BeginnerMac.com

So, say you just logged on to Hulu to watch the latest episode of “The Office” and you get all settled in, and low and behold, your Mac keeps going to sleep on you. Meaning, either the screen goes dim, or the screensaver turns on, or it just plain shuts off. Well, it’s supposed to do that because at one point or another, that’s how you set it up in the System Preferences. (More on that later)

Here’s a quick, easy and free application to keep your Mac awake. It’s called (appropriately)…Caffeine.

Caffeine is a free app that sits up in your menu bar. The implementation is brainless.

If the cup is empty, you’re out of caffeine = your Mac will fall asleep.

If the cup is full = you have caffeine = your Mac will stay awake.

Just click it on or off depending on what you are doing at the time. It’s brilliant! You can download Caffeine for free, here.

That little gem of an icon is your trash can. Duh. However, if you’re like me, you tend to either forget about the little guy sitting so quietly down there in your dock, your you neglect him. Shame, shame. If you manage it correctly, the trash can can either save your life (business, studies, school work, etc…) one day, or be your best friend in terms of freeing up some space on your hard drive.

When you delete a file on your Mac, either by dragging it onto the trash can and letting go or by using the shortcut key sequence (Apple + Delete), you’re not really trashing the file. What you are doing is moving the file from where ever it was, to the trash can with the purpose of eventually being deleted. You see, sometimes you might accidentally delete a file prematurely, then realize that you need it back. The good thing is that if you just go to your trash can, it’s right there waiting for you. All you need to do then is drag it out and put it where you want it to go. Simple huh? Or course it is. It’s a Mac.

But there is one thing that you need to be cautious of. That is, you need to get in the practice of “taking out your trash”. That is emptying it. Once you do that, you will be able to reclaim some disk space. The downside is that, any files you put in there, are now gone. Forever. That is, unless you have backed up. But we’ll save that for a future post.

How To Empty Your Trash

1. Right-click (or CTRL+click) on the trash can

2.   Choose “empty trash”

3. Confirm your decision

This post is a continuation in a series of posts on Mac Hardware.  Here is the first part.

Is there a difference between a ‘laptop’ and a ‘notebook’?
That is a great question!  And the answer is……no.  They are one in the same.  So let’s take a look at the different Apple notebooks.

Apple MacBook Pro – my personal computer.  This computer is a workhorse packed up nicely in a very small and sexy notebook.  If you are looking to do some serious computing on the go, then the Apple MacBook Pro is your perfect companion.  As with all of the Macs, it is fully customizable in terms of hard drive, memory, etc… (yes, there will be a post on this later).  If you are a video editor, photographer, or anyone that works with multimedia of any sort, a MacBook Pro is your companion.

Apple MacBook Air – a true technological work of art.  The beauty of the Apple MacBook Air is that it is so thin, that you can literally fit it in a manila envelope.  In fact, that is how Steve Jobs introduced it to the world when Apple unveiled the MacBook Air for the first time.  Keep in mind that if you are looking to make your first Mac notebook purchase, the MacBook Air would probably not be the best choice.  There are some quirky things that were left out during development that, unless you know how to navigate around a computer, would probably leave you in a pool of frustration.  If you are a business person who is always on the go, and needs to do basic functions such as check email, surf the web, edit documents, etc… the MacBook Air would be a terrific choice for you.

Apple MacBook – this is your PERFECT introductory Mac notebook.  If you are looking for your basic, solid, reliable, portable computer, the Apple MacBook is the perfect choice for you.  This was my wife’s first Mac, and the transition for her from a PC to a MacBook was really easy.  If you are new to the world of Apple/Mac and are looking to get your first taste of a Mac notebook, then this is your best pick.  The link I have provided offers a very resonable price for this particular computer.

So tell me, what computer (Mac or PC) do you have, and what do you like/dislike about it?

This post will serve as the beginning of a series of posts on Mac Hardware.

In the land of computers and technology, there are two basic categories to which “stuff” falls into. Those categories are what we refer to as hardware and software. In this series, we will focus on some of the different facets of Mac hardware.

What is hardware?
Hardware refers to anything physical to the computer. It could be the actual computer itself, a keyboard, a mouse, a hard drive, a memory chip, etc… Anything that you can physically touch and pick up.

Dang, Macs are pricey!
It’s no lie that a new Mac will cost you more than if you are going to buy a new PC. Now, hold on…let me explain.
The old adage of “you get what you pay for” falls true for this exact point. If you compare a brand new Apple product to a brand new multi-brand PC product, it will be clear at first glance in terms of the craftsmanship and quality that goes into creating an Apple piece of hardware. But think of it this way, would you rather pay cheap up front and then have to go out and buy something in a short amount of time, or would you rather pay some good money up front and have it last?

I think we all know the answer.

Some different types of Mac Hardware

Apple Mac Pro – the “big daddy” of the Mac computers. The Mac Pro is desktop computer, meaning that it belongs at or under your desk. I guess the best way to think of it is that you can’t put it on your lap (i.e. laptop). The Mac Pro comes in all different configurations in terms of hard drive and memory. If you are looking to do any video editing or photo manipulation, and don’t plan on needing to take your computer on the road with you, then this is your workhorse.

Apple iMac – definitely the “luxury” Mac. This is the computer for you that doubles as an elegant piece of furniture. In terms of looks, it is absolutely gorgeous with a brushed metal finish and smooth curves. I have seen iMacs in people’s living rooms, in doctor’s front offices, as well as on desks in dorm rooms. Just like the Mac Pro, the iMac comes in different configurations as well. The beauty about the iMac is that it is pretty much “all-enclosed” in that you don’t need to buy a monitor because the monitor (screen) IS the computer. The only other pieces of hardware that you will need would be a keyboard and mouse. If you need a powerful computer that would still look good sitting out in the living room, this is your winner.

Apple Mac Mini – the little guy with a big punch.  Yes, that image there is the entire computer.  It really is amazing how small a footprint it leaves.  All you need to do is plug in a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and you are ready to go.  No wonder a lot of people are using the Mini as their home media system (more on that later).  If you need a beefy computer that is compact, yet elegant in style, the Mac Mini is the one for you.

Check back for Part II, where we will look at Mac laptops.

Wow! First post! Welcome to BeginnerMac.com! First of all, thank you so much for landing here. My name is Josh and I hope that you will find this website informative, entertaining and fun. If you are curious as to how BeginnerMac.com came to be, you can check out a little here.  If you are new Mac owner, first of all, congratulations!  Welcome to the wonderful world of Apple and Macintosh.  I have a feeling that you especially will find this site useful.  My goal for this blog/website is to answer some basic, and at times not so basic questions regarding iPhones, iPods, Macbooks, etc… and pretty much all things Mac/Apple related.  I hope that you will comment and visit frequently.  If you would like to subscribe to updates, you may do so here.  So, to start us off, please leave a comment below.  I have ALOT of ideas for posts, but I was thinking maybe I would throw the first one out to you.  Tell me, what are some questions that you have?

Click “comment” below and fill out the comment.  Then I will do my very best to answer your question!