45. Sign Up for .Mac  BEFORE YOU BEGIN 28 Dial Up to the Internet with a Modem (PPP) 30 Configure Networking Manually
 SEE ALSO 47 Create a .Mac Web Page 50 Connect to Your iDisk
To use the .Mac services, you must have a .Mac account. The username (also called a "member name ") and password associated with this account are specified in your .Mac Preferences. After your account is set up, whenever you want to use any of the .Mac services that tie into any of the applications you use, the account information comes straight out of your computer's preferences; you don't have to type them in. If you're concerned about your credit card information being stored in a central server where it might be subject to theft or hacking, don't worry. .Mac does not ask for a credit card when you sign up. 45. Sign Up for .Mac 
For certain online purchasing functions, you can enable 1-Click ordering , which does store your credit card information in a central server. However, for your .Mac account itself, a credit card is not necessary. You must be at least 13 years old to get a .Mac account.  KEY TERM 1-Click ordering A technology pioneered by Amazon.com that allows you to predefine your credit card information at the server, so that you can later purchase items (on websites or in .Mac-enabled applications) with a single click.
When you first install Mac OS X, or when you first turn on a brand-new Mac, you are guided through an optional procedure to set up a new .Mac account. If you didn't sign up at the time of installation, you can easily sign up for your .Mac account at any time by starting from the System Preferences . NOTE You must have a working Internet connection before you sign up for .Mac.
| 1. | Open .Mac Preferences
Open the System Preferences application from the Apple menu. Click the .Mac icon to go to the .Mac Preferences pane.
| | 2. | Go to the .Mac Sign-up Site
Assuming that you don't already have a .Mac account, begin the sign-up procedure by clicking the Sign Up button at the bottom of the window. Your web browser (usually Safari) launches and takes you to the sign-up page for .Mac.
Alternatively, go to http://www.mac.com in your browser and click the Free Trial button to sign up for a free 60-day trial .Mac account.
| | 3. | Enter Your Personal Information
In the first section of the form, enter your first and last name, your current email address, your country of residence, and your preferred language for using the .Mac services. As of this writing, English and Japanese are the only supported languages.
| | 4. | Choose a Member Name and Password Select a member name. This name can be as short as three letters long or as long as twenty, but it can only contain alphanumeric characters ( letters and numbers ).The password must be between 6 and 32 characters; for maximum security, use a password that's at least 8 characters long, and use non-alphanumeric symbols ( !@#% ) instead of a word that can be found in the dictionary. TIP When selecting a member name for your .Mac account, try using your Mac OS X "short name" ( jsmith , for example); it's always good to keep things simple, and if your .Mac account name can be the same as your account name on your own Mac, that's one fewer name to remember. In case this name is taken, however, make sure that you have a few alternative names in mind. | | 5. | Enter Verification Information
Apple requires that you provide a personalized question and answer, and your birth date, for verification purposes. If you forget your password, you will be asked this question, and you must be able to answer it correctly to be reissued your password.
| | 6. | Accept Terms and Conditions
If you know a friend with a .Mac account, enter her @mac.com email address in the field provided; this referral entitles your friend to a discount on her .Mac services.
Follow the links to read the .Mac Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Fight the temptation to skip this step; reading these agreements is tedious , but it's an excellent habit to be in, just in case. Click the check box when you're done reading.
An image at the bottom of the page contains several random letters against a hard-to-read background; type the letters you see into the box provided. This is a security measure designed to foil automated software that signs up for fraudulent accounts.
From the drop-down menu, select your level of experience with Macs. You can choose New to computers, New to Macs , or Experienced Mac user . If you select either of the first two options, you are given a quick .Mac tour and the opportunity to announce your new email address to a list of your friends . If you selected the third option, you'll skip directly to the .Mac website, at step 10.
Finally, click the Continue button.
| | 7. | Announce Your New Email Address
If you selected either New to computers or New to Macs when asked about your Mac expertise, you are first shown a screen with your account information, to print or write down for future reference. After you have recorded this information, click Continue . Next appears a page with links to further information about .Mac services, as well as a button labeled Announce My New Address . Click this button to set up the announcement postcard.
| | 8. | Add Addresses to the Recipient List
You are shown a preview of the announcement iCard, an electronic postcard. There is a list of addresses, initially empty, that you can fill with the email addresses of as many friends as you like. Enter their addresses one by one in the Recipient email field and click Add to List to put each address into the recipient list.
| | 9. | Send the Announcement iCard
When you've added all the addresses to the list that you want, click the Send iCard button. The postcard is sent to all the recipients, and you will be taken back to the .Mac welcome screen.
You can click the various icons on the .Mac welcome screen to view information about certain key .Mac services, or click Start Using .Mac to go on to the .Mac website.
| | 10. | Continue to the .Mac Website The .Mac website contains all the services that you'll find useful for your .Mac account, including downloadable premiums, news and tutorials, technical support, and links to external .Mac community sites. WEB RESOURCE http://www.mac.com The .Mac website is where you start to access your email and your iDisk space, which come with your .Mac membership. TIP Consider setting the .Mac site as your browser's home page, so that it's the first page that opens each time you launch your browser. You'll most likely be automatically logged in at the .Mac site using your new .Mac member name and password; if not, click the Log in link to log in. As you navigate the .Mac website in the future, you will be periodically asked for your member name and password. This is another security measure to ensure your account's privacy. The Safari web browser helps you out by offering to save your login information (member name and password) for you and fill it in automatically; go ahead and allow it to do this, unless you're using a shared computer in a public space (such as a library), in which case you should not allow the browser to save your login information. | | 11. | Enter Your .Mac Information
Return to the System Preferences . In the same .Mac Preferences pane you started from, enter your new .Mac member name and password. The settings are immediately saved, and all your .Mac-aware applications can now use your .Mac account.
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