This is our 11th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Be able to quickly access information or perform a common task?

Apple brings you the Dashboard and Exposé.

The Dashboard is apples way of allowing you to access information very quickly.

Information such as

• Real-Time Weather (for multiple cities),
• A Dictionary and Translator,
• A Calculator and Unit Convertor,
• Stocks,
• Recent News,
• Or more than 4,000 other “widgets.”

You can bring up and put away your dashboard by simply pressing F4 (or F12 on some Macs).

Exposé will help you perform the task of switching between programs faster and easier.

It allows you to see all open windows by pressing F3 (or F9 on some Macs) and chose which one you would like with the click of your mouse.

There are a few other “hotkeys” that you can use to access different features on your Mac

• F8 – Spaces
• F10 – Clears the screen of programs so that you can access your desktop.

If you are experiencing any problems with your Dashboard or Exposé or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 10th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

But now with iChat you can not only talk to your friends but see them as well.

iChat also includes a fully featured instant messaging client that can connect with

• iChat,
• AIM,
• Jabber, and
• Google Talk.

Most Mac’s includes a built-in iSight camera and mic. So you don’t have to go out and buy anything to get going.

iChat even allows you to have a conference video chat with up to 4 different people (including yourself)!

If you want to use iChat to it’s fullest you must purchase Mobile Me. The 4-person video chat will only work if you have Mobile Me (1-person video chat will work without Mobile Me).

If you are experiencing any problems with iChat, the built in iSight, or mic or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 9th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

But not had the money to purchase one?

Well Apple has you covered!

Front Row is Apple’s version of an entertainment center built right into your Mac.

You can view full-screen

• Movies,
• Music Videos, and
• Photos

You can also listen to any music that is in your iTunes!

Front Row works with any computer in your house, so if you have a computer with all of your movies on it you don’t have to drag it into another room just to watch movies that aren’t stored on the computer connected to your TV.

If you have an apple remote you can even use it to control your Mac and Front Row from the comfort of your couch!

Woo all of your friends with your sweet new entertainment center by having a movie night, it’s sure to impress.

If you are experiencing any problems with Front Row or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 8th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Well when you get an Apple computer, these 3 programs work together to improve your computing experience.

Apple offers Mail (email), Address Book and iCal (calendar) to help you get things done with efficiency and accuracy.

Mail works with the most popular email standards of today as well as the most popular email services (Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, and AOL Mail).

You can even have multiple email accounts in Mail, so all of your emails are in one place!

Address Book gives you a place to store your contact information. You can

• Import information from applications,
• Create distribution lists, and
• Print address labels and envelops.

Address Book even uses the vCard format, the most popular format for contact information today, so that you can send and receive vCards.

To load a vCard onto your Mac, simply click and the contact information stored in the card is automatically loaded into your contacts.

iCal allows you to create multiple calendars to separate your work and home life (for example).

You can even hide calendars to simplify viewing.

One of the extra neat things about iCal is that it allows you to create events. You can then use your Address Book to send emails to your guest list and it will keep track of attendee responses. If you get an invitation it will automatically be added to your iCal.

These 3 programs are fully integrated into one another to help you get stuff done faster and easier than you could ever imagine.

If you are experiencing any problems iCal, Mail, or Address Book or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 7th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Help you improve your speed and efficiency while using your computer!

Your Apple computer comes with 3 programs that can help you achieve this

• Spotlight,
• Quick Look, and
• Spaces

So what do each of these programs offer, you might ask.

Spotlight allows you to find anything on your computer simply by typing what you are looking for.

Spotlight can help you find

• Files,
• Email,
• Contacts,
• Images,
• Calendar events, and
• Applications.

Spotlight can be accessed quickly by pressing command + spacebar.

Quick Look allows you to instantly preview almost any file without having to actually open the program, by simply clicking the item you want to preview and hitting the spacebar.

Spaces (hotkey – F8) let’s you group application windows, essentially creating another window with only the programs you want in it.

If you need to enable it on your Mac, go into your

System Preferences → Exposé & Spaces → Spaces

and check the Enable Spaces box.

You can quickly switch between your spaces with hotkeys Ctrl + 1 (2,3,4, or however many spaces you enable) or Ctrl + Arrow Keys.

If you are experiencing any problems with Spotlight, Quick Look, or Spaces or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 6th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

But really need to check an email or access a file?

Well Apple has a solution for you, and it’s called Mobile Me.

Mobile me allows you to access some of the more important things on your computer, such as

• Email,
• Contacts,
• Calendars,
• Photos (in an online Gallery),
• Important files (with iDisk).

You can even locate your iPhone or iPad and protect what’s on it with a remote wipe.

This means that if your iPhone gets stolen you can track it via GPS and get it back!

The benefits of “cloud computing” are astounding. Accessing data anywhere you can access the Internet, which is almost anywhere nowadays!

If you are interested in Mobile Me then go ahead and buy it.

If you are experiencing any problems with your Mobile Me or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 5th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

And you are afraid that a Mac won’t be able to get them all done.

Well you’re wrong! Microsoft Office for Mac can help you get what you need done finished quickly.

Microsoft Office 2008 Home (for Mac) includes the following:

• Full suite of Microsoft Office tools.
• Mac and Windows compatible docs and presentations.
• 100’s of template designs.
• Easy to use
• Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Entourage and Messenger.

You can do almost anything that you could only get done on a Windows PC on a Mac now!

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac has 2 versions:

• Microsoft Office 2008 Home & Student Edition
• Microsoft Office 2008 Business Edition

You can even install Windows Operating Systems (XP, Vista, and 7) on a Mac now, which makes having a Windows PC completely obsolete.

So why just have Windows when you can have the best of both worlds?

If you are experiencing any problems with Microsoft Office for Mac or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 4th tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

Well Apple has just the thing you need to get all of these done!

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll be able to do with iWork ’09.

Pages –

• Creating brochures, flyers, reports, resume or eBooks.
• Choose from over 180 templates,
• New full-screen view,
• Dynamic outlines,
• Use mail merge with Numbers, and
• Edit Microsoft Word files.

Keynote –

• Easily create complex animations with Magic Move,
• New visual effects,
• New styles and animations for 3D charts,
• Reduced file size without compromising quality,
• Create dynamic flowcharts and diagrams using connection lines,
• 44 Apple-designed themes, and
• Edit Microsoft PowerPoint files.

Numbers –

• Easily create formulas, using visual placeholders with plain language text,
• Perform calculations (over 250 functions),
• Organize your data using Table Categories,
• Check your calculations with Formula List view,
• Create two-axis charts and mixed charts,
• 30 Apple-designed templates,
• Edit Microsoft Excel files.

As you may have noticed, these programs are roughly equivalent to Microsoft’s Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

These programs are Apple’s solution to your day-to-day needs whether they are for work or for your own personal use.

iWork does not come standard on your Mac, so if you are in need of it go ahead and buy iWork ’09.

If you just want to stick with what you’re used to, Microsoft Office 2008 Home and Student Edition or Business Edition are available for purchase for any Mac.

If you are experiencing any problems with iWork ‘09 or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 3rd tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

iLife is a suite of programs that will help you organize your photos, watch and create movies, create a website or create music.

Here is a basic overview of what you will get in each program.

iPhoto –

• Easily organize and search your photos,
• Use Faces to find pictures of specific people,
• Search your pictures based on location using Places,
• Create slideshows, and
• Publish photos directly to Facebook and Flickr™ with a click.

iMovie –

• Create or edit a movie in minutes,
• Use drag-and-drop to easily edit your projects,
• Smooth out shaky clips with auto video stabilization,
• Use themes so you can have matching titles and transitions, and
• Add animated maps to travel videos.

GarageBand –

• Learn to play and record your own songs,
• Interactive lessons combine video instruction with animated notation and instrument views,
• Play and record with new amps and effects, and
• Use virtual instruments in Magic GarageBand.

iWeb –

• Design, publish, and update your own websites – without having to learn HTML code,
• Easily add dynamic content to your web pages (YouTube videos and RSS feeds),
• Link your iWeb site to your Facebook account,
• Built in FTP service, and
• Easily manage multiple websites.

iDVD –

• Turn home movies into gorgeous Hollywood-style DVDs,
• Use Apple-designed themes with animated menus, and
• Combine video and photos to create slideshows.

iLife ’09 is very simple to use and will make managing your memories easier than ever! If you are using an older version of iLife upgrade to iLife ’09 and gain many new features!

If you are experiencing any problems with iLife ‘09 or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.

This is our 2nd tip in our series “Mac OS X Snow Leopard – 15 Tips You Need To Know”.

get to work with your new computer.

So lets go through a few Mac OS X features that you are definitely going to want to enable.

Set your keyboard’s tab button to scroll through all boxes and buttons when filling out online forms by going to:

• System Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts.
• Down at the bottom check the “All controls” button.

Setting up your Track Pad

• System Preferences → Trackpad.
• Under One Finger ensure that “Tap to Click” is enabled.
• Under 2 Fingers ensure that “Secondary Tap” is enabled.
  • If you don’t want to enable the 2-finger “secondary tap” you can still “secondary click” by holding command and clicking.

Turning on your Firewall – this will help protect your computer from viruses and hackers!

• System Preferences → Security → Firewall
• Click the start button.

If you wish to have a login screen (for security purposes)

• System Preferences → Security → General
• Check the box that says “disable automatic login”

If you are having trouble modifying any of the settings mentioned above, it’s possible that they are locked so that not just anyone can change them!

This is an added security measure apple has in place for your protection.

Don’t worry it’s really simple to unlock them, you may have noticed the small lock in the bottom left corner of the screens, if it’s locked simply

• Click it,
• Enter your password, and

You should be able to modify any setting you want!

If you want to lock it back simply click the lock again and it will lock.

There are many other cool and useful features located in System Preferences, and we encourage you to modify them, as you like, so that you can have the fastest and most efficient use of Mac OS X Snow Leopard possible.

If you are experiencing any problems or you need any help with your Mac – feel free to visit www.YourComputerHelpDesk.com, contact us, or call us at (800) 573-0234.