Part I

Mac OSX Lion Quick Start Guide

Welcome to the Mac OS X Lion Quick Start Guide. This guide will help you become more comfortable using the Lion OS, introducing you to some of its most-used functionality and helping you quickly grasp a few basic concepts that are at the core of how Lion works. This guide will also walk you through using some of the built-in utilities and tools that can make your computing life much easier. You should refer to this Quick Start Guide whenever you need to reference the fundamental aspects of using the Lion OS. The information contained in this guide will give you the tools you need to set your Lion free, enabling you to explore endless possibilities that are limited only by your imagination.

Getting Around Quickly

This Quick Start Guide is intended to help you understand some of the basic elements and actions necessary to start using your Mac proficiently. What you read in this book can help you drastically reduce the learning curve associated with using the Lion operating system (OS) for the first time. This guide will also serve you well as supplemental material, and it can make learning how to use Lion a fun and interesting experience. Refer to this starter guide whenever you need to refresh yourself on the basics of the Lion OS.

Over the past five years, the interfaces of the various iterations of Mac OS X have remained very similar. There are subtle differences between the different versions; however, there are not enough differences to make any seasoned Mac user flinch. Apple's goal with Lion has been to modify, not reinvent its Mac OS X user interface (UI). If you have used OS X Leopard or Snow Leopard, then you will notice minor adjustments here and there to make things a little more accessible for the end user; however, the overall changes are minor. In this section, we'll take a look at Lion'sUI, so that you can get a good feel for where things are and what they do. Succeeding chapters in this book will cover the UI indepth. This guide will cover everything you need to get going in the right direction.

Another important aspect of using Lion is learning how to interact with the physical mechanics of your MacBook or iMac. For example, this book will teach you how to add devices and look up Lion's built-in keyboard shortcuts. Your Mac's keyboard and peripheral ports play a significant role in allowing you to interact properly with the underlying OS. Learning where certain keys and ports are will help you get the most out of the Lion OS. Let's begin by taking a quick glance at common Mac ports; we'll use a current MacBook Pro as a reference model.

The Ports on a MacBook Pro

One of the most important things to know is how to plug in your MacBook Pro's power cord (see Figure Q–1).

Figure Q–1. A MacBook Pro's power plug-in port

You will also want to be aware of the RJ-45 port, which is for cable networking. This port is useful when you do not have access to wireless networks, but you do have access to a network switch or router that can provide Internet and/or network access (see Figure Q–2).

Figure Q–2. A MacBook Pro'snetworking port

If you plan on using any external drives for something like Time Machine (see Chapter 9: “Mail and Other Ways to Say Hello” for more information on this app), then you will need to use your Mac's built-in FireWire or USB ports (see Figure Q–3).

Figure Q–3. A MacBook Pro's external FireWire and USB ports

Finally, a MacBook Pro includes anExpress Card slot, which also serves as a high speed peripheral interface slot. This is your Mac's fastest port, and it can be used to extend the functionality of your Mac with devices such as external RAID disks (redundant array of inexpensive disks). RAID disks allow you to configure multiple disks in different configurations for high performance applications that require speed and redundancy(see Figure Q–4).

Figure Q–4. A MacBook Pro's Express Card port

The MacBook Pro's Keyboard

Regardless of which Mac you have, it is essential that you be able to navigate and understand your keyboard's layout. Mac keyboard layouts are similar to those seen on standard Windows keyboards; however, there are some significant differences, as well. Let's briefly explore a Mac keyboard's special key functions. Understanding these will make it much easier to follow along with the built-in shortcuts and other features discussed in this book.

Figure Q–5 shows a top-down view of the standard Mac keyboard layout, as seen on a MacBook Pro. Note the highlighted group of keys at the bottom of the keyboard. Theseare special keys that simplify accessing much of your Mac's functionality.

Figure Q–5. Your Mac keyboard'sspecial keys

Zooming in on the area highlighted in Figure Q–5 reveals the Command, Option, Fn (Function), and Control keys, along with the Space Bar (see Figure Q–6).

Figure Q–6. Zooming in your Mac keyboard's special keys

You will use these keys to control much of the essential and hidden functionality of the Lion OS. Typically, you will use them in combination with other keys. In this book, you will see them referred to when using software-specific functions and built-in Lion system utilities. It is a good idea to become familiar with these keysbecause you will use them time and time again for shortcuts and other system tasks. Do not worry about memorizing any of the shortcuts or system specific functions referred to by this book;you will use them so often in Lion that they will force their way into your memory without too much effort on your part.

Figure Q–7. Lion's “F” (function) keys

Navigating Lion

Navigation in Lion is pretty straightforward. In fact, it is so simple that it doesn't really require any explanation. Apple designed its OS to be intuitive, even to novice users, so that you can gradually learn where everything is simply by using the OS. Things in Lion are located logically and somewhat ergonomically, so you have a grand view of what is going on at all times. We cover this in-depth in succeeding chapters, so this Quick Start Guide will just touch on some of the basics.

Figure Q–8 shows the overall layout of Lion when you first logonto the OS. You will need to familiarize yourself with a few basic elementsdepicted in this screenshotbecause they are referred to throughout this book. Learning what these elements are and do will speed up your reading and increase your comprehension as you explore this book's chapters (see Table Q–1 for a brief description of the most important aspects of Lion's UI).

Figure Q–8. Lion's main interface

The Finder

The Finder is an application you will use over and over again. It may even become your most-used app because it enables you to locate and use the files and applications on your Lion OS (see Figure Q–9). You will learn about the Finder in detail in Chapter 1: “Getting Started with Lion.”

Figure Q–9. The Finder

One special menu item you will want to pay particular attention to is the Apple menu, which allows you to initiate actions such as software updates, access the Mac App Store, force-quit an application when it becomes unstable, and log out of Lion when you feel the need to. The Apple menu is also discussed in-depth in Chapter 1.

Figure Q–10. The Apple menu

Using the Trackpad

One of the most notable features of Lion is its uncanny ability to make computing easier. It even simplifies the way you physicallyinteract with your Mac through what are known as mouse gestures. These gestures are motion-based shortcutsyou can use in lieu of the actions people typically make when using computer mice today. For example, you can use these gestures to bypass old forms of input, cutting down on the amount of physical body movement required to accomplish certain computing actions.

To conclude this Quick Start Guide, I will briefly introduce you to the basics of using these gestures in conjunction with your Mac trackpad. As you go through this book, the gestures described in Table Q–2 will serve as a trackpad reference guide, enabling you to accomplish many tasks much more efficiently.