Getting Started With the Mac

Also in this series:

• GarageBand Part 1: The Basics
• GarageBand Part 2: Mixing and Mastering
• GarageBand Part 4: Recording a Podcast
• Related podcast: … Read more

Also in this series:

• GarageBand Part 1: The Basics
• GarageBand Part 2: Mixing and Mastering
• GarageBand Part 3: Drummers and Loops
• Related podcast: … Read more

Finder Navigation

General

• New Finder window: Command-N
• Up one folder level: Command-Up-Arrow
• Open selected folder: Command-Down-Arrow
• Back: Command-left bracket
• Forward: Command-right bracket

Direct Folder Access

• Open the Applications folder: Command-Shift-A
• Open the Computer folder: Command-Shift-C
• Open desktop folder: Command-Shift-D
• Go to Folder: Command-Shift-G
… Read more

Intro

Safari is the Mac's default web browser, and it does all the usual web browser things - opens webpages, downloads files, plays audio, all that. It has some neat tricks, too, like the Reader that can show you only the meat of an article.

However, if you are coming to the Mac for the first time, especially from a Windows background, Safari can seem like a clunky app at best, and a totally unusable mess at worst. As with all things on the Mac, though, you just have to… Read more

The Finder

Finder is the Mac's file browser. With it, you can look at files and folders on internal, external, and network drives; copy, cut, and paste items; tag files for easier locating later; search for files; and more. The problem is that, particularly for those transitioning to the Mac from Windows, Finder is a confusing mess that makes you scared to even go looking for a file. I understand that, because I was there too. Hopefully, in writing down what I've learned over the… Read more

Intro

When you first get a Mac, and are learning VoiceOver, it can be hard to remember the myriad commands available. Some are pretty easy, like control-option-w to read the current word. Some are quite complex or seldom used, such as control-option-command-f5 to move the mouse pointer to where VoiceOver is focused. Then there are the core concepts, like interacting, moving around dialogs, getting to menus, and plenty more. So, I wanted to offer a guide that does not explain most… Read more

In this podcast, Katie demonstrates how to enable and disable the FileVault encryption feature available on Mac computers.

FileVault uses full disk encryption to help keep your data secure. However, once enabled, it does change the login process for those using VoiceOver, so Katie also demonstrates this so that you know what to expect and how to deal with it.

In this podcast, Tyler Stephen shows us how to share folders in iCloud Drive on a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15.4 or later.

More information on sharing folders with iCloud Drive is available on this Apple Support page.

With folder sharing in iCloud Drive, you can share entire folders of files with friends, family, or colleagues. Then, you can work together on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or iCloud… Read more

Intro

Recently, I was helping someone with their Mac and the question came up, “What is iCloud and what is the cloud?”

This happens to be one of the most common questions I am asked about Apple products, and that’s no coincidence. Although Apple markets its products and services as being seamless and easy to use, they still conjure that image of some mysterious and complicated cloud, something that often tends to confuse people. In this guide, I will attempt to explain… Read more

In the first of a series of podcasts intended to help new users of VoiceOver on the Mac, David Woodbridge shows us how to get VoiceOver running on any Mac laptop or desktop.

These demonstrations were recorded on a Mac running OS X Snow Leopard, but the procedure is still the same at the time of posting.

In the second of a series of podcasts intended to help new users of VoiceOver on the Mac, David Woodbridge shows us how to use the Keyboard Helper feature in OS X to familiarize yourself with the keyboard layout and functions.

These demonstrations were recorded on a Mac running OS X Snow Leopard, but the procedure is still the same at the time of posting.