Chapter 9. Hardware on the Mac
Most of the discussion in this book so far has covered software—not only the Mac OS X operating system that may be new to you, but also the programs and documents you’ll be using on it. But there’s more to life with a computer than software. This chapter covers the finer points of using Macintosh-compatible printers, cameras, disks, monitors, and keyboards—plus a guide to Time Machine, Leopard’s automatic backup feature.
Printers and Printing
Printing has always been one of the Mac’s strong suits—and you’re about to find out why.
Setting Up a Printer
One beauty of Mac OS X is that setting up a printer for the first time is incredibly easy. The first time you want to print something, follow this guide:
Connect the printer to the Mac, and then turn the printer on.
Inkjet printers usually connect to your USB jack. Laser printers generally hook up to your Ethernet connector.
Open the document you want to print. Choose File→Print. In the Print dialog box, choose your printer’s name from the Printer pop-up menu (or one of its submenus, if any).
Cool! Wasn’t that easy? Very nice how the Mac autodiscovers, autoconfigures, and autolists almost any USB, FireWire, Bluetooth, or Bonjour (Rendezvous) printer.
Have a nice afternoon. The End.
Oh—unless your printer isn’t listed in the Printer pop-up menu. In that case, read on.
From the Printer pop-up menu, choose Add Printer (Figure 9-1, top).
A special setup window opens (Figure 9-1, bottom), which is even better at autodetecting ...
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