Chapter 3: Your First Steps with Mac OS X

How to…

• Start up your Mac

• Install Mac OS X

• Use the Mac OS X setup assistant

• Put your Mac to sleep and wake it up

• Shut down your Mac

Whether you’ve just bought a new Mac, upgraded from an earlier version of Mac OS X, upgraded from Mac OS 9 or earlier, or switched from Windows, it’s time to get acquainted with Mac OS X and take your first steps with this operating system.

In the first two chapters of this book, I’ve given you an overview of what’s new in Mac OS X 10.3, Panther, and what’s different from Mac OS 9, if you’re familiar with that operating system.

Now, it’s time to look at how you get your Mac up and running—whether it’s a new Mac or an upgrade from a previous version of the operating system, I’ll show you how to get Mac OS X 10.3 installed and set up.

I’ll also show you how to do the most basic operations with your Mac: how to start it up and shut it down, and how to put it to sleep and wake it up. After reading this chapter you’ll be ready to get to work with your Mac and discover its myriad possibilities, functions, and applications that I discuss in the rest of this book.