Mac OS® X Snow Leopard™ Bible

Chapter 13. Sharing Files and Other Resources

IN THIS CHAPTER

Setting up sharing preferences

Providing files to and getting them from other users

Sending files to and receiving them from Bluetooth devices

Observing and controlling other Macs

Accessing other Macs' DVD drives, printers, scanners, and Internet connections

If you work with other people — and who doesn't? — you're going to share files and perhaps other resources. Sure, you can exchange files via e-mail, file servers (including Internet-based services such as Apple's MobileMe, as explained in Chapter 15, and FTP [File Transfer Protocol] servers, as explained in Chapter 14), or various media such CD-R (Compact Disc-Recordable) discs and flash drives. But the Mac OS also makes it easy to directly share files and other resources by providing you with access to other peoples' Macs and enabling them to access yours.

This direct sharing has been a hallmark of the Mac since shortly after the first Mac shipped. Since then, Apple has extended its capabilities so you can control other Macs and share a Mac's directly connected resources such as printers and Internet connections.

The key to direct sharing is to be able to access each other's Macs over the same local wired or wireless network (see Chapter 12) or over the Internet (see Chapter 15). You can also set up sharing with Bluetooth devices by using the Bluetooth system preference, as Chapter 21 explains. If you've enabled this access, the actual sharing is easy. (See Chapter 18 for ...