Thought I'd break myself back in gently by putting together Part 2 of the mini series - Setting up your Mac.

In this weeks show, I make a couple of slight alterations from Part 1 as suggested by pman and wastern, then it's straight into a section on configuring your new shiny aluminium keyboard to get the most out of it.

Then onto a list of some of the top freeware and donationware applications to install on your brand new Mac (or existing Mac if needs be!)

A few suggestions on commercial software I can't live without, topped off with an announcement on the new ScreenCastsOnline 2007 DVD now available (members only - sorry!).

Finished off with news of a groovy prize draw for all those people who buy a DVD before the end of February.

You know what, I didn't break myself in gently at all!

Some links for products mentioned in the show:

iStat Menus - Website
VLC - Website
Adium - Website
Onyx - Website
AppTrap - Website
AppZapper - Website
Hazel - Website - ScreenCastsOnline Episode
1Password (Affiliate Link - 17% Off!!) - Website - ScreenCastsOnline Episode
Launchbar - Website - ScreenCastsOnline Episode
Rapidweaver - Website - ScreenCastsOnline Episode
SpeedDownload - Website - ScreenCastsOnline Episode
SpamSieve - Website - ScreenCastsOnline Episode

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

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For the first show of the new year, I thought I'd offer a helping hand to all those new Mac owners fortunate enough to get a new Mac for Christmas. The theme of this show was suggested by a viewer and I enlisted the help of the guys and gals over at the ScreenCastsOnline forum to assemble a list of best practices and essential software for the new Mac user.

The resultant list is just too much for a single show so I'll make it into an occasional mini series of shows for the new Mac user.

This first show looks at several different aspects of setting up a brand new mac from the view point of a new Mac user. I look at:

• Basic Dock Customisation
• Converting to a Standard Account
• Using Parental Controls
• Switching on the FireWall
• Setting a Screensaver Password
• Pointers to Using Time Machine

In addition to these common tasks, I also recommend six free software packages to get you up and running as quickly as possible (including running through the different installation routines for all of them) The software includes:

• Firefox - Web Browser (although I do recommend at least trying Safari for a short while)
• TextWrangler - A Fully Featured Text Editor
• Paintbrush - A simple bitmap graphics tool based on MS Paint
• Perian - Some essential video codecs to allow you play many different types of video
• Flip4Mac - Windows Media Playback
• The Unarchiver - Free unarchive utility for many formats

These are just the start and we'll look at many more useful utilities and applications in the following episodes.

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
The free show (or trailer) is at a much lower resolution.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

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Well it's finally here, along with iWork 08, and surprise, surprise, you don't need Leopard!

Apple have released iLife 08 and I couldn't resist quickly running through some of the main changes to all the applications, even though I'd only had a few hours to play with it.

In this week's show, I take you through the installation with some extra tips for iWeb users. Once installed, there's a quick introduction to all of the apps with a little more in depth look at iMovie 08.

The good news is that there is tons of material here for new screencasts so expect to see more detailed screencasts on all the iLife 08 applications along with iWork 08 over the next few months!

This is a full free show (but only in 640x360 with no chapters for non members). As mentioned in the show, I'll try and do at least one show a month on one of the new versions of the iLife apps (and iWork) but they won't all be free shows. To get the full set, you'll need to be an Extra! member.

Discussions: Forum

Extra members get access to full versions of the show in AppleTV (HD), ED and iPod resolutions.
The free show (or trailer) is at a much lower resolution.
Click here for more details on becoming a ScreenCastsOnline Extra! member

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Following on from the recent show (SCO0071 - Using an Internet Hosting Provider) I'm pleased to say that ScreenCastsOnline viewers have been setting up SiteGround accounts using the ScreenCastsOnline Affiliate Link!

Thank you!

This will be the last SiteGround related show for a month or two, but people have been asking about setting up the email system with OSX Mail application. So this show teaches you how to create email accounts in Siteground and configuring your mail in OSX. As this is a fairly standard procedure, you may fins that this is applicable to other hosting providers too! The show also covers some great tips on organising your mail accounts. So this week we look at:

Setting up single and multiple email accounts in Siteground
Configuring the OSX Mail Application
Forwarding multiple emails to single mailbox
Configuring multiple emails in a single mailbox
Organising your emails using Rules
SiteGround WebMail

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Back to the usual format this week. The recent WWDC keynote inspired me to cover one of the unsung heroes of OSX and that's the Mail application. It's been a while since I did a switcher show so I thought, why not!

This weeks show is in two versions, the usual free show and a special "enhanced" version for Extra! members which includes a separate Extra! section.

In the free show I cover...

Setting up Mail with .Mac, Mail User Interface, Mail Preferences including Rules, Organising your Mail Preferences incl Rules, Mailboxes and Smart MailBoxes

The Extra! section covers:

Migrating Data from Outlook to Mail, Setting up Mail with GMail, Installing a 3 pane view plugin

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Something useful for new mac users and regular users alike!

OSX is an extremely stable and low maintenance operating system but if you aren't able to keep your machine booted 24x7, there are some simple actions you can do to keep your mac in top condition. This screencast gives you some guidance on how to keep your mac spruced up for top performance.

Please leave all comments about this ScreenCast on the SCO Forum Message Board. This link will take you straight to the thread discussing this show.

If you're not already registered on the forums, you'll need to register when you click the link but it's free and very simple to do! Once you are registered, future clicks on this link or for future shows will take you straight to the forum.

Duration: 10:37
Size: Desktop & iPod:30MB HiDef:35MB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy
Links:
MacJanitor
Disk Optimisation with OSX
Cocktail

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This episode completes the trilogy covering Apples .Mac service.

Although .Mac has been around for a while, it's a hot topic at the moment due to the excellent integration between the recently announced iLife 06 suite and .Mac. This episode covers some of the collaborative tools built right into .Mac, principally Groups and also gives a first look at the new iWeb application.

The .mac group created in the screencast is available on-line and details on how you can get a free invite are included on the ScreenCastsOnline forum by following the link below

If you want to try out .mac, even if only to get a .mac ID to access the group, please use the affiliate link below and sign up via ScreenCastsOnline

Please leave all comments about this ScreenCast on the SCO Forum Message Board

Duration: 21:19
Size: Desktop & iPod:40MB HiDef:37MB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy
Links:


Sign up for a free, 60-day trial of .Mac
ScreenCastsOnline .mac Group (.mac ID required)
ScreenCastsOnline Forum Thread to request an invite

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This episode is the second part in a short series covering Apples .Mac service.

This episode focuses on Backup 3, the free backup software provided with .mac that allows you to backup to iDisk, hard disks, network shares and CD/DVD media. Part 3 will focuses on .mac groups and iWeb integration.

Please leave all comments about this ScreenCast on the SCO Forum Message Board

Duration: 12:00
Size: Desktop:18MB iPod:27MB HiDef:xxMB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy
Links:
Sign up for a free, 60-day trial of .Mac
ScreenCastsOnline .mac Group (.mac ID required)
ScreenCastsOnline Forum Thread to request an invite

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By popular request, this episode is the first part in a short series covering Apples .Mac service.

Although .Mac has been around for a while, it's a hot topic at the moment due to the excellent integration between the recently announced iLife 06 suite and .Mac.

This episode covers some of the basics of .Mac including iDisk, Sync and Mail.Once these basics are covered, the next episode will look at the other parts of .Mac including Backup, Web Publishing, Photocasting and Groups.

No discount this time but I'm hoping to get an affiliate link to .Mac so you can buy via ScreenCastsOnline. Check back before you sign up to use the affiliate link!

Please leave all comments about this ScreenCast on the SCO Forum Message Board

Duration: 21:19
Size: Desktop:34MB iPod:47MB HiDef:TBA
Platform: mac
Level: Easy
Links: Sign up for a free, 60-day trial of .Mac
ScreenCastsOnline .mac Group (.mac ID required)
ScreenCastsOnline Forum Thread to request an invite

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This is the third in a series of screencasts especially for mac switchers. This episode covers the amazing Expose functionality built right into OSX

Future episodes will cover all aspects of OSX tiger to give switchers (and potential switchers) a really good start in mastering their mac.

Please support ScreenCastsOnline by letting newbie friends and colleagues know about this useful resource and leave all comments about this ScreenCast on the ScreenCastsOnline Forums

Duration: 09:45
Size: 30MB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy

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This is the second in a series of screencasts especially for mac switchers. This episode covers the Finder in OSX and gives hints and tips on navigating around the mac environment

Future episodes will cover all aspects of OSX tiger to give switchers (and potential switchers) a really good start in mastering their mac.

Please support ScreenCastsOnline by letting newbie friends and colleagues know about this useful resource!

Duration: 22:31
Size: 37MB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy

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This episode covers the Dock in OSX and demonstrates how to master both simple and advanced built in functions of the dock.

Future episodes will cover all aspects of OSX tiger to give switchers (and potential switchers) a really good start in mastering their mac.

Please support ScreenCastsOnline by letting newbie friends and colleagues know about this useful resource!

PS - I'm assuming all switchers will be using a two button mouse so there are references to right click throughout - If you're a switcher and you haven't got a two button mouse then go and get one immediately!


Duration: 13:07
Size: 25MB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy
Links used in the ScreenCast:

Beamup Media

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A quick overview of Spotlight - one of the new features of OSX Tiger. This tutorial covers basic usage of the spotlight search functions within Tiger along with some more advanced hints and tips you may not be aware of!

Duration: 10:21
Size: 16MB
Platform: mac
Level: Easy
Links used in the ScreenCast:

Apple Spotlight Tips

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Automator - One of the most under used applications in OSX Tiger and one of the most requested ScreenCasts. This screencast takes you through the basics of Automator and shows you how to setup some simple Automator workflows.


Duration: 11:11
Size: 16MB
Platform: mac
Level: Simple
Links: Automator

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How to capture local copies of Web pages using Safari and Paparazzi. Following on from the previous screen capture screencast (SCO0007) this episode demonstrates how to create web archives and access them using Spotlight. Also the use of a great freeware package to capture whole web pages as graphic files.

This is the second ScreenCast originally distributed on macTV at the beginning of this week. It is replicated here for any ScreenCastOnline subscribers who are not subscribed to macTV.

Duration: 12:15
Size: 30MB
Platform: mac
Level: Simple
Links: paparazzi

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How to use the inbuilt features of OSX 10.4 to do screen captures plus demonstrating the use of a brilliant dashboard widget to enhance screen captures

As promised, this is the ScreenCast first distributed on macTV at the beginning of this week. It is replicated here for any ScreenCastOnline subscribers who are not subscribed to macTV.

I appreciate that this may cause a duplicate download for those subscribed to both. If this is a real cause for concern, please drop me a note at screencastsonline@gmail.com and we'll look at an alternative for the next macTV special.

Duration: 5:46
Size: 8.5MB
Platform: mac
Level: Simple
Links: Capture Widget

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