Just got a new Mac for Christmas? Getting started with OS X? Using a Mac isn't a huge leap from Windows, but OS X does have its own jargon for you to contend with.
So we've put together a list of the most common Mac terminology, as well as some other more general computing lingo you need to know.
AirPort
This is Apple's term for the industry standard 802.11 Wi-Fi protocol. The word was first adopted with 802.11b, and was renamed AirPort Extreme for the faster 802.11g standard. Apple seems not to have updated the name for 802.11n.
Apple menu
The Apple in the menu bar of all Macs isn't just decorative; you go to this menu to do Mac-level stuff such as log out, shut down and apply system updates.
See also: Menu bar, Software Update
Application
The terms 'application' and 'program' are essentially interchangeable these are the pieces of software on your Mac, such as iPhoto and Photoshop. While 'program' tends to be used in the PC world, Mac users favour 'application'.
Bonjour
And bonjour to you too. Actually, Bonjour is the new name for Rendezvous, Apple's zero-configuration networking technology that enables devices on a network to discover each other and figure out what each other does. It's used for iTunes sharing, for example.
Boot Camp
Apple's way of enabling you to boot your Mac into Windows.
Command
The Cmd keys either side of your spacebar are Command keys, used for shortcuts. Don't call these 'Apple' keys; old hands will think you naοve!
Desktop picture
The Mac equivalent of a Windows wallpaper. You can change it in the Desktop & Screensaver pane of your Mac's System Preferences.
DMG disk image
Much shareware and other downloadable software is delivered inside a kind of virtual disk, or disk image, whose filename ends in.dmg.
These mount like physical disks, and once you've installed the software or copied it off the virtual disk, you can eject it and trash the DMG.
Dock
The strip along the bottom of your Mac's screen that holds your applications and Trash. You can also drop files and folders onto it to the right of the divider.
See also: Trash
DVI
A digital connection to hook a display up to a computer with a crystal-clear picture. Though not ubiquitous in PCs, Macs standardised on DVI years ago, although you may need an adapter to use DVI displays with newer Macs.
See also: Mini DisplayPort, VGA
Finder
The application on your Mac that lets you sort your files into folders and more. See page 30. FireWire A high-speed port for connecting peripherals such as hard disks and DV cameras.
The old 6-pin FireWire 400 port has largely been replaced by a 9-pin FireWire 800 version. DV cameras tend to use a smaller 4-pin connection.
Firmware
Software embedded in hardware to control low-level stuff such as fan speeds. Apple sometimes releases firmware updates for its Macs and other devices to fix underlying problems or to add new features. Check Apple Support regularly.
fsck - File System Check
A slightly scary but useful trick for checking that the file structures on your Mac are in tip-top condition. You need to be in single-user mode to be able to run fsck; for more information, see Apple Support.
See also: Single-user mode
iLife
Apple's suite of lifestyle media applications. Includes iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, GarageBand and iWeb. iWork Apple's suite of productivity applications. Includes Pages, Keynote and Numbers.
Kernel panic
The Mac rarely crashes. Individual apps may hang, but the system itself usually soldiers on. Sometimes, though, a grey curtain will fall across your screen and you'll get a multilingual warning to restart your computer. That's a kernel panic.
If you get them regularly, suspect big problems. See Apple Support for more info
All network ports Ethernet and AirPort, for example have a MAC address associated with them.
It's an ostensibly permanent, unique code, and allows network admins to restrict access to network resources such as Wi-Fi access points by blacklisting and whitelisting specific pieces of hardware. Your Mac has at least one MAC address, as do PCs, network-aware games consoles and internet radios.
Mac
Short for Macintosh. Named and apparently deliberately misspelled by Mac creator Jef Raskin after his favourite variety of apple. The original Macintosh 128K was released in 1984.
Mac OS X
The operating system that powers all Macs. It's pronounced 'Mac Oh Ess Ten', not 'Mac Oss Ex'. See also: Snow Leopard, Unix Menu bar The strip that runs across the top of the Mac's screen. It's where you'll find the Apple, File, Edit and other menus, along with the clock and some status widgets.
Mini DisplayPort
The new standard for plugging displays into computers. Found on all current Macs save some Mac Pro configurations. See also: DVI, VGA Permissions As a Unix-based operating system, Mac OS X uses standard permissions to tell the computer who has access to which files.
It's especially important for the files that applications and the system need access to; they can get mixed up, though, so a good first step in troubleshooting is to repair these permissions by launching Disk Utility from your Utilities folder, selecting your boot disk, and then clicking Repair Disk Permissions.
See also: Unix
PowerPC
All new Macs are powered by Intel chips. Older generations had PowerPC chips, including the G5, G4 and G3.
Quit
Mac apps don't close automatically when you shut the last window associated with them, as happens in Windows. You have to quit apps you want to stop running. Quit is almost always the last item under the application menu, or you can just get used to tapping Cmd+Q.
Safe Boot
A special troubleshooting mode you invoke at start-up by holding Shift as you switch your Mac on. For more information, see Apple Support.
See also: Single-user mode, Verbose mode
Single-user mode
You boot your Mac in single-user mode by holding Cmd+S as you start it up. It looks scarily like DOS, but you don't usually have to be here long. The only reason most of us have to enter single user mode is to run fsck.
See also: fsck, Safe Boot, Verbose mode
Snow Leopard
The current release of Mac OS X, version 10.6, is called Snow Leopard. That it's so similar a name to its predecessor Leopard is an acknowledgement that it's an evolution rather than a brand new operating system.
All releases of OS X have had big cat codenames, which have been used as public branding since 10.2. 10.0 was Cheetah, 10.1 Puma, 10.2 Jaguar, 10.3 Panther, 10.4 Tiger, and 10.5 simply Leopard.
See also: Mac OS X
Software Update
The engine in Mac OS X that lets you keep your core operating system and other Apple software up to date.
Spotlight
The search technology built into Mac OS X; you can access it from the magnifying glass icon to the right of the menu bar.
See also: Menu bar
Steve Jobs
Apple's charismatic CEO. He co-founded the company, was ousted by the board in 1985, and then made a triumphant return in 1996 following Apple's acquisition of his new company, NeXT, in time to launch the original iMac.
The operating system that powered NeXT computers, NeXTSTEP, eventually evolved into the Mac's current operating system, Mac OS X.
SuperDrive
An optical drive that can read and burn both CDs and DVDs.
Trash
Like Windows' Recycle Bin. Lives at the right-hand end of the Dock.
See also: Dock
Unix
A robust, network-aware operating system core, originally developed on 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs. It's this rock-solid foundation that Mac OS X is built on.
See also: Mac OS X
Verbose mode
A boot mode that shows you what your Mac's doing at each stage. Very useful for diagnosing problems. See Apple Support.
See also: Safe Boot, Single-user mode
VGA
An older, analog port for connecting computers to monitors and projectors. More correctly called 'D-sub' or even DE-15, most Mac folks refer simply to 'VGA'. Avoid in favour of DVI or Apple's newest standard, Mini DisplayPort (found on all Macs bar some Mac Pro configurations) when possible, as these purely digital standards allow for a crisper, more stable image.
See also: DVI, Mini DisplayPort
