Meet the Macintosh!
Whether you're new to the Mac or new to computers in general, you're guaranteed to find plenty of introductory information in the links presented below. It's helpful to learn basic terminology and to grasp the concept of certain metaphors, like the Desktop (where you might keep things you're working on until they're finished and filed away), the Finder (aka directory, where every file has a name and icon), and the Dock (which contains one-click shortcuts to frequently used apps).

Icons play an important part in identifying files and represent a variety of file types, too. There are application program icons, document icons, sound and image files (to name a few), and there are also the folder icons used to contain and organize them. We highly recommend using Apple's "Mac 101" tutorial link to become familiar with basic operation.


Switching from PC to Mac?
Be prepared to ditch some old habits and learn some new tricks! No more registry issues, no more endless scans tying up CPU cycles, no need to fear your inbox, and yes, you can now do simple things in a simple fashion (like dragging a JPEG into an email without having to wade thru attachment procedures). In fact, if you can think of an easier way to do almost anything, give it a try; it'll probably work. And don't waste time installing drivers for every device you attach to your Mac; try it first, you may be surprised to learn there really is such a thing as "plug-and-play."

If you bought your Mac at an Apple store, ask them about importing your PC files; they might do it for you. (See below for more suggestions regarding data transfer and switching platforms.) Don't be surprised if you have to replace some of your older programs with Mac versions; although most apps are cross-platform these days, some oldies are not. See the "Switch 101" and data transfer links (above) for tips and info. Welcome aboard!






Data transfer options depend on OS version/age and connectivity options.
Transferring data from late versions of OSX (on a functional Mac) to a brand-new Macintosh is the easiest; your new machine will walk you thru the process the very first time you start it up, and all you need is an ethernet or FireWire cable. Early OSX versions and older machines may be a little more problematic. You will likely need a Firewire 400 to 800 cable in most cases (also known as Firewire 6-pin to 9-pin) for older Macs, and very early OSX systems may need a tweak or two. Files and applications from OS9 and earlier Systems are long obsolete and will be left behind - OS9 has not been supported since about 2001. If you have critical data that old or older, it's too late to bring it along gracefully, so we'll have to make some special arrangements. Generally speaking, the older the data and OS, the more complicated it becomes to get from back-then to now.

First step: Cleanup and prep your old Mac.
Test and verify your old hard drive, make sure it is operational and its data structures and directory are intact; if errors appear, they should be repaired before attempting to transfer your data. Now is a good time to clean house, too, and here are a few suggestions:

Startup your old Mac - the one you'll copy from - launch your mail app and delete old emails, junk and spam, then empty trash in your email program. Open your web browser and delete any unused/unwanted bookmarks, clear browser's history, cookies and cache. (Shortcut: See Safari's "Reset" command under Safari menu.)

Next, go thru your hard drive: Remove all that stuff from your desktop by filing things properly inside appropriate folders of the Finder (within your hard drive). Drag unwanted items into the trash. (Best to leave any and all Library folders alone, by the way.) Once you're satisfied that you won't lose anything important, empty the trash.

NOTE: If nCity performs data transfer or backup services for you, we do not delete anything without your direct instruction. However, we may have to create a folder containing desktop files for you, and move this into your hard drive for safe keeping. We seldom empty the trash, although we are quite likely to suggest that you do.

 Data Migration on first run of a new Mac.
The very first time you startup a new Macintosh, importing data is merely one step in machine's initial setup process. Setup screens will walk you thru importing your data from an older Mac (including accounts and network settings) and it couldn't be easier. If you missed this import step, then you have created a new user (login) account during initial setup of the new machine. Your old data may be brought along at any time, but it will be imported into a secondary account (your old account), so you will wind up with two login accounts to sort thru. Remember those passwords!

Nested inside your Applications -> Utilities folder is the Migration Assistant app (right). Launching Migration Assistant from your new Mac will initiate the same import process outlined above and take you step-by-step thru importing your old admin account, apps, files and network settings from your old machine to your new Macintosh.






Yes, you can run Windows on a Mac.
There are still a few regrettable situations where some key Microsoft program or software requires a version of Windows to operate. One example is the archaic database used by our local real estate board; until they upgrade, Windows is a necessary evil for all local agents. We can help with the Mac side of your machine, and we can enlist additional assistance for the PC side if necessary, but only you can decide how far to go and what apps and files to bring along. (If you buy a new Mac from an Apple store, ask them about transferring your PC data for you.)

Best way (at the moment) for running Windows and Windows apps on a Mac is to purchase VMWare's Fusion virtual PC app for your Mac. Other ways to create a "virtual machine" solution include Apple's own Boot Camp (free, included with MacOS 10.5 Leopard and later), and Parallels Desktop. These utilities all have one thing in common, and it's a potential deal-killer: You _must_ have a licensed copy of Windows with a viable registration key. (The OEM Windows disk that came with your PC will not accept its registration key on a different machine.) You may have to purchase a new copy of XP, Vista or Windows 7, as appropriate.

The other major problem with running Windows on a Mac is the fact that Microsoft Windows brings all of its virus and malware vulnerabilities with it. You _will_ have to install, update, use and maintain all those anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware programs that are mandatory for Windows users when running Windows on a Mac.

 Degrees of separation.
Programs that are completely Windows-dependent must (obviously) be run under Windows. Applications which are cross-platform (both Windows and Mac) may be able to read/write their own file types without need of Windows, which means importing to Mac shouldn't be a problem. Other apps may have two versions - one for PC, one for Mac - and can usually import their own files (with purchase of a Mac version), but there are notable exceptions: Some popular bookkeeping and spreadsheet apps are problematic, and some of these cannot even read their own files from a previous version, let alone import data between platforms. It may be necessary to check version upgrade and OS requirements for critical apps you use, and check file import/export options between versions and platforms. This info should be available online at program's web site.

Best choice: Make a clean break.
People who say they only use email and internet should jettison everything Microsoft. Export your docs, photos, addresses, emails and bookmarks to a backup, import these to appropriate Mac applications, and leave everything else behind. There are plenty of programs available for Macintosh to replace whatever software you might currently use, many of which are included with the MacOS (Safari, Mail, iTunes, Address Book, Preview [for pdf files], to name a few).
If you must run a particular program under Windows, consider taking everything else off your old PC, disconnecting it from the internet, and dedicating that machine exclusively to running your one Windows program (at least until you pick a modern Mac replacement). Use your new Mac for everything else. You can always network the PC behind a firewall, if you wish.

 For more info:






Passive security and the MacOS:
(By "passive" I mean to exclude encryption and the more severe security tools included in the Mac's OSX.)
Long-time Mac users haven't had to worry much about security issues, so having to deal with login accounts and passwords and such has been something of a problem for them. Apple's OSX has a surprising amount of passive security built in, and almost all security measures are optional and/or automatic, making it easy to ignore security issues entirely - if that suits you. If the machine's admin account was setup without a password, you only need to dismiss dialog boxes requesting one when installing apps and changing settings. And, if automatic login is on (System Prefs > Accounts > Login Options), you'll be able to skip login altogether. But, your login password is only one of many passwords required these days if you're online at all, so avoiding it is kinda silly.

Still, some people seem to be able to go years without installing or updating anything, and forgotten login passwords are an ongoing nightmare here at the shop.

 What's in a word?
Password-breaking programs and magic plug-in gizmos that retrieve secret codes, character-by-character, are the stuff of fiction. It only happens in Hollywood. Modern algorithms can encrypt a password right out of existence, and a lost password can effectively stop you in your tracks. No, sorry, we cannot "recover" lost passwords, or "reset" your password to restore access to protected files. If we could, password protection would be worthless, huh. (Had a guy bring his ex-wife's notebook in one day, convinced I could hack into it somehow. He tried bribes, threats, everything he could think of, became furious when I refused to even try. One of the few times I've been thankful for unknown passwords.)

It helps to make a hard copy of all (including rarely-used) passwords - along with email and network settings. Create a text file somewhere on your computer and print it out, or write your passwords down on paper - just be sure to store such personal info in a secure location and remember where it is. And you may need your password if/when your machine winds up here in the shop, too, so record/remember those passwords! Some day you'll be really glad you did.

 Is security all that necessary?
Yes..... and no.
You've always had to have passwords for email, discussion groups, online accounts, and now you really should have one for your login accounts, too. If you share your machine with anyone - your spouse, kids, friends, anyone - you should each have your own login account and password; it's easy to setup and will prevent multiple users from getting in each others way.
Passwords exist because there will always be that nasty element among us, and because privacy is a valued commodity. Security and self-defense are basic human rights, and both have become increasingly important over the years. The stakes are high, and security measures have become a necessity of life these days. By the way: The greatest threat to security on a Mac comes from those who may have physical access to your machine - not from over the 'net.

 What happens if I lose my password?
Take your best guess: Try upper case, lower case, spaces, no spaces, every possible password and combination you can think of. If you manage to get it right, be sure to write it down somewhere safe.
If it's gone forever, there isn't much we can do except start over from scratch.
So..... don't lose those passwords!






Network options are determined by available ports and protocols, and by OS version on older machines.
Best choice is Wireless (Airport) or Ethernet which allows multiple Macs to share files, printer and internet connection. Cat5 Ethernet cables are readily available, and a quick, small network is easy to setup on modern Macs:
  • Plug ethernet cables between machines (or connect thru router).
  • Start File Sharing on each Mac (if not already set).
  • Look under Network or Sharing in the Finder's sidebar for connected machine(s).
Ethernet and wireless networks:
For a small office network (LAN) of reasonably current Macs, use ethernet cable and/or AirPort to connect machines to a central router or gateway (with modem) in a star configuration. Number of router ports dictates maximum number of hardwired machines. (Some routers include a printer port.) Wireless routers include wireless capabilities for multiple (portable) devices, known as WiFi or AirPort. Early wireless used 802.11b protocol; AirPort Extreme works with 802.11g wireless routers, and current protocols include 802.11n (all are backwards compatible with previous standards).

Simple 2-Mac crossover network:
If a crossover cable is required, modern Macs will automatically detect and adjust as needed, so a normal cable should work. Very old machines may require a crossover cable. Look closely at the illustration (right) and you'll see that all four orange and green wires are reversed compared to standard ethernet (just above). This is a crossover ethernet cable.

 Firewire (machine booted in Target Disk Mode):
Connect machines using a Firewire cable. Startup the target machine while holding down the "T" key (Target Disk Mode). It will appear as another hard disk on desktop of host machine.

 Sneakernet:
When all else fails, you may be reduced to this, the oldest networking technique available: Copy files to removable volume, then move said volume to second machine. Rinse and Repeat as necessary.






I tried several times to install a driver for my [gizmo], why won't it work?
Before you try to install a driver, try connecting that gizmo and see if it doesn't work - without having to install anything. It probably doesn't need a special driver. Try it! If you must install a driver, make sure the driver is up-to-date and appropriate to your Operating System and machine specs (see gizmo's "system requirements").
A few words about software installation...
Installers (generally speaking) do one of three things:
 1) They blindly install software regardless of previous installations, compatibility, or other factors; multiple installs = multiple copies.
 2) They check for previously installed software before installing anything, and may offer continue/delete or install/cancel options.
 3) They may or may not overwrite previously installed files from earlier installations; a corrupt file may be skipped, or it might be replaced.
 It depends entirely on how the Installer was written.
Because of this, it is usually wise to delete (or remove and archive) previous installations of drivers/apps/software before reinstalling - unless, of course, the installation is an update/upgrade which requires the presence of previously installed software.
Good installers will have an "Uninstall" option to make removal easier (if necessary), and will check for previous installs to avoid conflicts - but many installers do not offer these functions. In addition, software may already be included in your Operating System making additional installations unnecessary (and possibly problematic).

And finally: Drivers on discs included with devices, if necessary, may already be outdated at time of purchase. Check manufacturer's web site for updates and current drivers that may be newer than whatever came in the box.

How can I get a disk out of my CD/DVD drive?
Holding the mouse button down during startup should eject all removable media, including CDs/DVDs. If that doesn't work, you may have other issues and might want to consider bringing your machine to the shop.

My email settings are correct. Why can't I send/receive email?
If you haven't changed any network/mail settings on your Mac, and email worked yesterday, it's probably not your fault. Your service provider may be offline temporarily; wait a day or so and try again. You might try to reset modems and routers by removing power to them for 30 seconds, then restarting them, or try your machine on a different network (different location) before messing with network settings.

Do I need an anti-virus program?
The vast majority of our clients (and I'd venture to guess Mac users in general) have never encountered a virus. Ever. That's not to say there's no risk, but for most Mac users anti-virus software isn't a necessity.
Of course, if you are running Microsoft Windows on your Mac, your Windows partition _is_ susceptible to all that PC junk out there, and you _must_ run the same anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-adware, anti-junk utilities that are so necessary on PCs running Windows.

Do I need to run Software Update?
If you have broadband (DSL, cable, satellite) the answer is yes, at least periodically. If you're still on dialup, don't even try; take your machine to a broadband network. On the other hand: If it works, don't fix it.

It's always a good idea to backup your boot volume prior to applying significant updates, upgrades or installations, thereby leaving yourself a back door if something goes wrong. Reverting to a backup may be your only option for recovery in some cases.

What does "Disk is almost full" message mean?
It means you're about to run out of free space on your hard drive. If this happens and you ignore the warnings, you will notice your machine slow down over time and you'll find yourself watching a lot of spinning beach balls. Applications may quit unexpectedly without room to work, and your machine may eventually refuse to startup. You might be able to buy a little time by moving photos, movies, music and large files off the drive to storage on CDs/DVDs or other volumes, and you can also reclaim some space by deleting cache files, old emails and unwanted debris - but these solutions may not work for long unless you remove a large quantity of data.
A certain amount of free space is required to operate efficiently (10-15% is recommended minimum), and a full hard disk can effectively prevent use of maintenance and optimization utilities. You may need to add a second drive and/or replace your existing drive with a larger one and copy all your data to the new volume. If you don't have a backup, now might be a good time to set one up.
:-)