In This Chapter
Playing with your bundled software
Buying additional stuff that you might need
Okay, I know that I've been harping on how self-sufficient and all-inclusive you are as a MacBook road warrior — and believe me, it's true! Everything you need to compute just about anywhere on the planet is included when you close your laptop's cover and go mobile. If you're in a bohemian mood and you want nothing but your MacBook, it's ready.
But is there other stuff that will make that mobile computing even more productive? And convenient? Well, of course — every MacBook power owner has extra stuff, and in this chapter I cover the software and hardware that most mobile veterans tote along with their laptops.
This section answers the most common of all novice computer questions: "What the heck will I do with this thing?" Here, you find details and exciting factoids about the software that you get for free, software you'll want to buy, and stuff you can do on the Internet.
Currently, Apple laptops ship with the following major software applications installed and ready to use:
The iLife '09 suite: You know you want these applications! They turn your MacBook into a digital hub for practically every kind of high-tech device on the planet, including DV camcorders, digital cameras, portable music players, PDAs, and even cell phones.
Book IV focuses on the major applications that make up iLife: iTunes, iPhoto, iWeb, iMovie, iDVD, and GarageBand.
Photo Booth and Front Row: You can discover more about these applications in Book II, Chapter 5. For now, suffice it to say that Photo Booth works with your laptop's iSight camera, and Front Row is the remote-control software you'll use with your Apple Remote (if you have one).
Note
The installed software on your MacBook might change as new programs become available.
What is a modern computer without the Internet? Apple gives you great tools to take full advantage of every road sign and off-ramp on the Information Superhighway right out of the box:
Web surfing: I use Snow Leopard's Apple Safari Web browser every single day. It's faster and better designed than Internet Explorer, with unique features such as tabbed browsing and built-in RSS feeds.
If tabbed browsing and RSS feeds sound like ancient Aztec to you, don't worry. Book VI, Chapter 5 is devoted entirely to Safari.
Web searches: Dashboard widgets can search the entire Internet for stocks, movie listings, airline schedules, dictionaries, and foreign language translations. I explain Dashboard in Chapter 2 of Book III.
Chat: iChat lets you use your MacBook to chat with others around the world for free using the Internet — by keyboard, voice, or full-color video. This is awesome stuff straight out of Dick Tracy and Buck Rogers. If you've never seen a video chat, you'll be surprised by just how good your friends and family look!
Note
Always wear a shirt when videoconferencing.
E-mail: Soldier, Apple's got you covered. The Mail application is a full-featured e-mail system, complete with defenses against the torrent of junk mail awaiting you. (Imagine a hungry digital saber-toothed tiger with an appetite for spam.) Send pictures and attached files to everyone on the planet, and look doggone good doing it.
Dozens of small applications are built into Mac OS X. I mention them in later chapters, but here are four good examples to whet your appetite:
Safari: Apple's Web browser of choice — it's fast, simple, and easily customized. See how to navigate the Web in style in Book VI, Chapter 5.
DVD Player: Put all that widescreen beauty to work and watch your favorite DVD movies with DVD Player! You have all the features of today's most expensive standalone DVD players, too, including a spiffy on-screen control that looks like a remote.
Address Book: Throw away that well-thumbed collection of fading addresses. Use the Snow Leopard Address Book to store, search, and recall just about any piece of information on your friends, family, and acquaintances.
Chess: Ah, but this isn't the chessboard your Dad used! Play the game of kings against a tough (and configurable) opponent — your MacBook — on a beautiful 3-D board. Heck, your laptop even narrates the game by speaking the moves!
Tip
You can use the data you store in your Address Book in other Apple applications included with Snow Leopard, such as Apple Mail and iChat.
Mac OS X Leopard introduced one particularly exciting feature for Windows switchers: You can use the Apple Boot Camp utility and your licensed copy of Windows XP to install and boot Windows on your Intel-based Mac laptop! Snow Leopard adds Vista support as well as faster operation.
Boot Camp creates a Windows-friendly partition (or section) on your hard drive and stores all your Windows files in that partition. Other than the slightly strange key assignments you'll have to remember, early adopters of Boot Camp report that it's surprisingly reliable and easy to use. However, I strongly urge that you back up your laptop on a regular basis; inviting Windows to your Mac laptop also invites potential viruses and spyware as well.
Apple's Boot Camp Assistant provides step-by-step instructions, making it easy to configure your laptop for Windows. To run the Boot Camp Assistant, open your Applications folder and double-click the Utilities folder; then double-click the Boot Camp Assistant application icon.
Although I cover my favorite must-have applications and utilities in Book VIII, Chapter 5, I mention the categories here:
A productivity suite: Whether it be Microsoft Office, iWork, or a free alternative such as Google's online applications or
OpenOffice.org3, you'll likely want a quality word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application.Image and video editors: Most MacBook owners need a bit more image editing versatility than the basic tools provided by iPhoto and Preview — and if iMovie isn't enough to handle your video-editing chores, Apple offers more robust tools.
Utilities: Monitor your hard drives and defragment them using tools that aren't included in Snow Leopard's Disk Utility, such as TechTool Pro from Micromat. You can also burn all sorts of data and music discs using a third-party application such as Roxio's Toast Titanium.
Games: Your MacBook is powerful enough to run today's latest games, such as Blizzard's World of Warcraft or Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince from Electronic Arts.
No man is an island and no computer is, either. I always recommend the same set of stuff for new PC and Mac owners. These extras help keep your new computer clean and healthy (and some make sure you're happy as well):
Surge suppressor: Even an all-in-one computer like your laptop can fall prey to a power surge. I recommend using one of these:
A basic surge suppressor with a fuse can help protect your Mac from an overload.
A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) costs a little more, but it does a better job of filtering your AC line voltage to prevent brownouts or line interference from reaching your computer.
Note
Of course, your laptop's battery immediately kicks in if you experience a blackout, so a UPS is less important for your computer. However, any computer tech will tell you that filtered AC current is far better for your laptop, and your UPS will also provide power for external devices that don't have a battery.
Screen wipes: Invest in a box of premoistened screen wipes to keep your screen pristine. Your MacBook's screen can pick up dirt, fingerprints, and other unmentionables faster than you think.
Warning
Make sure your wipes are especially meant for LCD or laptop computer screens.
Blank CDs and DVDs: Depending on the type of optical drive installed in your laptop — and the type of media you're recording, such as computer data CDs, DVD movies, or audio CDs — you'll want blank discs for
CD-R (record once)
CD-RW (record multiple times)
DVD-R (record once)
Cables: Depending on the external devices and wired network connectivity you'll be using, these are
A standard Ethernet cable (for wired networks or high-speed Internet)
FireWire or USB cables for devices you already have
A restraining cable: For those who are a little more security-conscious or tend to use their laptops in public places, a standard Kensington laptop lock slot is provided on the MacBook and MacBook Pro case. (Sorry, MacBook Air owners, but your case is too thin to sport a lock slot.) The principle is the same as a bicycle cable lock: If your laptop is secured by a cable to a sturdy fixture, it's nearly impossible for it to walk off with someone else.
A wrist rest: You might have many reasons to buy a new Mac laptop, but I know that acquiring a bad case of carpal tunnel syndrome is not one of them. Take care of your wrists by carrying a keyboard wrist rest in your laptop bag.