OS X El Capitan For Dummies

Get up to speed on the latest Mac OS

Getting a new Mac and not knowing how to use it is like getting a remote controlled car for Christmas with no batteries. OS X For Dummies powers your understanding of the latest Mac operating system through straightforward, fun content that covers the basic features and functions you need to know. An essential text if you're not already familiar with Apple technology, this resource walks you through the fundamentals of Apple's Mac OS, shows you how to customize your workspace, work with the Dock, leverage the Finder and Finder Tabs, understand files, folders, and tags, find things with Spotlight, use Mission Control and Launchpad, organize your life through Calendar, Reminders, Notes, and Notifications, and much more.

Apple is one of the most popular technology companies in the world, known for its ability to combine power and stability with style. Since all of Apple's products function according to its proprietary operating system, it's essential that you understand how to use the OS to make the most of your tech toys.

• Take your communication to the next level with email and messaging capabilities

• Enjoy multi-media entertainment by surfing the web and accessing movies, music, ebooks, and digital photos

• Let your creative side run free with Text Edit

• Create a seamless digital experience by connecting a printer, running multiple displays, networking, file sharing, backing up and restoring your system, and keeping your machine safe with Gatekeeper

OS X For Dummies breaks down Apple's Mac operating system into bite-sized pieces, allowing you to digest small morsels of information that guide you in navigating your new Apple gadget.

Auteur

Bob LeVitus, aka "Dr. Mac," has penned the popular Dr. Mac column for the Houston Chronicle since 1996. He's a regular speaker at tech conferences worldwide and the author of more than 70 popular computer books, including multiple editions of iPhone For Dummies, iPad For Dummies, and every version of OS X For Dummies.

Résumé
Get up to speed on the latest Mac OS Getting a new Mac and not knowing how to use it is like getting a remote controlled car for Christmas with no batteries. OS X For Dummies powers your understanding of the latest Mac operating system through straightforward, fun content that covers the basic features and functions you need to know. An essential text if you're not already familiar with Apple technology, this resource walks you through the fundamentals of Apple's Mac OS, shows you how to customize your workspace, work with the Dock, leverage the Finder and Finder Tabs, understand files, folders, and tags, find things with Spotlight, use Mission Control and Launchpad, organize your life through Calendar, Reminders, Notes, and Notifications, and much more. Apple is one of the most popular technology companies in the world, known for its ability to combine power and stability with style. Since all of Apple's products function according to its proprietary operating system, it's essential that you understand how to use the OS to make the most of your tech toys.

• Take your communication to the next level with email and messaging capabilities
• Enjoy multi-media entertainment by surfing the web and accessing movies, music, ebooks, and digital photos
• Let your creative side run free with Text Edit
• Create a seamless digital experience by connecting a printer, running multiple displays, networking, file sharing, backing up and restoring your system, and keeping your machine safe with Gatekeeper OS X For Dummies breaks down Apple's Mac operating system into bite-sized pieces, allowing you to digest small morsels of information that guide you in navigating your new Apple gadget.

Contenu
Introduction 1

About This Book 1

Conventions Used in This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Beyond the Book 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Where to Go from Here 4

Part I: Introducing OS X El Capitan: The Basics 5

Chapter 1: OS X El Capitan 101 (Prerequisites: None) 7

Gnawing to the Core of OS X 8

A Safety Net for the Absolute Beginner (or Any User) 10

Turning the dang thing on 10

What you should see on startup 10

Shutting down properly 13

A few things you should definitely not do with your Mac 15

Point-and-click boot camp 16

Not Just a Beatles Movie: Help and the Help Menu 18

Chapter 2: Desktop and Windows and Menus (Oh My!) 23

Touring the Finder and Its Desktop 24

Anatomy of a Window 25

Top o' the window to ya! 28

A scroll new world 29

(Hyper)active windows 31

Dialog Dealie-Boppers 32

Working with Windows 34

Opening and closing windows 34

Resizing windows and window panes 35

Moving windows 35

Shuffling windows 36

Menu Basics 38

The ever-changing menu bar 39

Contextual menus: They're sooo contextual! 39

Recognizing disabled options 41

Navigating submenus 42

Under the Apple menu tree 43

Using keyboard shortcut commands 44

Chapter 3: What's Up, Dock? 47

A Quick Introduction to Your Dock 48

The default icons of the Dock 48

Trash talkin' 51

Opening application menus on the Dock 53

Reading Dock icon body language 55

Opening files from the Dock 56

Customizing Your Dock 56

Adding Dock icons 56

Removing an icon from the Dock 59

Resizing the Dock 59

What should you put on your Dock? 60

Setting your Dock preferences 61

Chapter 4: Delving Deeper into the Finder and Its Desktop 67

Introducing the Finder and Its Minions: The Desktop and Icons 67

Introducing the Desktop 68

Bellying up to the toolbar 70

Figuring out what an icon is 73

Identifying your Finder icons in the wild 74

Aliases Are Awesome! 76

Creating aliases 78

Deleting aliases 79

Hunting down an alias's parent 79

The View(s) from a Window 79

Moving through folders fast in Column view 80

Perusing in Icon view 82

Listless? Try touring folders in List view 83

You gotta go with the flow 84

What's on the (View) menu? 85

Finder on the Menu 86

The actual Finder menu 87

Like a road map: The current folder's pop-up menu 89

Going places with the Go menu 90

Customizing Finder Windows 92

Adding folders to the Sidebar 92

Setting Finder preferences 93

Digging for Icon Data in the Info Window 97

Part II: Inside El Capitan (or How Stuff Works) 101

Chapter 5: Have It Your Way 103

Introducing System Preferences 103

Putting a Picture on the Desktop 106

Setting Up a Screen Saver 107

Putting Widgets on the Dashboard 108

Translation 111

Flight Tracker 112

Giving Buttons, Menus, and Windows a Makeover 113

Adjusting the Keyboard, Mouse, Trackpad, and Other Hardware 116

Keyboard 116

Mouse 121

Bluetooth 122

Trackpad (notebooks and desktops with a Magic Trackpad) 123

Styling Your Sound 124

Changing sound effects 124

Choosing output and input options 125

Chapter 6: The Care and Feeding of Files and Folders 127

A Quick Primer on Finding Files 128

Understanding the OS X Folder Structure 128 &lt...