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mac geekeryGet your geek on. |
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mac geekeryGet your geek on. |
Avoid Being Mr. Apple This ChristmasDecember 19, 2005 - 6:01pm
Most of us don’t hit Apple’s support site very often, or if we do, we’re just looking for articles about really weird things we’re seeing and sifting through results about iPod and the Apple Network Server 700 instead. Yet, for a large number of people Apple’s Support site is their first course of action for problems, and for a large number of other people, it should be. There’s a wealth of information on the site that Apple’s spent a good deal of time creating for new users and we, as the unfortunate gift-givers, should leverage their effort and save ourselves some pain this season. So, in an effort to help you geeks leap out of the proverbial stew pot, here’s a lowdown on what free support Apple has for those folks you wind up sending iPods and Mac Minis to. This way, they’re not calling you and also not waiting an hour for AppleCare agents, playing Russian Roulette with their post-holiday, overextended patience along the way. Mac Switchers and New UsersMac switchers will be the hardest to educate because they’re quite set in their ways and need to re-learn a lot of things about how one uses a computer; that is, it can be a tool rather than a source of abuse. Apple put out a great site not very long ago called “Mac 101” that shows people new to the Mac what every element is about and how to get basic tasks done. Inside this page you’ll find something for you, the support-avoider, as well. It’s the Cheat Sheet for writing down basic system information (be sure to also write down the passwords, in clear defiance of all things secure). This will be invaluable should the user actually have to call in somewhere and will reduce the number of questions you get second-hand from frustrated ISPs or AppleCare. You promised your mother that she could make home movies with her Mac, and now you’re stuck explaining how. Good job. However, before you give in and drive over for a little hands-on, point her to the iMovie Tutorial. Like other Apple tutorials, the iMovie tutorial goes over every common action with the program in a QuickTime movie so the user can see exactly what’s going on. The very same tool exists for iPhoto. Plop your unwitting companion in front of this site and wait 15 minutes. You’ll see the clue arrive about midway through. Musicians are musicians. They are not technicians or engineering majors (in general) and while the guitar may be second nature, MIDI and software instruments are far from that. Apple has a collection of good tips for getting the most out of Garageband; specifically, they concentrate on loops, effects, and software instruments. Not a full tutorial, but a good start. Having problems? There’s a tool on the front of the various product pages called a “Troubleshooting Assistant” that will use a series of questions to narrow down the problem and then step the user through the various steps to be taken. This is available on almost all product support main pages that you follow off the main support site. New iPoddersiPod 101 is the manual that should have been printed. It goes over what the buttons on the body are to how to use the music, calendar, contact, notes, games, photos, and video features. Pictures, menus, and easy language are pervasive through this document and can help even the least experienced user learn to effectively use their new iPod. iPod Tutorial and iTunes Tutorial Just like the iMovie Tutorial, the iPod and iTunes Tutorials go over what an iPod is and then go right into how to get music on the thing. In tandem with the iTunes Tutorial the average newbie will be an average user in about 30-45 minutes. While one will not become an expert troubleshooter off this material, most questions about how to do things will be answered well. Should the little guy need some TLC from Apple, avoid the phone and just go here. Submit a request, with the serial of the iPod and a description of the issue, and a box will arrive a few days, ready to whisk your iPod away to be serviced (or replaced). Everything ElseThose are specifics, but not the entirety of support options available outside of you and AppleCare. Here’s some other good pieces of information Apple provides:
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