OS X - Quick Start Guide
Turning on the computer and logging on:
1. Turn on the computer by pressing the Power Button:
• eMac - the right side of the computer near power plug
• older full sided iMac - on the front of the computer, in the lower right corner • newer flat-screen iMac - on the back left side of the flat screen
• iBook - above the keyboard, in the top right corner of the open laptop.
When OS X has completely started up, you will see a login screen. This is the first major difference about OS X. Individual user accounts can be created for anyone using the computer. Each user has his/her own set of preferences and settings, and users do not have access to each other’s files and preferences.
2. Select your name from the login list. Then type in your password to log onto the computer (this is the same password that you use for QuickMail).
Please do not allow other staff members to log onto the computer using your account, and do not give out your password to others. If other staff, such as Teacher Aides or Permanent Subs, will need to use your computer, please let me know and I will set up a separate login account for them.
The OS X Desktop
The diagram below shows what your desktop should look like.
A. Menu Bar
C. Hard Drive icon
A. Menu Bar - Contains the most necessary functions of the system.
B. The Dock - Similar to the Launcher in OS 8-9. The Dock contains an Alias (or marker) for all of the program icons for your computer.
The Dock is the primary source for accessing all of the files and programs on your computer. You should use the Dock to open all programs and files on your computer. When you drag your cursor over the Dock, the names for each of the program icons will appear.
Applications Home Folder Servers Trash
To open a program, double click on its icon on The Dock. The icon will jump up and down as the program is loading. Once the program is loaded, there will be a little black triangle under the icon in The Dock, indicating that the program is actively running. Your programs should all function exactly as they had before, and your Save and Print commands should work as you are used to.
B. Hard Drive icon - the computer’s hard drive (where all of the files and programs are actually located).
There may be 1 or 2 System Folders: System (for OS X) and System Folder (for OS 9), an Applications folder, and possibly, Applications (Mac OS 9). The older OS X Macs can run both OS X and older OS 9 programs. The newest Macs (like the flat screen iMac and the new MacBook) can only run OS X program.
The other 3 Folders, Users, Library, and Documents, contain important files that the computer needs to work properly.
Do not move files in or out of these folders or your programs may not run properly.
The Home Folder
This icon will open up your “Home Folder”; where all of your personal data files (any files that you created in AppleWorks, and any picture or movie files that you have saved on your hard drive) are stored. You should use the Home icon to access all of your data files, and should save any new data files into the proper folder within the Home Folder. Doing this properly is important for the OS X programs to know where to find them.
Using Your Home Folder
When you open your Home Folder, you will see the Window below:
Your Home Folder contains all of your personal data files. Each user of your computer who has a separate login account has his/her own Home Folder. These Folders are private; only the user who is currently logged into the computer can view his/her files in the Home Folder.
Desktop - Folder containing all of the files that have been saved on your desktop.
Documents - Contains all of your text data files. Any files that were in your Documents folder or on the Desktop of your old computer have been transferred into this folder. Do not move your documents to other folders; it will make the applications which created them hard to find them.
Library - Folder containing specific files that some Applications need. Leave this
folder alone.
Movies - Any movie files that you create in iMovie should be saved here.
Music - Any music files that you put on your computer should be saved here. This is important so that iTunes will know how to catalog and play the music files properly.
Pictures - Any pictures that you take with a digital camera or any scanned photos should be saved here. This is important so that iPhoto will know how to catalog and organize the photos properly.
Public - This is the only folder that other users can view. If you have files that you will need to share with others who also use your computer, put the files here; then others can view them.
Sites - This folder could be used for individually created web pages. Although it is possible to use these new computers as web servers and create web pages that can be accessed on the Internet, we do not have that capability due to our firewall. Leave
this folder alone.
Navagating Within A Window
Closes the window
Reduces the window and places it on the Dock Resizes the window to view properly
Back Hierchial List View File Menu File Search (Find) / Forward List View
Icon View
Shutting Down the Computer
To shut down the computer, Go to the blue Apple in the Menu Bar, and select Shut Down. If you would like to log off of your account on the computer so that another user can log on, select Log Out in the Apple Menu. This takes you back to the opening Login Screen.
