Chapter 1. Getting Started

Back at the turn of the millennium, Apple came out with a suite of Internet tools called iTools. This suite consisted of a mac.come-mail address as well as KidSafe (a filter for child-friendly Web sites), HomePage (an easy-to-use tool for building Web sites), and iDisk (online storage that was accessible using just about any Internet connection). Apple's Internet strategy basically boiled down to a nifty set of Mac-only tools meant to make Mac users' lives a little easier.

Fast-forward five years. The tools are no longer free and the name has changed iTools now goes by .Mac but the goal remains the same: make Mac users' lives easier. With a "mac.com" e-mail address, iDisk, and HomePage still at its core, .Mac now also includes tight integration with Mac OS X, as well as a host of other features, all for just $99 a year.

Before you begin using your .Mac account, you'll want to set a few system preferences in Mac OS X. Setting these preferences now will make your .Mac account easier to use and more efficient in the long run. You'll only have to do it once, barring a few exceptions. You should, for example, change your account password every so often for security purposes, and you may need to update your credit card information occasionally. After all, who can resist six months at 0 percent APR?

In this chapter, I'll cover how to create your .Mac account, set your .Mac preferences, manage your .Mac account, and set up your iDisk.