MacBook Air User Guide



Posted: Monday, February 23, 2009

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http://www.considermac.com

1) First steps (a) Unpacking When you remove your Macbook Air from its packaging, you should also find

(b) Charging Pull away the plastic film from the 45W MagSafe Power Adaptor and plug the adaptor into an electric socket. Take the other end of the cable and connect it to the magnetic MagSafe power port on the left hand side of your MacBook Air.

If necessary, extend the MagSafe cable by removing the prongs from the adaptor and inserting the power cord into the socket beneath them. Place the other end of the power cord into the electric socket. To disconnect the MagSafe Power Adaptor from the electricity, first remove the power cord plug from the adaptor.

An amber light on the MagSafe connector shows that the MacBook Air battery is charging. When the battery is fully charged, a green light appears.

(c) Basic features The basic features of your MacBook Air include

2) Initial set-up (a) Setup Assistant Setup Assistant appears on your screen when you first switch on the MacBook Air. Follow the instructions that lead you to the "Do You Already Own a Mac?" screen. You now have a choice between:

(b) Basic set-up (c) Set-up with file migration from another Mac (d) Customise your MacBook Air (e) Using the trackpad Use the trackpad to

Control the distance you send the pointer across the screen by the speed of your finger on the trackpad:

If you're unfamiliar with the trackpad, it's worth spending time learning its features. These include the following:

Some trackpad movements apply to specific applications such as iPhoto:

To fine-tine and set trackpad options:

For more details:

3) Optical discs (a) Using an optical disc drive Your MacBook Air does not have an optical disc drive. To

You must use the optical disc drive on another Mac or PC. Alternatively, use a MacBook Air external SuperDrive

(b) Setting up CD/DVD sharing The Mac or PC you use for CD/DVD sharing must be on the same wired or wireless network. The Mac must also have the Mac OS X v10.4.10 operating system or later. The PC must have Windows XP or Windows Vista.

Your MacBook Air comes with a Mac OS X Install Disc 1. Use this to load the CD/DVD Sharing Setup. This includes

If you're using a Mac as your other computer, double click "DVD or CD Sharing Setup" when it appears on screen.

If you're using a PC, click on "DVD or CD Sharing" in the dialogue box that appears on screen.

In both cases, follow the screen instructions.

(c) Migrating files and applications to your MacBook Air from another Mac Please note: the following steps apply to the other Mac During the migration, do not use your other Mac for anything else.

(d) Loading other data Using your wireless connection, you can download many applications from the Internet.

To load applications from a DVD or CD:

(e) Sharing discs You can share a CD or DVD on a Mac or PC with your MacBook Pro.

Please note: you may not be able to share films and games because they are copy-protected.

If your other computer is a Mac:

If your other computer is a PC:

Now continue on the other Mac or the PC as follows:

4) Sleep mode and shutting your MacBook Air down (a) Sleep mode To use the sleep mode on your MacBook Air for short periods of inactivity, take one of the following actions:

Please note: do not move your MacBook Air until the sleep indicator light begins to pulse, otherwise you risk damaging your hard disc.

To wake your MacBook Air from sleep mode:

(b) Shutting the MacBook Air down 5) Quick Mac OS X guide (a) Operating system Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard is the operating system of your MacBook Air. It controls your files, applications and connected devices. It works in a comparable way to Windows.

(b) Basic controls The basic controls are your keyboard and trackpad. If you're more used to Windows, you'll find that you'll need to use the keyboard and trackpad fewer times to achieve similar results.

(c) Central features The icons, layouts and navigation of the MacBook Air screens are straightforward. Along with the windows, menus, folders and shortcuts, are four central features that help you work quickly and simply:

Desktop Desktop is the screen you start with each time you use your MacBook Air. Use it to store such things as files, folders and pictures.

The first icon you'll see on Desktop is the Macintosh HD (hard drive). When you use other functions of your MacBook Air, further HD icons appear. Double-click an icon to view its files and applications.

Please note the following.

Dock The Dock is a row of icons along the bottom of your screen. Click on these icons to access your folders, applications and windows.

Note that when a window appears, it has three coloured buttons in the top left corner.

Finder The Finder is an icon on the far left of the Dock. Use it to navigate and manage your MacBook Air's folders, files and applications.

Menu Bar The Mac OS X Menu Bar is a single line at the top of the screen.

Use the Menu Bar to

The Menu Bar changes to match the application you're using.

Connectivity Your MacBook Air has a headphone jack, USB 2.0 port, and a Micro-DVI port concealed in a hatch on the right-hand side. You also receive a Micro-DVI to VGA adaptor and a Micro-DVI to DVI adaptor with your MacBook Air. Use the ports and adaptors to connect a range of peripheral devices such as printers, cameras and hard drives. Alternatively use the Bluetooth wireless connection.

7) Battery power You can run your MacBook Air directly from an electricity supply by using the 45W MagSafe Power Adaptor. Alternatively use the built-in battery.

The time between battery charges varies according to the applications you use and the drain on power caused by peripheral devices. If you don't need a wireless connection, you can turn off AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth to help extend the battery's charge.

Connect the MagSafe Power Adaptor once the battery begins to run low. The adaptor works when the MacBook Air is on, in sleep mode, or off. To recharge your MacBook Air as quickly as possible, however, turn the computer off or put it in sleep mode.

The amber light on the MagSafe Power Adaptor tells you that you must charge the battery. The green light indicates that charging is complete. The battery icon in the Menu Bar shows you the battery charge level.

Please note: you cannot change your MacBook Air battery yourself. Only an Apple authorised dealer can replace it.

Macbook Air Mac Computer

Josh R Evans writes about Mac computers and Apple products.
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