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I believe the Mac is a relatively easy environment for users but nonetheless it can be a bit daunting for someone who has never used a computer before or even for Windows users since some things are different. On this page I will try to collect resources and information that can be of help for those who are just starting out with Mac.

I will try to add to the list and update links as new stuff becomes available.

Books

• Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Ed
• iLife 05: The Missing Manual
• iWork 05: The Missing Manual
• Mac OS X Tiger for Dummies
• iMac for Dummies
  

Online resources

• Apple Support
• iPod 101
• Mac 101
• Switch 101
• Mac OS X Tiger Support
• Apple discussion forums
• Dotmac Learningcenter (available with a .Mac subscription)
• One Minute Tip
• Mac Beginners Guide
• Atomic Learning
• Apple Macintosh Basics
• Tutorials at MacZealots
• Top 30 mistakes made by new Mac users

Software
A common question from new Mac users is what software you should get. To start off with when you buy a new Mac you get a range of software and it may very well be enough for you:

• Safari (web browser and RSS reader)
• iSync (sync your Mac with iPod, PDA, or cell phone)
• Addressbook (what else but an address book)
• Quicktime (media player)
• iCal (calendar)
• Mail (email)
• iChat AV (text chat, voice and video conferencing)
• Spotlight (OS-wide search functionality)
• iLife: iTunes (music/video jukebox), iPhoto (import, manage, edit digital photos), iMovie (import and edit digital video), iDVD (create custom movie DVDs), Garageband (create music and podcasts), iWeb (create web sites with photos, videos, music, etc.)

In addition you may want to consider the following:

• iWork: Pages (word processor) and KeyNote (presentation software)
• .Mac (email account, online synchronization of files, sharing of photos, videos, etc.)
• Microsoft Office for Mac (email client, word processor, presentation software, spreadsheet)
• Apple keeps a comprehensive list of software
• Open source on Mac
• Opensourcemac.org

Getting help:
The Mac online community is, relative to the Mac’s market share, large and thriving. If you just use a search engine to try to find an answer to your question, chances are someone has posted something already on the very same topic. However, I can recommend two sites in particular that can help you with problems:

• MacOSXHints.com: arguably a site that publishes mostly tips and hints for new and cool features but there’s a lot on this site that will help you sort out problems too.
• MacFixIt.com: A wealth of information about Mac related problems and fixes. It’s well worth it to pay the $24.95 (around 92 Dirhams) for the yearly subscription which gives you access to their entire archive.

Troubleshooting

• What to do when a Mac OS X application will not launch?
• Six steps to fast Mac troubleshooting