies, and documents you produce.
(Oh, by the way, your Mac laptop comes complete with about a
ton more software than any PC, laptop, and the iLife suite of applications
are better than anything available on a PC is!) To sum up: You can do virtually
everything in this book with the software that came with your Mac!
So what is required? Your Mac laptop and the desire to become a power
user — someone who produces the best work in the least amount of time
and has the most fun doing it!
This book has been written using the latest MacBook Pro computer, so
owners of older Mac laptops that aren’t running Intel processors may not be
able to follow along with everything I cover. However, if you’ve upgraded an
older G4 laptop with Mac OS X Tiger and the iLife ’06 application suite, you
should be able to use most of the book with no problem!
About This Book
Each chapter in this book has been written as a reference on a specific hardware
or software topic. Due to the hard work of my editors, you can begin
reading anywhere you like because each chapter is self-contained. However, I
recommend that you read from front to back, because the linear order of the
book makes a great deal of sense.
How This Book Is Organized
After careful thought (read that “flipping a coin”), I divided this book into
seven major parts — plus an index, just because you deserve one! For your
convenience, cross-references to additional coverage of many topics are
sprinkled liberally throughout the book.
The Seven Parts Shall Be As Follows.
Part I: Tie Myself Down with
a Desktop? Preposterous!
Part I introduces you to the important features of your laptop — you’ll find
out where all the cables connect — and helps you set up your system. I also
introduce Mac OS X Tiger, Apple’s operating system that comes preinstalled
on your MacBook or MacBook Pro.
Part II: Shaking Hands with Mac OS X
Time to familiarize you with Tiger. In Part II, you find out how to take care of
mundane chores (such as moving your stuff), as well as how to customize
and personalize your system until it fits like the proverbial glove! Switchers
from the PC world will be especially interested in understanding the ins and
outs of Mac OS X — and friends, it ain’t hard. The Mac started out easier to
use than a Windows PC, and nothing’s changed.
Part III: Connecting and Communicating
In Part III, it’s time to jump into the one application you’re likely to use every
day: your Safari Web browser! You’ll also find out more about Apple’s .Mac
Internet subscriber service and how to connect your laptop for printing,
sharing information with your PDA or cell phone, and even videoconferencing!
(I told you this thing was powerful, didn’t I?)
Part IV: Living the iLife
Ah, readers, you can begin humming happily to yourself right this second!
Yep, Part IV provides complete coverage of the latest iLife ’06 release, with
the names that are the envy of the Windows crowd: iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie
HD, iDVD, and GarageBand. You’ll find out how to turn your mobile monster
computer into the hub for all your digital media — whether you listen to it,
display it, compose it, or direct it, this part of the book will explain it!
Part V: Sharing Access and Information
In Part V, I discuss how to share your Mac laptop among a group of people,
and how to connect your Mac to a network. (Wired or wireless, makes no difference
to us!) I also cover how to share data among wireless devices using
Bluetooth technology and iSync, and how to broadcast your music around
your house like Wolfman Jack.
Part VI: The Necessary Evils:
Troubleshooting, Upgrading, Maintaining
In Part VI, we cover the stuff my Dad used to call the Justin Case Guide — that
is, just in case, you want to upgrade your MacBook with more memory or
new hardware. If you need to troubleshoot a problem with your hardware or
software, check out my should-be-patented troubleshooting guide. Finally, I
describe what you can do to help keep your Mac running as fast and as trouble-
free as the day you took it out of the box!
Part VII: The Part of Tens
The two chapters that make up the famous “Part of Tens” section are served
in classic Late Night style: Each chapter contains a quick reference of tips
and advice on a specific laptop or Macintosh topic. Each list has ten concise
tips, and one or two readers have told me that they make excellent tattoos.
(Personally, I’m not that much of a Mac guru.)
Screenshot
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Product details
Price
|
|
|---|---|
File Size
| 10,525 KB |
Pages
|
387 p |
File Type
|
PDF format |
ISBN-13
ISBN-10 | 978-0-470-04859-7 0-470-04859-X |
Copyright
| 2006 by Wiley Publishing, Inc |
Contents at a Glance
Introduction
Part I: Tie Myself Down with a Desktop? Preposterous!
Chapter 1: Hey, It Really Does Have Everything I Need
Chapter 2: Turning On Your Portable Powerhouse
Chapter 3: The Laptop Owner’s Introduction to Mac OS X
Part II: Shaking Hands with Mac OS X
Chapter 4: Working Magic with the Keyboard and Trackpad
Chapter 5: Getting to the Heart of the Tiger
Chapter 6: System Preferences Are Your Friends
Chapter 7: Sifting through Your Stuff
Part III: Connecting and Communicating
Chapter 8: Taking Your Laptop on Safari
Chapter 9: .Mac Is .Made for Mac Laptops
Chapter 10: Spiffy Connections for the Road Warrior
Part IV: Living the iLife
Chapter 11: The Multimedia Joy of iTunes
Chapter 12: Turning iPhoto into Your Portable Darkroom
Chapter 13: Making Film History with iMovie HD
Chapter 14: Creating DVDs on the Road with iDVD
Chapter 15: GarageBand on the Go
Part V: Sharing Access and Information
Chapter 16: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser
Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks
Chapter 18: Making Friends with Wireless Devices
Part VI: The Necessary Evils: Troubleshooting, Upgrading, Maintaining
Chapter 19: When Good Mac Laptops Go Bad
Chapter 20: Adding New Stuff to Your Laptop
Chapter 21: Tackling Housekeeping
Part VII: The Part of Tens
Chapter 22: Top Ten Laptop Rules to Follow
Chapter 23: Top Ten Things to Avoid like the Plague
Index
Table of Contents
Introduction..........1
What’s Really Required ...........1
About This Book..................2
Conventions Used in This Book .......3
Stuff you type ............3
Menu commands ..........3
Web addresses..............4
How This Book Is Organized..................4
Part I: Tie Myself Down with a Desktop? Preposterous!........4
Part II: Shaking Hands with Mac OS X...............4
Part III: Connecting and Communicating............4
Part IV: Living the iLife..............................5
Part V: Sharing Access and Information.........5
Part VI: The Necessary Evils: Troubleshooting, Upgrading,
Maintaining..............5
Part VII: The Part of Tens ...................5
Icons Used in This Book...........................6
Where to Go from Here.......................6
A Final Word.....................7
Part I: Tie Myself Down with a Desktop? Preposterous! ....9
Chapter 1: Hey, It Really Does Have Everything I Need . . . . . . . . . . . .11
An Overview of Your Mac Laptop ................................................................12
The parts you probably recognize.....................................................12
The holes called ports .........................................................................15
Don’t forget the parts you can’t see...................................................16
Location, Location, Location! .......................................................................18
Unpacking and Connecting Your Laptop ....................................................19
Unpacking for the road warrior..........................................................19
Connecting cables 101 .........................................................................20
Great, a Lecture about Handling My Laptop...............................................21
An Overview of Mac Software Goodness ....................................................22
What comes with my laptop? .............................................................22
Connecting to the Internet from your lap .........................................22
Applications that rock .........................................................................23
Boot Camp For Dummies.....................................................................24
Other Stuff That Nearly Everyone Wants....................................................25
Chapter 2: Turning On Your Portable Powerhouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Tales of the On Button...................................................................................28
Mark’s Favorite Signs of a Healthy Laptop .................................................28
You’re Not Going to Lecture Me About Batteries, Are You? .....................29
Setting Up and Registering Your Laptop .....................................................30
Setting up Mac OS X Tiger...................................................................31
Registering your Mac ...........................................................................32
Importing Stuff from Another Mac...............................................................32
Importing Stuff from Windows (If You Must)..............................................36
Chapter 3: The Laptop Owner’s Introduction to Mac OS X . . . . . . . . . .39
Your Own Personal Operating System ........................................................40
The Tiger desktop ................................................................................40
Why get so excited by Tiger?..............................................................43
All the Features of Windows (Just Better) ..................................................45
Like Windows done right.....................................................................45
Loading the truck .................................................................................46
And Just in Case You Need Help . . . ............................................................47
Tiger’s built-in Help system ................................................................48
Apple’s Web-based support center ....................................................48
Magazines..............................................................................................48
Mac support Web sites ........................................................................48
Mac newsgroups on Usenet ................................................................49
Local Mac user groups.........................................................................49
Part II: Shaking Hands with Mac OS X .........................51
Chapter 4: Working Magic with the Keyboard and Trackpad . . . . . . .53
Using the All-Powerful Finder .......................................................................53
Wait a Second. Where the Heck Is the Right Button? ................................55
Launching and Quitting Applications with Aplomb ..................................58
Juggling Folders and Icons............................................................................60
A field observer’s guide to icons........................................................60
Selecting items......................................................................................63
Copying items .......................................................................................64
Moving things from place to place.....................................................66
Duplicating in a jiffy .............................................................................66
Keys and Keyboard Shortcuts to Fame and Fortune.................................67
Special keys on the keyboard .............................................................67
Using Finder and application keyboard shortcuts...........................68
Performing Tricks with Finder Windows ....................................................69
Scrolling and resizing windows ..........................................................69
Minimizing and restoring windows....................................................71
Moving and zooming windows ...........................................................71
Closing windows...................................................................................72
Chapter 5: Getting to the Heart of the Tiger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
Your Home Folder Is Your Homestead ........................................................73
Personalizing Your Desktop..........................................................................76
Customizing the Dock Just So ......................................................................78
Adding dock icons................................................................................79
Removing dock icons...........................................................................79
Using dock icon menus........................................................................79
Taking Out the Trash .....................................................................................80
Saving Time and Trouble with Dashboard and Exposé ............................82
Using Dashboard ..................................................................................82
Switching between apps with Exposé................................................83
Printing in Mac OS X ......................................................................................84
Chapter 6: System Preferences Are Your Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87
An Explanation (in English, No Less) ..........................................................87
Locating That Certain Special Setting .........................................................89
Introducing Mark’s Favorite Preference Panes ..........................................90
The Display pane..................................................................................91
The Desktop & Screen Saver pane .....................................................92
The Dashboard & Exposé pane ..........................................................93
The Appearance pane..........................................................................94
The Energy Saver pane ........................................................................96
The Dock pane ......................................................................................97
The Sharing pane..................................................................................98
Chapter 7: Sifting through Your Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
A Not-So-Confusing Introduction to Spotlight ..........................................101
Searching for all sorts of things with Spotlight ..............................103
Working with matching stuff .............................................................104
Tweaking Spotlight in System Preferences .....................................105
Other Search Tools Are Available Too.......................................................106
Putting Sherlock on the Case......................................................................107
Searching that darn Internet for data and pictures .......................108
Getting movie information in the new millennium ........................109
Keep an eye on my stocks, Watson! .................................................109
Part III: Connecting and Communicating.....................111
Chapter 8: Taking Your Laptop on Safari . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113
It’s Not Just Another Web Browser............................................................113
Handling Basic Safari Chores......................................................................115
Entering Web addresses ....................................................................115
Putting the toolbar to work...............................................................117
Searching for Specific Web Sites ................................................................120
It’s a snap to search with Google .....................................................120
Looking back with the History list ...................................................120
Searching the current page ...............................................................122
Safari Power User Tips and Tools ..............................................................122
Putting down roots with a new home page.....................................122
Organizing favorite spots with bookmarks .....................................122
Using secure connections .................................................................125
Reading RSS feeds ..............................................................................126
Chapter 9: .Mac Is .Made for Mac Laptops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127
Where Is My .Mac Stuff Stored?..................................................................127
Opening a .Mac Account .............................................................................129
Using Your iDisk on the Road .....................................................................131
It’s all in the folders............................................................................132
Mirror, mirror, on your drive . . . ......................................................133
Monitoring and configuring your iDisk............................................134
Back Up Your Laptop with .Mac.................................................................135
Installing Backup ................................................................................136
Saving your stuff.................................................................................136
Chapter 10: Spiffy Connections for the Road Warrior . . . . . . . . . . . . .139
Connecting USB and Network Printers......................................................139
USB printers ........................................................................................140
Networked printers............................................................................143
Connecting Scanners ...................................................................................144
Putting Your iSight Camera to Work ..........................................................145
Using iSight with iChat AV.................................................................145
Using iSight with Photo Booth..........................................................146
Using iSight with iMovie HD..............................................................147
Performing Magic with Front Row and the Apple Remote .....................147
Part IV: Living the iLife .............................................151
Chapter 11: The Multimedia Joy of iTunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .153
Boy, Check Out That iTunes Window! .......................................................154
The Lazy iTunes Guide ................................................................................156
Listening to song files, playlists, Internet radio, and
audio CDs.........................................................................................156
Watching video ...................................................................................162
Organizing, sorting, and searching .................................................163
Adding or editing song information.................................................165
Visualization — music for your eyes ...............................................167
Pulling in Songs and Spitting ’Em Out .......................................................168
Importing songs from CD and hard drives......................................168
Buying Billie Holiday from the Apple Music Store .........................169
Burning like a true techno.................................................................171
Chapter 12: Turning iPhoto into Your Portable Darkroom . . . . . . . . .173
Shaking Hands with the iPhoto Window ...................................................173
Working with Images on Your Laptop........................................................175
Import mode: Coaxing photos from your camera..........................176
Organize mode: Organizing and sorting your images....................177
Edit mode: Removing and fixing stuff the right way ......................182
Publishing Your Own Photo Book..............................................................185
Photocasting for the People! ......................................................................188
Mailing Photos to Aunt Mildred .................................................................189
Chapter 13: Making Film History with iMovie HD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .191
Shaking Hands with the iMovie HD Window.............................................192
A Bird’s-Eye View of Moviemaking.............................................................194
Importing the Building Blocks....................................................................195
Pulling in video clips..........................................................................195
Making use of still images .................................................................196
Importing and adding audio from all sorts of places.....................198
Building the Cinematic Basics ....................................................................200
Adding clips to your movie...............................................................200
Removing clips from your movie .....................................................201
Deleting clips for good.......................................................................201
Reordering clips in your movie ........................................................202
Editing clips in iMovie HD .................................................................202
Adding transitions..............................................................................203
Oh, we got effects! ..............................................................................204
What’s a masterpiece without titles?...............................................205
Doing iMovie Things iMagically .................................................................206
Sharing Your Finished Classic with Others...............................................207
Chapter 14: Creating DVDs on the Road with iDVD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .209
Introducing You and Your Laptop to iDVD ...............................................210
Starting a New DVD Project ........................................................................212
Creating a new project.......................................................................212
Opening an existing project ..............................................................213
Automating the whole darn process................................................213
Creating a DVD from Scratch......................................................................214
Choosing just the right theme ..........................................................214
Adding movies ....................................................................................215
Great, now my audience demands a slideshow .............................218
Now for the music . . . ........................................................................219
Giving Your DVD the Personal Touch........................................................220
Using Uncle Morty for your DVD Menu background .....................221
Adding your own titles ......................................................................221
Changing buttons like a highly paid professional ..........................222
Give my creation motion! ..................................................................222
Previewing Your Masterpiece.....................................................................223
A Word about Automation ..........................................................................224
One-click paradise with OneStep DVD.............................................225
Exercising control with Magic iDVD.................................................226
Recording a Finished Project to a Shiny Disc...........................................227
Chapter 15: GarageBand on the Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229
Shaking Hands with Your Band ..................................................................230
Composing and Podcasting Made Easy.....................................................232
Adding tracks......................................................................................233
Choosing loops ...................................................................................235
Resizing, repeating, and moving loops............................................238
Tweaking the settings for a track .....................................................243
Sharing Your Songs and Podcasts..............................................................244
Setting preferences.............................................................................244
Creating MP3 files...............................................................................244
Part V: Sharing Access and Information ......................247
Chapter 16: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .249
Doggone It, Bob’s Gotta Share My Mac! ....................................................249
Throwing the Big Shiny Multiuser Switch.................................................250
Assigning access levels......................................................................251
Adding a new user account...............................................................251
Tweaking existing user accounts .....................................................254
Deleting accounts...............................................................................255
Assigning login items and parental controls...................................256
Mundane Chores for the Multiuser Laptop ..............................................260
Logging on and off in Tiger For Dummies .......................................260
A word about what you can (and can’t) share ...............................263
Protecting your stuff with encryption .............................................263
Chapter 17: Working Well with Networks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .267
Should You Go Wired or Wireless?.............................................................268
Be a Pal — Share Your Broadband!............................................................270
Using your laptop as a sharing device.............................................270
Using a separate Internet sharing device........................................271
What Do I Need for a Wireless Connection? .............................................271
Laptop hardware ................................................................................272
Base stations.......................................................................................272
Creating or joining a wireless network ............................................275
What Do I Need for a Wired Connection?..................................................276
Laptop hardware ................................................................................276
Network hardware..............................................................................277
Joining a wired Ethernet network ....................................................278
Connecting to the Network.........................................................................279
Verifying that the contraption works...............................................279
Sharing stuff nicely with others........................................................280
Use Your Firewall!.........................................................................................284
Chapter 18: Making Friends with Wireless Devices . . . . . . . . . . . . .287
Bluetooth: Silly Name for Cool Technology..............................................288
A little Danish history........................................................................288
Is your Mac Laptop Bluetooth-ready? .............................................289
Tiger and Bluetooth, together forever.............................................289
Mr. Security speaks — yet again.......................................................292
Adding Wireless Keyboards and Mice to Your Laptop............................293
Getting Everything in iSync ........................................................................294
The Magic of Wireless Printing...................................................................296
Part VI: The Necessary Evils: Troubleshooting,
Upgrading, Maintaining ............................................299
Chapter 19: When Good Mac Laptops Go Bad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .301
Repeat after Me: Yes, I Am a Tech! .............................................................301
Step-by-Step Laptop Troubleshooting.......................................................302
The number one rule: Reboot!..........................................................302
Special keys that can come in handy...............................................303
Using Disk Utility to squash problems ............................................304
Mark’s should-be-patented laptop troubleshooting tree ..............307
My Mac Needs Professional Help...............................................................312
Chatting with Apple Online...............................................................312
Local service, at your service...........................................................312
Chapter 20: Adding New Stuff to Your Laptop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .313
Adding Memory Always Helps ...................................................................313
Figuring out how much memory you have .....................................314
Installing memory modules...............................................................315
Considering a Hard Drive Upgrade? ..........................................................318
Consider your external options........................................................319
Gotta have internal.............................................................................320
A List of Dreamy Laptop Add-Ons..............................................................321
Game controllers ................................................................................321
Video controllers ................................................................................322
TV hardware........................................................................................322
Audio hardware ..................................................................................322
DVD recording.....................................................................................322
Chapter 21: Tackling Housekeeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .323
Cleaning Unseemly Data Deposits .............................................................323
Getting dirty, or cleaning things the manual way ..........................324
Using a commercial cleanup tool .....................................................336
Backing Up Your Treasure...........................................................................326
Saving files...........................................................................................327
Saving images......................................................................................328
Commercial backup programs..........................................................331
Maintaining Hard Drive Health...................................................................332
Automating Those Mundane Chores.........................................................333
Building Automator applications .....................................................333
Running applications at startup.......................................................335
Updating Mac OS X Automatically.............................................................336
Part VII: The Part of Tens...........................................337
Chapter 22: Top Ten Laptop Rules to Follow...................................................339
Keep Your Laptop in a Bag..........................................................................339
Maximize Your RAM.....................................................................................340
Install a Tracker Application ......................................................................341
Keepest Thy Home Folder Encrypted .......................................................341
Brand Your MacBook...................................................................................342
Disable Your Wireless ..................................................................................342
Bring a Surge Protector with You...............................................................343
Use Tiger’s Power Saving Features ............................................................343
Use an External Keyboard and Mouse.......................................................344
Not Again! What Is It with You and Backing Up? ......................................344
Chapter 23: Top Ten Things to Avoid like the Plague . . . . . . . . . . . . .345
USB 1.1 Storage Devices ..............................................................................345
Phishing ........................................................................................................346
Oddly Shaped Optical Discs ......................................................................347
Submerged Keyboards ................................................................................347
Antiquated Utility Software.........................................................................348
Software Piracy.............................................................................................348
The Forbidden Account ..............................................................................348
Unsecured Wireless Connection ................................................................349
Refurbished Hardware ................................................................................350
Dirty Laptops ...............................................................................................350
Index........................................................................351
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