MacBook For Dummies

MacBook For Dummies

by Mark L. Chambers
Released December 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119137801

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Book description

Brush up on the next generation of MacBooks

Learning how to use a new laptop can be as challenging as trying to decipher ancient hieroglyphics—but don't let that intimidate you! MacBook For Dummies, 6th Edition is your straightforward guide to all things MacBook, including setting up and configuring your laptop, navigating your way around the desktop, familiarizing yourself with the operating system, working with files and folders, using the Finder and Finder Tabs, working with Dashboard, Mission Control, and Spaces, searching your computer with Spotlight, surfing the Internet with Safari, syncing your data with iCloud, communicating with friends and family with email, Messages, and FaceTime, discovering new apps, and creating and printing documents. Additionally, this approachable, yet comprehensive text offers insight into working with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, and more.

MacBooks are incredibly popular for both their sleek, appealing hardware and easy to use, relevant software. Whether you're a PC convert or just want to brush up on the latest updates to the MacBook line, this helpful book gets you started in a snap.

  • Get up and running on your new MacBook by starting with the basics
  • Share and protect your data with insight regarding networking, sharing access and information, connecting with wireless devices, backing up and restoring your files, and troubleshooting common problems
  • Satisfy your hunger for entertainment with iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand
  • Explore both your MacBook's hardware and software, including the latest operating system, iLife, and iWork versions

MacBook For Dummies, 6th Edition takes you on a tour of your next-generation MacBook, offering you the information you need to get your new laptop up and running.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. Foolish Assumptions
      2. About This Book
      3. Icons Used in This Book
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part I: Tie Myself Down with a Desktop? Preposterous!
      1. Chapter 1: Hey, It Really Does Have Everything I Need
        1. An Overview of Your Mac Laptop
        2. Meet the MacBooks
        3. Location, Location, Location!
        4. Unpacking and Connecting Your Laptop
        5. Great, a Lecture about Handling My Laptop
        6. An Overview of Mac Software Goodness
        7. Other Stuff That Nearly Everyone Wants
      2. Chapter 2: Turning On Your Portable Powerhouse
        1. Tales of the On Button
        2. Mark’s Favorite Signs of a Healthy Laptop
        3. You Won’t Lecture Me about Batteries, Will You?
        4. Setting Up and Registering Your Laptop
        5. Importing Stuff from Another Mac
        6. Importing Stuff from Windows (If You Must)
      3. Chapter 3: The MacBook Owner’s Introduction to OS X El Capitan
        1. Your Own Personal Operating System
        2. Wait a Second: Where the Heck Are the Mouse Buttons?
        3. Launching and Quitting Applications with Aplomb
        4. Performing Tricks with Finder Windows
        5. Juggling Folders and Icons
        6. Keys and Keyboard Shortcuts to Fame and Fortune
        7. Home, Sweet Home Folder
        8. Working with Mission Control, Spaces, and Dashboard
        9. Personalizing Your Desktop
        10. Customizing the Dock
        11. What’s with the Trash?
        12. All You Really Need to Know about Printing
        13. And Just in Case You Need Help …
    4. Part II: Shaking Hands with OS X El Capitan
      1. Chapter 4: What’s New in OS X El Capitan?
        1. Hey, Did You Just Split Your View?
        2. Lost Your Pointer? Give It a Shake!
        3. Adding Functionality to Photos
        4. Find My Friends Arrives in OS X
        5. Banishing the Menu Bar
        6. Browsing Attachments within Notes
      2. Chapter 5: A Nerd’s Guide to System Preferences
        1. An Explanation — without Jargon, No Less
        2. Locating That Certain Special Setting
        3. Popular Preferences Panes Explained
      3. Chapter 6: Sifting Through Your Stuff
        1. Doing a Basic Search
        2. How Cool Is That? Discovering What Spotlight Can Do
        3. Expanding Your Search Horizons
        4. Customizing Spotlight to Your Taste
      4. Chapter 7: Using Reminders, Notes, Notifications, and Maps
        1. Remind Me to Use Reminders
        2. Taking Notes the El Capitan Way
        3. Staying Current with Notification Center
        4. Introducing the Maps Application
        5. Switching Views in Maps
        6. Getting Directions Over Yonder
    5. Part III: Connecting and Communicating
      1. Chapter 8: Let’s Go on Safari!
        1. Pretend You’ve Never Used This Thing
        2. Visiting Websites
        3. Navigating the Web
        4. Setting Up Your Home Page
        5. Adding and Using Bookmarks
        6. Working with the Reading List and Shared Links
        7. Downloading Files
        8. Using Subscriptions and History
        9. Tabs Are Your Browsing Friends
        10. Printing Web Pages
        11. Protecting Your Privacy
      2. Chapter 9: iCloud Is Made for MacBooks
        1. So How Does iCloud Work, Anyway?
        2. Moving, Saving, and Opening iCloud Documents
        3. Putting Handoff to Work
        4. Configuring iCloud
        5. Managing Your iCloud Storage
      3. Chapter 10: Your Laptop Goes Multiuser
        1. Once Upon a Time (An Access Fairy Tale)
        2. Big-Shot Administrator Stuff
        3. Mundane Chores for the Multiuser Laptop
      4. Chapter 11: Working Well with Networks
        1. What Exactly Is the Network Advantage?
        2. Should You Go Wired or Wireless?
        3. Be a Pal: Share Your Internet!
        4. What Do I Need to Connect?
        5. Connecting to the Network
        6. USE YOUR FIREWALL!
    6. Part IV: Living the iLife
      1. Chapter 12: The Multimedia Joy of iTunes
        1. What Can I Play on iTunes?
        2. Playing an Audio CD
        3. Playing Digital Audio Files
        4. Watching Video
        5. Keeping Slim Whitman and Slim Shady Apart: Organizing with Playlists
        6. Know Your Songs
        7. Ripping Audio Files
        8. Tweaking the Audio for Your Ears
        9. A New Kind of Radio Station
        10. iTunes and iCloud Together
        11. iSending iStuff to iPod, iPhone, and iPad
        12. Sharing Your Media across Your Network
        13. Burning Music to Shiny Plastic Circles
        14. Feasting on iTunes Visuals
        15. Exercising Parental Authority
        16. Buying Digital Media the Apple Way
      2. Chapter 13: Focusing on Photos
        1. Delving into Photos
        2. Working with Images in Photos
        3. Producing Your Own Coffee-Table Masterpiece
        4. Introducing iCloud Photo Library
        5. Putting My Photo Stream and Shared Albums to Work
      3. Chapter 14: Making Film History with iMovie
        1. Shaking Hands with the iMovie Window
        2. A Bird’s-Eye View of Moviemaking
        3. Importing the Building Blocks
        4. Building the Cinematic Basics
        5. Creating an Honest-to-Goodness Movie Trailer
        6. Sharing Your Finished Classic with Others
      4. Chapter 15: Recording Your Hits with GarageBand
        1. Shaking Hands with Your Band
        2. Composing Made Easy
        3. Sharing Your Songs
    7. Part V: Getting Productive and Maintaining Your MacBook
      1. Chapter 16: Desktop Publishing with Pages
        1. Creating a New Pages Document
        2. Open an Existing Pages Document
        3. Saving Your Work
        4. Touring the Pages Window
        5. Entering and Editing Text
        6. Using Text and Graphics Boxes
        7. The Three Amigos: Cut, Copy, and Paste
        8. Formatting Text the Easy Way
        9. Adding a Spiffy Table
        10. Adding Alluring Photos
        11. Adding a Background Shape
        12. Are You Sure about That Spelling?
        13. Printing Your Pages Documents
        14. Sharing That Poster with Others
      2. Chapter 17: Creating Spreadsheets with Numbers
        1. Before You Launch Numbers …
        2. Creating a New Numbers Document
        3. Opening an Existing Spreadsheet File
        4. Save Those Spreadsheets!
        5. Exploring the Numbers Window
        6. Navigating and Selecting Cells in a Spreadsheet
        7. Entering and Editing Data in a Spreadsheet
        8. Selecting the Correct Number Format
        9. Aligning Cell Text Just So
        10. Formatting with Shading
        11. Inserting and Deleting Rows and Columns
        12. The Formula Is Your Friend
        13. Adding Visual Punch with a Chart
        14. Printing Your Spreadsheet
      3. Chapter 18: Building Presentations with Keynote
        1. Creating a New Keynote Project
        2. Opening a Keynote Presentation
        3. Saving Your Presentation
        4. Putting Keynote to Work
        5. Adding Slides
        6. Working with Text and Graphics Boxes
        7. Adding and Editing Slide Text
        8. Formatting Slide Text for the Perfect Look
        9. Using Presenter’s Notes in Your Project
        10. Every Good Presentation Needs Media
        11. Adding a Background Shape
        12. Creating Your Keynote Slideshow
        13. Printing Your Slides and Notes
      4. Chapter 19: When Good Mac Laptops Go Bad
        1. Repeat after Me: Yes, I Am a Tech!
        2. Step-by-Step Laptop Troubleshooting
        3. Okay, I Kicked It, and It Still Won’t Work
      5. Chapter 20: Adding New Stuff to Your Laptop
        1. More Memory Will Help
        2. Considering a Hard Drive Upgrade?
        3. A List of Dreamy Laptop Add-Ons
      6. Chapter 21: Tackling the Housekeeping
        1. Cleaning Unseemly Data Deposits
        2. Backing Up Your Treasure
        3. Maintaining Hard Drive Health
        4. Automating Those Mundane Chores
        5. Updating OS X Automatically
    8. Part VI: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 22: Top Ten Laptop Rules to Follow
        1. Keep Your Laptop in a Bag
        2. Maximize Your RAM
        3. Install a Tracker Application
        4. Keepeth Thy Drive Encrypted
        5. Brand Your MacBook
        6. Disable Your Wireless
        7. Take a Surge Protector with You
        8. Use Power-Saving Features
        9. Use an External Keyboard and Mouse
        10. Not Again! What Is It with You and Backing Up?
      2. Chapter 23: Ten Things to Avoid Like the Plague
        1. USB 1.1 Storage Devices
        2. Phishing Operations
        3. Oddly Shaped Optical Discs
        4. Submerged Keyboards
        5. Antiquated Utility Software
        6. Software Piracy
        7. The Forbidden Account
        8. Unsecured Wireless Connections
        9. Refurbished Hardware
        10. Dirty Laptops
    9. About the Author
    10. Cheat Sheet
    11. Connect with Dummies
    12. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: MacBook For Dummies
  • Author(s): Mark L. Chambers
  • Release date: December 2015
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119137801