Master your Apple MAC Course

Learn how to get more from an Apple Mac computer with this extensive introduction to OS X and Apple. Despite being designed for absolute beginners, this course has something to show every Apple Mac owner about how to do more with their computer.

Using very quick videos and clips to communicate tips and tricks quickly and efficiently, this course is best suited to:

• First time Apple Mac owners who are struggling to get to grips with the computer.
• Experienced Apple users who feel that they could still learn more about how to boost efficiency, or use more of the tools available to them.
• IT support engineers and trainers who need to show other users how to perform common tasks.
• Home users who want to learn how boost their productivity and develop new skills that will help them become more healthy.

Despite containing over 100 videos, the Master Your Mac course is designed to be short-and-sweet, allowing students to dip in and out as time allows.

All course modules are delivered online via the learning platform, making resources available to students 24x7x365. Students can learn whenever and wherever is most convenient to them. The courseware is complemented by a free ebook containing twelve top tips that will help learners better balance their work and home lives for a happier, healthier lifestyle.

Each module of the Master Your Apple Mac is hugely practical, allowing learners to put their new skills to work immediately.

Key learning points

The Master Your Mac course has nine levels that each build on the concepts taught in the one before it. This incremental approach allows for a relatively gentle development of skills that fits perfectly with the short video approach.

Among the many topics covered by the course are:

• An introduction to the basic features of the OS X operating system, including files and folder, the menu bar and the dock, helping students familiarise themselves with the system layout.
• Using Spotlight to find files, folders and other data quickly, and how the Dashboard and Mission Control features can also help boost productivity.
• Advanced file operations using the Finder tool to locate, sort and manage files efficiently.
• Using System Preferences to customise OS X settings to suit the specific needs of the student and their workflow.
• How to use iCloud to backup contacts and calendar data and how to sync that information to an iPhone or iPad.
• Advanced email configuration and usage tips that improve appearance, readability and efficiency.
• An advanced introduction to using the iTunes to organise and sync music files between devices.

The Master Your Apple Mac course also seeks to balance basic computer skills with some introductory wellness concepts, designed to help students stay well and avoid some of the health issues associated with prolonged computer use. This includes ideas like setting healthy technology boundaries, designing a workflow that reduces stress and desk yoga exercises.

Advantages of this course

By completing the Master Your Apple Mac course, students will undoubtedly become more familiar and productive with their computers. The holistic approach of this course will also ensure that they do so more healthily, by helping them develop workflows and habits that promote wellbeing.

By completing the nine modules, students will:

• Have mastered the basic features and settings of the OS X operating system, helping them to become more efficient.
• Understand the principles of data backup and syncing, helping to reduce the risk of losing their files.
• Be more productive when using an Apple Mac computer either at home or at work.
• Be able to resolve common issues themselves, further raising productivity levels.
• Be able to work in such a way that their mental and physical health is also maintained.

The Master Your Apple Mac course is an essential introduction to Apple computers for any person who wants to become more productive. By mastering these basic fundamentals, students will find that they are able to work more quickly and efficiently, allowing them to get much more done with a minimum of stress.

• Units of study

Let's Start At The Beginning

• Taking Notes
• Preview
• The Desktop
• Organising the Desktop
• Preview
• Files & Folders
• Preview
• Menu bar: Introduction, Closing the Computer and Force Quitting
• Preview
• Menu Bar: Other Stuff in the Apple icon
• Menu Bar: Shortcuts and Special keys
• Menu Bar: Top Right Icons and Date & Time
• The Dock: Basics
• The Dock: Adding, Removing & Organising Apps
• The Dock: Trash
• WORKSHEET - Where is Your Time Going? An eye opening journey into your beliefs.
• Desk Yoga

Basically Advanced

• Instrument vs Machine
• Spotlight Overview and Privacy
• Spotlight Speed and Secret Ways to Use It
• Applications Opening Apps and Scrolling Through Them
• Preview
• Applications Quitting Apps
• Playing With Windows
• Dashboard: Clocks and Convertors
• Dashboard: Words, Widgets and More
• Mission Control: What is it? Ways to Access it
• Mission Control: Multiple Desktops
• Seeing The Desktop
• Filetypes: Drives
• Specific Files
• WORKSHEET - Playing Your Computer Like a Musical Instrument
• Healthy Technology Boundaries

Finder: Setting Up Your Data Workshop

• Organising Data
• Finder: Setting up the Workshop
• Finder: Setting up the workshop 2
• Finder: Getting to know the workshop
• Finder: Cool things about column view
• PowerTool: Finder in the Dock
• Finder: Saving files and finding them again
• Finder: Advanced file selecting
• Finder: Advanced Filing
• Finder: Moving Masses of Files in Finder
• WORKSHEET - The Big Data Move
• Feelings About Data

System preferences 1 - Getting Everything Just So

• Focus & Safety
• System Preferences: How to access
• Preparing for time Machine
• Formatting an HDD (Hard Drive)
• Using Time Machine
• System Preferences: Security & Privacy
• System Preferences: Privacy on your Mac
• System Preferences: Users and Groups
• System Preferences: Notifications Quieting Down the noise
• System Preferences: Notification Center
• System Preferences: Notification center Secret Trick
• System Preferences: Screen saver
• System Preferences: Hot Corners
• System Preferences: Energy Saver
• WORKSHEET - Reduce Distraction & Get Focused
• Safe & Quiet

System Preferences 2 - The Final Set Up

• Half Way there
• System Preferences: The Keyboard
• System Preferences: Setting up the Mouse
• System Preferences: Trackpad Setting up correctly
• System Preferences: Displays scale to make everything bigger
• System Preferences: Accessibility for those with short sightedness and hearing
• System Preferences: Cds and DVDs (or which apps automatically open files)
• 3 Ways to Open Files in other applications
• System Preferences: Sound
• System Preferences: Wifi
• System Preferences: App Store
• WORKSHEET - Feeling Good With Your Computer
• The Middle Way

Syncing and Organising

• Introduction and Calenders
• iCloud: Setting Up
• iCloud: Altering Your Account
• DATASHEET - The Cloud and iCloud
• Mail, Contacts & Calendars
• Calendar: Setting Up the Environment
• Calendar: Events
• Calendar: Different Calendars
• Calendar: Creating Calendars in Google Calendar
• Calendar: Navigating quickly
• Reminders: How to Use
• Structure & Flow

Socially Ready Contacts and Mail

• Contacts Overview
• Contacts Creating, Editing and Changing the Template
• Contacts Groups
• Contacts Smart Groups
• Mail Setting Up
• Mail Creating an Email
• Mail Pimping up Emails
• Mail Creating an Email Extra
• Mail Grouping Emails
• WORKSHEET - Sorting Those Emails Once and For All
• Mail Using Gmail to Send Multiple Email Addresses

Listen Up! iTunes

• Contacts Overview
• iTunes: Introduction
• iTunes Getting to know your way around
• iTunes Setting it up just right
• iTunes Adding and Deleting Music
• iTunes Playing Music
• iTunes Organising Music
• iTunes The Mini Player
• iTunes Playlists