CSCI E-1 | Workshop | Mastering Mac OS

Contact Information

Instructor: David J. Malan
TFs: Rei, Dan, Eugenia
Course Staff Email: cscie1@fas.harvard.edu
Meetings available by appointment

The Macintosh

Created by Apple Computer, http://www.apple.com. They are the company behind the popular iPod line of music players.
The Macintosh is both the name of their computers and the operating system.
The OS is up to version 10.4, or "Tiger". The current generation of the operating system is known as Mac OS X.
There is a lot of confusion surrounding the Macintosh. There are several myths out there:
- Completely incompatible with Windows machines
- Cannot run Microsoft Word
- Cannot access the Internet, or your experience would be less than if you were on Windows
- Slower or otherwise incapable compared to Windows
These are all untrue.
It is true that you cannot run Windows programs on a Macintosh. However, many programs are available for both Windows and Mac. You can now install Windows on an Intel-based Macintosh, and use it as you would any other Windows-based system.

Intel vs. PowerPC Macs

http://www.apple.com/intel/
Transition announced June 2005, scheduled completion by June 2007.
January 2006: First Intel-based Macs appeared.
June 2006: Complete line transitioned, one year ahead of schedule.
Hardware differences
Intel Mac programs can't run on PPC Macs.
Transition made nearly transparent (no visible difference in Mac OS, all changes in underlying core)
Rosetta
- Rosetta translates PowerPC CPU instructions to Intel instructions, allowing us to run PowerPC applications on an Intel Macintosh.
- Translation causes a slight slowdown (faster to run applications native to an architecture)
- Without Rosetta, Intel Macs couldn't run PPC software!
- Rosetta is transparent to the user ("The most amazing software you'll never see").
- Simply open a PowerPC application on an Intel Mac as you normally would
- Rosetta does not exist for PowerPC machines, so Intel applications cannot be run on an older PowerPC Mac.
- http://www.apple.com/rosetta/
Universal Applications
- Contain both a PowerPC and Intel version of the application.
- Program can run natively on any Macintosh, PowerPC or Intel, without slowdown.
- http://www.apple.com/universal/
Boot Camp
- Install Windows on a Macintosh!
- Can use Windows on a Mac like any other Windows machine
- Dual-boot, not emulation
- Runs at native speed of the hardware
- Three months after the MacBook Pro was released in January 2006 it was announced by PC Magazine that it was the "Fastest Windows XP Core Duo notebook".
- Mac Pro is "Fastest PC in the UK" according to PC Pro Magazine
- http://www.apple.com/macosx/bootcamp/

Getting Around Mac OS X

Think Drag and Drop!
The Finder
- Desktop
- Macintosh HD
The Dock
Launching Applications
- Via the Finder
- Via the Dock
Exposé (10.3 and up)
Files
- Opening
- Saving
- Manipulating (via document icon in title bar)
- Finding
- Closing
- Deleting
Spotlight (10.4 and up)
The MenuBar
- Only one menu bar for every application
- Document-based versus application-based
Dashboard and its mini-applications ("Widgets", only in 10.4 and up)
Applications
- Installing
- Universal Applications
- Deleting

Configuring a Mac

System Preferences
/Applications/Utilities Folder
- Disk Utility
- System Profiler
- Activity Monitor
Finder View Options
General Application Preferences
Other Boot Options
- Boot from CD ('c' on boot)
- Boot into Target Disk mode ('t' on boot)
- Choosing a drive to boot from (option key on boot)
- Safe mode (shift key on boot) - also for troubleshooting
- Eject a CD during boot (left mouse button on boot)

Basic Troubleshooting

Network Preferences for network issues
Force Quit
The Console
"Zapping the PRAM" for hardware
Online resources are your friends!
- Google: http://www.google.com/
- Apple's Support Pages: http://www.info.apple.com/
- Mac OS X Hints: http://www.macosxhints.com/
- Xlr8yourmac (Accelerate Your Mac): http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/

10.5 Preview

Next version of the Mac OS, 10.5 "Leopard" slated to be released Spring 2007.
http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/
Many, many new features.
iChat updates
- Video chat effects ala Photobooth
- Screen share with friends
- Present photos and slides to buddies
Spaces
Time Machine
Other unannounced "super-secret" features.

Extras

Applications as "Packages"
The /Library and ~/Library Folders
The Terminal

Workshop: Mastering Mac OS

Contact Information

Workshop Objectives

The Macintosh

Intel vs. PowerPC Macs

Getting Around Mac OS X

Configuring a Mac

Basic Troubleshooting

10.5 Preview

Extras

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