Peachpit macs on the go mobile computing guide may 2006 ISBN 0321247485

MacsontheGo!:GuidetoMobileComputingfor
MacLaptopsUsingMacOSX
ByJohnTollett,RobinWilliams
...............................................
Publisher:PeachpitPress
PubDate:May01,2006
PrintISBN-10:0-321-24748-5
PrintISBN-13:978-0-321-24748-3
Pages:240

TableofContents|Index

Withlaptops,notebooks,andtabletPCsslatedtomakeupmorethanhalfofallU.S.
personalcomputersalesby2007,mobilecomputingisnolongerlimitedtobusinessusers
andgadgethounds.IfyouplantotakeyourMacontheroad,thisbookshowsyouhowto
dosoquickly,effectively,andwithaminimumofhassleandheadaches!Inafriendly,
approachablefashionthatleavesnousersbehind,authorsRobinWilliamsandJohnTollett
guideyouthroughallthePowerBookandiBookcapabilitiesthatmakelaptopcomputing
versatile,productive,easy,andfun.You'llfindin-depthinformationaboutWi-Fihotspots,
iPodforfunandseriousbusiness,iChatconferencing,AirPortExtremewirelessnetworks,
digitalphonesandotherBluetoothdevices,faxing,printing,andmore.You'llalsodiscover
aslewoffunandhandysectionslikeDomesticOn-The-GoTips,ForeignOn-The-GoTips,
anAccessoriesandPeripheralsGuide,andTipsforLaptopPresenters.


MacsontheGo!:GuidetoMobileComputingfor
MacLaptopsUsingMacOSX
ByJohnTollett,RobinWilliams
...............................................
Publisher:PeachpitPress
PubDate:May01,2006

PrintISBN-10:0-321-24748-5
PrintISBN-13:978-0-321-24748-3
Pages:240

TableofContents|Index

Copyright
ManyThanks
Introduction
Chapter1.BeingMobileThingsYouCanDo
HowMobileDoYouWanttoBe?
Chapter2.EssentialHardwareforMobileComputing
WhichLaptoptoBuy?
EssentialMobileAccessories
LaptopKeyboardsAreDifferent
Chapter3.NetworkPreferencesforMobileComputing
YourNetworkSettings
InternetConnect
SetUpCustomizedNetworkLocations
Chapter4.A.MacAccountforMobileComputing
A.MacAccount

iDisk
iSync
.MacMail
.MacAddressBook
.MacBookmarks
Createa.MacGroup
MacSlides

iWebBlogandPhotos
Photocasting
Backup(TheApplication)
Chapter5.iChatandBonjourforEasyCommunication
Text,Audio,orVideoChat
CreateaBuddyList
TextChat
AudioChat

VideoChat
SendorReceiveFilesThroughiChat
Bonjour
Chapter6.iCalCalendarsforMobileComputing
TheiCalWindow
CreateaNewCalendar
CreateaCalendarGroup
CreateaNewEvent
DeleteanEvent
MoveanEvent
CreateaToDoList
iCalSearch
PublishaniCalCalendar
SubscribetoiCalCalendars
BackupiCalCalendars
Chapter7.EnergySaverandFaxTidbitsforTraveling
ImportantEnergySaverSettings
MaximizeYourBatteryLife
FaxontheGo
Chapter8.MobilityTipsDomesticandForeign
ProtectYourLaptop
SMTPAwayfromHome
Dial-UpTips
Chapter9.Wi-FiandHotspotsAWirelessPrimer
WhatisWi-Fi?
WhereandHowtoFindHotspots
AirPortExtremeandAirPortExpress
Wi-FiSecurity
Chapter10.FileSharingOntheGo
CheckYourSystemPreferences

ArchiveFilesandFoldersBeforeSharing

iChatFileSharing
BonjourFileSharing

.MaciDiskFileSharing
FileSharingwithHomePage
CreateaPageforSharingYourFiles
AirPortExtremeandAirPortExpress
CreateaComputer-to-ComputerNetwork
ShareUsingEthernetorFireWireCables
UseTargetDiskMode
ConnectThroughtheNetworkIcon
ConnectThroughtheGoMenu
Chapter11.ExtraRoadWarriorTips
Troubleshooting
ForeignLanguageTranslation
ConvertForeignMeasurements
MapsontheGo
MoreChatClients
Fax,Voicemail,orPrintontheGo
Wi-FiVIPLounges
VoIP
BandwidthSpeedTesting
SpamFilterOptions
TravelWidgets
OtherMobileDevices
BroadbandTuner1.0
MobileBroadbandService
AcousticCoupler
Index


Copyright
MacsontheGo

JohnTollettwithRobinWilliams
Copyright©2006byJohnTollettandRobinWilliams
Coverdesign:JohnTollett
CoverimageoftheearthfromiStockPhoto.com
Interiordesignandproduction:JohnTollettandRobinWilliams
Index:EmilyGlossbrenner
PeachpitPress
1249EighthStreet
Berkeley,California94710
800.283.9444
510.524.2178phone
510.524.2221fax
Findusonthewebatwww.peachpit.com
Toreporterrors,pleasesendanoteto
PeachpitPressisadivisionofPearsonEducation

NoticeofRights
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedor
transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,
mechanical,photocopying,recording,orotherwise,withoutthe
priorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.Forinformationon
obtainingpermissionforreprintsandexcerpts,contact




NoticeofLiability
Theinformationinthisbookisdistributedonan"asis"basis,
withoutwarranty.Whileeveryprecautionhasbeentakeninthe
preparationofthisbook,neithertheauthorsnorPeachpitPress

shallhaveanyliabilitytoanypersonorentitywithrespectto
anyliability,loss,ordamagecausedorallegedtobecaused
directlyorindirectlybytheinstructionscontainedinthisbook
orbythecomputersoftwareandhardwareproductsdescribed
herein.

Trademarks
Throughoutthisbooktrademarkednamesareused.Rather
thanputatrademarksymbolineveryoccurrenceofa
trademarkedname,westateweareusingthenamesonlyinan
editorialfashionandtothebenefitofthetrademarkownerwith
nointentionofinfringementofthetrademark.
10987654321
PrintedandboundintheUnitedStatesofAmerica

Dedicatedtotheoneswelove
ToJosh,Scarlett,Jimmy,andRyan.Fortreasuredmemories,
journeys,andadventurestogetherbothdigitalandotherwise.
Inacomputerizedworldofamazingconnections,you'rethe
best,themostreliable,andthemostenjoyable.




ManyThanks
AbigRoadWarrior"thankyou"toRossCarter,atrue
RenaissanceMan,forgenerouslysharingtechnicalknowledge
thathelpedustobetterunderstandandexplainsomeofthe
geekystuff.ToquoteShakespeare,"Youaretheman."
Thanks,MikeMcGurl,forsharingyourMactechsupport

expertisewithus,forbeinggenerouswithyourtime,andfor
joiningusforbreakfastandMacconversationswhenweruninto
youatHarry'sRoadhouse.(InsiderRoadWarriortip:checkout
Harry'sRoadhouseifyou'reinSantaFe,NewMexico.)
LotsofthanksandlovetoPatWilliams(Robin'sMom)forbeing
ourtesterofeverythingfromvideochatsaroundtheworldto
podcastsonWebpages.Patisoneofararebrandofsenior
citizenwhogivesheroldcomputersandMactech-supportto
herchildren.
SpecialthankstoNancyDavisandDavidVanNessatPeachpit
forincludingawhoppingamountofpatienceandkindnessin
theirskillsets.
ManythanksandlotsofgratitudetoiStockPhoto.comforbeing
therewithafabulouscollectionofstockimagesthat'seasyto
searchandaffordabletouse.Theglobeimageonthecoverand
thewebsiteisfromtheircollection.
Finally,thankstoreaderswhosendinRoadWarriortips,
photos,orstoriesofon-the-goadventuresforthebook's
companionwebsite.Visitweb.mac.com/roadratfordetails.




Introduction
AsRobinandIpreparedforarecenttriptotheMid-East,we
decidedto"travellight."Wepackedjustenoughclothestoget
by,plusagadgetbagfilledwithaPalmhandheldPDA,asmall
videocamera,30blankmini-dvtapes,adigitalstillcamera,and
twogigabytesworthofCompact-Flashcardsplusanassortment
ofadaptersandbatterychargers.Ohyeah,andaGarminGPS.

Wedecidedtoleavethelaptopathome(the"travellight"
thing).Afterall,wehadaWi-FiPDAwithus,Internetcafesare
everywhere,andmanyofthehotelswe'dbestayinginwould
surelyprovidecomputersandconnectionsfortheirguests.
This"travellight"conceptseemedtobeworkinggreatthefirst
coupleofdays.InNewYork,aswewaitedforourflightto
Egypt,IusedmyWi-FienabledPalmtosendashortemailto
the.MacGroupPagewecreatedjustforthetrip.Itwas
awkwardtypingontheteenylittlekeyboard,butitwasfun
beingsomobileand"light.""RoadWarriorsmustsometimesbe
willingtoendurehardshipslikethis,"IsaidasIretypedthe
samesentencefivetimesandwatchedthebatterydrainonthe
PalmTungstenChandhelddevice.
AcoupleofdayslaterinAlexandria,usingmyPDA,Idetected
anopenWi-Finetworkonthebalconyofourroomoverlooking
theMediterraneanSea.Cool.Isentashortupdatetoour.Mac
GroupPage(tootiredtodealwithtypingalongmessageona
teenylittlekeyboard,ortryingtogettheportable,folding,
infraredkeyboardtowork).Bynow,thePDAneededcharging.I
usedanadaptertoplugthePDAcharger/cradleintothewall
plug.Oopsforgottocheckthevoltageonthebackofthe
chargerbeforeweleft;thiswastheonlyelectronicdeviceinour
packthatneededatransformer.ThePDAisOK,butthecharger
istoast.OK,noproblemPlanBusePCsinInternetcafesand
hotels.


ThisAlexandriancafehadwaterpipes,butnoWi-Fi.

PlanBworked,butnotaswellastravelingwithourownlaptop.

Ooh,howeasyandfunitwould'vebeentodownloadand
organizemyphotoseverynightwhilerelaxinginthehotel
room,insteadofhavingathousandhi-resphotostodownload
andorganizeafterIgothome.Andhowconvenientitwould
havebeentowriteupdatesforthe.MacGroupPagewhile
lounginginbed,thensendthemwheneveraconnectionwas
available.And,asyoumayknow,usingWindowsonahotel's
PCisnottheelegantexperiencethatweMacusersexpectfrom
acomputer.
AsforInternetcafes,theyweremorescarceinEgyptand
JordanthaninplaceslikePokhara,Nepal,andourdaily
schedulewassopackedwithadventuresanddiscoveries,we
justdidn'thaveenoughfreetimeavailabletofindthem.I
wondered,couldsomeonebackhomeFedExmylaptoptome?
IsthereanAppleStoreinLuxor?DotheytakeAmerican
Express?No,no,andyes.
Thenexttimewe"travellight,"it'llbebecauseI'vereplaced
mostofthoseheavyclothesitemswithaMaclaptop(and
maybeatransformer).ButIdon'texpecttohaveanytrouble
nexttimebecausewejustwrotethisbookanditcontainsall
theinformationneededforsuccessfulmobilecomputing,plus
lotsoftipsthat'llmakeevennewlaptopusersfeellike
seasonedRoadWarriors.
ThisbookwaswrittenforlaptopswithMacOSXTigerinstalled,
butagreatdealoftheinformationalsoworksjustfineforMac
laptopsthatuseolderversionsofMacOSX(Jaguarand
Panther).


Gottarun!MynewEVDOcardarrived!

Chapter1.BeingMobileThingsYouCan
Do
Forthoseofuswhoownalaptopcomputer,suchastheiBook
orPowerBook,tobeornottobemobileisnotreallythe
question.Eveniftheextentofyourtravelsisonlytocarryyour
laptopfromonesideofthehousetotheother,you'remobile.
So,formostofus,thequestionactuallyis"HowmobiledoI
wanttobe?"
Dependingonyourneedsandwhatservicesoraccessories
you'rewillingtobuy,theanswertothisquestioncanrange
anywherefrom"Iwanttocheckmyemailfromthebedroom"to
"IwanttobeaRoadWarrior."

Howmanywayscanapersonbemobile?Morethanwecan
coverinthisbook.Ourinformationcentersprimarilyaround
yourlaptopandhowtouseitwithaminimumofextragadgets
andpaidservices.However,someofandservicesarevery
useful,sowe'llcoverquiteoffewofthem.




HowMobileDoYouWanttoBe?
Theeasiestanswertothisquestionis"Whatevermylaptopcan
do."That'squitealotandshouldmakeyoufeelhappily
connected.Forawhile.Whenyoueventuallystartlustingfor

moremobilecapability,youmayhavetoinvestinsomeextra
peripheralsandaccessories,butyou'llstillhavemostofwhat
youneedrightthereonyourMaclaptop.
So,asaRoadWarrior,whataresomeofthemobilecapabilities
youcanexpectfromyourMaclaptop?

HomeandOfficeMobility
Yourlaptopastheultimateportableoffice.Mobility
isn'talwaysaboutconnectingtotheInternetortoother
computers.Sometimesit'sjustabouthavingallyour
applicationsandfileswithyou,bundledupontoaniftylittle
computersoyoucangetworkdonewhileonthe
goanythingfromwritingalettertoeditingamovie.It'slike
havingyourentireofficeavailabletoyouatalltimes.
Ifyouwantachangeofscenery,justpickupyourlaptop
andmovetoanotherdeskoranotherroom.Orfinda
comfortablereclinerandputyourlaptoponyourlap.
ConnecttotheInternetwirelessly.Ifyourlaptophasa
wirelesscard,youcanjumpontheInternetanywhere
that'swithinrangeofanexistingwirelessnetwork.That
couldbeinyourofficehallway,onyourbedroompatio,or
sittingonthefrontstepsofabuildinginLuxorthathasa
Wi-Ficonnection.


Entertainyourself.Whiletraveling,youcanlistentoyour
musiccollectionfromiTunes,listentoanaudiobook,or
watchamovieondvd.WhenaWi-Ficonnectionisavailable
inanairport,thewaitforaflightgoesbyveryquickly
becauseyoucanaccesstheiTunesMusicStoretopreview

orbuysinglesongs,albums,audiobooks,andevenvideos
andsometelevisionprograms.
ReadyourRSSfeeds.Ifyou'vesetupRSSfeedsfor
informationyou'reinterestedin,you'llgetthefeeds
anywhereintheworldonceyou'reconnected.Youwon't
havetomissoutonanything.
Downloadandlisten.Ifyou'vesubscribedtosome
favoritepodcasts,youcancollectandlistentothemwhile
ontheroad.Don'tmissasingleepisode!
Professionalpresentations.Likemanybusinesspeople,
weoftengivepresentationstogroupsofpeople.Alaptop
enablesyoutocreateapresentationwhileonthegoor
makelast-minuterevisions.
Ifyouraudienceissmall,youdon'tevenneeda
projectorjustpresentstraightfromyourcomputer.
Videoconferencingandchatting.SinceWi-Fi
connectionsarebroadbandandfastenoughtosupport
videochats,youcanuseiChatandaniSightcamera(orany
FireWirevideocamera)tovideoconferencefromanyWi-Fi
hotspotahotelroomorlobby,acoffeeshop,oranairport
thatprovideswirelessaccess.Ifyoudon'thaveaFireWire
videocamera,youcanuseyourlaptop'sbuilt-inmicrophone
toaudiochat,orjustusetextchatwithfamilymembers,
buddies,orbusinessassociateswhoareonline.


[Viewfullsizeimage]

Downloadandread.Allmajornewspapersandmagazines
areavailableindigitalform.Somearefreeandothers

requireapaidsubscription.Youcanclickonatopicinthe
tableofcontentsandimmediatelyjumptothatarticle;click
onawebaddressinanadandjumpdirectlytothe
advertiserswebsite.
Somedigitalpublicationsareviewableontheweband
othersneedspecialreadersoftware,suchasZinioReader.
TheexamplebelowshowsMacworldmagazineasitappears
intheZinioReaderonmyPowerBook.
WhenIclickontheedgeofapage,thepageturnswitha
realisticanimation.Sincethemagazinehasbeen
downloadedtomyPowerBook,Icanreaditanytime,
anywhereevenwithoutanInternetconnection.


Useyourlaptopwithotherportabledevices.AMac
laptopcanbeusedwithaBluetooth-enabledmobilephone,
aPalmPDA,andthemostpopularGPSdevices.InChapter
11wetalkabouthowthiscanbeusefulandofferhow-to
information,tips,andresourcesformoreinformation.
Takeadvantageof.Macconvenience.Ifyouhavea
.Macaccount(pronounced"dotMac"),yourRoadWarrior
challengesareeasierinmanyways.Youcanuse.MacMail,
awebmailfeaturethat'saccessiblefromanycomputer
anywhereintheworld.Youcanusethe.MacHomePage
featuretoalmostinstantlycreateandpublishphoto
albums,newsletters,orrésumésonline.Whenyouneedto
getaverylargefileorafolderfullofphotostosomeone,
youcancreateanFTP(FileTransferProtocol)pagesuchas
theoneshownbelow,uploadthefilestoyour.MaciDisk
storagespace,password-protecttheFTPpageifyouwant,

thensendthepageaddressandpasswordtotheperson


whoneedsaccess.Theycangotoyour.MacFTPpageand
downloadthefilesattheirconvenience.Theverycool
mobilityadvantagesofhavinga.Macaccountarecovered
inChapter4.

[Viewfullsizeimage]

Synchronizeandaccessvitalinformation.Beinga
mobilecomputeruserallowsyoutocarryaroundyour
importantpersonalinformation,suchasyourAddressBook
contacts,appointmentsiniCal,andyourcustomcollection
ofSafari(Apple'swebbrowser)bookmarks.
UseiSyncandyour.Macaccounttosynchronizeyour
personalinformationwithaduplicatecopyonyour.Mac
iDisk(thepersonalstoragespaceonApple'scomputers
that'sincludedwitha.Macaccount).Youcanthen
synchronizethatcopyofyourinformationwithanother
computer.Forinstance,ifyou'reonthegoandawayfrom
youroffice,someoneinyourofficecanupdateyour
calendarorcontacts,thenyoucansynctheupdated
informationtoyourlaptopfromanywhereanInternet
connectionisavailable.SeeChapter4formoreabout
iSync.

[Viewfullsizeimage]

Doevenmore.Someveryinterestingthingsaremade
possiblebycertainservices.Somecostmoney,othersare
free.Forinstance,youcancallsomeone'stelephoneand
talktothemfromyourcomputer.Learnmorecoolwaysto
bemobileandproductiveinChapter11.
It'snotjustaboutyou.We'vediscoveredthatoneofthe
mostappreciatedhospitalitiesyoucanofferhouseguestsis
awirelessInternetconnectionandtheuseofalaptop
computerduringtheirstay.Guestscantakethelaptopto
theirroom,checktheiremail,ortakecareofbusiness.If
theybroughttheirownlaptop,theymightbeexcessively
gratefulfortheconnection.Ifyoudon'thaveawireless
networksetupinyourhomeoroffice,it'sprobablybecause
youdon'trealizehoweasy

AGuidetoInformationinThisBook


Thereissomuchinformationinthisbookthatitwillprobably
behardtoabsorbeverything.Belowisaquickreferenceto
specificthingsyoumightwanttoknow,organizedsoyoucan
finditeasily.
Therearethreethingsyoureallyshouldhavetotravelmost
effectivelywithyourMac:awirelesscard(whichisbuiltinto
allMaclaptopstoday),a.Macaccount(seeChapter4),and
thesoftwarepackagefromApplecallediLife'06(orlater;it
includesiPhoto,iWeb,andfourotherapplications).

Photographs
iWebandHomePagesitesorpagescanbepassword-protected.

AlsoseetheinformationaboutfilesharinginChapter10.
Shareyourphotospublicly
.Macslides:AnyMacOSXusercansubscribetoyour
slideshowofphotos;theyappearasascreensaver.See
page87.
iWebphotospage.Anycomputerusercanviewyour
photosonawebpage.Seepages8895.
.MacHomePage.Uploadphotosforanycomputeruser
toview.Seepages182186.
Shareyourphotosprivately
Photocast.MacusersofyourchoicedownloadaniPhoto
albumofyoursintotheirowniPhotoapplications.See
page9697.


.MacGrouppage.Invitedmembers,usingany
computer,canallsharephotoswitheachother.See
pages8285.

Accessories
Hardware
Some"essentials"arelistedonpages1319.
Securitydevicesareonpages148149.
Needadevicetohelpyoufindwirelessnetworks?See
page167.
Ifyouneedanexternalmodem,seepages11or159.
Ifyouhavetouseamodem,someaccessoriesyoumay
findhandyareonpages162and218.
AlittlebitofinformationoniPods,GPSs,andPDAsison
pages214215.

Software
Troubleshootingsoftware.Seepage198.
Widgetsusefulfortraveling.Seepages166,199200,
and213.
Onlinemaps.Seepages201209.
BroadbandTunerforbetterconnectivity.Seepage215.


.Macaccount.SeeChapter4.
iLife'06.SeetheAppleStoreatwww.Apple.com/store.
iLifeisusuallyloadedonnewMacs.

Communication
Email
.Macwebmail.Seepages7174.
CheckyourPOPaccounts.Seepage71.
Dial-upnumbersaroundtheworld.Seepages159160.
SMTPaccountwhenonthego.Seepages72and
156158.
Textchats
TextmessagewithiChatovertheInternet.Seepage
101108.
TextmessagewithotherchatclientsovertheInternet.
Seepage210.
Textmessagewithothersonyourlocalnetwork,using
Bonjour.Seepages101and114116.
Audiochats
WithiChatovertheInternet.Seepages101105and
109.

VoIP(VoiceoverInternetProtocol)withSkypeor
Vonage.Seepage211.
Voicemailtoyouremailbox.Seepage210.
Videoconferencingwithuptofourpeople
UseiChatovertheInternet.Seepages3,101105,and
110111.

Modems,IfYouHavetoUseOneWhileTraveling
Networkconfigurationsforamodem.Seepages2628and
3438.
InternetConnectsettingsfor.Seepages39and4446.
Externalmodem,ifyouneedone.Seepages11or159.
Dial-uptips.Seepages159162.
Makealocationforyoursettingsforeasyaccess.Seepages
5456.
Extendyourdial-upwirelesslywithanAirportStation.See
page170.

KeepTrackofYourself,andLetOthersKnowWhatYou're
Doing
UseiCal;publishyourcalendarsootherscansubscribeto
it.SeeChapter6.


CreateaGroupspage.Seepages8285.
Takeadvantageoftravelwidgets,andtellyourfriendsat
homeaboutthem.Seepages166,199200,and213.
PostabloginiWeb.Seepages8889.

ShareYourFileswithOthersAroundtheWorld
SeeChapter10.

AccessYourDataWhenNotatYourOwnComputer
UseyouriDisk.Seepages5964.
GetyourAddressBookcontactsonanycomputer.See
pages7577.
UseyourownSafaribookmarks.Seepages7881.
AccessyouriCalcalendar;useiSync.Seepages6570.
Checkyourmailonanycomputer.Seepages7174.
CheckyourmailfromanotherPOPaccount.Seepage71.

GetConnected
EthernetInternetconnection(broadband)


SeetheNetworksettingsonpages2628and30.
Makealocationforquicklychangingsettings.See
pages5456.
AirPortExpressBaseStationforwirelessaccess
SeetheNetworksettingsonpages2628and3233.
ChecktheInternetConnectsettings.Seepages4043.
Makealocationforquicklychangingsettings.See
pages5456.
TakeadvantageofyourwirelessAirPortnetwork.See
pages169173.
BluetoothInternetconnection
SeetheNetworksettingsonpages2628and31.
ChecktheInternetConnectsettings.Seepages4749.
Makealocationforquicklychangingsettings.See

pages5456.