OS X Mountain Lion supports several different installation options. It may not be evident when you start the Mountain Lion installer, but you can perform a clean install or an upgrade install of the OS.
You can also install Mountain Lion on a wide range of devices, including your startup drive, an internal partition or volume, or just about any external drive you may have, including USB flash drives.
If you feel up to a bit of fiddling around, you can also create bootable copies of the installer that can run on a DVD, USB flash drive, or any bootable external drive you may have lying around, looking for a purpose in life.
In this article, we've put together a list of all of the OS X Mountain Lion installation options.
OS X Mountain Lion has a few special needs that unfortunately will prevent it from running on some older Intel Macs. Even some Macs that can run OS X Lion may not meet the minimum requirement for Mountain Lion.
This list of the minimum requirements for running Mountain Lion includes the usual data, such as the amount of RAM and disk space you'll need. It also includes a list of Macs that are specifically supported by the Mountain Lion OS.
Make sure your Mac meets the minimum requirements for running OS X Mountain Lion before you get your heart set on installing it.
Minimum Requirements for OS X Mountain Lion The minimum hardware requirements for OS X Mountain Lion are a bit steeper than the minimum hardware requirements for OS X Lion, its predecessor. Many Macs can work with Mountain Lion, but some Macs won't be able to run anything newer than Lion.
A List of Macs That Will Work With Mountain Lion iMac - mid 2007 (iMac7,1) or newer MacBook - late 2008 (MacBook5,1) Aluminum model or newer MacBook Pro - mid 2007 (MacBookPro3,1) or newer MacBook Air - 2008 (MacBook Air1,1) or newer Mac mini - early 2009 (Macmini3,1) or newer Mac Pro - early 2008 (MacPro3,1) or newer Xserve - early 2009 (Xserve3,1) model or newer
Apple has been removing Macs that don't support 64-bit processors from its OS X compatibility list since it introduced Snow Leopard. With Mountain Lion, Apple is further trimming the compatibility list by being very strict about what constitutes full 64-bit support.
However, some of the Mac models that didn't make the cut this time, such as earlier versions of the Mac Pro, do have a full 64-bit Intel processor. So, what kept them out of the running?
While the earlier Mac Pros have 64-bit processors, the EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) boot firmware is 32-bit. Mountain Lion can only boot in 64-bit mode, so any Mac that has 32-bit EFI boot firmware won't be able to run it. Apple can't supply new EFI firmware because the supporting chips for the EFI system in these older Macs are also limited to 32 bits.
If you're not sure if your Mac will make the cut or not, you can find out by following these steps:
If You Use Snow Leopard
Select "About This Mac" from the Apple menu.
Click the More Info button.
Make sure Hardware is selected in the Contents list.
The second entry in the Hardware Overview list is the Model Identifier.
Compare the Model Identifier with the list above. For example, a Model Identifier of MacBookPro5,4 would be eligible to upgrade to Mountain Lion since it is newer than the MacBookPro3,1 identifier in the list.
If You Use Lion
Select "About This Mac" from the Apple menu.
Click the More Info button.
In the About This Mac window that opens, make sure the Overview tab is selected.
The first two entries will include your Mac model and the release date for the model.
You can compare this information against the model list above.
An Alternative Method There's another way to check whether your Mac can be updated. You can use Terminal to verify that your Mac boots using a 64-bit kernel. Launch Terminal, which is located in the /Applications/Utilities folder.
Enter the following command at the Terminal prompt:
uname -a
Terminal will return a few lines of text indicating the version of the Darwin kernel this is being used. Look for x86_64 somewhere within the text. The above process will only work if you're running OS X Lion. If you're still running OS X Snow Leopard, you'll need to force boot into the 64-bit kernel by restarting your Mac while holding down the 6 and 4 keys. Once the Desktop is visible, use Terminal to check for the x86_64 text.
Some Macs that aren't on the list above may still be able to run Mountain Lion, provided they can successfully boot using the 64-bit kernel. This is possible if you've upgraded an older Mac by replacing a logic board, a graphics card, or another major component.
If your Mac can't make the jump to Mountain Lion, you may still want to upgrade to Snow Leopard or Lion, if you haven't already. If your Mac is running the latest OS it can support, you'll be able to receive software updates, and more importantly, security updates, for as long as possible. Apple usually provides security updates for the current version of the OS, as well as the previous two versions of the OS.
Additional Mountain Lion Requirements 8 GB of free hard drive space for the OS installation; more is better, and much more is even better. While 8 GB is enough for the OS and the apps that come with it, there won't be much space left for user data or additional apps. I recommend 60 GB or more for a single user who has a mid to large collection of apps and user data.
2 GB of RAM. Once again, this is the minimum listed by Apple. You will probably want to have at least double that amount of memory, depending on how you use your Mac.
650 MB of additional drive space. Mountain Lion creates a Recovery HD volume on your startup drive. This space is used to hold a bootable system that includes tools for data recovery and the ability to reinstall the OS.
An Internet connection. You'll need the Internet to download the Mountain Lion installer app, and to create your iCloud account when you're setting up Mountain Lion. You'll also need an Internet connection if you ever need to re-install the OS using the Recovery HD volume.
Web-based access to my Windows Live Hotmail account is great, but I also like the power and flexibility of Mac OS X Mail, my preferred desktop email client. Fortunately, there's an elegant way to combine both worlds and download Windows Live Hotmail messages to Mac OS X Mail (and send mail, too).
Access Windows Live Hotmail with Mac OS X Mail Using POP
To set up a Windows Live Hotmail account in Mac OS X Mail using POP (which lets you fetch new incoming mail easily):
Select Mail | Preferences... from the Mac OS X Mail menu.
Go to the Accounts category.
Click the + ("Create an account.") button.
Enter your name under Full Name:.
Type your Windows Live Hotmail address (something like "example@hotmail.com") under Email Address:.
Type your Windows Live Hotmail password under Password:.
Click Continue.
Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
Enter "Windows Live Hotmail" (or something similar) as the Description: for this account.
Type "pop3.live.com" (not including the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
Enter your complete Windows Live Hotmail address ("example@hotmail.com", for example) under User Name:.
Click Continue.
Enter "Windows Live Hotmail" under Description: for Outgoing Mail Server.
Type "smtp.live.com" under Outgoing Mail Server:.
Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
Enter your full Windows Live Hotmail address (e.g. "example@hotmail.com") under User Name:.
Type your Windows Live Hotmail password under Password:.
Click Continue.
Now click Create.
Close the Accounts window.
Access Windows Live Hotmail with Mac OS X Mail Using IMAP via IzyMail
To set up a Windows Live Hotmail account in Mac OS X Mail using IMAP (which allows seamless access to all your online folders) via IzyMail: Make sure your Windows Live Hotmail or MSN Hotmail account is registered with IzyMail.
Choose Mail | Preferences... from the Mac OS X Mail menu.
Go to the Accounts category.
Use the + ("Create an account.") button.
Enter your name under Full Name:.
Type your Windows Live Hotmail address (e.g. "example@hotmail.com") under Email Address:.
Enter your Windows Live Hotmail password under Password:.
Click Continue.
Make sure IMAP is selected under Account Type:.
Enter "Windows Live Hotmail" (or something else explanatory) as the Description: for this account.
Type "in.izymail.com" (not including the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
Enter your complete Windows Live Hotmail address ("example@hotmail.com", for instance) under User Name:.
Click Continue.
Enter "Windows Live Hotmail" under Description: for Outgoing Mail Server.
Type "out.izymail.com" under Outgoing Mail Server:.
Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
Enter your full Windows Live Hotmail address (e.g. "example@hotmail.com") under User Name:.
Now enter your Windows Live Hotmail password under Password:.
With Mac OS X Mail, Yahoo! Mail and IzyMail, you do have the choice, but you can also use both side by side. IzyMail offers IMAP access to Yahoo! Mail, which means you'll see all your Yahoo! Mail folders in Mac OS X Mail, and if you move messages in Mail, they'll be moved if you access Yahoo! Mail in your browser, too.
You can also access your Yahoo! Mail account in Mac OS X Mail using the simple MacFreePOPs interface, which lets you download new messages with simplicity and speed.
Access Free Yahoo! Mail with Mac OS X Mail Using POP Over MacFreePOPs
To set up access to a free Yahoo! Mail account in Mac OS X Mail:
Install MacFreePOPs and make sure the freepopsd service is running.
Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu in Mac OS X Mail.
Go to the Accounts category.
Click + at the bottom of the Accounts list.
Type your name under Full Name:.
Enter your full Yahoo! Mail address (e.g. "example@yahoo.com") under Email Address:.
Type your Yahoo! Mail password under Password:.
Make sure Automatically set up account is not checked.
Click Continue.
Make sure POP is selected under Account Type:.
Enter "Yahoo! Mail" under Account Description:.
Enter "localhost" (without the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
If you run into problems using "localhost", try "127.0.0.1".
Type your full Yahoo! Mail address ("example@yahoo.com", for example) under User Name:.
Mac OS X Mail probably has already entered your user name, and it's enough to append "@yahoo.com" to complete the address.
Click Continue.
Click Continue again, ignoring the error. We'll take care of that in a bit.
Make sure Password is selected under Authentication:.
Leave Use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) unchecked.
Click Continue.
Select an existing mail server to send mail under Outgoing Mail Server:.
You cannot send mail through MacFreePOPs. If you have no outgoing mail server through your ISP, you can use a Gmail or AIM Mail account's.
Click Continue.
Now click Create.
Highlight the Yahoo! Mail account in the Accounts list.
Go to the Advanced tab.
Enter "2000" (not including the quotation marks) under Port:.
Close the Accounts window.
Click Save.
Access Free Yahoo! Mail with Mac OS X Mail Using IMAP Over IzyMail
To add a free Yahoo! Mail account in Mac OS X Mail using IzyMail, which provides access to all mail in all folders seamlessly:
Make sure your Yahoo! Mail account is registered with IzyMail.
Select Mail | Preferences... from the menu in Mac OS X Mail.
Go to the Accounts category.
Click + under the accounts list.
Make sure IMAP is selected under Account Type:.
Type "Yahoo! Mail (IzyMail)" under Account Description.
Enter your name under Full Name:.
Type your complete Yahoo! Mail address under Email Address:.
Click Continue.
Enter "in.izymail.com" (not including the quotation marks) under Incoming Mail Server:.
Type your full Yahoo! Mail address under User Name:.
If your Yahoo! Mail address is qwertui@yahoo.com, do type "qwertui@yahoo.com" (omitting the quotation marks).
Mac OS X Mail probably has already entered the user name for you. If you already find "qwertui" in the User Name: field, just append "@yahoo.com".
Enter your Yahoo! Mail password under Password:.
Click Continue.
Type "out.izymail.com" (without the quotation marks) under Outgoing Mail Server:.
Make sure Use Authentication is checked.
Enter your full Yahoo! Mail address under User Name:.
Type your Yahoo! Mail password under Password: again.
Click Continue.
Click Continue again.
Now click Done.
Cloe the Accounts window.
Click Save.
Open the _Draft folder under Yahoo! Mail (IzyMail) in the folder list.
Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Drafts from the menu.
Open the _Sent folder under Yahoo! Mail (IzyMail).
Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Sent from the menu.
Open the _Trash folder under Yahoo! Mail (IzyMail).
Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Trash from the menu.
Open the _Bulk folder under Yahoo! Mail (IzyMail).
Select Mailbox | Use This Mailbox For | Junk from the menu.
What is USB 3 ("SuperSpeed USB")? USB 3 (also known as "SuperSpeed USB") is the latest USB standard which offers significant performance improvements over USB 2 ("Hi-Speed USB").
What transfer rates are offered with USB 3?
USB 3 can transfer data up to 5 Gbps.
USB 2 can transfer data up to 480 Mbps.
USB 1.1 can transfer data up to 12 Mbps.
Does USB 3 offer more power than USB 2 ("High-Speed USB")? Yes, USB 3 devices can use up to 900mA of power (compared to 500mA used by USB 2 devices). You'll need to use a USB 3 cable to use the 900mA of power available. USB 2 cables don't support 900mA.
Some USB computer ports have a blue insert. Why don't I see blue inserts on my Mac's USB ports? Some manufacturers use a blue insert to designate a USB 3 port or device. All USB ports on Macs that supports USB 3 are USB 3 capable and do not have blue inserts.
What USB 3 devices are supported? All devices that conform to what is commonly referred to as the "2008 version 1 USB 3.0 specification" are supported.
Are USB 3 hubs supported? Hubs that conform to what is commonly referred to as the "2008 version 1 USB 3.0 specification" are supported.
How do I get the best performance from the USB 3 ports? The first device you plug in will configure the port, so always connect USB 3 capable hubs or devices first.
What happens if I plug in a USB 2 device into the USB 3 port first? If you plug in a USB 2 hub first, all devices connected or "daisy-chained" to that hub will operate up to the maximum transfer rate of USB 2 speed (480 Mbps).
Are there differences between USB 3 cables and other USB cables? Yes. USB 3 cables:
Use more wires than other USB cables. This makes USB 3 cables a bit thicker than other USB cables.
Have a blue insert (usually).
Have an "SS" symbol on the computer connector.
Use a different connector on the device end than USB 2 cables.
Can deliver more power to an attached device (900mA).
Can a USB 2 cable be used to connect a USB 3 device to my computer? If the device end of the cable fits into the connector on the device, yes. However, because it has fewer wires, you won't get USB 3 speed.
How can I determine if my device is connected as a USB 3 device? Use the System Information utility.
From the Apple () menu, choose About this Mac.
Click More Info.
Click System Report.
In the Hardware section of the System Report, click USB.
You will see a USB 3 section and a USB 2 section. USB 3 devices will appear in the "USB 3.0 SuperSpeed" section. Other devices will appear in the "USB Hi-Speed" section. Clicking the disclosure triangle will allow you to see more detail on the devices connected.
I use virtualization software to run Windows on my Mac and my USB 3 devices don't appear to be operating at USB 3 data rates. What is wrong? Some virtualization software does not yet contain support for USB 3. Contact the manufacturer of your virtualization software for more information.
USB 3 devices are not activating or not appearing on the USB 3 bus. What could be wrong?
Sometimes unplugging and plugging the device back in can resolve the issue.
Try plugging the device into another USB port on the computer.
Check to see if there is a firmware update available for your device from the manufacturer.
If it came with an AC adapter, use it.
Try restarting your computer.
Try a different USB 3 cable.
Try a different USB 3 hub.
I sometimes have difficulty with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth devices when USB 3 devices are attached to my computer. What could be wrong? Some USB 3 devices, hard drives in particular, can generate radio frequency interference that can cause Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices operating in the 2.4GHz band to have issues communicating with your computer. Do not place hard drives or other USB devices behind the rear of your Mac near at the hinge of your screen. The antennas for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are located there, and USB 3 devices placed there may interfere with your wireless connections. See this white paper for more information.
Here is a simple chart to determine if your Mac qualifies for a free Mountain Lion 10.8 upgrade. You will need to know your exact purchase date of your qualifying Mac. 10.8 was released July 25th, 2012
In simple terms, you either need:
A qualifying 10.7 Mac purchased on June 11, 2012 to July 25,2012, then you have until Friday, August 24, 2012 to upgrade to 10.8 for free.
Bought a qualifying new 10.7 Mac on or after the July 25,2012 which you then have 30 days to request a free 10.8 upgrade from the date of purchase.
You can find out about the OS X version on your Mac by going to the Apple Menu > About This Mac.
Visit this page to get your free upgrade: https://www.apple.com/osx/uptodate/ If you don't qualify you can visit the App Store and upgrade for a fee.
What Does It Do? Adds a simple menu button to your Safari 6 toolbar. Opens feeds either online in Google Reader (no account required) or in your native news reader app (Vienna, Reeder, NetNewsWire ...). Toolbar button badge shows how many feeds available on current page.
Download latest RSS Menu extension for Safari 5 or 6.
You can use Apple Support Communities to get help with Apple products from other users around the world. Browse existing questions, ask a question of your own, and receive answers by email. The communities thrive on users helping users, so let others know when an answer helped you or solved your question.
Burn Windows 8 to a DVD using Disk Utility (Found in Applications/Utilities).
Open Boot Camp Assistant (Also found in Applications/Utilities).
Click Continue.
If needed download the drivers, make sure to save them onto a USB Stick.
Partition the drive to the sizes you want or, divide equally.
If you havent already, insert your Windows 8 DVD and click install. Your Mac will auto-restart after partitioning your drive.
Once Windows loads choose your preferred languages.
Type in the Activation Code: DNJXJ-7XBW8-2378T-X22TX-BKG7J make sure to write it down now.
Agree to the licence, Click next.
Choose "Custom Install".
Select the Drive labeled BootCamp and then click Format.
Click Next, Windows will now install.
During the install your Mac may reboot a few times, once its done you'll be greeted with a personalize screen, Choose your preferred colour and then click next, now either use the express settings or customize to your preferred settings.
Once your done choosing your settings you have an option to sign in if you dont want to click "Dont want to sign in with a Microsoft Account." and you can setup a local account. (After re-installing Windows 8 I've realized you can only setup a local account as you wont have an internet connection, the screenshot below was from inside a virtualbox running on OS X which of course was connected to the web).
Install the BootCamp Drivers you downloaded and saved to a USB stick earlier. To do this click on the Desktop tile, then Open Windows Explorer on the task-bar and navigate to your USB stick, and the double click on the BootCamp setup.exe, it will auto install the required drivers after you will need to reboot.
Windows will now boot by default to choose which OS to boot, (Windows or OS X) hold ALT on boot. To change the behavior to boot by default into OS X you can do this with either Boot Camp control panel on Windows selecting Startup Disk or choose Startup Disk in System Preferences on OS X.
Mountain Lion removes RSS functionality from both Mail and Safari. To facilitate the transfer of your feeds to another RSS reader, you can collect the feed URLs by running the following script in the ~/Library/Mail/V2/RSS directory of your latest backup.
Go to: ~/Library/Mail/V2/RSS/ in your latest backup.
Run the following in Terminal:
find . -name "Info.plist" -exec grep -A 1 Feed {} \; | grep string | sed 's/^[^>]*>//' | sed 's/<[^>]*>$//'
If you are using OS X 10.7 or 10.8 you will be able to open a Finder window and then select one or more items in a folder or on your Desktop, then use the Share button from the window's title bar to send those items. There are three options available. Email opens a new message in Mail with the files included as attachments. Messages opens a new iMessage with the items attached, and lets you specify one or more recipients. AirDrop shows you the shared folders of nearby users who have AirDrop enabled, and lets you fire the files to them. Obviously Mail and Messages work better with smaller files, and AirDrop is capable of dealing with larger ones.
2. Learn more about your wireless connection
If you hold down the Option key while clicking on your Airport Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar, you can make OS X show you more detailed information about your current connection. Above the list of available networks it will display the wireless mode, wireless channel in use, wireless security type and transmit rate, all of which can help to troubleshoot problems with your connection.
3. Change your default Finder view
When you open a new Finder window, OS X 10.8 defaults to showing you 'all your files'. To change this, go to Finder > Preferences from the menu bar and locate the option 'New Finder windows show'. From its drop-down menu you can choose your boot drive, Home directory, Desktop, Documents or a custom folder, all of which offer a clearer idea of what you're looking at.
4. Reveal your Library folder
OS X 10.7 and 10.8 hide your User > Library folder by default but it's sometimes necessary to access it for troubleshooting or other reasons, since important items live in it. In the Finder, choose Go > Go to Folder. From the resulting window, enter the folder's path, which will be /Users/username/Library. Once the folder appears you can drag it to your Favourites list to the left of the Finder window and it will then be permanently accessible.
5. Take advantage of Quick Look
Quick Look can preview multiple documents at once. Select a number of items in the Finder then hit the space bar. Pressing the left and right arrow keys on the keyboard will now cycle through them, and pressing the Grid button in the Quick Look window will display all items in a single window. It's possible to open a document in its associated application by using the Open In button at the top right of the Quick Look window.
6. Use Smart Folders effectively
Often overlooked, Smart Folders can be really useful. Select File > New Smart Folder in the Finder and then add criteria to the folder as you would if performing a search. For example, 'kind is image' and 'last opened is in the last one month'. Then click Save. This folder will always show files that match those criteria, automatically updating itself so it stays current. Another great timesaver is to select several items in the Finder then choose File > New Folder With Selection, which places the items into a new folder automatically.
7. Collect items together in an archive
Multiple-select items in the Finder then right click on them and choose Compress Items. This creates a smaller-sized zip archive that is much easier to email, send by iMessage or upload to a file sharing service like Dropbox than lots of individual files. If you need to add password protection to the archive, use a third-party compression app instead.
8. Customise your desktop & screen saver
Go into System Preferences and locate the Desktop & Screen Saver section. Under Desktop, you can choose from the included images, or select one from your iPhoto library or a custom folder. You can even specify times changes if you like, to keep things interesting. In the Screen Saver tab, you can assign hot corners to start your screensaver as well as showing a clock whenever it's running. In the Security & Privacy tab of System Preferences you can choose to require a password to stop the screen saver, which is still the simplest way of securing an unattended Mac - extremely useful in an office environment or one in which kids are apt to fiddle.
10. Use an ad blocker for cleaner browsing
If your browsing is blighted by too many ads cluttering up the screen and flashing away at you, try installing AdBlock from safariadblock.com. This identifies and blocks almost all ads, showing simply empty space instead. It has an Easy setting, or it can be customised to allow specific domains to pass unfiltered. You can even block ads specifically for certain domains but have them shown everywhere else.
11. Reset specific parts of Safari
If Safari is behaving oddly, maybe loading very slowly or crashing while other browsers or devices are working fine, you can use the Reset Safari command from the Safari menu to clear out some or all of its cached data. In the vast majority of cases, this action restores speed and responsiveness to the browser. Bear in mind that you might want to uncheck the option to remove all saved names, passwords and autofill data since many people rely on the browser to remember the many logins they have.
12. Switch between search engines fast
If you click on the magnifying glass icon in Safari's address bar you can access a list of recent searches and quickly re-run any one. You can also clear the recent searches without having to reset the whole of Safari, and also change the default search engine from Google to Bing or Yahoo if you like. In Safari 6, typing a search term directly into the address bar and pressing return will run a search in your search engine of choice. There's no longer a dedicated search field in Safari.
13. Master your browser's tabs
Tabbed browsing is a great way to manage multiple web pages. If you have bookmark folders, hold the Command key while clicking on one to open all the links contained inside in new tabs. Pick tabs up and drag them left and right to re-order them, and drag a tab up or down to open that page in a new window. Right-click on any tab just by its name and see multiple options including the option to close all tabs but that one.
14. Share web pages the smart way
You can send pages to people really easily from within Safari. On any open page, click the Share button at the top left corner of the window and (assuming you've already set up these accounts in System Preferences > Mail, Contacts & Calendars) post a link straight to FaceBook or Twitter, or send a link in a new iMessage. Even more usefully you can email a page in several ways. Select Email This Page from the Share button and a new mail message will open with the page contained inside. You get the option to send the page as a regular, working web page, a text link only or a PDF (Portable Document Format). The PDF option is great for ensuring that whatever device someone reads the email on, they should be able to open it.
15. Upload and share from QuickTime
When you open a movie in QuickTime Player and mouse over to reveal the playback bar, you will see a Share icon to the right-hand side of this bar. This can be clicked on to reveal options to mail or AirDrop the file as well as uploading it to FaceBook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo or Flickr. There are limits imposed by some of these services, like a 15-minute maximum for YouTube, for example. You can choose Edit > Trim and reveal iOS-style trim controls to shorten your video, then upload it.
16. Take advantage of Preview
Preview gets more features in every version of OS X and in 10.8 it's really quite adept at working with images. Open a picture in Preview and there's a Share button that in addition to emailing or AirDropping, allows import to iPhoto, and upload to Flickr, Twitter or FaceBook. Click the Edit button in the toolbar to reveal a range of drawing, captioning and text tools. You can even resize images by entering specific new dimensions and export to a number of formats. In fact Preview now offers many of the basic features of a professional image editor like Photoshop.
17. Quickly switch iPhoto libraries
In iPhoto you no longer have to use the trick of holding the Option key while starting the app to switch between libraries, although this still works if you choose to use it. You now have the additional option of starting iPhoto then going to File > Switch To Library, which reveals the same Library chooser window. You can even create a new library from here as well.
18. Convert movies with QuickTime Player
If you have a movie file that iTunes won't read, you could use a third-party utility like MPEG StreamClip to convert it. QuickTime Player X is also able to do this and you can choose File > Export To > iTunes and then select a target option. Compress for iPod and iPhone, iPad and newer iOS devices and also create larger versions for Mac or PC playback. If you have the older QuickTime Player 7 installed, you get a wider choice of export options for different devices.
19. Tag multiple items in iTunes
You might have a lot of television shows in iTunes, maybe even part of the same series, that you have ripped from DVD to watch on your Apple TV or iOS device. To tag them all at once with a show or series name or other criteria, simply hold the Shift key while selecting a range of items in iTunes, or hold the Command key to select non-continuous items. Then press Command+I or choose File > Get Info. You will see a window called Multiple Item Information and any tags that you add here will be applied to all the files at the same time, saving you lots of effort in the process.
20. Manage pictures with Smart Albums
iPhoto can use Smart Albums, which work like Smart Playlists in iTunes or Smart Folders in the Finder, in that files are automatically collated in virtual folders based on the criteria you define. To make use of them, create a new one and specify some criteria, for example 'camera used is iPhone' and 'Face contains John'. This album would automatically update itself as you added or removed images, to always show pictures of John taken with an iPhone.
21. Have a backup media player
QuickTime is great but it can't open every kind of media file and now that the excellent Perian has ceased development, you can find yourself sometimes struggling to open movie files. The best alternatives, which also happen to be free, are VLC Player and MPlayer, both fairly small downloads. Locate your troublesome file and right-click on it. From the menu, choose Open With… and OS X will show all compatible apps on your system. To permanently associate a file type with an app, say for example to make AVI files always open in VLC, Get Info on an AVI file by pressing Command+I or clicking File > Get Info, then select VLC from the Open With menu and click Change All. You can always change this to a different app at any time.
22. Export from iMovie's Project Library
In iMovie you can export a project directly from the Library section by simply right-clicking on its name. From the menu that appears, choose to export to iTunes, iDVD or the Media Browser, send the video to YouTube or export it to a media file using your own specific settings. In the Media Browser section you can choose to compress versions for several devices at the same time, from mobile right up to full HD. Choose your options, hit Publish and leave it to render. That's all there is to exporting your movie.
23. Mirror your desktop to your Apple TV
If you have a Mac released after mid-2011 and an Apple TV connected to your HDTV, you should be able to use AirPay Mirroring to send your Mac's desktop to your TV. Anything showing on your Mac's screen is mirrored. Any pictures or movies that you play on the Mac should therefore play on the TV, saving you having to convert them or build them into slideshows first. Note that AirPlay Mirroring won't work on older Macs due to processor requirements. In this case, the alternative is to try a third-party utility such as AirParrot.
24. Use Preview's Thumbnail view
When you open a number of images at the same time in Preview you may find they all open in separate windows, which can be a pain. In Preview's Preferences go to the General section and select 'Open all files in one window'. Now when you open multiple files they will display in a thumbnail list, making them easier to scroll between and to compare. Of course, you can always set this back to 'open each file in its own window' to force Preview to keep images separate.
25. Edit multiple images in iPhoto
Select several images in an iPhoto album by Command-clicking on them, then hit Edit. iPhoto will display the selected images in its main window and you can edit or apply changes side by side. It's a great way to quickly make changes to groups of pictures without having to create a new album for them first.
26. Change the frequency of backups
By default, Time Machine backs up every hour, but this may not be to everyone's tastes. Download TimeMachineScheduler free from klieme.com and use it to set the backup interval anywhere from 1 to 12 hours. There are other options to run backup at login and skip backups within a specified time range. These can be handy to use if you want to leave Time Machine on but don't want it interrupting you as you try to work.
27. Choose what gets backed up
The first time you run Time Machine it will create a working copy of your entire system but every subsequent backup will be incremental, backing up only new or changed items. It can be helpful to sometimes leave specific items out of a backup, for example a folder full of video files that is just temporarily residing on your hard drive, or a VMWare virtual machine. These can be very large and you don't want to be backing up a copy every time you use Time Machine. Go into System Preferences > Time Machine and click Options. There, create a list of any files or folders that you want to exclude from the backup.
28. Create instant backups
It's a quick and basic solution, but if you are about to make changes to files and you think you may need to revert back to the older versions at some point, simply duplicate the files or folders in question using the File > Duplicate command or drag and drop them to another drive, where they will be copied rather than moved. It makes sense to rename the folder to indicate that it's a backup. Having a large USB or networked drive to hand to store backups can be a great idea.
29. Restore or delete items from a backup
If you need to get back an old version of a file or 'undelete' something, enter Time Machine and return to a point where the relevant item exists. You can use Quick Look to see inside the file. Then right-click and choose to restore it, or indeed to delete that instance of the backed up item, or all backed up copies of that item. Remember that if you do this they will no longer be recoverable.
30. Email things to yourself
Another quick and easy way to back up smaller files is to email them to yourself using a web-based email service like Gmail, Hotmail or iCloud mail. They will then be stored online and accessible from other devices. For larger files, use services like Dropbox to store items online.
31. Use multiple backup drives
As of OS X 10.8, Time Machine can use more than one hard drive for backing up your system. In its preferences you can specify two or more volumes. This is a great way to maintain two backups for extra security.
32. See inside your backups
To get a better idea of what's being copied, download TimeTracker free from charlessoft.com. This loads your backups and shows you the contents of each one in a Finder-like view, along with file sizes. If anything huge is incorrectly being included you can simply exclude it using Time machine's preferences.
33. Use Documents in the Cloud
You can sync documents across your devices by making sure Documents and Data is enabled in your iCloud preferences. If you use a browser on a Mac or PC to log in to icloud.com you will see an iWork section and inside this, sections for Keynote, Pages or Numbers documents. Documents can be deleted, duplicated or downloaded from here and you can also upload from your Mac. Although the sections are named after Apple's iWork suite, you can also upload Microsoft Office formatted files and text documents.
34. Take advantage of automatic downloads
You can set iTunes on your Mac to automatically download content purchased on other devices using your Apple ID. Go into iTunes' Preferences > Store section and switch it on for music, apps or books or all three. So if you buy an album from iTunes while you're out, when you come home it will have downloaded to your Mac automatically. Conversely you can activate the same option on your iOS device so that a book you buy on your Mac from iBooks for example is also available to read on your iPad.
35. Use iCloud like Dropbox
There's an interesting way to fool iCloud into sharing files with your other Macs that are signed in with the same Apple ID. Ensure that in the System Preferences > iCloud section, Documents and Data is switched on. Then go to your User Library folder by choosing Go > Go To Folder and navigating to /Users/username/Library. Inside that folder, locate a folder called Mobile Documents. If you drop additional files and folders into this folder, they will be pushed to iCloud and also appear in the same location on all other Macs that have been set up using the same Apple ID. It's worth creating an alias to the folder on your desktop for easier access.
36. Share pictures with Photo Stream
You can activate Photo Stream from any iOS device in the Settings > Photos and Camera section. When switched on, new photos will be uploaded over Wi-Fi and available across all your iOS devices signed in with your Apple ID, and in the Photo Stream tab in iPhoto on your Mac. Individual photos can also be shared directly from your iOS device or from iPhoto, and as well as inviting specific people to be able to view the stream you have the option of making it public, so that anyone can view it on iCloud.com.
37. Share Safari bookmarks
Ever been reading a long-form article or watching a YouTube video in Safari on your Mac, then later gone out and struggled to find the correct page again on your iPhone or iPad? Fortunately there's a solution that's built in to iCloud. On your various devices, make sure iCloud Safari syncing is switched on and as long as you were not in Private Browsing mode you will be able to see all the tabs currently open on each device that has this feature enabled. Just make sure the devices in question are signed in with your Apple ID. In addition, items that you add to your Reading List on one device will also show up in the Reading List section of the other devices. That way you'll never forget a link again!
38. Access your music anywhere
If you sign up for Apple's iTunes Match service, your iTunes library is analysed and all your playlists uploaded to the cloud. Any content that is already in the iTunes Store - and that tends to be most of it - is matched and anything not in the Store is uploaded to the cloud. By activating iTunes Match on any of your iOS devices you will be able to stream or download any of the music in your account, effectively giving you access to far more music than could physically fit on an iPod or iPhone. Even better, you can use AirPlay to stream this to any compatible device. So imagine you're at a party where they have an Airport Express connected to their stereo. Using Wi-Fi you could access your whole music library and play it. There's full search capability of course, and the ability to build playlists on the fly, though your Mac remains the master when it comes to the main library.
39. Manage your iCloud storage
Every iOS user gets 5GB of iCloud storage for free. More accurately, every Apple ID has 5GB of free storage associated with it and you can view and manage this using the iCloud > Manage button in System Preferences or inside Settings on your iOS device. From any device or Mac running OS X 10.7 you can delete documents or backups stored in iCloud to free up space, or click on Change Storage Plan to upgrade. If you have sold a device and no longer need its backup, delete it.
40. The Apple TV loves iCloud
The Apple TV may be small but its capabilities are not. Sign in with your Apple ID and you are able to stream and buy movies and TV shows online as well as from iTunes on your Mac or PC. Although they do download to your Mac, these do not actually download to the Apple TV since it has only a small amount of local storage. What happens is that content streams from the cloud and is stored temporarily. So when you buy a movie, each time you watch it you're actually streaming it. You can also access your Photo Stream and iTunes Match libraries on the Apple TV, all streamed from the Internet. It's not possible - yet - to access your own movies from the cloud like you can with music.
41. Download purchases as often as you like
One of the clever things about tying everything to your Apple ID is that your various devices always know your purchase history. On your Mac, open iTunes and sign in to the Store then go to the Purchased tab under your account. You'll see a list of everything you have ever bought and this can be searched or filtered by music, films, TV shows, apps or books. What's advantageous is that any of these can be downloaded again for free, even if you have previously deleted them from your Mac. The same purchase history access is possible on an iOS device using the iTunes > Purchased tab on the device.
42. Use cellular data with iTunes Match
If you have iTunes Match set up and switched on, you might find yourself on the move and wanting to listen to a specific song that hasn't been downloaded to your device. There's a solution: go into Settings > iTunes and App Stores and switch on Use Cellular Data. Now when you load a track in iTunes on your iPhone or 3G-equipped iPad, it will stream and be stored on the device. Switch cellular data off afterwards to prevent any unnecessary data usage. You may also want to leave Automatic Downloads switched off when using cellular data, as these can quickly burn through your data allowance.
43. Share calendars with iCloud
With iCloud set up on your Mac and iOS devices, open up a browser and navigate to icloud.com on your Mac and sign in, then click on Calendar. You will see a list of your calendars along the left side of the window and if you click on the Edit button next to any one you will see the option to make the Calendar private or public. To share it with selected people, choose Private then add the names of select iCloud members to invite. To make it public, click Public and you are provided with a link that other users can open in iCal, Calendar, or Microsoft Outlook. A useful function, especially for planning collaborative projects.
44. Use multiple addresses
Using Messages on OS X 10.8, you can go into the Preferences > Accounts section and add multiple email addresses where you can be reached. This means you can use several addresses, say work and personal ones, within the same application and without having to keep signing in and out. You're also able to use your mobile number if you have an iPhone to receive messages on your Mac.
45. Send files with iMessage
As well as text and pictures you can drag and drop any kind of file or folder into an iMessage on your Mac to send it to one or more people. Smaller files will be sent automatically but larger ones will need to be accepted by the user at the other end before they will start to send.
46. Use FaceTime from your Mac
If you are using OS X 10.7 or 10.8 and have a Mac with a built-in webcam, you will be able to use FaceTime. This works in the same way as it does on an iOS device, and you can make or receive calls using the same contact details you use for iMessage, and also of course you have access to your Contacts list. Under the Video menu you can choose a source to use as a microphone. You can even start a FaceTime session directly from iMessage by clicking the video camera icon.
47. Message groups of people
Using iMessage on your Mac or your iOS device you can start a group message by entering the names of all the people you want to include in the To: field. Everything you send in that thread will be sent to all recipients. When someone replies, their message is shown with their name attached.
48. Activate Read Receipts
In the iMessage preferences on your Mac or iOS device, you have the option to turn Read Receipts on or off. When switched on, these show the sender that you have read their message. If switched off, there will be no such notifications. If you are looking to maintain some privacy you might want to turn these off but on the other hand if you want people to be able to see that you have read their messages, you can turn it on.
49. Easily send contacts
You can locate a contact inside the Contacts app on OS X 10.8 and use the Share button to send it via email, AirDrop or iMessage. To send multiple cards, multiple-select contacts from the list and use the Share button. Wherever you see the Share button in 10.8 there's generally the option to send whatever you are looking at off using an iMessage.
50. Use iMessage for MMS
iMessages can only be sent to other people who are also running iMessage. It uses a data connection rather than a cellular one and every iMessage passes through Apple's servers and is encrypted. You can send anything between iOS devices and Macs and it won't cost you anything (except data allowance, if you're sending over 3G). Using iMessage gets around cellular providers' extra charges for MMS multimedia messaging.
