Learn the Mac – macOS Big Sur basics
Have you just got yourself a Mac or thinking about getting one? Perhaps you have moved from a Windows computer and want to understand the differences. We’ll help you get started, giving you an overview on all things Mac.
In this course we’ll cover
-
What is a Mac and macOS
-
Mac basics and how to navigate around a Mac
-
Differences between Windows and a Mac
-
How to perform basic functions on a Mac
-
What are some of the key applications that come bundled on a Mac and how to use them
-
How to get onto the Internet and setup your Mail
-
How to customise and change the look and feel of your Mac
-
How to create multiple user accounts, so that you and your family/friends can enjoy the Mac
-
Tips on mastering your Mac use
Do I need to be an expert?
No, this course is designed for people who may never have used a Mac before, but will also benefit people who may have been using a Mac for a while.
What software do I need?
We’ll be demoing most features on macOS Big Sur, but if you have an earlier or later version of the macOS that’s fine, features are very similar.
Why this course?
This course will be easy to understand, and is great because it will be hands on. It’s even better if you take this course on your Mac and follow along if you can.
You’ll soon start to see why so many people love Mac’s and why they are so popular.
Of course this is only the beginning of your learning journey, using your Mac more and more will help to learn more and more and will assist you in being more comfortable using your Mac.
Working on your Mac, and using Files and Folders
-
2
Moving around macOSThis video covers the basics of using the Mac and moving around
-
3
Right Clicking on the Mac
How do you right click on a Mac? Let's look at how to do this.
-
4
Different File Types
The Mac, like a Windows computer, organises various file types (ie. jpg, gif, pdf, doc). Let's look at some of the most common
-
5
Taking screenshot on Mac
The Mac let's you take a screen shot of your screen or a partial selection of your screen.
Apps and Documents
-
6
The Desktop, Finder, Spotlight
Let's focus on the Mac's desktop, finder and spotlight features. These are integral to understanding your Mac!
-
7
Copy and Paste Files and Folders
How do you copy and paste on your Mac? It's very easy, let's look at this in this video
-
8
How to create macOS shortcuts
On Windows they are called shortcuts, on the Mac they are called aliases, let's look at how to use them.
-
9
iCloud
iCloud is a great feature allowing you to store data and backups on the Cloud.
-
10
AirDrop
The Airdrop feature makes it very easy to transfer files and images between your Mac, your iPhone and your iPad.
Internet Browsing, Emails and Messaging
-
11
Launching, Quiting apps
How do you open an application? How do you quit out of an app?
-
12
Switching between apps, files
This video shows you how to easily switch and swap between applications on your mac.
-
13
Installing and Removing Apps, Looking at the App Store
Let's look at how to install and remove Mac apps, and also a brief look at the built in App Store.
-
14
Adding apps to the Dock
The Dock on your Mac is great and it's super easy to add apps to it.
-
15
Music, TV, Podcasts
For anyone who loves music, watching shows and movies and listening to podcasts. Let's look at these apps.
-
16
Calendar, Reminders and Notes
The Calendar, Remindes and Notes apps are great to keep your life on schedule and know what is coming up. Let's look at them.
-
17
Siri, Stickies and Preview
Siri is Apple's smart assistant, Stickies are like real life sticky notes, and Preview lets you open up images and pdf's, let's look at these mac apps and features.
Customizing your Mac
-
18
Intro
Intro to the Internet on the Mac
-
19
The Internet, Safari and other Browsers
Let's talk about Internet browsers and getting online.
-
20
Using Mail or Outlook
Use email? Let's look at the apps that let you setup and access your email.
-
21
Using Messages app + other messaging apps
Love sending iMessages? This video shows you how to easily use the Messages app.
Mastering the Mac
-
22
Systems Preferences
On Windows it's called Control Panel, on the Mac it's called System Preferences. Let's look at how to customize your Mac!
-
23
Desktop customization
Let's look at how to make the Mac desktop work for you.
-
24
Wallpapers, Screensavers, Appearance
Adding your own wallpaper and screensaver is fantastic! We'll also look at how to change the appearance of your Mac.
-
25
Customising Toolbars
What about customising your app toolbars? It's very easy, let's look at it in this video.
-
26
Systems Specs and Info
Your Mac is made up of a CPU, RAM, Hard Drive and other hardware. Let's look at how to access this information on your Mac, so that you easily see your Mac specifications.
-
27
Updating your Mac & Apps
Keeping your Mac up-to-date is essential to keeping it secure and running free of bugs. This video shows you how to update your Mac, and also the Apps running on your Mac.
-
28
User Accounts - Add and Manage Mac Users
Your Mac can have miultiple users. Let's look at how to add and manage User Accounts on your Mac.
-
29
Customizing the Touch Bar (Macbook Pro only)
If you have a Mac with a built-in touch bar, then this video is for you. This is an optional video only for those Macbook users.
Summary
-
30
File Sharing, USB and Network Drives
This video shows you how to share files across your computer, your home or business network, and also with connected USB drives.
-
31
Auto Start a Program on the Mac
The Mac let's you automatically start applications when you login...it's a great feature that you need to know about.
-
32
Showing file extension on files
Sometimes you want to know what file extension a file may have, ie .pdf, .jpg. .doc. Let's look at how to see this, and how to change it if needed.
-
33
Mac’s and Antivirus
We all know that Windows computers need Antivirus, but do Mac's? Let's explore this in this video.
-
34
Closing stuck or frozen apps
If a Mac is stuck, or won't close, how do you force close it?
-
35
Backing up your Mac with TimeMachine
Ensuring that your Mac is backed up is essential. You don't want to lose your data, so this video will help you to keep your data safe and backed up.
-
36
Accessing and Changing an IP address
Every computer has an IP address, you may have seen this...192.168.1.1? Well your Mac also has an IP address, and in this video we'll show you how to identify this IP address and perhaps change it also.
