What to Do when You First Get Your Mac

When you open up your Mac for the first time, there are some things that need to be done before it is good to use. The first is setting up networks. In this tutorial, I will be using a Macbook Pro, therefore I am setting up a wireless network. Click the icon in the top right corner of the screen of the computer that looks like a pizza slice. Once you click this, turn Airport On and choose your network. If no networks are available, make sure your router is turned on and connected to your modem. If you don't know what these things are, you should read a tutorial about how to set up a wireless connection. It is very important that you set up an internet connection first. If you don't, many of the programs on your Mac won't work (these include iTunes, Safari, and Mail). You also won't be able to install software on your Mac, because installing software requires an internet connection.

Once you have your internet connection set up, the next thing you are going to want to do is Boot Camp. Boot Camp is optional, and most people do not use it, but if you plan to, you should do it now. Boot Camp is a program that lets you run Windows on your Mac. It partitions your hard drive to set up a section for Windows to run on. To run Boot Camp, click the magnifying glass in the top right corner of the screen and type "Boot Camp." A program called Boot Camp Assistant will show up. This program will walk you through the process of setting up Windows on your Mac. Here are a few things Boot Camp doesn't tell you:

1. Once you choose an amount of memory for Windows, this amount can not be changed unless you start the process over and redo the whole process.
2. When you put in your Windows Install Disk, the computer will shut down and restart. Once it restarts, it will be open to a page where you select which partition you would like to install Windows on. Click the one you made, (it will have close to the same amount of memory you chose) and click format. This will format the partition to NTFS, which will make it compatible with Windows.
3. You can always undo the partition. All you have to do is open Boot Camp Assistant on Mac and click Remove Windows Partition.
4. MOST IMPORTANTLY: To access Windows, shut down your Mac completely, then, while pressing the power button, hold the option key (next to the arrow keys). This will cause two drives to show up. Use the arrow keys to chose the operating system you want to run, then hit the Return Key.
5. The reason you must Boot Camp your Mac before you do anything else is because programs create immovable files. These immovable files make partitioning the hard drive nearly impossible, which means you can't use Boot Camp.

After this, you can use your Mac any way you want. Install programs, change settings, take pictures, edit videos, chat with friends. The possibilities are endless, just make sure you do those first two things before you start. It is important that you do, or else things on your Mac may not work as you expected.