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Imac User Guide

1) First steps

(a) Unpacking When you unpack your iMac, ensure you hold it firmly by the sides. Place it on a nearby desk or working area where there's a convenient electric socket.

(b) Power Cord Place the power cord through the hole in the back of the iMac's stand and connect to the power port. Plug the other end of the cord into the electric socket.

(c) Additional items Your iMac also comes with an Apple Keyboard, Apple Mighty Mouse and Apple Remote.

• Take the Apple Keyboard cable and connect to one of the USB ports on the back of the iMac
• Take the Apple Mighty Mouse cable and connect to a USB port on the side of the keyboard

If you have an Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse, refer to the wireless manual for their installation.

(d) Internet cable Plug an Ethernet cable into the Ethernet port at the back of the iMac. Plug the other end of the cable into an appropriate modem or network.

Please note: you also have the option of a wireless connection with Apple's AirPort Extreme technology.

(e) Basic features Before you switch on, note the basic built-in features of the iMac. These include:

• a microphone located on the top edge
• an iSight camera at the top of the screen together with a camera indicator light
• a slot-loading optical disc drive on the side of the iMac
• stereo speakers
• an infrared receiver
• two USB 2.0 ports on the Apple Keyboard

On the back of the iMac, there are also:

• three USB 2.0 ports
• an Ethernet port
• a Mini-DVI port
• an audio in/optical digital audio in port
• a headphone out/optical digital audio out port
• a FireWire 400 port
• a FireWire 800 port
• a power port

2) Initial set-up

(a) Switching on and setting up Press the Power Button on the back of your iMac. Setup Assistant starts automatically. It guides you through all the basic procedures to create your

• user account
• email account
• internet connection

Setup Assistant also shows you how to transfer your files, applications and other data from an existing Mac computer. You don't have to make these transfers immediately. Instead, use Migration Assistant (see Applications > Utilities) when you're ready to bring the information across.

(b) Customisation To customise your iMac, use Apple > System Preferences on the menu bar. This is the command centre for the majority of your iMac's settings.

(c) Sleep mode or turning off Putting your iMac into Sleep mode allows you to avoid the start-up procedure when you next use your machine. To implement Sleep, you have a number of choices:

• click Apple > Sleep on the Menu Bar
• press the power button and click Sleep in the dialogue box
• click Apple > System Preferences, then Energy Saver and set the timer
• on the Apple Remote, press and hold Play/Pause for three seconds

To wake your iMac, you have a choice of

• clicking the Apple Mighty Mouse
• pressing the power button
• pressing any Apple Keyboard button
• pressing any Apple Remote button

Use Sleep only if you intend to return to your iMac within a day or so. To shut down your iMac, either

• click Apple > Shut Down, or
• press the power button and click Shut Down in the dialogue box

To switch your iMac back on, press the power button.

3) Quick Mac OS X guide

(a) Operating system Mac OS X Leopard is the operating system of your iMac (and all other Macs), and is already installed on your computer. It controls your files, applications and connected devices, and works in a similar way to Windows.

(b) Basic controls As you'd expect, the basic controls are the Apple Keyboard and the Apple Mighty Mouse. If you're more familiar with Windows, what you'll find with Mac OS X is that you'll need to use the keyboard and mouse fewer times to achieve the same results.

(c) GUI The first thing you'll notice with Mac OS X is the style of everything that appears on the screen. Mac employs a GUI (graphical user interface) called Aqua. This gives you impressive clean-cut images and stunning visual effects, all of which Apple has designed to make Mac OS X more user-friendly.

(d) Central features The icons, layouts and navigation of the iMac screens are straightforward. There are windows, menus, folders and shortcuts. There are also four central features that help you remain organised and productive:

• Desktop
• Dock
• Finder
• Menu bar

Desktop The Desktop is a screen where you'll normally begin each time you use your iMac. The first icon you'll come across here (in the upper right corner) is the Macintosh HD (Hard Drive). When you use different functions of your iMac, other HD icons will appear. Double click on an HD icon to view the files and applications it contains. Points to note:

• Use the Desktop to store files, folders, pictures and documents
• When you connect an external device to the iMac, a corresponding icon appears on the Desktop
• If you create different users for your iMac, Mac OS X gives each one a separate Desktop
• The Desktop always lies behind any applications you're running

Dock The Dock is a row of icons at the bottom of the screen. Use the Dock to access your most frequently used folders, applications and windows: simply click on the appropriate icon. You can customise the icons to suit your use of the iMac. Note that when a window appears, it has three buttons in the upper left corner.

• The red button closes the window
• The yellow button minimises the window to the Dock
• The green button maximises and minimises the size of the window

Finder One of the icons on the Dock is the Finder on the far left. Use this to navigate and manage almost every aspect of your iMac such as folders, drives and applications. Menu Bar There is only one Menu Bar with Mac OS X. It appears as a single line at the top of the screen. Use the Menu Bar to

• interact with a programme
• view and change settings and applications
• close applications
• view recent work
• log in or out
• begin the sleep mode
• commence a restart
• switch the iMac off

The Menu Bar alters according to the application you're using. This way, it offers you the items most appropriate to the application.

4) Connectivity

Your iMac has a total of five USB 2.0 ports (two on the keyboard; three on the back of the iMac). Use these to connect the Apple Mighty Mouse plus devices such as your

• iPhone
• iPod
• digital camera
• printer
• disc drive
• modem
• joystick

The ports will also accept USB 1.1 peripherals. Your iMac is pre-loaded with a large range of drivers. This means that it will usually recognise your USB device without the need to run additional software. 5) Extra features

(a) Security Slot A Security Slot on the back of your iMac allows you to connect a cable and lock to deter and stop thieves.

(b) Memory Access Your iMac has a standard 1 GB of memory. You can increase this by a further 3 GB by using the Memory Access slot at the bottom of the iMac.

(c) AirPort Extreme wireless technology AirPort Extreme wireless technology allows you to connect to a wireless network.

(d) Bluetooth® Your iMac has Bluetooth® 2.1+EDR wireless technology. This lets you connect wireless devices that include

• Bluetooth® mobile phones
• Printers
• PDAs
• The Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse

About the Author

Ben T Wilson writes about Mac computers, such as the imac computers.

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