Acknowledgments
This book owes its life to Bill Pollock, the publisher at No Starch Press, who pretty much lets me write about anything I want, as long as he thinks there's a market for it. Thanks also go to Megan Dunchak and Magnolia Molcan for keeping this entire project together, Riley Hoffman for laying it out, and Rickford Grant and Tyler Ortman for making sure everything I wrote actually made sense and really worked.
Additional thanks also go to Jack Dunning at ComputorEdge Online (http://www.computoredge.com/) for giving me a weekly Macintosh column where I can spout off about anything I want, just as long as it's not advocating the overthrow of the government or using language unsuitable for children's eyes. And more thanks go to Monish Bhatia for giving me a chance to write Macintosh hardware and software reviews for MacNN (http://www.macnn.com/), one of the best little sites on the Internet for tracking the latest Apple news and rumors.
I'd also like to thank all the people I've met during my 17-year career as a stand-up comedian: Steve Schirripa (who appeared on HBO's hit show The Sopranos ) and Don Learned for giving me my first break performing in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel & Casino, Russ Rivas, Dobie "The Uranus King" Maxwell, Doug James, Darrell Joyce, and Leo "The Man, the Myth, the Legend" Fontaine.
I'd also like to thank my former radio comedy co-hosts from the year we spent on 103.7 FreeFM in San Diego: Drizz, Rick Gene, Justin Davis, and Dane Henderson. We may not have always known what we were doing, but every night was a complete blast until the radio station switched to an all-music format and kicked us off the air.
Finally, I'd like to acknowledge my wife, Cassandra, my son, Jordan, and my three cats, Bo, Scraps, and Nuit, for putting up with all my time spent sitting in front of the computer instead of doing anything else. These three cats enjoy sleeping next to my Macintosh for the heat that it generates, so they're constantly hovering around my keyboard and getting in the way.
Introduction
Most people don't care how their computer works; they just want to use it. Tell the average person how to give commands to his computer's operating system and his eyes will glaze over with boredom. But tell that same person how to have fun and do something useful with his computer and his eyes will light up immediately.
That's why this is a different kind of computer book. Instead of babbling about every possible feature and command and then hoping that you'll find an actual use for that information, this book teaches you how to do something fun and useful with your Macintosh right away.
With most computers, the biggest problem is just getting them to work. With a Macintosh, the biggest problem is figuring out all the different ways you can put your computer to work for you. People often use a Macintosh for years just to write letters or send email and then suddenly discover that they could have also been using that Macintosh to organize and edit photos, watch DVDs, or make their own audio CDs containing their favorite songs.
The whole purpose of this book is to teach you how to get the most out of your Macintosh without having to buy a single extra thing. If you already know how to use a different type of computer, you'll find that your Macintosh works in similar ways. If you're new to computers altogether, you'll find that the Macintosh can be a friendly, forgiving, and fun tool that will make you wonder why anybody in their right mind would ever want to use a different type of computer. No matter what your experience with computers may be, you'll soon learn that the Macintosh comes loaded with dozens of neat programs and tools for making your life easier. This book will show you how to use them.
This book won't just teach you how to use your Macintosh; it will teach you how to use your Macintosh to make your life easier without having to become a computer expert. After all, you probably bought a Macintosh because you wanted a computer that works for you, not the other way around.
Understanding Computer Terms
If you're already familiar with computers, you can skip this section. If you aren't comfortable using a computer, take the time to learn some common terms that you'll see in this book. Basically, using a computer involves the computer displaying information on the screen and waiting for you to select from a limited number of choices. Depending on your selection, the computer then displays new information and waits for you to choose another option.
To use a computer, you need to know how to decipher the options the computer displays and how to tell the computer what your selection is.
Telling the Computer What to Do
With a desktop Macintosh, you control the computer using a mouse. The two main functions of the mouse are:
Pointing simply means using the mouse to move the pointer on the screen. The two main purposes for pointing include:
Once you point to something on the screen, the computer won't do anything until you click the mouse.
Pointing and clicking are the main ways to tell the computer what to do. However, there are five ways you can click the mouse: