You love your new Apple computer, but you’re wondering: How the heck does this thing work? Here’s what you need when learning to use a Mac for the first time.
If you’re on the fence about getting a Mac, look no further.
Macs have been around for decades, but many people still don’t know how to use them. Fortunately, macOS is an easy software to navigate, allowing any first time Mac user to get accustomed within a few hours.
Learning to use a Mac can seem daunting, but you can buy a Mac for beginners and they’ll quickly learn how to use it. In this guide, we’ll provide you with some info that you can use to determine whether a Mac would be a good purchase for you.
Read on to learn about the features that come with a Mac and how to use them.
macOS is the of the operating systems that are in Mac computers, similar to Windows on PCs. However, macOS is strictly used on Apple computers. Because of this, many people buy Apple hardware solely due to the limited availability of the operating system.
The operating system is regularly updated with new security measures, and it receives a major upgrade every year. Think about the difference between Windows 7 and 8. This happens to macOS, except you don’t have to purchase the new operating system.
MacOS is a basic operating system and has a lot of similarities to Linux, a classic OS that dates back several decades. Many people use Macs because they’re simple and get the job done. These computers make for great editing equipment because they’re strong enough to handle multitasking and high-quality videos.
Setting up a Mac is fairly simple to do as macOS is equipped with a guide to help you through the process. The first thing that you’ll do when buying a Mac is getting it out of the box and plugging it in. If you have any keyboards or mice, plug those in and then hit the power button.
If you’re a first time Mac user, you may be asking, “how do you right-click on a Mac?” If you have a mouse, you can click the Ctrl button as you click. If you’re using a touchpad, you can make the right side of the touchpad a right-click in the mouse settings.
As the Mac powers on, you’ll be greeted with the Apple logo and can start setting it up. You’ll usually need to have a Wi-Fi connection because Macs don’t ship fully updated. When you connect to Wi-Fi, you’ll be able to input information such as your timezone, keyboard layout, and Apple ID.
An Apple ID is an account that’s registered with Apple to grant you access to the App Store, iTunes, and iCloud. If you already have an iPhone or iPad, just use the account that you have registered on those devices.
After the initial setup, your Mac will then restart. After it turns on, you’ll see the desktop which will have a pretty background with several icons at the bottom. Now you’re ready to start tinkering!
The desktop is what you’ll see after you turn your Mac on and log in. This is the background image that sits behind windows and allows you to place shortcuts for apps. This area can act as a workspace as you can move things to and from the desktop by dragging icons and folders.
At the top of the screen, you’ll see what’s known as the menu bar. The menu bar gives you a variety of options to use when you have an application open. Your options will change depending on what kind of application you’re on.
At the bottom of the screen is the dock. The dock is used to switch between applications and open folders. You can pin several apps to the dock so that you can open them with a click of the button. You can also look at your Mac’s storage and manage trash.
Finder is a program on macOS that lets you manage files. This program is similar to Windows Explorer in that you can look at all of your connected devices and browse storage devices.
The sidebar of Finder allows you to quickly shift through different parts of your computers, including images, documents, etc. You can make new folders to help you organize or stick with the standard ones.
If you scroll down, you’ll see a Devices section that shows you any external drives, phones, and flash drives you have connected. You can customize Finder to arrange shortcuts and buttons as you see fit.
MacOS gives you access to some applications that you can’t get on any other device, such as GarageBand. These will come pre-installed on your Mac and will update after you’ve started up your computer.
Downloading new applications is a bit different from Windows because they’ll show up as a disk image (DMG). You can double-click a DMG to mount it to your computer, and then drag it to the application file of your Applications folder to install it.
If you delete a file from the folder, the application will be removed from your computer. Some applications will install similar to that of a program on Windows. You’ll get a packaged installer (PKG), allowing you to run and follow several prompts to install the program.
Getting a Mac can be exciting for many people, but most people don’t know how to use them because they always use Windows. There are many Mac tutorials for beginners that will provide you with in-depth tips, but this guide gives you all you need to know for a first time Mac user.
If you don’t have a Mac, you should consider buying one. Learning to use a Mac is easy because macOS is designed to be simple. You’ll have access to a variety of tools, such as Finder, which lets you manage your system. The desktop and menu bar are appealing and easy to get used to, so start using a Mac today.
Browse our articles to learn more about Mac and how one would make your life simpler.