Introduction

If you’re new to the Mac or just new to Lion, this book is for you ...

Wait, I didn’t say new to computers!

That’s where this book differs from many others. This book assumes that you have used computers before—maybe not a Mac and probably not Lion—but you have some experience with what a computer is and how to use it. With that understanding, this book can talk to you, without talking down to you.

Learn OS X Lion is divided into nine sections to help you not only get up to speed using OS X Lion, but also delve into Lion’s nooks and crannies so you can get the most out of it.

Part 1 begins by providing you with a quick tour of OS X Lion, describing unique features of the operating system and how to take advantage of them.

Part 2 then builds on the first section to show you how applications generally behave with OS X Lion, and how to work with documents. This includes a discussion of common applications that are included with OS X.

Part 3 provides information about connecting to the Internet and how to use Safari, Mail, and other Internet applications included with Mac OS X Lion.

Part 4 provides a quick introduction to the iLife application suite, including iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand. While not specifically included with OS X, these apps are included with every new Mac.

Part 5 starts our move away from the basics to look at a wide range of administration tasks in OS X. Here we provide a tour of the System Preferences, as well as important information on backups, security, and disk maintenance.

Part 6 provides a solid introduction to OS X’s command-line environment and Darwin subsystem.

Part 7 shows how to take advantage of the advanced networking features of Mac OS X, including sharing resources and joining corporate networks.

Part 8 provides solutions to working with non-Apple environments from your Mac.

Part 9 concludes by providing an introduction to workflow automation and development on and for OS X.

By the time you finish this book, you should not only have a solid understanding of how to use and maintain your Lion, but you should be well poised to continue into a wide range of computing topics including networking and development if you so choose.