Teach Yourself VISUALLY MacBook Pro, 2nd Edition (2014)

Part I. Discovering MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro is the best laptop you can get. Small, beautiful, and almost incredibly powerful, the MacBook Pro can handle pretty much any computing task you care to throw at it. In this part, you learn fundamentals that will help you get the most out of your MacBook Pro.

Chapter 1. Exploring MacBook Pro

Tour MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro laptops are elegantly designed and incredibly slim and lightweight. But each is also a powerful computer that can handle all your everyday computing tasks with ease. Here you learn about the MacBook Pro's major features from the outside, including its controls, ports, and other features that you use to control your MacBook Pro and to connect it to other devices. The various models of MacBook Pro have slightly different features, such as screen sizes, processors, memory, ports, and storage.

MacBook Pro

A Display

The MacBook Pro's display provides a sharp, bright, and colorful view into all that you do.

B Camera

The built-in camera enables you to videoconference, take photos, and more.

C Keyboard

Along with the standard letter and number keys, the keyboard provides function keys to control your MacBook Pro. The keyboard has a backlight that illuminates automatically when you are using the MacBook Pro in dim light, enabling you to see what you are doing.

D Trackpad

The trackpad enables you to manipulate objects on the screen using finger gestures. The entire trackpad is also the button that you click or double-click to give commands.

E Ports

The ports connect your MacBook Pro to other devices, such as hard drives, external displays, iPods, and so on.

F Microphones

The microphones enable you to use your MacBook Pro for audio and video calls without needing to connect a headset.

G Speakers

The speakers enable you to listen to music or other audio.

MacBook Pro Keyboard

A Brightness

Press to decrease your screen's brightness or to increase it.

B Mission Control

Press to open Mission Control so you can quickly move between working spaces.

C Launchpad

Press to open or close the Launchpad.

D Keyboard Backlight Brightness

Press to decrease the brightness of the keyboard backlighting, or press to increase it.

E Previous/Rewind

Press to move to the previous item or rewind in iTunes and other applications.

F Play/Pause

Press to play or pause iTunes and other applications.

G Next/Fast Forward

Press to move to the next item or fast-forward in iTunes and other applications.

H Volume

Press to mute the MacBook Pro, to turn the volume down, and to turn it up.

I Power Button

Press the Power button to turn MacBook Pro on; press and hold it to force MacBook Pro to turn off.

J Alternate Function Key

Hold down the Alternate Function key while pressing a function key to perform the alternate task.

K Modifier Keys

Press the modifier keys to invoke keyboard shortcuts.

L Scroll Keys

Press the scroll keys to move around the screen.

Tour MacBook Pro (continued)

A MacBook Pro includes the ports you need to connect to other devices, such as external displays, speakers, iPhones, iPads, iPods, disk drives, and more. The specific port you use for any task depends on the devices to which you are connecting your MacBook Pro. And some devices have options; for example, you can use USB or Thunderbolt depending on the kind of drive you are connecting.

The Retina and non-Retina models have different types and numbers of ports, but you can identify the ports on any model easily using the illustrations in this section.

Ports on the MacBook Pro Retina Models

A Thunderbolt Port

Use this high-speed port to connect external displays and Thunderbolt hard drives to your MacBook Pro.

B USB Ports

Use these ports to connect USB devices, such as iPods, iPhones, iPads, and disk drives to your MacBook Pro. The ports support USB 1.1, 2, and 3 versions. You can connect USB devices directly or connect a USB hub that provides extra ports, enabling you to connect many more devices.

C MagSafe 2 Port

Connect the MacBook Pro power adapter to this port. The MagSafe 2 connector attaches magnetically, providing a secure connection but detaching easily if force is applied — for example, if someone's foot snags the power cord.

D Analog/Digital Audio In/Out

Connect headphones or analog speakers or use a TOSLINK adapter to connect digital audio equipment, such as surround-sound speakers. Connect a microphone or other sound input device to use the audio it provides.

E SDXC Card

You can insert SDXC and other types of SD cards here so you can store files. SDXC is the abbreviation for Secure Digital eXtended Capacity.

F HDMI

You can connect an HDMI screen or TV to this port.

Ports on the 13-Inch MacBook Pro

A MagSafe 2 Port

B Ethernet

Connect the MacBook Pro to an Ethernet network.

C FireWire 800

Use these high-speed ports to connect external hard drives and other devices.

D Thunderbolt Port

Use this high-speed port to connect external displays and Thunderbolt hard drives.

E USB Ports

F SDXC Card

You can insert SDXC and other types of SD cards here so you can store files. SDXC is the abbreviation for Secure Digital eXtended Capacity.

G Analog/Digital Audio In/Out

H Battery Status Button and Lights

Press the button to see lights indicating battery status. More lights means more battery power.

I Kensington Slot

Attach a Kensington Lock to this slot to anchor your MacBook Pro to a solid object as an anti-theft precaution.

J SuperDrive

Use for reading and burning CDs and DVDs.

Start Up and Log In

To start your MacBook Pro, you simply press the power button and wait a few seconds while OS X loads. You then may need to log in to your user account. OS X enables a Mac to have multiple user accounts, so each person who uses the MacBook Pro can have his own files and folders. You created your user account when you first set up your MacBook Pro. The automatic login feature bypasses the login process. If it is not turned on, you need to know a username and password to be able to log in to a user account.

Start Up and Log In

Start Up

Open MacBook Pro by lifting its lid.

Press the Power button.

When the startup process is complete, you see the Login window if automatic login is turned off or the OS X desktop if automatic login is turned on.

Log In with the User List

Start up the MacBook Pro.

The Login window appears, showing a list of user accounts on the MacBook Pro.

Slide your finger across the trackpad until the pointer is over the appropriate user account.

Press the trackpad.

Note: To click the trackpad button, just press down once on the trackpad; the whole trackpad is a button.

The Password field appears.

Type the password for the user account.

Note: Passwords are case sensitive, so you must type them with exactly the correct capitalization.

Click or press .

OS X logs you in to the user account.

The OS X desktop appears.

Log In with a Username

Start up the MacBook Pro.

The Login window appears, showing the Name and Password fields.

Type the name of the user account in the Name field.

Type the password for the account in the Password field.

Press .

OS X logs you in to the user account.

The OS X desktop appears.

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What if I forget my password?

If you enter a password incorrectly, the Login screen shudders when you try to log in. This lets you know that the password you provided does not work. Make sure Caps Lock is off — a green light appears on the button if it is on — and try entering the password again. If that does not help, click the Password Hint icon () and a password hint appears on the screen if a hint was configured for your account. If you still cannot log in, try a different user account or ask an administrator for help.

Explore the OS X Desktop

Your MacBook Pro runs the OS X operating system, which is currently in version 10.9, called Mavericks. The Macintosh operating system has long been known for being very intuitive and is also pleasing to look at. It was the first major system interface to focus on graphical elements, such as icons. The OS X desktop is the overall window through which you view all that happens on MacBook Pro, such as looking at the contents of folders, working on documents, and surfing the web.

OS X Desktop

A Menu Bar

A menu bar usually appears at the top of the screen so that you can access the commands it contains. OS X hides the menu bar in certain situations. The menu bar shows the menus for the active application.

B Drives

The MacBook Pro stores its data, including the software it needs to work, on an internal drive. This drive is a solid-state device, or SSD, rather than a hard drive with moving platters, but it is often referred to as a hard drive. You can also connect external drives for extra storage.

C SuperDrive

You can connect an external SuperDrive or other compatible optical drive to read from and write to CDs and DVDs.

D Folders

Folders are containers that you use to organize files and other folders stored on your MacBook Pro.

E Files

Files include documents, applications, or other sources of data. There are various kinds of documents, such as text, graphics, songs, or movies.

F Finder Windows

You view the contents of drives, folders, and other objects in Finder windows.

G Application and Document Windows

When you use applications, you use the windows that those applications display, for documents, web pages, games, and so on.

Finder Menu Bar and Menus

A Apple Menu

This menu is always visible so that you can access special commands, such as Shut Down and Log Out.

B Finder Menu

This menu enables you to control the Finder application itself. For example, you can display information about the Finder or set preferences to control how it behaves.

C File Menu

This menu contains commands you can use to work with files and Finder windows.

D Edit Menu

This menu is not as useful in the Finder as it is in other applications, but here you can undo what you have done or copy and paste information.

E View Menu

This menu enables you to determine how you view the desktop; it is especially useful for choosing Finder window views.

F Go Menu

This menu takes you to various places, such as specific folders.

G Window Menu

This menu enables you to work with open Finder windows.

H Help Menu

This menu provides help with OS X or the other applications.

I Configurable Menus

You can configure the menu bar to include specific menus, such as Screen Mirroring, Volume, Wi-Fi, Battery, and many more.

J Clock

Here you see the current time and day.

K Fast User Switching

This feature enables you to change user accounts and open the Login window.

L Spotlight Menu

This menu enables you to search for information on your MacBook Pro.

Explore the OS X Desktop (continued)

The Finder application controls the OS X desktop, and so you see its menu bar whenever you work with this application. When you view the contents of a folder, you do so through a Finder window. There are many ways to view the contents of a Finder window, such as Icon view and List view. The Sidebar enables you to quickly navigate the desktop and to open files and folders with a single click. The Dock and Sidebar on the desktop enable you to access items quickly and easily.

Finder Windows

A Close Button

Click to close a window.

B Minimize Button

Click to shrink a window and move it onto the Dock.

C Zoom Button

Click to expand a Finder window to the maximum size needed or possible; click it again to return to the previous size.

D Window Title

The name of the location whose contents you see in the window.

E Toolbar

Contains tools you use to work with files and folders.

F Search Box

Enables you to find files, folders, and other information.

G Sidebar

Enables you to quickly access devices, folders, files, and tags, as well as searches you have saved.

H Files and Folders

Shows the contents of a location within a window; this example shows the Icon view.

I Status Bar

Shows information about the current location, such as the amount of free space when you are viewing the MacBook Pro's drive.

J Window Border

Drag a border or a corner to change the size of a window.

K Path Bar

Shows the path to the location of the folder displayed in the window.

L Tab Bar

Enables you to open multiple tabs containing different Finder locations within the same Finder window and quickly switch among them.

Dock and Sidebar

A Favorites

Contains files, folders, searches, and other items that you can open by clicking them.

B Devices

Contains your internal drive, any DVD or CD in an external optical drive, external hard drives, and other devices that your MacBook Pro can access.

C Shared

Displays computers and other resources being shared on a network.

D Tags

Shows the list of tags you can apply to files and folders to help you identify and sort them easily.

E Dock

Shows applications, files, and folders you can access with a single click, along with applications currently running.

F Applications

Icons on the left side of the Dock are for applications; each open application has a glowing dot under its icon unless you turn off this preference.

G Files, Folders, and Minimized Windows

Icons on the right side of the Dock are for files, folders, and minimized windows. The default Dock includes the Downloads folder for files you download from the Internet along with your Documents folder.

H Trash/Eject

OS X puts items you delete in the Trash; to get rid of them, you empty the Trash. When you select an ejectable device, such as a DVD, the Trash icon changes to the Eject icon.

Point and Click, Double-Click, or Secondary Click

If you logged in using the earlier steps, you know the basics of using the trackpad. To tell the MacBook Pro what you want to do, point the on-screen pointer to the object that you want to work with by sliding a finger over the trackpad. After you point to something, you tell the computer what you want to do with it. You do this by pressing the trackpad down to click it. This is referred to as clicking the trackpad. The number of times you click and how you do so determines what happens to the object you point at.

Point and Click, Double-Click, or Secondary Click

Point and Click

Slide your finger on the trackpad until the pointer points at the appropriate icon.

Press the trackpad once to click the trackpad. This is a single click.

The object is highlighted to indicate that it is now selected.

Double-Click

Slide your finger on the trackpad until the pointer points at the appropriate icon.

Click the trackpad twice.

Your selection opens.

Point, Click, and Drag

Slide your finger on the trackpad until the pointer points at the appropriate icon.

Press down the trackpad and hold it.

The object at which you were pointing becomes attached to the arrow and remains so until you release the trackpad.

Drag your finger on the trackpad to move the object.

When you get to the object's new position, release the trackpad.

Note: Dragging something to a different hard drive, flash drive, or disk volume copies it there. Changing its location on the same drive moves it instead.

Secondary Click (Control+Click)

Point to an object on the desktop or even the desktop itself.

Note: To select more than one item at the same time, press and hold while you click each item you want to select.

Press and hold .

Click the trackpad.

A contextual menu appears.

Choose a command on the resulting menu by pointing to it and clicking the trackpad once.

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Why do things I click stick to the arrow?

You can configure the trackpad so you can drag things without having to hold down the trackpad. When this setting is on and you click something, it gets attached to the pointer. When you move the pointer, the object moves too. To configure this setting, see the section “Configure the Trackpad.”

Understanding Drives, Volumes, Optical Discs, Folders, and Files

As you use your MacBook Pro, you work with data. Underlying all this data is the need to store and organize it. This section describes the major items that OS X uses for storing and organizing data.

These items include drives, volumes, discs, folders, and files. The Finder manages these items, and you access them directly from the desktop or from within applications. You can use different types of devices for different purposes. For example, you can use an external hard drive to back up the data stored on your MacBook Pro.

Drive

A drive is one type of physical device that you use to store data. Drives come in different types. The MacBook Pro has one internal drive — a solid-state device, or SSD — that contains the software it needs to work, applications you install, and documents you create. You can connect external disk drives to expand the available storage room. OS X uses different icons to represent different kinds of drives. For example, an internal drive such as the SSD appears with a different icon from an external drive.

Volume

A volume is an area of a disk created using software rather than a physical space. A drive can be partitioned into multiple volumes, where each volume acts like a separate drive. A volume performs the same task as a drive, which is to store data. You can access volumes being shared with you over a network. Volumes are used to organize data in different ways and to represent various resources you work with.

Optical Discs

CDs and DVDs serve many purposes. Examples abound, including listening to audio CDs, watching DVD movies and TV shows, and installing applications stored on a CD or DVD. You can also put your own data on CD or DVD, such as burning audio CDs with iTunes and backing up your data on DVD. The MacBook Pro does not have a built-in optical drive, but you can easily connect an external SuperDrive or another compatible optical drive via USB.

Folders

Like manila folders in the physical world, folders on a MacBook Pro are a means to organize things, such as files and even other folders. OS X includes many folders by default, including Music, Pictures, and Documents. You can create, name, delete, and organize folders in your user account freely; if you have an Administrator account, you can alter some system folders as well, but it is better to leave them alone. You open a folder in a Finder window to view its contents.

Files

A file is a container for data. Files can contain many different kinds of data. For example, some files are documents, such as text documents you create with a word processor. Files can also be images, songs, movies, and other kinds of content. Files also make up the OS X operating system that runs your MacBook Pro; you typically do not interact with system files directly. Files have names that include filename extensions, such as .jpg and .doc, and are represented by icons in Finder windows and e-mail attachments. Icons show a preview of what the file contains in their thumbnail image.

Configure the Keyboard

One of the main ways of communicating with your MacBook Pro is the keyboard, through which you issue commands, add content to documents, send and receive e-mail, and so on. You can configure the keyboard to work the way you want it to. You use the Keyboard pane of the System Preferences application to configure your keyboard. For example, you can set keyboard shortcuts for commands so you can activate the command by pressing a combination of keys.

Configure the Keyboard

Configure Keyboard Settings

Control+click System Preferences ().

Click Keyboard.

Click the Keyboard tab.

Drag the Key Repeat slider to set the repeat number.

Drag the Delay Until Repeat slider to set the repeat delay.

To use the built-in function keys as normal function keys, select the Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys check box ( changes to ).

Select the Adjust keyboard brightness in low light check box ( changes to ) to have the backlight dim or brighten automatically.

Drag the slider to set the backlight duration.

Click Modifier Keys.

In the Modifier Keys dialog box, select the key presses associated with the various modifier keys.

Click OK.

Configure Keyboard Shortcuts

Click Shortcuts.

The Shortcuts pane appears.

Click a category.

Deselect a shortcut's check box ( changes to ) to disable it.

To change the keys used for any shortcut, select the current shortcut and then press the new keyboard combination you want to use.

To add a new keyboard shortcut, click the Application Shortcuts category and then click Add ().

The New Shortcut sheet opens.

Click the Application pop-up menu () and then click the application to which the shortcut applies.

Note: Choose All Applications to have the new shortcut affect all of them.

Type the name of the command in the Menu Title field.

Note: You must type the name exactly as it appears on the menu.

Click in the Keyboard Shortcut field and press the key combination you want to use.

Click Add.

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How do I get back to the original shortcuts?

Display the Shortcuts tab, select any category but Application Shortcuts, and click the Restore Defaults button to set all keyboard shortcuts as they were when you first started your MacBook Pro. You lose any changes you have made over time, so if you want to reset only a couple of shortcuts, just change those back to what you want them to be.

Configure the Trackpad

The other primary control MacBook Pro has is its trackpad. You can use the trackpad to move the pointer on the screen by dragging your finger around the trackpad. You also click the trackpad to perform various actions, such as to select a command on a menu. Beyond these basics, you can perform a wide variety of gestures with the trackpad. You can also configure it so that you can scroll in windows, rotate objects, and much more using up to four fingers.

Configure the Trackpad

Click Apple ().

The Apple menu opens.

Click System Preferences.

The System Preferences window opens.

Click Trackpad.

The Trackpad pane appears.

Click Point & Click.

The Point & Click pane appears.

Note: You can point to a gesture to play a video explaining the gesture in the Preview pane in the lower-right corner of the Trackpad window.

Select a gesture ( changes to ) to turn it on.

If the gesture has a menu, click the menu and choose which option to use.

Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have set up the point and click gestures you want to use.

Drag the Tracking speed slider to adjust the amount the pointer moves for the same amount of finger movement.

Click Scroll & Zoom.

The Scroll & Zoom pane appears.

Choose which scroll and zoom gestures to use.

Note: OS X is designed to take advantage of gestures on the trackpad so it is worth your time to explore all the options and adjust them over time to make using your MacBook Pro even more efficient.

Click More Gestures.

The More Gestures pane appears.

Choose which additional gestures you want to use.

Click Close ().

The System Preferences window closes.

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How can I use a mouse with MacBook Pro?

You can connect any Mac-compatible USB mouse to your MacBook Pro. You can also use a Bluetooth mouse; see Chapter 8 for the steps to configure and use a Bluetooth mouse. When a mouse is connected, use the Mouse pane of the System Preferences application to configure it.

How do I drag things with a gesture on the trackpad?

You can use the method described earlier, but it is even easier to enable the Three finger drag preference on the Point & Click tab. With this enabled, you can touch the trackpad with three fingers while you are pointing to what you want to move. As you move your fingers on the trackpad, the object moves on the screen. When it is in its new position, lift your fingers off the trackpad.

Sleep, Log Out, Restart, or Shut Down

There are several ways to stop using your MacBook Pro. Most of the time, you either put it to sleep or log out. During sleep, everything you have open remains open, but the MacBook Pro goes into low-power mode; you can wake it up to quickly get back to whatever you were doing. When you log out, all open documents and applications close and you return to the Log In screen. When you want to turn the MacBook Pro off, you shut it down. There may also be times when you want to restart the MacBook Pro.

Sleep, Log Out, Restart, or Shut Down

Sleep or Log Out

Click Apple ().

The Apple menu opens.

Highlight Sleep or Log Out.

Click the trackpad.

If you selected Sleep, most activity on the computer stops.

Note: You can put your MacBook Pro to sleep even faster by simply closing its lid.

If you selected Log Out, the Log Out confirmation dialog appears.

To reopen your applications and documents when you log back in, select the Reopen windows when logging back in check box ( changes to ).

Click Log Out.

All applications and documents close, and the Log In screen appears.

Note: A faster way to log out is to press +++.

Restart or Shut Down

Click Apple ().

The Apple menu opens.

Drag down the trackpad to highlight Restart or Shut Down.

Click the trackpad.

Depending on which option you chose, the appropriate confirmation dialog appears.

If you want all your open documents, Finder windows, and applications to open again when the computer restarts (whether you choose Restart or Shut Down), select the Reopen windows when logging back in check box ( changes to ).

To restart your MacBook Pro, click Restart.

Your MacBook Pro shuts down and then starts up again. If you selected the Reopen option, all the windows you had open are restored.

To shut down your MacBook Pro, click Shut Down.

Your MacBook Pro turns off.

Note: You can also put your MacBook Pro to sleep easily by pressing the Power button.

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How often should I turn my MacBook Pro off?

Just putting it to sleep is usually better than shutting it down. When you want to use it again, wake it up and it is ready in just a few seconds. If you will not be using the MacBook Pro for an extended period of time and it is not connected to the power adapter, shutting it down so the battery does not get completely drained is better.