Mac is still not a vacuum cleaner and not an electric kettle, and therefore requires its owner of some specific knowledge and skills. Of course, you probably know how to turn on the computer, go online and start a new film. But there are a small set of simple skills which may not be taught in science lessons at school. But not to know and not to use them means to not use the capabilities of your Mac and half.
1. To configure your system backup
Every computer user knows what he needs to keep backups of your important files. But my hands normally do not reach. Although Mac implemented a reliable means for the backup system, set up just a couple of clicks of the mouse. Time Machine not only allows you easily recover data on your computer in case of failure, but also to move the system to your new Mac.
If you’re worried about possible problems or removal of important files, Time Machine eliminates this uncertainty. The utility allows you to view and restore the files or changes that were made after the backup.
Time Machine works with any external hard drives and Time Capsule from Apple (base station Wi-Fi with redundant internal disk). To enable backups, enable Time Machine switch in the “On” position, adjusting the frequency of creating backup files and specifying the location to save them. Thus, your Mac will always be ready to restore the system to working condition.
2. To use hotkeys
The keyboard was given a Mac for beauty and not just for writing a review on MacDigger. With the keyboard you can do very much through “hotkeys” — keyboard shortcuts that perform different actions much faster than if you choose the mouse menu, click on it, then click several more buttons.
Managing applications on your Mac based on a simple and familiar menus such as File or edit. Want to print a document? To do this, select File -> Print. But you can save a lot of time using keyboard shortcuts. For example, for the transition to print, simply press the P key while holding the Command key.
Each application on your Mac can have its own shortcuts, which can be found in the help section.
3. To understand a little bit in wireless networks
Wi-Fi still remains something incomprehensible. And this is despite the fact that wireless networks have firmly infiltrated into our lives. Especially to users of notebooks and smartphones. Ideally, each user should be able to set up a wireless network at home, but if you can’t it doesn’t matter.
The trouble is, if the majority of the following is a surprise for you:
— Wifi router is a mini computer that you can connect through the browser, if you type in the address bar 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1, enter the username and password. After that, a menu will appear with which you can experiment, holding tenaciously to the teeth and user’s guide turning to him in case of any doubt. However, until you clicked “OK” or “Save” nothing irreparable will happen;
— the settings of any router can be reset to the factory using a special “recessed” into the case key (press needle) — if you played and made it so that the connection at home is gone. The correct algorithm and the required long press (from different manufacturers it is different) — see the user guide;
to your router if the connection is not protected, can connect any. And, for example, download through you forbidden content — when to visit (possibly through the window) will come in the form of people in masks, with guns and handcuffs, you’ll have to explain that IT wasn’t you. It’s time to set a password and encrypt the connection;
the only reliable way to encrypt the connection in wireless networks today is WPA/WPA 2. WEP and, especially, protection by binding the IP address to a specific device, a competent attacker will pass easily and without straining. What all this gibberish means is not necessarily understood. Just type in your browser 192.168.1.1 and see whether your router WPA/WPA 2. If not, enable this option and choose a password more complicated than “12345” or “qwerty”;
— most of the standard usernames and passwords in the routers looks like admin/admin and admin/12345. If you are after buying a router not changed the password, there is a risk that your more technically literate neighbor already uses your device for their own selfish purposes. However, in modern routers at the default settings to connect to the device is increasingly possible only through a wired connection. This, of course, greatly reduces the risk;
4. To properly handle the battery MacBook
The most voracious part of the MacBook is the display. So lowering the brightness is the first thing that can be done to significantly reduce energy consumption. In second place are all kinds of processors — CPUs, GPUs and, of course, responsible for communications. If you are not using Wi-Fi disable this option, it will save energy. In the settings of the macOS there are several possibilities to reduce power consumption. But they would fold in front of the user that ran in the background many different services. They sit quietly and wasting precious energy. So whether you need running Dropbox, if you fly in an airplane and physically unable to do backup via Internet?
Another part of the problem of power consumption associated with the inept handling of batteries. At the dawn of notburgastrasse when the batteries were large and Nickel-based, each user firmly learned that in order to make the battery last longer, it is necessary to fully discharge and fully charge. As time went by, technology changed the batteries today have the prefix “Li -” but knowledge about the “fully discharged, a fully charged” already firmly lodged in the minds and on the pages of the Internet. So firmly that nothing and nothing it is not there to dislodge.
However, for modern batteries, this mode of charging and discharging is extremely harmful — they will lose 20% capacity per year if they are constantly discharged and fully charged. Modern battery likes to be in the “middle of the half”. And he extremely hates to overheat. So the best thing to do is to use a cooling stand.
5. To be able to access your files anywhere
Those who regularly work with documents, at least once, but caught in a situation when the Mac is physically far away, and to obtain the information you need immediately. Plus, some people still carry a “stick” with annual reports.
In the age of “cloud” technologies of the flash drives yesterday. If at the time of buying Mac you already use an iPhone or iPad, you can use your Apple ID data. To connect an iCloud account during initial setup or later via system properties. Cloud service iCloud allows you to share photos, contacts, calendars, and many others between devices without a physical connection and a manual synchronization. If you do not have an Apple ID, then by all means sign up.
Services like Dropbox or Google Drive also allow you to access files from anywhere and with (almost) any mobile device. Dropbox, in particular, allows to work with documents on your iPad and iPhone, but Google Drive will be useful for Android users.
6. To carry out “maintenance”
The computer like a car, from time to time needs maintenance. The most radical of them — a complete reinstallation of the system, it is recommended to use in extreme cases. Less radical involves the use of “care”. Today, however, Mac user can get a regular run of the utility CleanMyMac, which will clean from the system all the debris, slowing its work. To clean the disk from unnecessary files will also help DaisyDisk.
7. Instantly share your files with other
Modern user is increasingly not shared with other files and links, but the files are still an integral part of computers and each is simply obliged to be able quickly to transfer them.
First, if someone need to share at the moment is online, you can simply send the requested file via Viber or Skype. Second, if you need to put a link to the file in a public place or forward a large number of photos to another person, then you can use the same Dropbox. To do this, click the right mouse button on the icon Dropbox, choose the option “Open Dropbox folder”, in the opened window select the required folder and in it, again right-click and choose Dropbox “Share link”. Received the link can be easily shared with others to download these files they will not be with your computer and with the web service Dropbox. If you need to make a folder could use the other, it is necessary to choose the same option “Share folder”.
