Lesson 1. Getting Started

This book is based on Apple's official training course for Mac OS X Support Essentials, an in-depth exploration of the Macintosh operating system. It serves as a self-paced introduction to supporting and trouble shooting Macintosh computers running Mac OS X.

The primary goal is to prepare help desk personnel, technical coordinators, and system administrators to knowledgeably address customer concerns and questions. This includes the ability to return a Macintosh computer to normal operation, using the proper utilities, resources, and troubleshooting methodology.

Whether you are an experienced system administrator or just want to dig deeper into a Macintosh, you'll learn in-depth technical information and procedures used by Apple-certified technicians to install, configure, maintain, and diagnose Macintosh computers running Mac OS X.

This book assumes a basic level of familiarity with the Macintosh operating systems. Unless otherwise specified, all references to Mac OS X refer to Mac OS X 10.4.1, which was the most current version available at the time this book was written. Due to subsequent upgrades, some screen shots, features, and procedures may be slightly different from those presented on these pages.