Making Your First Connections - Getting Started with Mac Basics - Macs All-in-One For Dummies, 4th Edition (2014)

Macs All-in-One For Dummies, 4th Edition (2014)

Book I. Getting Started with Mac Basics

Chapter 3. Making Your First Connections

In This Chapter

arrow Connecting to the Internet

arrow Creating your Apple identity

arrow Syncing and managing data with iCloud

arrow Adding e-mail and social network accounts

For most people, an Internet connection is no longer an option but a necessity. You can use a computer all by itself, but to get the most out of your Mac, you need an Internet connection. An Internet connection gives you access to the World Wide Web, but equally important, it lets you use the Mail, FaceTime, Messages, and Maps apps; shop in the iTunes, App, and iBook Stores; sync Calendar, Contacts, Notes, and more across different devices; plus share photos and documents with iCloud and other Apple and third-party apps.

In this chapter, we explain how to connect your Mac to the Internet. Then we walk you through creating an Apple ID, which you use for iCloud, FaceTime, and shopping in the iTunes, Apps, and iBook Stores. After you have an Apple ID, we show you how to set up iCloud and explain the various iCloud options. At the end of this chapter, we explain how to add e-mail accounts from other providers, such as Microsoft Exchange and Google, as well as social networks like Facebook and LinkedIn. Many apps that came with your Mac access information from these accounts, so setting them up at the beginning makes your Mac experience easier down the road.

Setting Up an Internet Connection

From a technical point of view, to connect to the Internet, your Mac must connect to another computer, run by a company called an Internet Service Provider (ISP), through which your Mac actually connects to the Internet. The ISP may offer one or both of the following connections:

· Analog or dial-up, which is generally too slow to do more than send and receive text e-mail messages

· Broadband, which travels across digital service (DSL) phone lines, digital terrestrial television service, cellular data, or satellite connections

Most likely you already have a broadband Internet connection in your home either through your cable or phone service provider, but if you don’t, ask around to find out what’s available in your area. Some providers, including Xfinity (Comcast) and AT&T, let you connect to the Internet when you’re away from home through Wi-Fi hotspots, which provide Internet access in public locations.

image If you live in an area where Internet service is unavailable or limited to dial-up, check into using a cellular data modem or satellite Internet service.

Regardless of the type of broadband service, to connect your Mac to an ISP, you have two options:

· Ethernet (also called high-speed broadband): You connect your Mac physically to the modem with an Ethernet cable.

· Wireless (also called Wi-Fi high-speed broadband): Your Mac connects to the modem wirelessly.

Ethernet connection

A broadband Ethernet connection is the fastest way to connect to the Internet. Essentially, you connect a modem to the digital cable or DSL outlet, and then connect one end of an Ethernet cable to the modem and the other end to the Ethernet port of your Mac. (If you have a MacBook Air or a newer MacBook Pro, you need a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.) After you connect your Mac to the modem, you can usually start using the Internet right away.

To confirm your connection, choose image⇒System Preferences, click the Network icon, and look for “Ethernet Connected” in the list of services. For more information about setting up a network and sharing a single Internet connection with multiple computers, see Book III, Chapter 3.

You can usually rent a modem from your ISP or purchase one separately, although you want to be sure the one you purchase meets your ISPs specifications (check with your provider). Each modem comes with its own instructions, which you should refer to when setting up your Ethernet connection.

image When you connect your Mac to a broadband modem by using your Mac’s Ethernet port, your Mac can recognize the Internet connection right away through the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP): Your Mac automatically figures out the proper settings to connect to the Internet without making you type a bunch of cryptic numbers and fiddle with confusing technical standards.

Your Mac can also connect to your broadband modem wirelessly if the modem you buy (or rent from your ISP) has a built-in Wi-Fi router, which your Mac’s built-in AirPort Wi-Fi feature can access. (See the next section for more on AirPort.)

Wireless (Wi-Fi) access

Wireless broadband access is popular because it allows you to connect to the Internet without stringing cables through your house to trip over. Every new and recent Mac comes with a built-in wireless capability called AirPort Wi-Fi.

You then connect to a wireless network, whether in your home or at another location if you’re using a MacBook that you can take wherever you go. Public libraries and many coffee houses offer free wireless Internet access, as do many hotels and motels, which is handy when you’re traveling. Your ISP may offer Wi-Fi hotspots, which let you access the Internet in public locations where they offer service. You can set up your own wireless network at home or work (see Book III, Chapter 3) by using a wireless router that lets several computers and other Wi-Fi-able gadgets (such as video game consoles, iPhones, iPads, and some printers) share a single Internet connection.

Choosing a wireless router

A wireless router connects to your modem — cable, DSL, cellular, or satellite — and broadcasts radio signals to connect your Mac wirelessly to the Internet. Most cable and DSL modems come with built-in Wi-Fi transmitters, giving you one device that does the job of two Wi-Fi devices.

If you choose to use a separate Wi-Fi router to connect to your modem, Apple sells three wireless router models:

· AirPort Express: Small and ideal for small homes, apartments, and dorm rooms.

· AirPort Extreme: Ideal for homes; four Ethernet ports to connect to Macs in the same room with an Ethernet cable; a built-in USB port lets you connect a printer or hard drive to share wirelessly with other people in your house or workplace.

· Time Capsule: Same features as AirPort Extreme but also includes a built-in hard drive for wirelessly backing up one or more Macs that connect to it.

Apple’s Wi-Fi routers and the AirPort network admin tools make Internet management and setup easy.

Having said that, you can buy any brand of wireless router to connect to your modem and create a home Wi-Fi network. Here are the key considerations:

· Speed: The brand name of your wireless router is less important than the speed offered by the router, which is determined by the wireless standard the router uses. A wireless standard simply defines the wireless signal used to connect to the Internet.

· Compatibility: To connect to a wireless network, you need to make sure that your router and your Mac’s built-in wireless use the same wireless standard. (See Table 3-1.) All new and recent Macs connect preferably to Wi-Fi routers that use the 802.11ac standard but are compatible with all five types of the wireless network standards.

image The 802.11n standard, which is the most common at the time of writing, offers good range and high speed. Most routers are compatible with multiple standards, and newer routers also include compatibility with the 802.11ac standard while offering backward compatibility,which means they work with older standards.

Table 3-1 lists the different wireless standards.

Table 3-1 Wireless Standards and Router Speeds

Wireless Standard

Speed

Indoor Range

802.11a

Up to 54 Mbps

30 meters (98 feet)

802.11b

Up to 11 Mbps

35 meters (114 feet)

802.11g

Up to 54 Mbps

35 meters (114 feet)

802.11n

Up to 248 Mbps

70 meters (229 feet)

802.11ac

Up to 1.3 Gbps

90 meters (295 feet)

The upload/download speed of wireless standards is measured in megabits per second (Mbps) — or, with the super-fast 802.11ac, gigabits per second (Gbps), although this maximum speed is rarely achieved in normal use. The speed and range of a wireless Internet connection also degrade with distance and obstacles, such as walls or heavy furniture that stand between the Wi-Fi router and your Mac. The 802.11g standard also suffers interference from peripherals (such as wireless keyboards) that use the 2.4 GHz band. The 802.11ac standard uses 5 GHz signals, which make it almost impervious to interference and also uses a beaming (instead of broadcasting) technology, so it targets devices that are connected to it.

Connecting to a Wi-Fi network

Each router or modem will have its own set of instructions, which you should refer to when setting up your Wi-Fi network at home or in your office. In general, you connect the router to the modem that’s connected to the DSL, digital terrestrial, or satellite outlet, turn the router on, and then access the router administration tools through a web browser (Safari on your Mac) to set up the network name and password.

You can connect your Mac to a wireless network (say, at a café or a Wi-Fi network in your home) by following these steps:

1. Click the Wi-Fi icon in the right corner of the menu bar to open a pull-down menu displaying a list of any Wi-Fi networks within range of your Mac, and then select the network name you want to connect to, as shown in Figure 3-1.

image

Figure 3-1: See nearby Wi-Fi networks.

If you see WiFi: Off when you click the Wi-Fi icon on the menu bar, choose Turn WiFi On and then click the Wi-Fi menu icon again to display a list of any nearby wireless networks (refer to Figure 3-1).

image If you don’t see the Wi-Fi icon on the menu bar, choose image⇒System Preferences, click the Network icon, and then select the Show Wi-Fi Status in Menu Bar check box.

A lock icon to the left of the network’s signal strength indicates a secured (also known as encrypted) wireless network that is protected by a password. You must know what password to enter when prompted if you try to connect to a secured network.

2. If a dialog appears indicating that the network you selected requires a password to connect to it (shown in Figure 3-2), type the password and then click Join.

image

Figure 3-2: A secure Wi-Fi network requires a password to connect to it.

3. (Optional) Select the following options on the password dialog prompt:

· Show Password: Displays actual characters you type instead of dots that hide your password. With long, mixed-character case-sensitive passwords, it can be helpful to see what you type — just make sure that no one is looking over your shoulder.

· Remember This Network: Remembers that you have connected to the selected network before and then connects to it automatically whenever you’re within range of its signal. (If you chose to remember more than one wireless network in the same location, your Mac always connects to the one with the strongest signal first.)

The Wi-Fi icon on the menu bar shows black bars to indicate the strength of the Wi-Fi network signal your Mac is connected to. Like with mobile phone reception (and gold), more bars are better.

You’re now free to choose any activity that requires an Internet connection, such as running Safari to browse the news on The New York Times website (www.nytimes.com) or launching Messages to partake in a video chat with a friend who’s also connected to the Internet and signed in to Messages.

image When you connect to a wireless network that doesn’t require you to enter a password, your Mac essentially broadcasts any information you type (such as credit card numbers or passwords) through the airwaves. Although the likelihood of anyone actually monitoring what you’re typing is small, tech-savvy engineers or hackers can “sniff” wireless signals to monitor or collect information flowing through the airwaves. Whenever you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, assume that a stranger is peeking at your data and type only such data that you’re comfortable giving away to others. Connecting to a secured network that requires you to type a password to connect to it can lessen the likelihood that anyone is monitoring or collecting what you’re typing.

Cellular data modem

If you’re on the move a lot with your MacBook and go to places that don’t have Wi-Fi service, a cellular data modem may be a good solution. These devices, which look like flash drives or small mobile phones, hold a SIM card just like the one in your smartphone, and they use your selected cellular carrier to connect to the cellular broadband data network. And, like your mobile phone, you don’t have to plug into the phone line. With 3G, 4G, and LTE network availability, service is acceptable for simple tasks: reading and sending e-mail, surfing the web, or even watching a short video. Some cellular data modems are freestanding and can support Wi-Fi connections for three to five devices at a time. Others are plug-and-play: You plug the device into your Mac’s USB port, enter the associated password (provided by the modem and cellular service provider), and voilá! You’re online.

Establishing Your Apple Identity

When you first turn on your Mac (or install an upgrade to the operating system), a series of questions and prompts appear, including a prompt to sign in to your Apple ID account or create a new Apple ID.

The Apple ID identifies you and your devices in all things Apple that you do: registering new products, purchasing media and apps from the iTunes and App Stores, and signing in to your iCloud account.

iCloud is Apple’s remote syncing and storage service. See the “Keeping Your Data in iCloud” section for more information on why you might want to use the app.

You might already have an Apple ID — in which case you can either skip this section or continue reading for information on adding an iCloud account to the mix. You can use the same Apple ID for everything, iCloud and iTunes included, or create separate Apple IDs for separate accounts. Note: If you’ve used Apple products long enough that you still have one of the old Apple IDs that isn’t an e-mail address, you do have to set up a new account to use iCloud.

In the next sections, we explain two ways to create an Apple ID.

image If you don’t have an e-mail address or want to create an @icloud.com e-mail as your Apple ID and use it for all your Apple interactions, set up a new Apple ID from within iCloud in System Preferences (I tell you how to do that in the next section), not during the Mac setup. When you set up an Apple ID during the Mac setup, you must use an existing non-Apple domain e-mail address — because if you have an Apple domain e-mail address, that is your Apple ID and you use that to sign in.

Creating an Apple ID during Mac setup

When you first turn on your Mac, the onscreen dialog prompts you to sign in with your Apple ID or create a new one. Read through these steps to see what to expect:

1. Click one of the following on the opening screen:

· Sign In with Apple ID: Type in your existing Apple ID and password and then click Continue.

· Create Apple ID: The Apple ID website (https://appleid.apple.com) opens. Type the information requested in the fields on the form: Use an existing e-mail address as your Apple ID, choose three security questions and answers, and provide your date of birth and an optional rescue e-mail that’s different than your Apple ID e-mail. Complete the form with your mailing address (so the products you order online can be shipped to you), select your preferred language from the pop-up menu, select the e-mail you want to receive from Apple, type the Captcha word, select the check box to concede your agreement to the Terms of Service, and finally, click the Create Apple ID button.

· Use Separate ID for iCloud and iTunes: The iCloud icon is highlighted in the center of the screen. Enter the Apple ID you use with iCloud or click Create Apple ID, which takes you to the Apple ID website as we explain in the previous bullet. Click Continue. The iTunes and App Stores icons are highlighted; type in the Apple ID you use with them or click Create Apple ID and repeat as above.

image If you want to create an Apple ID with an @icloud.com suffix, click Don’t Sign In and confirm your choice by clicking the Skip button in the dialog that appears. Go to the next section to create an Apple ID and e-mail address in iCloud.

2. If you sign in with an existing Apple ID, you are prompted to do the following:

· Turn on Find My Mac, which we suggest you do.

· Choose three security questions and answers.

· Agree to the Terms of Service.

The message in the window lets you know your Mac is being set up, and then the Desktop appears.

Creating an Apple ID in iCloud

We find creating and using an @icloud.com e-mail address as your Apple ID convenient because you need remember only one password for all your interactions with Apple, and we like to think there’s added security for the information you sync across devices using iCloud when using an Apple domain rather than Google mail, Yahoo!, or one of the other e-mail service providers. (For more info on the benefits of iCloud, see the next section.)

image If you use the iCloud e-mail only for exchanges with Apple, notifications about product updates or invoices don’t get lost in the shuffle of myriad messages in a more active e-mail account.

Here we show you how to create an Apple ID with iCloud and then segue into managing your iCloud preferences in the next section.

1. Choose image⇒System Preferences or click the System Preferences icon on the Dock. Then click the iCloud button.

The iCloud preferences window opens.

2. Click Create New Apple ID.

3. Choose your Location and Date of Birth, and then click Next.

The Create an Apple ID window opens, as shown in Figure 3-3.

image

Figure 3-3: Create an icloud.com e-mail address to use as your Apple ID.

4. Select the Get Free iCloud Email Address radio button.

5. Type in a name you want to use for your e-mail address and then complete the other fields: first name, last name, and password.

Your password must be at least eight characters and contain at least one number, one uppercase letter, and one lowercase letter.

6. (Optional) Select the Email Updates check box for Apple news and update information.

7. Click Next.

If someone else already uses the name you chose, you’re prompted to type an alternative. It may take a few tries to find an unused name.

8. Select three security questions and answers from the pop-up menus that appear on the next window.

9. Type in a Rescue E-mail, which is different than the iCloud e-mail address you just created.

Apple uses this address to communicate with you in the event you completely forget your iCloud e-mail address and password.

10. Click Next.

11. Select the check box to confirm that you read and agree to the Terms of Service, and then click Continue.

12. The iCloud activation screen opens, as shown in Figure 3-4.

Leave both check boxes checked.

image

Figure 3-4: Activate iCloud syncing and Mac locating features.

13. Click Next.

The iCloud Security Code window opens. This code is used to add security to iCloud Keychain, which is the iCloud feature that remembers your online usernames and passwords as well as credit card numbers.

14. Type in a simple four-digit security code and click Next, or click Advanced to do one of the following, as shown in Figure 3-5, and then click Next:

· Use a Complex Security Code: Prompts you to enter a longer, more complex code in place of the four-digit code.

· Get a Random Security Code: Tells iCloud to create a code for you.

· Don’t Create Security Code: When you set up iCloud Keychain, you have to approve the set up from another device, like an iPhone or iPad, signed in to the same iCloud account.

image

Figure 3-5: Create a security code here.

15. Select one of the Advanced options and then click Next, or click Back to use the simple four-digit security code, and then click Next.

16. Type your security code, short or long, to confirm it.

Common four-digit codes, like 1-1-1-1, generate a warning that the code is too simple and easily guessed. You can choose to create a different code or just type your simple, easy code to confirm it.

17. Type a mobile phone number that will be used to send approval codes to your mobile phone when you access iCloud Keychain from another device.

This adds a second security to iCloud Keychain access.

18. Click Next.

iCloud opens, as shown in Figure 3-6.

A list of Apple apps that work with iCloud appears, and check marks indicate which are active. The data in checked apps will sync across all devices — computes, iPhones, iPads, iPod touches — that sign in to the same iCloud account.

image

Figure 3-6: Sync apps with iCloud across all your devices.


Your legacy Apple ID

New Apple IDs take the form of an e-mail address. If you have an Apple ID that you created several years ago, it may be in the form of a name, such as barbaradepaula. If your Apple ID isn't an e-mail address, you can continue to use it for iTunes, App, and iBook Store purchases, though. Just know that you have to create a different Apple ID for iCloud because that service requires the e-mail address ID format.


Keeping Your Data in iCloud

iCloud remotely stores and syncs data that you access from various devices — your Mac and other Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and iPods, and PCs running Windows. Sign in to the same iCloud account on different devices, and the data for activated apps syncs; that is, you find the same data on all your devices, and when you make a change on one device, it shows up on the others. iCloud works with the following Apple apps and the data within them:

· Contacts (known as Address Book in earlier versions of Mac OS X)

· Calendar (known as iCal in earlier versions of Mac OS X)

· Reminders

· Mail

· Notes

· Safari bookmarks, reading list, tabs, and viewing history

· Photos from both iPhoto and Aperture

· iTunes music and television shows

· iWork apps (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote)

· Preview

· TextEdit

· Keychain

image iCloud also works with third-party iCloud-enabled apps, such as iA Writer.

Here are some situations where iCloud can make your life easier:

· You want to back up your iTunes music and television show collections.

· You use both a Mac and an iOS device, such as an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

· You want to access Contacts, Calendar, and Mail from more than one computer — Mac or Windows — say, one for work and one at home.

· You keep a calendar that other people need to see and maybe even edit.

· You want to activate Find My Mac to keep tabs on your Mac's location and re-locate it should it be lost or stolen.

The initial setup on your Mac or the creation of an iCloud Apple ID as explained previously activates your iCloud account and places a copy of the data from Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Notes, Reminders, and Safari from your Mac to the cloud (that is, the Apple data storage equipment). Here, we show you how to work with the iCloud preferences, sync devices, and sign in to and use the iCloud website.

image If you use a Windows PC in addition to your Mac, you can download the iCloud Control Panel 3.0 for Windows (Windows 7 or 8) at http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1455, which enables iCloud storage and syncing in Windows. You then access the iCloud apps through iCloud.com and Microsoft Outlook.

Selecting iCloud preferences

You can choose which apps you want to use with iCloud. For example, you may want to keep Contacts and Calendars synced across all your devices but prefer that Notes stay separate because you use Notes on your iPhone for shopping lists that you don’t need on your Mac. Here’s how to customize how you work with iCloud:

1. Choose image⇒System Preferences and then click the iCloud button.

The iCloud preferences window opens (refer to Figure 3-6).

2. If you haven’t signed in to iCloud, click the Sign In button, enter your Apple ID and password, and click Sign In.

The iCloud preferences window opens.

The check-marked apps sync across all the devices signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.

3. Scroll down and click the Options button to find further options:

· Photos: Lets you turn on My Photo Stream (automatically uploads and downloads photos from added to iCloud or your Mac to the other source) and Photo Sharing (creates online photo albums that you can share with other people and they can also add photos, videos, and comments). Learn more about both features in Book IV, Chapter 3.

· Documents & Data: Select the apps that store and share data in iCloud. See Figure 3-7.

image

Figure 3-7: Select the apps you want to use with iCloud.

4. image Go to Book V to learn about using apps that work with iCloud.

5. (Optional) Click the Manage button (refer to Figure 3-6) to see the data that occupies your allotted iCloud storage, as shown in Figure 3-8.

Click each item in the list on the left to see the files for each. Backups (top of this list) keeps the backups of your iOS devices — not your Mac. iCloud keeps documents and data for iCloud-enabled apps but does not back up your entire Mac. See Book III, Chapter 1 to learn about backing up your Mac.

image

Figure 3-8: See the documents stored in each app on iCloud.

6. (Optional) Click the Buy More Storage button.

A free iCloud account gives you 5 gigabytes (GB) of storage — but songs purchased from the iTunes Store or up to 25,000 tracks in iTunes Match plus photos in PhotoStream don’t count toward that amount. In PhotoStream, iCloud stores up to 1,000 photos from the last 30 days. You can purchase additional storage for a yearly fee if necessary, as shown in Figure 3-9.

Click the storage amount you want and then click Next. Follow the onscreen instructions to add your personal and payment information.

image

Figure 3-9: Upgrade and increase your iCloud storage here.

7. Click Done.

8. Click the Close button in the upper left to quit System Preferences.

Syncing with your other devices

The only reason this topic has a heading is so it stands out because it couldn’t be simpler. To sync iCloud apps with your iOS devices, do the following:

1. Tap Settings on the Home screen.

2. Tap iCloud.

3. Sign in to your iCloud account.

4. Tap the apps you want to use to the on position.

The data in each app is automatically synced between your Mac and your iOS device.

image You must have an Internet connection to use iCloud.

Using the iCloud website

To manage your data on iCloud, you can go to the iCloud website. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Safari icon on the Dock or from Launchpad. (See Book II, Chapter 1 to read about using Safari.)

2. Type www.icloud.com in the URL field in Safari.

The iCloud website opens with the sign in fields.

3. Type in your Apple ID or the e-mail you used when you set up your iCloud account, and then type your password, as shown in Figure 3-10.

4. (Optional) Select the Keep Me Signed In check box if you want to stay connected to iCloud even when you go to other websites or quit Safari.

image

Figure 3-10: Signing in to an iCloud account.

5. Press the Enter key or click the arrow button.

Your name appears in the upper-right corner, and icons that take you to your activated services appear in the window, as shown in Figure 3-11.

image

Figure 3-11: Click the icons to go to the data you want.

6. Click any of the icons to go to the app you want.

7. From the app window, click the cloud button in the upper-left corner to return to the opening iCloud web page.

8. Click the arrow to the right of your name and choose Sign Out to close iCloud.com.


What about iTunes?

You might have noticed that iTunes isn’t mentioned in the iCloud preferences under System Preferences, nor is there an iTunes icon on the iCloud website. Nonetheless, all your iTunes purchases are automatically stored in iCloud, and you can set up iTunes to automatically download your purchases to all your devices, regardless of which device you use to make your purchase. Songs you didn’t purchase through iTunes are not stored in iCloud. If you have a lot of songs that weren’t purchased through iTunes, you may want to consider purchasing iTunes Match ($25/year), which downloads up to 25,000 songs you own that you didn’t purchase from iTunes (but that exist in the iTunes Store) to your iTunes purchase history. You get the advantage of having iTunes quality songs included in the iCloud storage. See Book IV, Chapter 1 for more information about using iTunes.


Setting Up E-Mail and Social Network Accounts

Even if you’ve created an Apple ID and set up iCloud, you may use a different account for e-mail and associated services such as calendars and contacts, Additionally, you might want to link contacts and events from your social networks to Contacts and Calendar. You can sync the data between apps on your Mac (such as Mail, Calendar, and Contacts) and the online apps (such as Google or Twitter). Here we show you how to add accounts to your Mac and activate the services and data you want to share.

Adding accounts

Many e-mail accounts offer contact and calendar management, and even note-taking services, too. Your e-mail address and password identify and give you access to your account. The three types of e-mail accounts you can set up are

· POP (Post Office Protocol)

· IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol)

· Exchange

A POP e-mail account usually transfers (moves) e-mail from the POP server computer to your computer. An IMAP or Exchange e-mail account stores e-mail on its server, which allows access to e-mail from multiple devices. Most individuals have POP accounts, whereas many corporations have IMAP or Exchange accounts.

You can use dozens of e-mail applications, but the most popular one is the free Mail app that comes with your Mac. If you don’t like Mail, you can download and install a free e-mail app, such as Thunderbird (www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird) or Mailsmith (www.mailsmith.org).

image You can access your e-mail from Mail (or a different e-mail app) on your Mac, from a web browser on your Mac, or on another computer, such as at your friend’s house or in an Internet café. When you use a web browser, you go to the e-mail provider’s website.

Gathering your account information

To make Mail work with your e-mail account or link Contacts and Calendar to a social network account like Facebook or Twitter, you need to gather the following information:

· Your username (also called an account name): Typically a descriptive name (such as nickyhutsko) or a collection of numbers and symbols (such as nickyhutsko09). Your username plus the name of your e-mail provider or ISP defines your complete e-mail address, such asnickyhutsko@gmail.com or lilypond@comcast.net.

· Your password: Any phrase that you choose to access your account. If someone sets up an e-mail account for you, he might have already assigned a password that you can always change later.

For Mail, you might also need the following two bits of information, so have them handy if you can:

· Your e-mail account’s incoming server name: The mail server name of the computer that contains your e-mail message is usually a combination of POP or IMAP and your e-mail account company, such as pop.comcast.net or imap.gmail.com.

· Your e-mail account’s outgoing server name: The name of the outgoing mail server that sends your messages to other people. The outgoing server name is usually a combination of SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and the name of the company that provides your e-mail account, such as smtp.gmail.com or smtp.comcast.net.

image If you don’t know your account name, password, incoming server name, or outgoing server name, ask the company that runs your e-mail account or search on the provider’s website. If you’re unable to find the information, chances are you might still be able to set up your e-mail account on your Mac, thanks to the Mail app’s ability to detect the most popular e-mail account settings, such as those for Gmail or Yahoo!.

Configuring your account

After you collect the technical information needed to access your account, you need to add it to the Internet Accounts on your Mac by following these steps:

1. Choose image⇒System Preferences or click the System Preferences icon on the Dock or from Launchpad.

2. Click the Internet Accounts button.

The iCloud account you created is selected.

3. Click the plus sign at the bottom of the window to reveal a list of other accounts you can add, as shown in Figure 3-12.

image

Figure 3-12: Add accounts from those listed.

4. Click the name of the account you want to add, such as Google or Yahoo! or Twitter. Scroll down to see more options, including AOL, Vimeo, and Flickr, as well as an Add Other Account option.

An account information window opens, similar to Figure 3-13.

image

Figure 3-13: Activate the account.

5. Type your name, e-mail address, and password, and then click Set Up.

Social networks, such as Twitter or LinkedIn have a Next button.

Exchange has a Continue button, and a second dialog prompts you for a Server address, which your network administrator can probably provide. Click Continue on the second dialog to verify the account.

Your account is verified and a list of services appears, such as contacts or calendar.

6. Click the services you want to use.

For example, if you choose Contacts in Facebook, you will see them as a group in the Contacts app. Or choose Calendar in Google, and your events can be accessed from the Calendar app.

7. (Optional) If you don’t see the account you use listed, click Add Other Account.

A selection of account types appears, as shown in Figure 3-14.

image

Figure 3-14: Set up other types of accounts in System Preferences.

8. Click the account type and then click Create.

Type in the information requested, which varies for different account types. See specific chapters for more details: Mail — Book II, Chapter 2; Messages — Book II, Chapter 3; Calendar — Book V, Chapter 2; Contacts — Book V, Chapter 1.

As you add accounts, they appear in the list on the left of the window (refer to Figure 3-14).

9. (Optional) Edit or delete accounts:

· Edit: Click an account to edit the services it provides, for example to add Notes to your Gmail account or deactivate Contacts from Facebook.

· Delete: Click an account and then click the minus sign to delete it from your Mac.

10. Click the Close button to quit System Preferences.

image After you add an account, you access its contents in other apps, such as Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Safari.