Snow Leopard: Essentials

Get to grips with the hugely popular OS X Snow Leopard operating system from Apple. Included as standard with Apple computers shipped between 2009 and 2011, Snow Leopard remains one of the most highly regarded OS X releases.

Designed to give students a firm understanding of the Snow Leopard basics, this course is ideally suited to:

• Corporate administrators who need to manage a small number of Apple computers.
• End users who require basic training to familiarise themselves with OS X Snow Leopard and how to use an Apple computer.
• Home users who want to get the best from their Mac, helping them to be more productive.

By completing just eight course modules, students can expect to see a major improvement in their understanding and productivity levels when using OS X Snow Leopard.

The Snow Leopard: Essentials course uses a combination of instructor led videos and electronic reference materials to take students through the basics of using and administering their Mac. Because the course is delivered online, students can access materials whenever and wherever is most convenient. Social networking tools built into the platform also allow participants to learn from other students and to share their own experiences.

Key Learning Points

Over the course of eight modules, students will be introduced to the fundamental principles and techniques for using OS X Snow Leopard more effectively. Starting with the very basics of checking the operating system requirements, students quickly move on to learn:

• How to use Finder to organise files and folders, and the search techniques used to locate a specific document.
• How to configure Snow Leopard to better suit user needs including customising the Dock and toolbars, adding widgets to the Dashboard and adjusting the way the computer mouse works.
• How to set up and configure user accounts to protect settings and data when the computer is located in a multi-user environment.
• Setting parental controls to protect young computer users.
• Using built-in apps like QuickTime Player, Preview and TextEdit to view and edit files.
• Protecting data from loss using Disk Utility and Time Machine to create system backups.
• How to search and surf the web safely and efficiently using the Safari browser.
• Installing printers and managing print queues in the event of a problem.

Advantages of this course

By investing just a few hours to cover the eight modules that make up the Snow Leopard: Essentials course, students will notice an immediate boost in productivity. Other benefits of completing the course include:

• A greater understanding of Snow Leopard and how it can be used most effectively.
• Improved on-the-job performance.
• Full preparation for more advanced study of OS X.
• An expanded skill set that will help students secure new employment opportunities.

The Snow Leopard: Essentials course is an essential step towards Apple Mac mastery – simple enough for even the most inexperienced user to get to grips with their Apple computer, yet with enough detail to help IT professionals get started with the system and lay the foundation for future training courses and certification exams.

• Units of study

Introduction To Snow Leopard

• About Snow Leopard
• Snow Leopard Requirements
• Getting Snow Leopard

Navigation & Organizing

• Introducing the Finder
• Browsing Finder Windows
• Using the Home Folder
• Organizing Files & Folders
• Finding Your Files

Customizing Snow Leopard

• Choosing an Image to Display as Your Desktop
• Using Screen Savers
• Customizing the Dock
• Customizing the Toolbar
• Setting Finder Preferences
• Working with the Widgets in Dashboard
• Using Expos
• Customizing the Mouse

Using Snow Leopard With Multiple Users

• Managing User Accounts
• Setting Parental Controls
• Switching between Accounts
• Sharing Files with Other Users

Exploring Updated Applications

• Viewing Media Files in QuickTime Player
• Using Preview to View & Edit Files
• Creating & Editing Text Documents in TextEdit

Backing Up & Protecting Your Data

• Burning Files to CD or DVD
• Using Disk Utility
• Backing Up Data Using Time Machine
• Running Software Update

Browsing The Web With Safari

• Tabbed Browsing
• Navigating Top Sites
• Using the Google Search Bar
• Creating & Organizing Bookmarks
• Revisiting Sites Using History

Printing

• Installing a Printer
• Managing Jobs in the Print Queue
• Exploring Print Dialog Box Options
• Printing to a PDF File
• Credits