If you have a Mac, running Mac OS 10.2 (Jaguar), and you’re not a subscriber to Apple’s .Mac (say “Dot Mac) service, you’re missing out. A steady stream of new features have made it a “must have” addition for any Mac, especially if you have a cable modem or DSL internet connection. Over the next few weeks we’ll explore all the features and advantages of using .Mac.

The two cornerstones of .Mac are the email account and the iDisk. Since Apple is not an ISP (Internet Service Provider), the .Mac email account requires you to have internet access through a separate ISP, like Earthlink or Verizon. You send and receive email using your .Mac email address through your ISP. You can use any Mac email application (like OS X’s Mail.app or Entourage), or access your email through any browser on any computer anywhere. Plus, Apple employs powerful spam filters at the server level, to cut down dramatically on spam that gets to you, the user.

The iDisk is basically a secure hard drive living on Apple’s servers. The base configuration is 100 MB, which you can expand for some extra bucks. Now, internet storage has been around for quite awhile, but what makes the iDisk unique is how the other .Mac tools use it so effortlessly (as you would expect a Mac to do). The iDisk is organized into eight folders – Software, Documents, Music, Pictures, Movies, Sites, Backup, and Public. You can access your iDisk directly through the Mac Finder, with a separate iDisk application, through a web browser, or even through computers running Windows XP.

The Software folder contains software updates, demos, and popular shareware from Apple and other developers. The contents are updated regularly by Apple. The Document and Music folders could be used to store – you guessed it – documents and music. The other folders are used by various .Mac tools, and we’ll discuss them as we cover each tool in more detail over the next few weeks.

The .Mac website has an extensive Learning Center, with “How-To’s” and tutorials to get you started and make the most of your .Mac experience. Recently, Apple has also posted exclusive-to-.Mac-members in-depth online training programs for iTunes, iPhoto and Jaguar. Each program contains dozens of QuickTime videos that take you step-by-step through the basics on these popular applications – perfect for anyone just getting started on a Mac.

© 2003 Peter F. Zimowski