BeginnerMac.com

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.

One of the major differences to new Mac owners is getting used to the trackpad. If you are PC/Windows user, you are accustomed to a two-button trackpad, or an embedded mouse cursor control usually in the form of an obnoxious red “pimple” in the middle of the keyboard. I personally found that very hard to navigate and pretty annoying to control. I’ll be honest, the trackpad on a Mac takes some getting used to, but once you do it is like you have been using it for a while.
For older laptops such as the Macbook or Macbook Pro, there is one big button located below the trackpad. This functions as the primary “click” or to former PC users, the “left-click”. When I first got my Mac, I was baffled as how to implement a “right-click” gesture. It turns out that I was actually making it harder than it has to be. Here is how you implement a “right-click”:

1. Place two fingers on the trackpad.
2. Click the button.

That’s all there is to it.

There are other basic movements that are very well described in the System Preferences panel. To go to this panel, navigate up to the apple in the top left corner, then go to “System Preferences”, then go to “Keyboard & Mouse” which is under the ‘Hardware’ header.

If you have one of the new Macbooks/Macbook Pro/Macbook Air, then you have a “buttonless” trackpad. However, in reality this trackpad really does have a button. Just use as normal. There are some other cool implemented features such as zooming, pinching, etc… which you can see visually demonstrated in the System Preferences panel. (More to come on this topic later)

If you are mouse lover and have a fear of the mouse pad or trackpad, then you very well could use an old “Windows” mouse (but why would you), or you can pick up an Apple Mouse or Mighty Mouse. I personally use a wireless Mighty Mouse and have been pretty happy with it other than it takes some good maintenance and upkeep in order to keep it functioning properly. (More to come on that as well).