HOME
TOPICS
ABOUT ME
MAIL

 
  technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T h e   R o a d   L e s s   T r a v e l e d
How a modern Mac differs from a Windows PC, Part 2: Connections and the Dock


Jan. 15, 2003


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2003, The Post-Standard

   Last week I described basic functions of modern Macs and how they differ from those on Windows PCs. This week I'll talk about how to connect peripherals, and I'll look at the OS X taskbar, called "the Dock."
   
   CONNECTIONS
   Windows PCs use many different methods to connect secondary devices to the computer. Modern Macs use only two, USB and FireWire.
   Your Mac has many USB sockets, also called ports. The main ones are on the back of the computer. Two other USB ports are on each side of the keyboard, near the back edge. The ports on the back of the computer can furnish more power than the ones on the keyboard.
   Your Mac will display a message if you have connected something that is using too much power for one of the USB ports. If you see the message with something plugged into a keyboard USB port, connect it to one of the back ports instead. If you still see a message about inadequate USB power, buy a powered USB hub and plug it into one of the ports on the back of the Mac. Plug your new USB device into one of the ports on the hub.
   FireWire is a connection method like USB except that it is much faster. Any new digital camcorders should connect to your Mac using a FireWire cable. Macs don't come with spare FireWire cables, so you'll have to buy one if your digital camcorder didn't come with one either. Stores that sell Macintoshes should have such cables, or you could find one at a large general-purpose computer store such as CompUSA. Modern Macs come with iMovie, the software needed to edit videos from your digital camcorder.
   Printers connect to Macs by USB cables. You can connect and use more than one printer at a time -- an ideal situation if you have both a black-and-white laser printer and a color ink jet model. But don't assume that every USB printer will work with your Mac; some manufacturers design certain printers for Windows only. Check the Web site of the printer manufacturer or call the nearest Apple dealer to find out about particular models.
   Scanners connect by USB also. Scanners that are popular among Windows users might not work on Macs, so you'll have to check first. Do not buy a new scanner without an assurance that it was designed to work under Mac OS X. (That's the name of the Macintosh operating system.)
   You can connect external hard drives, CD recorders and DVD recorders to your Mac easily. External hard drives and CD recorders (or "burners") sometimes connect by a USB cable, but external DVD burners require either a FireWire connection or a USB 2 connection. (USB 2 is a faster version of USB, but current Macs don't have USB 2.) If you have a choice when buying an external hard drive or CD burner, always choose a FireWire model; it will be faster.
   All modern Macs come with built-in modems, but if you want to add your own, choose an internal model. It will cost less without losing any functionality. Apple dealers can help you choose the right modem if you want to replace the one that came with your Macintosh. Be careful when shopping at a store that does not specialize in Macintosh computers: Many internal modems are so-called "Winmodems," designed to work only on a Windows PC. (
   All trackballs should work on a modern Mac if they connect by USB. You won't even need special software in most cases.
   
   THE DESKTOP AND DOCK
   The Mac OS X desktop looks a lot like the desktop on a Windows PC. The most obvious difference is the placement of the Mac's menus, which are always at the top of the screen. (Windows puts menus at the top of program windows. The Mac's method is more intuitive because menus are always in the same place.) The only other difference, aside from more realistic icons, is the OS X Dock, a combination launchbar and taskbar that's normally located at the bottom center of the screen.
   Icons in the Dock can represent programs, folders or documents, and the same icons appear whether the items they represent are running or not. You can launch a program by clicking once on its icon, and you can bring a running program to the foreground by doing the same thing. Unlike Windows icons, Dock icons for open windows are true miniatures, showing a half-thumbnail-size version of the actual window contents. When a window's contents change, the window's Dock icon changes, too.
   Programs bounce their icons in the Dock to get your attention if something's wrong or if they need a decision from you. If you turn on an audio feature I'll describe in a future column, programs can also talk to you when they need your input. (My Mac calls out "Hey, Al!" at these times, shouting out the name of the program that needs my attention..)
   To add any item to the Dock, you drag it over to the Dock and let go. Clicking and holding a folder icon (or doing either a right click or a Ctrl-Click) pops up a list of the contents of the folder. If the folder contains subfolders, they're turned into branches of the main menu list.
   You can move the Dock to any other edge of the screen, and you can stretch the Dock wider or narrower. The icons grow or shink accordingly. I experimented with top and side placement. Although I'd love be able to place the Dock on the right side, within an easy arc of my right hand, I found side placement unsatisfactory; menus that pop up out of the Dock don't seem to work well when the Dock is not anchored to the bottom or the top of the screen.
   OS X magnifies Dock icons as you pass your mouse over them. You can turn magnification off or turn it down in the Dock preferences.
   
   Next: Windows and other desktop operations.