Learning to use your Mac

Just because you hear people saying a Mac or iPad is easy to use doesn’t mean that everything about it is obvious.

If you’re new to the world of Apple or you find yourself thinking “there must be an easier way to do this” then you’d benefit from some one-to-one training.

The help that I offer is not based on a set script. Rather it is a session where we work through the areas that you most want to cover at the speed that you’re comfortable with. We can cover everything from “Where is the power button?” through to “How do I run a company web site?”.

Contact me to have a talk about your training requirements.

Here’s a list of possible topics:

GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE INTERFACE

  • Touring the Finder
  • Launching and working with apps
  • Using trackpad gestures
  • Using mouse gestures
  • Understanding file saving – locally and in cloud services
  • Installing software – disk images
  • Installing software – App Store

SETTING UP THE SYSTEM

  • Internet account (including iCloud) synchronisation
  • Network connections (Airport)
  • Personalizing the interface
  • Staying current with software updates & upgrades
  • Configuring Mail, Contacts, and Calendar
  • Setting up printers and scanners
  • Backing up with Time Machine

SEARCHING

  • Finding files with Spotlight
  • Digging deeper with Finder searches

CONFIGURING SYSTEM PREFERENCES

  • Searching for a setting
  • Configuring basic personal preferences
  • Configuring basic Audio and Video preferences
  • Configuring Bluetooth input devices
  • Modifying Date & Time Preferences
  • Multiple users (including admin vs standard accounts)
  • Modifying Language & Text settings
  • Optimizing Security & Privacy settings (including FileVault)
  • Using Energy Saver
  • Configuring Parental Controls

MAIL, CALENDAR, CONTACTS, REMINDERS

  • IMAP vs POP access
  • Navigating the interface
  • Scheduling appointments with Calendar
  • Organizing groups within Contacts
  • Creating items & lists within Reminders
  • Syncing accounts between devices

HELPFUL APPS

  • Messages (iMessage)
  • Maps
  • Notes
  • Image Capture (scanning)
  • Preview: Working with images, PDFs, and scanning documents

SAFARI

  • Navigating the web
  • Working with bookmarks
  • Using Reading List
  • Saving web pages and creating web clips
  • Using Safari to search the web
  • Working with Safari’s preferences
  • Configuring privacy settings
  • Managing 3rd party extensions (including Java & Flashplayer)

ITUNES – MUSIC & VIDEOS

  • Apple Music
  • Buying from iTunes Store
  • Device management
  • Remote speakers

MICROSOFT OFFICE

  • Word
  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Outlook
  • Free alternatives (including Pages, Numbers & Keynote)

PHOTOS

  • iCloud Photo Library or Photostream
  • Importing and merging
  • Cataloguing
  • Exporting
  • Synchronising

KEY UTILITIES

  • Keychain Access (password management)
  • Activity Monitor
  • Disk Utility

SHARING OVER THE NETWORK

  • Sharing files on a network
  • Screen sharing with a remote computer
  • Sending files with AirDrop

TROUBLESHOOTING

  • Malware scanning
  • System information
  • “Safe Mode” restart & cleanup
  • Booting from a recovery partition or backup drive
  • Different User
  • Using Option & Shift when restarting an app

3RD PARTY UTILITIES

  • DropBox
  • Carbon Copy Cloner
  • Flash Player
  • 1Password
  • Adobe Reader
  • Little Snitch
  • Skype
  • TeamViewer
  • VLC