Mac OS X Tiger/About this Wikibook

Although considered easier to use than the competition, learning to use a Mac is not without its challenges. Many everyday commands work differently on a Mac, and new users usually find they have much to learn before they can fully take advantage of their new operating system.

Apple includes a built-in help system with Tiger (you can access it at any time by pressing ⌘?), but they no longer maintain an online support website for it. However, Apple's documentation, like most software manufacturers', has often been labelled as lacking. So what's a new Mac user to do?

Many new users will pay their local bookshop a visit, leaf through a couple books about Mac OS X, pick out the one they like best, fork over $30, and begin reading. But now, with the existence of this book, this age-old new computer tradition is no longer necessary. You can use this site to learn all about Mac OS X for free. We promise that there are no hidden charges for using this site!

Wikibooks are edited by a community of writers. We encourage you to join this community and help out once you learn how to use the Mac OS. See a confusing explanation of how to do something? Once you figure out a better way to explain, come back and fix it for everyone else. In a traditional book, you can't help other readers understand something the author explained poorly. When an update comes out, books don't magically change to reflect the changes to the software. This is especially important for Mac OS X, because Apple introduces a large number of updates and products over the course of an operating system's life. A well-maintained book is always up-to-date, so you can be sure you're reading the latest information.

NOTE: If you feel compelled to try your hand at editing this book, your first step should be to get involved with the Mac user group on Wikibooks, which is called the WikiProject Macintosh.

Whether you're an average computer user who's decided that the grass is greener on the Mac side of the fence, a refugee from the security problems plaguing Microsoft Windows, a multimedia maven looking to take advantage of Apple's unparalleled iLife suite, or are a Windows user who's been given a Mac at work, you'll find this book to be your new best friend. It will thoroughly and clearly explain how to use Mac OS X and its included applications. It will also help you to fix problems that may arise while using your Mac. Even experienced Mac users can learn something.

If you're looking for help with Apple's iLife suite of digital media applications, check out this Wikibook's companion title, iLife. This book will also skip over the very basics of personal computing (e.g. how to use a mouse), Mac OS X Server, and Mac development.

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