iMac Update: March 22, 2001

You don’t see it today. You won’t see it tomorrow. But look around two days from now—a scant 48 hours away—and you’ll begin to see Mac OS X all over the place. On store shelves. In mail boxes (maybe yours, if you preordered). And on the Macintosh computers set up at retail locations all over the world.

Like to get a first-hand look at Mac OS X? Visit a retail location hosting an Apple In-Store Event this weekend (or in the weeks ahead), and we’ll show you why Mac OS X is the most advanced operating system in the world.

Visit a dealer and see Mac OS X in action

Mac OS X hits retail shelves this weekend, and everyone at Apple is excited at the prospect. “We can’t wait for Mac users around the globe to experience its stability, power, and elegance,” says Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO.

We also can’t wait for all of you to experience Mac OS X versions of three of our most popular software applications. So this Saturday, after installing Mac OS X on your Mac, be sure to visit apple.com and download iTunes, iMovie 2, and a preview version of AppleWorks 6.1.

You’ll also find links to all three on the Mac OS X site

Please fasten your seat belts as we’re about to embark on a grand tour of Mac OS X.

Coming up on your left, the desktop. Please notice how we’ve retained and refined some familiar elements from Mac OS 09 — icons of the hard drive, the clock in the menu bar, and the Apple menu in the upper left corner.

As we open the hard drive, you’ll notice some new Finder elements: the Toolbar and new View options. Fully customizable, the Toolbar gives you quick access to your Home, Favorites, and Applications folders — and to other items you might want to add. And notice how you can use the View options to switch between icon, list, and the new column view.

Now let’s look at the Dock...

Take a Mac OS X tour

If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words is a movie worth?

We’ll let you be the judge by raising the curtain on a brand new Mac OS X Theater sporting ten QuickTime movies we know you’ll enjoy.

In one movie, we’ll show you how easy it is to customize the Finder to suit your needs and preferences. Control the size of icons. Modify the toolbar so it contains just the items you want, in the order you prefer. Introduce you to the new Column view and show you how it can help you navigate with ease.

In another movie, we’ll introduce you to the Dock. How easy is it to work with the Dock? In a short amount of time, you won’t know how you used your Mac without one. A convenient storage place for frequently used applications, documents, and folders, the Dock also doubles as a launcher—just drag a file over the icon for an application, and it will launch.

Take your seats. The Mac OS X movies are starting

Kevin Browne, general manager of Microsoft’s Macintosh Business Unit, is proud to count his company among the 10,000 worldwide developers working on over 20,000 Mac OS X applications.

He says that Mac OS X is “the rock-solid new foundation our Macintosh customers have been waiting for,” and he wants you to know that you’ll find a preview version of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.1 in the Dock after you install Mac OS X this weekend.

To date, more than 350 applications built for Mac OS X have shipped, including Aladdin’s Stuffit Deluxe 6.0 — the best way to unstuff the files you download from the Internet — and AccountEdge from MYOB, which is offering a free upgrade to the Mac OS X version for current customers. What do such leading software developers as 4D, Aladdin Systems, Alias/Wavefront, Avid, Connectix, Dantz, Digidesign, EarthLink, FileMaker, IBM, Macromedia, Microsoft, MYOB, Palm, Sun, Symantec, and Thursby Software Systems have in store for Mac OS X?

On Tuesday, April 3, we’ll be launching a newsletter dedicated to Mac OS X. Called “Mac OS X Product News,” the free bi-weekly newsletter will introduce you to the new products—software and peripherals—available for Mac OS X, giving you the opportunity to download and/or purchase products with the click of a button.

Like to receive the inaugural issue on April 3?

Then visit our subscribe page and sign up

Thank you for reading this issue of iMac Update.
Look for your next issue on April 5.

Read Up
Before Installing
Two very helpful documents come with Mac OS X—one digital and one printed. Start with the “Welcome to Mac OS X” guide you’ll find in the box. Short and easy to read, it’s a great resource. Then open the “Read Before You Install” document on the Mac OS X CD. You don’t have to install Mac OS X to read it: it’s a PDF you can open with Acrobat Reader. (Download Acrobat Reader for free if you don’t already have it.)

System Requirements
• 128MB of physical RAM
• Power Mac G3, Power Mac G4, or Power Mac G4 Cube; iMac; PowerBook G3, PowerBook G4; iBook (Note: Original PowerBook G3 and processor upgrade cards are not supported; CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-ROM drives are not fully supported.)

Upgrade TO Mac OS 9.1
Your first step should be to upgrade your system to Mac OS 9.1. That way, you’ll be able to run virtually all of your existing applications in the Mac OS X Classic environment. You’ll find a CD expressly for this purpose in the Mac OS X box.

Have Your Vital Stats On Hand
The Setup Assistant will walk you through the setup process, but you’ll want to have some information handy. If you have an iTools account you’d like to use, have your member name and password ready. Have an account with an ISP? Then you’ll want to jot down your TCP/IP, web, email, and dialup (PPP) settings before you start installing Mac OS X. Here’s where you’ll find them:

Settings	In Mac OS 9
TCP/IP	TCP/IP control panel
Internet and Mail	Internet control panel
Dialup Number	Remote Access and Modem control panels

Or you can contact your Internet service provider or check out the applications you use to read your email or browse the web to get the above information.

Already Using
Mac OS X Public Beta?
If you already have Mac OS X Public Beta installed, you need to insert the Mac OS X CD and restart your Macintosh while holding down the "c" key.

Answers To Your Questions
If you run into any difficulty while installing, be sure to check the Troubleshooting section in the “Welcome to Mac OS X” guide.

Help is also available online. In the Finder, pull down the Help menu, choose Mac Help, type a question, and click Ask.

Or look in the Dock. Click LateBreakingNews.help for the latest Mac OS X information.

Check the Apple Support site and click the Mac OS X icon.

Starting this month, Apple will take Mac OS X on the road, visiting Macintosh User Groups all over the U.S.—from Atlanta to Old Westbury—and demonstrating the ins and outs of Mac OS X.

If you want to see how easy it is to access items in your iDisk, customize the Mac OS X finder, create your own screen saver slide show, use applications in the Classic environment, navigate your Macintosh hard drive, or make maximum use of the Dock, we’ll show you how at one of the Mac OS X events being hosted at user groups around the country.

Is a user group near you hosting an event? You can find out here.

iMac Update is a free, bi-weekly email publication.

Event dates are subject to change. Some products, programs, or promotions are not available outside the U.S. Visit your local Apple site or call your local authorized Apple reseller for more information. Prices are estimated retail prices and are listed in U.S. dollars. Product specifications are subject to change.