Just Got OS X? Confused? Help is on the Way

Okay, you went out and bought OS X on March 24th. Or better yet, you preordered and Apple had it on your doorstep on the 24th. Great! New OS. Killer interface. Fast. But complex. A Command Line window? What, are you kidding me, from Apple? And what's this thingy over here? How do you do such-and-such in this thing? Just don't have the time, man ...

Well, not to worry. There are a lot of people who make it their job, or, it is their job whether they make it so or not, to know what this OS is all about. And furthermore, there are people out there who know people who make OS X their jobs! They are verbose, too. Besides, you really didn't think Apple would come out with a new OS and many wouldn't see the potential for fame and riches by setting up OS X webs sites did you? Well that's exactly what has happened. Many are still fledgling site, with plenty of room to grow. Some are just links sites. But some are extremely helpful.

With a new OS like OS X we will need resources. Many will need help in this day of the forgotten manual. So where do they go? If you hit the Web you will find many sites devoted to OS X, and some major sites devoting a section to OS X, such as we will be doing here. I took time from making "OS X cookies" with my wife (see pic to the right), and helping eager Mac users at a local store to see what the 'Net has to offer us. This list is not exhaustive, mind you. But in my opinion these are some of the better places to go for X help, tips, and apps.

When I went to look for OS X sites I examined content, design, look and feel, and general helpfulness. These are my rough standards. The most important consideration was content in that I wanted OS X apps — NOW! I didn't want just link sites; I didn't want sites that do press releases or any of that either. But I also want sites that are easy to navigate. The quicker I could find something the better, and the site was included here. We have a new OS sitting on our systems, after all, and we want answers now. These sites are NOT ranked in any particular order, they just list some I have found helpful in the senses just described.

Some sites are as Pure X as the wind-driven snow: They are only about OS X. I am not counting hybrid sites here, such as Mac sites with an OS X column, section, or forum. I want sites devoted wholly to OS X so that I can find what I need right now without having to go through the latest news bites. Apple's own site is good, but we want other sites, sites which will cover some things Apple won't (because of resources),and from an end user's perspective. Perhaps their time on the Mac Web has come. So let's get busy!

[Note: Though we are considering only Pure X sites, we saw today (3-36-01) that MacFixIt has started a pretty exhaustive OS X section. We like macFixIt so thought we'd mention it to you.]

OS X Hints. This well-designed site has a wealth of information. Mostly though, it is a tip and hint site. But that alone is helpful. They have tips sorted according category so that you can simplify your search. For example, trying to figure out how to change your desktop? Go to the "Desktop" category. Each category tells you how many tips are currently available. It also includes news, links and other goodies. It is a nice site which is helpful, and on my bookmarks now. I just hope it stays around because it has promise.

Looking for OS X Applications?

What's a new OS without applications? If you remember the PPC days when we all longed for "native" software and not just "fat" software, then you know something of what it feels like to have an OS or machine with no software apps for it. Applelust becomes Applefrustration! We probably won't see many of the major name applications out until later this Spring and Summer. But from initial reports, Classic does seem to be pretty stable; I know I saw Office 2001 in Classic and it looked seamless. So whatta ya gonna do? Several sites have come to the rescue for those of us looking for our OS X applications updates.

Macosxapps.com is a site devoted to, well, Mac OS X application releases. The site is categorized nicely so that you can find what you need, or see if it is available, quickly. You can look under "Apps: Classic," "Apps: Command Line," and fifteen other application categories for what you need. They even tell you right up front how many applications are in that category. They also have sections devoted to AppleScripts, "System: Appearance," and several others. A well-designed and friendly site overall. You can also sign up for a User Account. Creating a User Account allows you to post messages and comments. Another bookmarked site for me.

VersionTracker's OS X section is not the cleanest you'll ever find, but it is extensive. The latest and greatest OS X releases will be found here quickly, and the site contains a reliable search engine as well. Good thing. Because the amount of information, along with a list-like design (sometimes seemingly designed more for pageviews than usability), is hard to get through. But if it's out there, you'll find it here. Good idea to keep an eye on this, if you want to get through all the pages.

Mac OS X org is also a large site. It has tutorials on OS X as well as the usual, helpful information. We did have trouble connecting several times though. (We do not know if they are on OS X Server — by the way, WE do!). They have a history of OS X builds, a small but generally helpful tips page, and the thing which sets it apart — a Glossary of OS X terms. What is a "panic" anyway? Nice, but not the largest page, and we hope to see this developed further.

OS X Hacking and "Geek" Sites

I do not mean "geek" in any bad way. I mean the techsumer, the one who really knows his stuff, who gets inside and tinkers with his system in ways most would not. And lets face it, OS X is Geekdom's dream OS, other than Unix itself! They generally know more than us mere mortals. I am not sure the following sites would want to be classified as such, but here goes ...

osx.hyperjeff is a site with a distinctively personal touch. After all, it's "Jeff's" page! (No, we don't know him.) No, wait, it is "hyperjeff's page — we don't know if this is as metaphor, play on words, or a confession of his psychology. But the writing is very laid back and personal, and small touches of nervous (hyper)"Jeff" himself are found all over the site, such as on his links page which is just his "ever growing bookmarks." There is a random picture script on the site where "Jeff" will show you his favorite art pieces. What sets him, er .. the site, apart is that it has one of the most extensive OS X Links pages out there, with just about everything on it for programmers and geek types. The Apps page is not the largest, but it is well-organized, telling you exactly how deeply the upgrade or app goes (Aqua, Cocoa, Carbon, Source, and so on). It does have some things on it you will not find other places. Tell "Jeff" we said hi while you are there — and to calm down.

ResExcellence is of course a longtime Mac site devoted to hacking up your Mac. And with OS X it will be even easier to hack away! It has a Tips section, a Log In Panels section, a Boot Panels section, a Terminal Tips section, and a Darwin Tips section. If there is a hack along with downloadable examples, like panels, this is the place to go. So: Happy hacking!! (I will never hear that old Windows throw away, "The Mac is not customizable" again! OS X rules, baby!!)

xappeal.org is another well-designed site with news, info, and forums (hosted remotely, and rather inactive at the moment). When you go there you will be on a page with summaries of the latest news and press releases. But what sets it apart, partly, is that it has a Hardware section so that you can see if your Mac will run OS X, including information on upgrades. Its Software section is well-designed and neatly laid out, with short summaries of each application available.

Not sure it can be called a "geek" site, but Ilene's Machine has a nice OS X links page. Of particular (and I don't know who "Ilene" is), is that "Ilene" has dedicated herself to linking to every Apple TIL on OS X under the sun! Who has the time for such things! Useful if not just for that. Keep going "Ilene"!

Some Forums

Of course it is one thing to get software and look at links, and quite another to talk with others about OS X. There are several OS X forums at various sites that are not OS X specific sites, and many of the sites I have mentioned have forums. But a few stand outs include:

macosx.com forums Lively and covering many OS X specific issues with UNIX and tweaking the OS.
MacWorld OS X Forum has a pretty nice OS X forums page. It is large and the people talk about everything under the sun concerning OS X.
MacFixIt OS X Forums You can rarely wrong with MacFixIt forums, not matter what the topics. They have several forums under the Os X section and they are worthwhile to check out.

In conclusion ...

Well, that's it for now. I could have talked about Apple's Mac OS X support pages and all that, but it will have to wait. I wanted to introduce you to some Pure OS X sites out there, for I have the feeling they will be coming in handy for a lot of us. I just hope these will help you get started right with your new toy—Mac Os X, the Most advanced OS in the World.

Email David Schultz

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