The Mac *OS *Operating System

How to find your Mac’s OS

• Click the Apple Menu in the upper left corner

• Notice there are a lot of choices!

• All of them will eventually be covered but for now...

• Scroll to and release on About This Mac

About This Mac

• Tells you your Mac’s OS Version

• Gives you direct access to Software Update (also available from the Apple Menu)

• Tells you details about your Mac’s processing power, memory and the hard drive that is running your Mac

• Gives you access to More Info about your Mac

What is an Operating System (OS)?

An Operating System consists of the programming code that makes your computer functional. It comes with your computer and, for all intents and purposes, you cannot alter it. There are a number of operating systems, including the Mac OS, Windows, and Linux.

As with all operating systems, the Mac OS has undergone a number of transformations (also known as versions), with the current version being OS X. OS X has developed in leaps and bounds, and its most current version is 10.5.2, also known as Leopard.

You can learn more about Leopard by watching a guided tour on Apple’s web site: http://www.apple.com/macosx/guidedtour/

All people have a Human Operating System.It’s what allows us to walk and talk and process information. It comes hard wired into us from inception.

The computer’s OS is what allows it to communicate with devices (such as printers) and process information, and is hard wired into the computer as it is manufactured.

Just as humans have different personalities, so, too, do computer operating systems, for instance, OS X for the Mac, and Windows Vista. (Not to confuse the issue, but it is now possible for Macs to run the Windows OS!)

Sometimes the Human OS has a glitch, leading to differences in learning styles. The Computer OS also sometimes has glitches, accounting for why things do not always work as expected. In both instances, it is worth enjoying the OS’s for the marvel they are!

The Less Technical Explanation(not that the previous explanation was exactly technical!)

And the last thing I’d like you to know about the Mac OS ...

It is a GUI, which stands for Graphical User Interface.

The Interface is the portion of the Operating System with which you, as the user, interact. It is the combination of icons and menus with which you communicate with your computer.

Made for My Mom(Using Apple’s Keynote)

My Mom (seen at right at The Apple Store in White Plains, NY) has a 20 inch iMac. She’s pretty cool with using it for email and reading the news online. This series of Keynote slide shows is to answer all of her questions (well, maybe not ALL, but hopefully a lot of them!) and to introduce her to more of her Mac.