MacBook Air (Retina) with MacOS Catalina: Getting Started with MacOS 10.15 for MacBook Air

Introduction

MacBook Air used to be the computer you would never think was possible: thin enough to fit in an envelope, but powerful enough to run all the programs you love.

For years, the Air collected dust as other notebooks came out more powerful and almost the same weight. In 2018, however, it was made relevant again when Apple released a new model that was both powerful and had a Retina display.

If you have purchased the notebook or are just curious about seeing more about what Mac OS Catalina (10.15) can do for you, then you’ll see it in this book.

If you are switching from Windows to Mac, then I’ll walk you through the steps to make it as quick and pain less as possible.

This book is intended for people who want to get started quickly with the MacBook Air. For that reason, it’s not as comprehensive as other guides. If you want to know about some feature buried deep under the hood that you’ll never use, then there are other books for you--I’m sure they’ll make good doorstops when you finish. If you just want a simple guide that tells you what you need to know, so you can use your computer already, then this book is for you

Are you ready to start enjoying the new Mac OS? Then let’s get started!

[1]

Understanding Your MacBook Pro

Before diving into the actual software, let’s address the obvious: why pick Mac?

I was in the Windows camp for a long time; I’d see the Mac and think it was just a computer for hipsters. Sure they were nice to look at—they were shiny and didn’t look plastic-y and cheap…but they were also expensive.

But then I actually used one, and I was blown away. Here’s why…

Fewer Viruses

You’ve probably heard someone say they use a Mac because they don’t get viruses. That’s not true.  Any computer can get a virus. But it is true that Macs are generally less prone to viruses and are more secure.

The reason you don’t hear about Mac viruses very often is twofold:

While it’s hard to pinpoint just how many computers there are in the world, most computers are still Windows. So, if you are a hacker wanting to wreak havoc into cyberspace, then your obvious target would be the one with the largest audience.

The second reason is MacOS is built by Apple, for Apple. Windows builds their OS to be built for essentially any computer, which opens the door for vulnerabilities.

I know a lot of Mac users and rarely do I hear someone say they have a virus. If you are concerned, however, one popular free virus protector is called Bitdefender Virus Scanner (http://www.bitdefender.com/).

Keeping It Simple

When it comes to design, Apple likes to make things that are beautiful and simple. This philosophy can be seen in their watches, iPhones, and iPads—across all their products.

Because Apple spends so much time keeping it simple, you also have seen the last days of computer crashes and blue screens of deaths.

Apple spends a lot of time thinking not just about what the computer should do, but how people will do it. If you’ve been using Windows all of your life, then all the different menus and buttons might seem intimidating at first—but don’t stress! This book will show you how much easier it actually is.

If you have any other Apple products, then many of the common Mac tasks will probably seem very similar to you. What’s more, if you have an iPhone, iPad, or even Apple TV, then they all work and interact with each other.

No Bloat

I remember my last Windows computer. I couldn’t wait to turn it on…and then I couldn’t wait to turn it off! Your first hour should be spent just having fun exploring it, but my first hour was spent uninstalling programs!

One reason Windows computers are cheaper is that manufacturers team up with software companies and install all kinds of unnecessary programs—most of them are just free trials.

With Mac, you turn your computer on for the first time, create an ID if you don’t already have one, put in your Wi-Fi, and log in to iTunes / iCloud. That’s it. It should take less than ten minutes to get your computer up and running once you get it out of the box.

A Look At the Hardware

In 2008, the MacBook Air was revolutionary. It was powerful, and yet thin enough to fit in an envelope! Years past, and it became a little less revolutionary. Other computers were just as thin, but even more powerful.

The 2018 model, however, put MacBook Air back in the spotlight with a new model that had a Retina display (older models did not), fingerprint sensor, and power that was almost equal to MacBook Pros.

There aren’t a lot of pots on MacBook Air’s. One side is two Thunderbolt 3 / USB-c ports (this is where your power will plug in as well); USB-c is the new standard of USB and lets you transfer data at a much faster rate. If you still need regular adapters you can buy them cheap; you can also buy USB drives with both USB and USB-c connections.



The reverse side has a headphone jack; MacBook Airs have Bluetooth, so you can also listen to music with a wireless headphone—or you can use the computers built-in speakers.



MacBook Pro vs. MacBook Air

MacBook Air’s used to be the lightest notebook in Apple’s lineup; they still are. But MacBook Pros are only slightly heavier. So, weight is no longer the deciding factor for most people.

What’s right for you? If you absolutely must have Gold as a color, then the Air is your only choice, as it’s the only one with this color.

Air’s also only come in one screen size; if you want a larger screen, then Pro’s are your only option.

The processors on the Pro and Air are comparable, but the Pro is slightly faster; the Pro also can be configured higher—meaning you can upgrade it to higher standards. The Pro’s also have the edge on graphic cards, but the Airs still have very good cards. Airs can only be upgraded to 16GB of RAM; the 15 inch Pro (not the 13 inch) can be upgraded to 32GB

Battery-wise, the Airs get 12 hours vs the 10 hours on a Pro.

Pro’s are currently the only notebooks that have the Touch Bar on the keyboard.

Finally, Pros have two additional USB-c ports.

[2]

Help! I’m a Windows Person In a Mac World!

So exactly how is Mac different from Windows? Throughout the book, I’ll be making comparisons to help you, but first I want to give a rundown of some of the major differences.

Right Click

Right-clicking is probably second nature to you if you are a Windows user; on the Mac, it’s all about gestures—touching the Trackpad (Mac’s mouse) a certain way (or on new Macs, using more or less pressure) will bring up different options and menus.

As weird as it sounds, the first time I used a Mac, the right-click (or lack thereof) drove me crazy…until I figured out that right-clicking was actually there. To right-click on a Mac, click with two fingers instead of one. Alternatively, you can press Control and click with one finger.

If you have an old Windows USB mouse, you don’t have to toss it—you can plug it into your Mac and it will work with no installation. The right-click will even work.

I’ll explain