iMac^® For Dummies^®, 11th Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2021946543

ISBN: 978-1-119-80666-0

ISBN 978-1-119-80667-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-80668-4 (ebk)

iMac® For Dummies®

To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “iMac For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

Foolish Assumptions
About This Book
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here

Part 1: Getting Started with Your iMac

Chapter 1: Okay, This Machine Looks Really, Really Weird
1. Intel iMac or M1 iMac — That Is the Question
2. An Introduction to the Beast
3. Choosing a Home for Your New Pet
4. Unpacking and Connecting
5. Discovering All the Cool Things You Can Do
6. Stuff You Oughta Buy Right Now
Chapter 2: Life! Give My iMac Life!
1. Throwing the Big Leaf Switch
2. Mark’s Favorite Signs of a Healthy iMac
3. Harriet, It’s Already Asking Me Questions!
4. Importing Documents and Data from Your Old Mac
5. Manually Importing Documents and Data from Windows
Chapter 3: The Basics Behind macOS Monterey
1. Your Own Personal Operating System
2. Wait a Second: Where the Heck Are the Mouse Buttons?
3. Launching and Quitting Applications with Aplomb
4. Performing Tricks with Finder Windows
5. Juggling Folders and Icons
6. Keystrokes to Fame and Fortune
7. Speeding Things Up with Shortcuts
8. Home, Sweet Home Folder
9. Working with Mission Control
10. Personalizing Your Desktop
11. Taking Control of Your iMac
12. Customizing the Dock
13. What’s with the Trash?
14. All You Really Need to Know about Printing
15. And Just in Case You Need Help …

Part 2: Shaking Hands with macOS

Chapter 4: What’s New in Monterey?
1. Shortcuts Hit Your iMac
2. Let’s Get Focused
3. Putting Tags to Work
4. Hiding Email the iCloud Way
5. FaceTime … Over the Web?
Chapter 5: A Nerd’s Guide to System Preferences
1. An Explanation — without Jargon, No Less
2. Locating That Certain Special Setting
3. Popular Preferences Panes Explained
Chapter 6: Searching Amidst iMac Chaos
1. Doing a Basic Search
2. How Cool Is That? Discovering What Spotlight Can Do
3. Expanding Your Search Horizons
4. Customizing Spotlight to Your Taste
Chapter 7: Putting Common Apps to Work
1. Remind Me to Use Reminders
2. Taking Notes the Monterey Way
3. Staying Current with Notification Center
4. Introducing the Maps Application
5. Switching Views in Maps
6. Getting Directions Over Yonder
7. Creating and Using Guides
8. Catching Up on News
9. Using Favorites and Channels

Part 3: Connecting and Communicating

Chapter 8: Let’s Go on Safari!
1. Pretend You’ve Never Used This Thing
2. Visiting Websites
3. Navigating the Web
4. Configuring Your Home Page and Start Page
5. Adding and Using Bookmarks
6. Working with the Reading List
7. Downloading Files
8. Using History
9. Tabs Are Your Browsing Friends
10. Printing Web Pages
11. Protecting Your Privacy
Chapter 9: Expanding Your Horizons with iCloud
1. So How Does iCloud Work, Anyway?
2. Moving, Saving, and Opening iCloud Documents
3. Putting Handoff to Work
4. Expanding Your Horizons with Sidecar
5. Configuring iCloud
6. Managing Your iCloud Storage
Chapter 10: Creating a Multiuser iMac
1. Once Upon a Time (an Access Fairy Tale)
2. Big-Shot Administrator Stuff
3. Tackling Mundane Chores for the Multiuser iMac
Chapter 11: Working Well with Networks
1. What Exactly Is the Network Advantage?
2. Should You Go Wired or Wireless?
3. Be a Pal: Share Your Internet!
4. What Do I Need to Connect?
5. Connecting to the Network
6. Use Your Firewall!
Chapter 12: Hooking Up with Handy Helpers
1. Connecting Printers
2. Connecting Scanners
3. Using Photo Booth
4. Conversing with FaceTime
5. Sending Instant Messages Across the Network

Part 4: Living the Digital Life

Chapter 13: The Multimedia Joys of Music and TV
1. What Can I Play in Music?
2. Playing Digital Audio Files
3. Keeping Slim Whitman and Slim Shady Apart: Organizing with Playlists
4. Know Your Songs
5. Ripping Audio Files
6. Tweaking the Audio for Your Ears
7. A New Kind of Radio Station
8. iSending iStuff to iPhone and iPad
9. Burning Music to Shiny Plastic Circles
10. Feasting on Music Visuals
11. Exercising Parental Authority
12. Watching Video with TV
13. Buying Digital Media the Apple Way
Chapter 14: Focusing on Photos
1. Delving into Photos
2. Working with Images in Photos
3. Exploring iCloud Photos
4. Putting My Photo Stream and iCloud Shared Albums to Work
Chapter 15: Making Film History with iMovie
1. Shaking Hands with the iMovie Window
2. A Bird’s-Eye View of Moviemaking
3. Importing the Building Blocks
4. Building the Cinematic Basics
5. Creating an Honest-to-Goodness Movie Trailer
6. Browsing Your Video Library
7. Sharing Your Finished Classic
Chapter 16: Recording Your Hits with GarageBand
1. Shaking Hands with Your Band
2. Composing Made Easy
3. Sharing Your Songs

Part 5: Getting Productive with YouriMac

Chapter 17: Desktop Publishing with Pages
1. Creating a New Pages Document
2. Opening an Existing Pages Document
3. Saving Your Work
4. Touring the Pages Window
5. Entering and Editing Text
6. Using Text, Shapes, and Graphics Boxes
7. The Three Amigos: Cut, Copy, and Paste
8. Formatting Text the Easy Way
9. Adding a Spiffy Table
10. Adding Alluring Photos
11. Adding a Background Shape
12. Are You Sure about That Spelling?
13. Setting Your Font Defaults to Speed Things Up
14. Printing Your Pages Documents
15. Sharing That Poster with Others
Chapter 18: Creating Spreadsheets with Numbers
1. Before You Launch Numbers …
2. Creating a New Numbers Document
3. Opening an Existing Spreadsheet File
4. Save Those Spreadsheets!
5. Exploring the Numbers Window
6. Navigating and Selecting Cells in a Spreadsheet
7. Entering and Editing Data in a Spreadsheet
8. Selecting the Correct Number Format
9. Aligning Cell Text Just So
10. Formatting with Shading
11. Inserting and Deleting Rows and Columns
12. The Formula Is Your Friend
13. Adding Visual Punch with a Chart
14. Printing Your Spreadsheet
Chapter 19: Building Presentations with Keynote
1. Creating a New Keynote Project
2. Opening a Keynote Presentation
3. Saving Your Presentation
4. Putting Keynote to Work
5. Adding Slides
6. Working with Text, Shapes, and Graphics Boxes
7. Adding and Editing Slide Text
8. Formatting Slide Text for the Perfect Look
9. Using Presenter’s Notes in Your Project
10. Every Good Presentation Needs Media
11. Adding a Background Shape
12. Creating Your Keynote Slideshow
13. Printing Your Slides and Notes

Part 6: The Necessary Evils: Troubleshooting, Upgrading, and Maintaining

Chapter 20: It Just … Sits … There
1. Repeat after Me: Yes, I Am a Tech!
2. Step-by-Step iMac Troubleshooting
3. Okay, I Kicked It, and It Still Won’t Work
Chapter 21: I Want to Add Stuff
1. More Memory Will Help
2. Can I Upgrade My Internal Drive?
3. Weighing Attractive Add-Ons
Chapter 22: Tackling the Housekeeping
1. Cleaning Unseemly Data Deposits
2. Backing Up Your Treasure
3. Saving Files
4. Putting Things Right with Time Machine
5. Maintaining Drive Health
6. Automating Those Mundane Chores
7. Updating macOS Automatically

Part 7: The Part of Tens

Chapter 23: Ten Ways to Speed Up Your iMac
1. Nothing Works Like a Shot of Memory
2. Hold a Conversation with Your iMac
3. What’s Up, Siri?
4. Keep Your Desktop Background Simple
5. Column Mode Is for Power Users
6. Make the Dock Do Your Bidding
7. It All Started with Keyboard Shortcuts
8. Hey, You Tweaked Your Finder!
9. Keep in Touch with Your Recent Past
10. Go Where the Going Is Good
Chapter 24: Ten Things to Avoid Like the Plague
1. Keep Things Cool
2. Phishing Is No Phun
3. Don’t Rely on a Single Password
4. Do You Really Want a Submerged Keyboard?
5. Don’t Use Antiquated Utility Software
6. Don’t Endorse Software Piracy
7. Call It the Forbidden Account
8. Don’t Settle for a Surge Suppressor
9. Refurbished Hardware Is No Deal at All
10. iMacs Appreciate iCleanliness

Index

About the Author

Advertisement Page

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

List of Tables

Chapter 2

TABLE 2-1 Moving Media and Documents betwixt Computers

Chapter 3

TABLE 3-1 Too-Cool Function Keys
TABLE 3-2 Monterey Keyboard Sequences of Distinction

Chapter 11

TABLE 11-1 Wireless versus Wired Networks

Chapter 13

TABLE 13-1 Common Music Keyboard Shortcuts

Chapter 15

TABLE 15-1 Video Formats Supported by iMovie

Chapter 18

TABLE 18-1 Movement Shortcut Keys in Numbers

Chapter 19

TABLE 19-1 Keynote Slideshow Shortcut Keys

Chapter 20

TABLE 20-1 Intel iMac Start-Up Keys and Their Tricks

List of Illustrations

Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: The charismatic form of your aluminum iMac.
FIGURE 1-2: Only slightly less sexy — it’s the back end of a standard Intel iMa...
FIGURE 1-3: Pages is a great tool for home and office.
FIGURE 1-4: Hey, isn’t that Calendar running on your iMac? You are iTogether!

Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: Everything Monterey starts here — the macOS Desktop.
FIGURE 3-2: The Dock can contain all sorts of exotic icons.
FIGURE 3-3: Clicking a menu displays a list of menu commands.
FIGURE 3-4: Welcome to your right-click menu!
FIGURE 3-5: Click a Dock icon to launch that application.
FIGURE 3-6: A plethora of helpful window controls.
FIGURE 3-7: Drag a box around icons to select them.
FIGURE 3-8: Mission Control is the desktop manager in Monterey.
FIGURE 3-9: Choose a Desktop background of more interest.
FIGURE 3-10: The Control Center makes it easy to quickly change global settings...
FIGURE 3-11: Stacks make it easy to access your stuff from the Dock or Desktop.
FIGURE 3-12: The Print sheet is available from any application with any real gu...

Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: Creating a new Shortcut using the Edit window.
FIGURE 4-2: I’m focused on uninterrupted productivity.

Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: The powerhouse of settings and switches: System Preferences.
FIGURE 5-2: The Sound pane, proudly showing off the Sound Effects section.
FIGURE 5-3: Searching for specific settings is a breeze with the Spotlight Sear...
FIGURE 5-4: The Display pane makes it easy to change your screen resolution.
FIGURE 5-5: Pick your own Desktop background.
FIGURE 5-6: Set your Mission Control preferences here.
FIGURE 5-7: Appearances might not be everything, but they’re easy to find here.
FIGURE 5-8: Reduce your iMac’s power consumption from the Energy Saver pane.
FIGURE 5-9: Customize your Dock and Menu Bar with these controls.
FIGURE 5-10: Use controls on the Sharing pane to share your toys.
FIGURE 5-11: Put Time Machine to work, and your data is always backed up.
FIGURE 5-12: Control and configure your iCloud activity with these settings.
FIGURE 5-13: Each application that uses notifications can be individually confi...

Chapter 6

FIGURE 6-1: Lots of power purrs behind this single Spotlight Search box.
FIGURE 6-2: The spacious borders of the Finder Search window.
FIGURE 6-3: Fine-tune your Spotlight settings from System Preferences.
FIGURE 6-4: When certain folders and disks must remain private (even from you!)...

Chapter 7

FIGURE 7-1: The main Reminders window in action.
FIGURE 7-2: Editing a reminder.
FIGURE 7-3: The notable Notes application window.
FIGURE 7-4: Notification Center muscles your desktop to the side.
FIGURE 7-5: The Statue of Liberty shines in the Maps application.
FIGURE 7-6: Looks like this pizza joint is highly rated.
FIGURE 7-7: Standard view reminds me of an auto GPS unit.
FIGURE 7-8: The Directions panel is ready to provide directions to your next cr...
FIGURE 7-9: Here’s a Guide for pumpkin lovers in the Big Apple.
FIGURE 7-10: All the news that fits, News displays!

Chapter 8

FIGURE 8-1: Safari at a glance.
FIGURE 8-2: The Share button makes it easy to spread goodness and light!
FIGURE 8-3: Adding your own home page is an easy change you can make.
FIGURE 8-4: The Sidebar's Bookmarks tab puts all your bookmarks in easy reach.
FIGURE 8-5: Hang on, Martha; we’ve struck tabs!

Chapter 9

FIGURE 9-1: iCloud works by pushing data among all your iOS devices.
FIGURE 9-2: Each of these iCloud folders can joyously store documents.
FIGURE 9-3: The iCloud pane appears in System Preferences.
FIGURE 9-4: Checking on your iCloud storage.

Chapter 10

FIGURE 10-1: Fill out these fields, and you have a new user.
FIGURE 10-2: Choose the image that best represents a user.
FIGURE 10-3: This is your last chance to save the stuff from a deleted user acc...
FIGURE 10-4: Add apps to your Login Items list.
FIGURE 10-5: You can schedule downtime for restricted accounts.
FIGURE 10-6: Monterey keeps track of content to protect your kids.
FIGURE 10-7: The Fast User Switching menu, unfurled for all to see.
FIGURE 10-8: Configure your login settings from the Login Options pane.

Chapter 11

FIGURE 11-1: All hail DHCP, the magic networking fairy!

Chapter 13

FIGURE 13-1: The main playback controls: Play, Previous, and Next.
FIGURE 13-2: The Music library keeps track of all your audio files.
FIGURE 13-3: View and edit song information here.
FIGURE 13-4: Protect your kids from explicit content.
FIGURE 13-5: My collection of movies appears in TV.
FIGURE 13-6: The iTunes Store offers a world of music for purchase.

Chapter 14

FIGURE 14-1: Photos greets you with an attractive window.
FIGURE 14-2: Adding a new album in Photos.
FIGURE 14-3: Adding another mug to my collection of Faces. (That doesn’t sound ...
FIGURE 14-4: Add keywords to these selected images.
FIGURE 14-5: Photos is now in edit mode. Watch out, image problems!
FIGURE 14-6: Select the stuff you want to keep in your photo.

Chapter 15

FIGURE 15-1: Applying a theme to your movie.
FIGURE 15-2: iMovie is a lean, mean, video-producing machine.
FIGURE 15-3: Pulling still images from Photos is child’s play.
FIGURE 15-4: Calling on my Music library to add Ol’ Blue Eyes to my iMovie.
FIGURE 15-5: Add transitions for flow between clips in iMovie.
FIGURE 15-6: Add titles for your next silent film.
FIGURE 15-7: Build your movie trailer from the Trailer pane.

Chapter 16

FIGURE 16-1: The GarageBand window.
FIGURE 16-2: Start creating your new song here.
FIGURE 16-3: The new track appears, ready to rock.
FIGURE 16-4: The Loop Browser is a great hangout for any musician.
FIGURE 16-5: A track with a loop added.
FIGURE 16-6: By repeating a loop, you can keep the notes flowing.
FIGURE 16-7: I just added a new marker in my song’s Arrangement track.
FIGURE 16-8: Finesse your tune by tweaking the sound of a specific track.

Chapter 17

FIGURE 17-1: Select a template from the Choose a Template window.
FIGURE 17-2: The major points of interest in the Pages window.
FIGURE 17-3: Use Table controls to tweak your table.
FIGURE 17-4: Hey, isn’t that the Pages Media Browser?

Chapter 18

FIGURE 18-1: Hey, these templates aren’t frightening at all!
FIGURE 18-2: The Numbers window struts its stuff.
FIGURE 18-3: In the Inspector, you can format the data you’ve entered.
FIGURE 18-4: Set text alignment within a cell.
FIGURE 18-5: Adding shading and colors to cells, rows, and columns is easy in N...
FIGURE 18-6: If you have to use formulas, at least Numbers can enter them for y...
FIGURE 18-7: Numbers displays the range of chart styles you can use.

Chapter 19

FIGURE 19-1: Select a presentation theme from the Choose a Theme window.
FIGURE 19-2: The Keynote window is dominated by the Layout pane.
FIGURE 19-3: It’s not just photos. You can add audio and movie clips to a slide...
FIGURE 19-4: Keynote offers a wide range of printing options for your slides an...

Chapter 20

FIGURE 20-1: Force a recalcitrant application to take off.
FIGURE 20-2: The physician of drives: the Monterey Disk Utility.
FIGURE 20-3: First Aid reports that this drive is error-free.

Chapter 21

FIGURE 21-1: Remove a memory module like a pro.
FIGURE 21-2: Installing the new module is a snap (pun intended)!

Chapter 22

FIGURE 22-1: Manage your storage to reclaim drive space.
FIGURE 22-2: Mine your internal drive for additional files to delete.
FIGURE 22-3: Piriform’s CCleaner for Mac is a great tool for cleaning your iMac...
FIGURE 22-4: Yes, Time Machine really does look like this!
FIGURE 22-5: Automator is a dream come true for those who hate repetitive tasks...

Introduction

Skeptical about your new anodized aluminum iMac, with that supercharged Apple M1 processor? Perhaps you’re thinking it’s too doggone thin, or you’re wondering where all the buttons are. Shouldn’t there be places to plug in cables?

Ladies and gentlemen, I have great news for you: Not only did you make The Right Decision about which computer to buy, but you also shot a hole in one! Today’s iMacs have everything a computer power user could want: speed, the latest in hardware and standards, a top-of-the-line LED screen, and the expandability you need to add just about any device meant for today’s computers.

I wrote this book especially for the proud iMac owner who wants to make the most of this stunning new aluminum computer, so this book is a guide to the iMac, Monterey (the latest version of Apple’s superb macOS operating system), and the digital lifestyle and productivity applications that Apple provides. I start by describing the basics that every iMac owner should know. Then I move on to chapters devoted to the software that comes with your iMac. Along the way, you come across a generous sprinkling of power-user tips and tricks that save you time, effort, and money.

Foolish Assumptions

So who is the target audience for this book? As in past editions, I make no assumptions about your previous knowledge of computers and software. I figure you’ve either just bought a brand-new iMac, or you’re considering buying one. Perhaps you’ve found a great bargain on a gently used older iMac model, and you’d like guidance as you learn the ropes. Those are the only assumptions I make … and unlike other books that require all sorts of technical experience and know-how, the only requirement between these covers is your desire to become an iMac power user (someone who produces the best work in the least amount of time and has the most fun doing it)!

By the way, if your friends and family told you that you’re going to spend half your life savings on software — or that no “decent” software is available for Mac computers — just smile quietly to yourself. Today’s iMac models come complete with about a ton more software than any Windows box, and those applications are better than anything available on a PC.

This book was written using the latest iMac computer, so owners of older iMac computers might not be able to follow along with everything I cover. However, if you’ve upgraded an older Intel iMac with macOS Monterey (and the latest Apple applications), you should be able to use most of the book with no problem.

About This Book

In writing about the iMac, I’ve kept one precept firmly in mind: macOS Monterey, the operating system you’ll run, is just as important as the actual iMac computer itself. Therefore, you’ll find that iMac For Dummies, 11th Edition, is just as much about familiarizing you with all the software you get as it is about introducing you to hardware features like your keyboard and mouse. After all, it’s relatively easy to connect an entire forest of cables and turn on any new computer. What comes next is the challenging part!

As in my other For Dummies titles, I respect and use the same English language you do, avoiding jargon, ridiculous computer acronyms, and confusing techno-babble whenever possible.

If you’re upgrading from a PC running the Windows operating system, I’ve got tips, tricks, and entire sections devoted to those hardy pioneers called Switchers! You’ll discover both the similarities and differences between the iMac running Monterey and the PC running Windows. I also show you how to make the switch as easy and quick as possible.

A word about the conventions I use: Even with an absolute minimum of techno-speak, this book needs to cover the special keys that you have to press or menu commands that you have to choose to make things work. Therefore, please keep this short list of conventions in mind as you read:

Stuff you type: If I ask you to type (or enter) something, such as in a text box or field, that text appears in bold, like this:
Type me.

If I ask you to type a command within an application, that text appears like this (and note that you usually have to press the Return key before anything happens):

Type me.
Menu commands: I list menu paths and commands using another format. For example, this instruction indicates that you should click the Edit menu and then choose the Copy menu item:

Edit ⇒ Copy
Web addresses: No up-to-date book on a computer would be complete without a bag full of web addresses for you to check out. When you see these in the text, they look like this: www.mlcbooks.com.

Icons Used in This Book

Like other technology authors, I firmly believe that important nuggets of wisdom should stand out on the page! With that in mind, this For Dummies book includes margin icons for certain situations:

This is the most popular icon in the book, and you find it parked next to suggestions that I make to save you time and effort (and sometimes even cash!).

You don't have to know this stuff, but the technologically curious love high-tech details. (Of course, we’re great fun at parties, too.)

Always read the information before you take action! I’m discussing something that could actually harm your hardware or throw a plumber’s helper into your software.

Consider these nuggets to be highlighter stuff — not quite as universally accepted (or as important to the author) as a Mark’s Maxim (described next), but good reminders nonetheless. I use these icons to reinforce what you should remember.

Mark’s Maxims: These are MFRs (short for My Favorite Recommendations). In fact, I’ll bet just about any iMac power user would tell you the same. Follow my Maxims to avoid the quicksand and pitfalls that I’ve encountered with all sorts of Macs for more than three decades!

Beyond the Book

Thanks to my good friends at Wiley, there’s some extra content to accompany this book that you won’t find between the covers! Fire up your Safari browser and go online to find the following:

Cheat Sheet: I’ve created several Cheat Sheet pages that cover things like common keystrokes and maintenance procedures that every iMac owner should follow on a regular basis. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and enter iMac For Dummies Cheat Sheet in the Search box.
Bonus Chapter: If you’re dying to find out how to share data among wireless devices via Bluetooth technology, check out the handy Bluetooth bonus chapter at the Wiley website (www.dummies.com) as well as at my website (www.mlcbooks.com).

Where to Go from Here

Each chapter in this book is written as a reference on a specific hardware or software topic. You can begin reading anywhere you like because each chapter is self-contained. However, I recommend that you read the book from front to back because the order of this book makes a great deal of sense. (I hope!)

Part 1

Getting Started with Your iMac

IN THIS PART …

Tour the features of your iMac.

Unpack and set up your iMac.

Familiarize yourself with the basics of macOS Monterey.