The Mac is a staple in the computer world. Many Mac owners consider their Macs as one of their most highly valued electronics. If you are new to computers and Macs, you might find it challenging to weed out all of the inaccurate and biased information about Macs out there. This article is intended to be a general overview of Macs and their features and to assist you with any Mac troubleshooting.
Definition and Terms
First of all, what is a Mac? Mac actually stands for “Macintosh.” It’s made by Apple, Inc, the same company that designs and develops the iPhone, iPod, and iPad. There is a lot oflingo associated with Macs and computers in general, and it is important that you do not get confused by the terminology.
Application
An application also called an “App” or “app,” is simply a software program that preforms a function. There are apps for everything these days. They range from design and word processors to stock market apps to game apps for your entertainment.
Dashboard
The Dashboard is an application in the Apple Operating System that allows you to control and monitor all of your widgets in one place.
Operating System
The Operating System is the software that is fundamental to the function of Mac computers. There are various versions of macOS and OS X, which is what Apple calls its computer’s operating system. It is analogous to the Windows operating system in PCs.
Widget
These are small scale apps that have reduced functionality. They are usually open on your dashboard all the time and give you information that you need quickly. For example, a weather widget can give you the current outdoor temperature continually on the dashboard.
USB
USB stands for Universal Serial Bus, and it is a port that allows you to connect different types of hardware to your Mac. The hardware can range from flash drives to keyboards.
The original Mac was called the Macintosh 128k and released to the world in January of 1984. What was revolutionary about Macs is that they were very user friendly, and the average consumer could use them very intuitively. In the 90s, the Macintosh computer began losing sales to computers that ran on the Windows and Intel platform. Because of this, Apple introduced the iMac in 1998, which was an all-in-one computer that had great success. In 2001, Apple started making iMacs with CD-RW, which was a later introduction than PCs. In 2006, Apple transitioned to Intel microprocessors along with an aluminum physical architecture. Finally, Apple introduced MacBooks and transitioned away from its PowerBook line. Now, Apple offers 4 different types of Macintosh computers to the world, including the mini, the Pro, the iMac, and the variations of MacBook.
Information on Different Types of Mac Computers
Desktops
Mac Mini is a compact version of a Mac desktop computer. It’s a super small rectangular device and includes a few ports for you to plug in your keyboard, monitor, and mouse. The iMac is an all-in-one desktop computer marketed to the price conscious consumer. It comes with a monitor, mouse pad and keyboard. The monitor can be 21.5” or 27” diagonally. The Mac Pro is intended for professionals who need to be able to customize their computer. The hardware of this high powered desktop is contained in a sleek, modern looking and cylindrical computer tower.
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MacBooks are the Laptop versions of Macintosh computers. Currently, there are two MacBooks on the market. The MacBook and MacBook Pro are very thin portable computers that use flash storage instead of a traditional hard disk drive. This dramatically lowers the weight and thickness of the computer making it extra portable.
macOS and OS X
macOS is the operating system that is currently used in Apple computers, and it is the successor to the Mac OS X operating system. What is unique about macOS is that it is designed to operate only on Mac computers. Many believe that this leads to a more seamless experience when using a Mac computer. macOS is the 11th version of Apple’s Computer Operating Systems. For Mac OS X, The “X” refers to the Roman numeral, which signifies that it is the tenth version of this operating system.
Because Macs occupy about 10% of the market among other reasons, they are rarely attacked by viruses and other bugs. While this is changing because of their increasing share of the market, Mac computers remain very safe. Furthermore, the build quality of Mac computers is regarded as some of the best on the market. They are made with very sturdy aluminum cases and have a very stylish look to them. This extends to most of their products. Furthermore, their exclusive use of Mac OS or OS X leads to a very customized experience that is different from Mac’s PC counterparts.
