Chapter 1

macOS Ventura 101 (Prerequisites: None)

IN THIS CHAPTER

Understanding what an operating system is and is not

Turning your Mac on and off

Getting to know the start-up process

Avoiding major Mac mistakes

Pointing, clicking, dragging, and other uses for your mouse

Getting help from your Mac

Congratulate yourself on choosing macOS version 13, generally known as Ventura. Now congratulate yourself again for making your Mac even easier to use, with hundreds of tweaks to help you do more work in less time, and even easier on the eye.

This chapter starts at the very beginning and talks about macOS in mostly abstract terms; then it moves on to explain what you need to know to use macOS Ventura successfully. A number of features described here haven't changed in years, so if you've been using macOS for a while, much of the information in this chapter may seem hauntingly familiar.

But if you decide to skip this chapter because you think you have all the new stuff figured out, you'll miss at least a couple of things that Apple didn't bother to tell you.

Tantalized? Let's rock.

Okay, What Does macOS Do?

The operating system (that is, the OS part of macOS) is what makes your Mac a Mac. Without it, your Mac is nothing but a pile of silicon and circuits - no smarter than a toaster.

"So what does an operating system do?" you ask. Good question. The simple answer is that an OS controls the basic and most important functions of your computer. In the case of macOS and your Mac, the operating system

• Manages memory
• Controls how windows, icons, and menus work
• Keeps track of files
• Manages networking and security
• Does housekeeping (but only its own - not yours)

Other forms of software, such as word processors and web browsers, rely on the OS to create and maintain the environment in which they work their magic. When you create a memo, for example, the word processor provides the tools for you to type and format the information and save it in a file. In the background, the OS is the muscle for the word processor, performing the following crucial functions:

• Providing the mechanism for drawing and moving the onscreen window in which you write the memo
• Keeping track of the file when you save it
• Helping the word processor create drop-down menus and dialogs for you to interact with
• Communicating with other programs
• And much, much more (stuff that only geeks could care about)

So, armed with a little background in operating systems, take a gander at the next section before you do anything else with your Mac.

One last thing: macOS Ventura comes with nearly 60 applications in its Applications and Utilities folders. Although I'd love to tell you all about each and every one, I have only so many pages at my disposal.

THE MAC ADVANTAGE

Someone wise once said, "Claiming that macOS is inferior to Windows because more people use Windows is like saying that all other restaurants serve food that's inferior to McDonald's."

We might be a minority, but Mac users have the best, most stable, most modern all-purpose operating system in the world, and here's why: Unix, on which macOS is based, is widely regarded as the best industrial-strength operating system on the planet. For now, just know that being based on Unix means that a Mac running macOS benefits from nearly four decades of continuous Unix development, which means less downtime. Being Unix-based also means getting far fewer viruses and encounters with malicious software. But perhaps the biggest advantage macOS has is that when an application crashes, it doesn't crash your entire computer, and you usually don't have to restart the computer to continue working.

A Safety Net for the Absolute Beginner (or Any User)

The following sections deal with the stuff that macOS Help doesn't cover - or doesn't cover in nearly enough detail. If you're a first-time Mac user, please, please read this section of the book carefully; it could save your life. Okay, okay, perhaps that's overly dramatic - but reading this section could save your Mac, your sanity, or both. Even if you're an experienced Mac user, you may want to read this section. Chances are you'll see at least a few things you've forgotten that will come in handy now that you've been reminded of them.

Turning the dang thing on

Okay. This is the big moment: turning on your Mac!

Apple, in its infinite wisdom, has manufactured Macs with power buttons on every conceivable surface: on the front, side, and back of the computer itself, and even on the keyboard and monitor.

So if you don't know how to turn on your Mac, don't feel bad; just look in the manual or booklet that came with your Mac. It's at least one thing that the documentation always covers.

You don't have that little booklet? Most MacBook models have the power button in the upper-right corner of the keyboard, most iMac models have the button at the back of the screen, the Mac mini and the "trash can" Mac Pro have it at the back of the enclosure, and the big Mac Pro boxes have it on the front. The power button usually looks like the little circle thingy you see in the margin - but on some Mac models, the power button doubles as the Touch ID button for identifying you via your fingerprint and doesn't show the icon.

Launch the Books app, click the Search field at the top of the sidebar on the left, and type the name of your Mac plus the word Essentials - for example, "MacBook Air Essentials" or "iMac Essentials." In the Suggestions section, click the right result, and grab the free Essentials ebook with your Mac's name, by Apple. At around 150 pages each, these booklets aren't in any way comprehensive, but they do include some vital information, including where to find the power button on your particular Mac.

What you should see on start-up

When you finally do turn on your Mac, you set in motion a sophisticated and complex series of events that culminates in the loading of macOS and the appearance of the macOS desktop. After a small bit of whirring, buzzing, and flashing (meaning that the OS is loading), macOS first tests all the Mac's hardware - slots, ports, disks, random access memory (RAM), and so on. If everything passes, you'll see a tasteful whitish Apple logo in the middle of your screen, as shown in Figure 1-1.

FIGURE 1-1: This is what you'll see if everything is fine and dandy when you turn on your Mac.

Here are the things that you might see when you power up your Mac:

• Login screen: Depending on your settings, you might or might not see the macOS login screen. Here, you choose your user account, enter your password, and press Return (or click the little right-arrow-in-a-circle in the password field), and away you go.

  If you don't want to type your password every time you start or restart your Mac (or even if you do), check out Chapter 20 for the scoop on how to turn the login screen on or off.

  You should turn off the login screen only if you can guarantee you'll be the only one touching the machine. With the login screen disabled, your Mac and everything in it is completely available to anyone who turns it on, which is usually not a good thing. So I don't recommend turning off the login screen on a MacBook. And even desktop Mac users should think twice before turning it off.

  Either way, the desktop soon materializes before your eyes. If you haven't customized, configured, or tinkered with your desktop, it should look pretty much like Figure 1-2. Now is a good time to take a moment for positive thoughts about the person who convinced you that you wanted a Mac. That person was right!

• Blue/black/gray screen of death: If any of your hardware fails when it's tested, you may see a blue, black, or gray screen.

  The fact that something went wrong is no reflection on your prowess as a Mac user. Something is broken, and your Mac may need repairs. If this is happening to you right now, check out Chapter 23 to try to get your Mac well again.

  FIGURE 1-2: The desktop after a brand-spanking-new installation of macOS Ventura.

  If your computer is under warranty, set up a Genius Bar appointment at your nearest Apple Store or dial 1-800-SOS-APPL, and a customer-service person can tell you what to do. Before you do anything, though, skip ahead to Chapter 23. It's entirely possible that one of the suggestions there will get you back on track without your having to spend even a moment on hold.

• Prohibitory sign or flashing question mark in a folder: Most users eventually encounter the prohibitory sign or flashing question mark in a folder (as shown in the margin). These icons mean that your Mac can't find a start-up disk, hard drive, USB thumb drive, or network server containing a valid Mac operating system. See Chapter 23 for ways to ease your Mac's ills.
• Kernel...