.Mac

.Mac is a file sharing, storage, and communication tool that both Mac and Windows users can take advantage of. .Mac can be useful for designers and creative professionals. A lot of people talk about how $99 a year is expensive for an e-mail address, which is one of the benefits of .Mac, but they're missing the point. Let's say you need to get a 20 MB file to a designer in another city immediately. Twenty megabytes is larger than most ISPs will allow you to send. Instead, you can put the file in your .Mac Public folder so that the designer can download it. Most people never back up critical data. .Mac includes Apple's Backup application, which gives you an easy-to-use interface for backing up files to your .Mac account, CDs, DVDs, and hard drives. Most files you create are probably worth more than $99.

Setting Up a .Mac Account

If you just purchased a .Mac account, or you want to purchase one, start by launching System Preferences and clicking the .Mac icon. Next, click the Sign In tab to show your current account settings (Figure 6.28). If you already have an account, enter your .Mac user name and password. Your .Mac e-mail account is automatically added to Mail, and you can access your iDisk from the Finder as you would any other disk.

Figure 6.28. The Sign In tab in the .Mac preference pane is where you store your account name and password. Entering your information automatically creates your .Mac e-mail account in Mail.

If you don't have an account, click the Learn More button to create one. Your Web browser will open the sign-up page on Apple's Web site. Fill out the form to create your account, and then enter your user name and password in the .Mac preference pane.

If you have a .Mac account, make sure your member name and password are entered in the .Mac preference pane. To check, launch System Preferences, and then click .Mac. Once your information is entered, you can mount your iDiskyour personal storage space on Apple's serverson your Desktop as you would any other hard drive.

Connecting to an iDisk

To connect to your iDisk, click the iDisk icon in the sidebar of any Finder window (Figure 6.29). If you want to connect to someone else's iDisk to download a file, here's how:

1.	Select the Go menu in the Finder.
2.	Choose iDisk > Other User's Public Folder.
3.	Enter the person's .Mac member name, and click Connect.
4.	If there is a password assigned to the Public folder, a dialog will open, in which you can enter the password (Figure 6.30).

Figure 6.29. To connect to your own iDisk, click the iDisk icon in the sidebar in any Finder window.

Figure 6.30. If the .Mac Public folder you are connecting to is password-protected, an authentication dialog will open. Enter the password, and click OK. The password you enter is created by the .Mac account owner in the .Mac preference pane.

The Public folders from other .Mac members' iDisks will show up on your Desktop just like any other hard drive (Figure 6.31).

Figure 6.31. The Public folder from a .Mac member's iDisk will appear on your Desktop just like any other hard drive.

You can copy any files from others' Public folders to your Mac and, depending on their iDisk settings, copy files back to their Public folders. Windows users need Apple's iDisk Utility for Windows XP to connect to an iDisk. They can download it from Apple's .Mac Web site (www.apple.com/dotmac).

Tip

You can eject an iDisk just as you would any other removable hard drive, CD, or DVD: Simply drag its icon from the Desktop to the Trash in the Dock.

Assigning a Password to Your Public Folder

Some .Mac users assign passwords to their Public folder to keep prying eyes out. In some cases, it's because they plan to use their iDisk as if it were a hard drive that they can access from anywhere on the Internet, and they want to share the files it contains with a specific group of people. Others assign a password so that they can use their Public folder as a kind of file-transfer way station: They drop off files that other designers or clients can pick up when it's convenient.

Tip

Sharing files through an iDisk is a great way to avoid file-size limitations that many ISPs place on e-mail attachments, but those files are visible to anyone who cares to look for them. If you assign a password to your iDisk Public folder, only authorized people can access the files inside.

Let's walk through assigning a password to an iDisk's Public folder.

1.	Launch System Preferences, and then click the .Mac icon.
2.	In the .Mac preference pane, click the iDisk tab to show your iDisk settings.
3.	Check the "Password protect your Public Folder" box (Figure 6.32). Figure 6.32. To password-protect your Public folder, check the "Password protect your Public Folder" box on the iDisk tab.
4.	Enter a password to share with everyone else who will use your Public folder, and then click OK (Figure 6.36). Be sure to give the password to the people who will use your iDisk Public folder; otherwise, they won't be able to see or use the files you place there.

iDisk Explained

An iDisk is the personal storage space on Apple's servers that each .Mac member gets as a part of his or her account. The default iDisk storage space is 1 GB, and that gets shared with your online e-mail storage space. Think of it as a virtual hard drive that you can use anywhere you have Internet access.

If 1 GB isn't enough storage for you, Apple will let you buy more. Upgrading to 2 GB costs an extra $49.95 annually, and upgrading to 4 GB total storage will cost you $99.95 extra per year. To add more storage:

1.	Launch System Preferences, and then click the .Mac icon.
2.	In the .Mac preference pane, click the iDisk tab, and then click the Buy More button (Figure 6.33). Figure 6.33. To add more storage space to your iDisk, click the Buy More button on the iDisk tab in the .Mac preference pane.
3.	Your Web browser will launch and take you to the .Mac Web site. Log in using your .Mac e-mail address and password (Figure 6.34). Figure 6.34. Clicking the Buy More button launches your Web browser and takes you to the .Mac Web site. Enter your account name and password, and then click Login.
4.	On the Buy More page, choose how much storage you want to add from the Storage pop-up menu, and then click Continue (Figure 6.35). Figure 6.35. After logging in to the .Mac Web site, choose how much storage you want to add from the Storage pop-up menu.
5.	Make sure your billing information is correct, and then click Continue.
6.	Your additional storage space will show up shortly after your credit card information is processed.

Figure 6.36. Enter the password you want others to use to access your Public folder. This is the password you give to everyone who needs access to your Public folder.

If you need to change the password to your Public folder, click the Set Password button on the iDisk tab of the .Mac preference pane.

Disabling password protection is a simple process, too. Just go back to the iDisk tab in the .Mac System Preferences pane and uncheck the "Password protect your Public Folder" box.

Letting Others Add Files to Your iDisk

By default, your Public folder acts similarly to the Public folder in your home directory. People can copy files from it, but they can't copy files into it. If you want to let other users copy files into your iDisk Public folder, launch System Preferences and then click the .Mac icon. In the .Mac preference pane, click the iDisk tab, and then click the "Read & write" radio button next to "Allow others to".

Turning on "Read & write" is a quick and cheap way to create a simple file server so that you can share project files with people who aren't on the same network as you. Remember that your files are visible to anyone on the Internet unless you assign a password to your Public folder. You also have only 1 GB of storage (unless you have purchased additional storage), so don't plan on keeping all of your projects on your iDisk.

.Mac Sync

If you use one Mac when you are designing projects at work, and a different Mac at home, .Mac's Sync feature lets you synchronize your Address Book information, Safari bookmarks, iCal calendars, and e-mail accounts, rules, and signatures from Mail between the two Macs. That will save you from double-entering information or getting home and discovering that the important client contact information you need is still on your agency Mac. It's also a handy way to make sure you have the information that usually stays on your Desktop Mac or your MacBook Pro when you travel.

Tip

.Mac Sync requires that you have an active .Mac membership because it stores the information you sync on your iDisk.

Here's how to set it up:

1.	Launch System Preferences, and then click the .Mac icon.
2.	In the .Mac preference pane, click the Sync tab (Figure 6.37). Figure 6.37. Use the Sync tab in the .Mac preference pane to choose what information you will synchronize between your Macs.
3.	Check the "Synchronize with .Mac" box.
4.	From the pop-up menu, choose how often you want your information to synchronize.
5.	Check the items you want to synchronize.

Tip

You can synchronize information with up to five Macs as long as they all use the same .Mac account information.

Now go to the Mac where you want your synchronized information to go, and enter the same information in the .Mac preference pane on that machine. You also need to make sure that each Mac you are synchronizing has the same .Mac account information. If you aren't sure how to enter your account information, take a look at the sidebar "Setting Up a .Mac Account," earlier in this chapter.

Building Your Own Network

Although most designers would prefer to let their Mac consultant or IT department build and maintain their computer network, it's still a good idea to know how your network functions in case you have to do a little troubleshooting yourself, or if you don't have someone that can take care of your network for you. In fact, most of your network needs are probably limited to sharing an Internet connection with other Macs, using a network printer, and exchanging documents with other designers in your agency. Knowing how your network devices connect can save you troubleshooting time if you suddenly find that you can't send documents to your laser printer, or one of your Macs loses its Internet connection.

The Benefit of a Public Folder Password

Providing other people with your .Mac user name and password will let them add files to and remove files from your iDisk without requiring you to set up a password for your Public folder, but it also gives them access to everything else that's part of your .Mac account, including your e-mail. If you plan on using your iDisk as a file repository for the different projects you collaborate on, take the time to set up a password for your Public folder. The other designers or clients you work with can get at the shared files easily enough, and the rest of your iDisk and e-mail remain private to you.

Take a look at the special online feature called "Building Your Own Network" for a step-by-step walk-through that begins with selecting your own network equipment and guides you through connecting your Macs and printers, and configuring an AirPort Base station. The time you spend learning how to assemble your own network now will help you avoid missing an important deadline later.

Visit the companion Web site for additional information about building your own network.

Going Wireless

Now that all of your equipment that uses Ethernet cables to talk on the network is up and running, it's time to add the PowerBook to the mix. Although you used the PowerBook to configure the Base Station, it's not actually using the new wireless network until you join it and enter the network password you just created.

Start by making sure the AirPort icon is visible in your menu bar. If it isn't, add it. If you aren't sure how, check the "AirPort and Ethernet" section of the "Manually Setting Up a Connection" section, earlier in this chapter. Once the AirPort icon is visible, you're ready to go.

1.	Click the AirPort icon in the menu bar (Figure 6.38). Figure 6.38. Not only does the AirPort menu item let you connect to your own wireless network, but it also shows all of the networks that are near you. To join a network, select it from the menu. If the network is not password-protected, you will join it without any extra effort. The wireless network you are currently using always has a check by it.
2.	Select the network you want to connect to from the list. In this case, it's the one you just created.
3.	Since you created a password for your network, a dialog will appear asking for the correct password. Enter it, and click OK (Figure 6.39). Figure 6.39. AirPort networks that are password protected will present you with this AirPort password dialog. Enter the network password, and then click OK. If it's a network you will use on a regular basis, check the "Remember password in my keychain" box so that you don't have to enter it each time.
4.	If you entered the password correctly, you will join the network, and the AirPort icon will show you how strong the network signal is. The more bars that are black, the stronger the signal (Figure 6.40). The more bars that are gray, the weaker the signal. Figure 6.40. The AirPort menu item also shows you how strong your wireless signal is. The stronger the signal (left), the faster your connection will be. As the signal gets weaker (right), your network connection will get slower. More black bars indicate a stronger signal; fewer black bars indicate a weaker signal.

You should now be able to surf the Web and print to the laser printer, like you can with the PowerMac G5. One of the great things about AirPort is that you aren't tethered to your desk. I enjoy taking my PowerBook to other parts of my office or house and working where I'm most comfortable. Summer afternoons on the patio are always great for spurring creative ideas, and I can still check e-mail and print, even though I'm outside.

Understanding a little about how networks function goes a long way toward eliminating the intimidation that most people feel when confronted with Ethernet cables, AirPort Base Stations, and broadband modems. If you travel for work, your Mac consultant probably isn't there with you to help set up your Mac for the hotel you are staying in or to add a new dial-up Location. Knowing how to set up a new Location with the appropriate network settings will save you time and frustration.

Not All Wireless Networks Are Free for the Taking

Some areas have more AirPort networks than you know what to do with. Office and apartment buildings are good examples. Not everyone understands that they should password protect their wireless network. Without a password, anyone can use their network without permission. Just because a wireless network is open, visible, and password free doesn't mean it's OK to use it to surf the Web or check e-mail.

Without permission to use a password-free network, you're really just trespassing on someone else's turf. If you want to get on the Internet outside of your studio, try the local independent coffeeshops. Odds are, they have an open and free wireless network that you are welcome to use anytime you want.

Coffeeshops are also a great place to go work when you hit a creative block. There's usually enough activity to get your creative juices flowing again, or at least to give you a diversion while you get your thoughts back in order. Plus, the free wireless Internet connection keeps you in e-mail contact with your clients and coworkers.