Browse Mac IT Help and Tips

Browse Mac IT Help and Tips

Macworld's complete Mac buying guide
In this buying guide, we'll cover all the Macintosh models available, tell you how they've changed over the previous model, and how well they did in our benchmark tests.
Manage iPhones with Exchange
PC World blogger Michael Scalisi looks at what goes into supporting iPhones in a Microsoft Exchange environment.
Eight iPhone apps and services for system admins
John C. Welch rounds up the iPhone apps and services that make his IT job go a lot smoother.
In praise of Directory
Directory is one of the hidden gems of Mac OS X Server, and if you're using Open Directory, it's a great way to facilitate better communication between employees. John Welch shows you what it can do.
Fifteen easy fixes for Mac security risks
The Mac OS is a pretty safe platform, but no system is perfect. There are a number of security holes that are common on Mac OS X systems. Computerworld's Ryan Faas shows you how to close them.
Buying advice: Internal Hard Drives
With a little bit of handiwork, you can upgrade the hard drive that came with your Mac. Here's what to look for when buying a new internal hard drive.
Mac management for Windows IT folks
The prospect of introducing Macs into a Windows environment brings with it many questions and challenges. Will Macs be able to access network resources? Can they be joined to an Active Directory domain? What sort of deployment and management options are there for Macs? Computerworld’s Ryan Faas tackles these questions.
Bugs & Fixes: Safari 4 and the law of unintended consequences
When you install new software, problems can crop up in the most unexpected places. Such is the case with the developer version of Safari 4 and iMovie ’09.
Bugs & Fixes: Get rid of repeating messages in Console
If you’re plagued by repeating messages in Console, Ted Landau has some tips for dealing with the problem.
Serve local web pages via name not IP number
Learn how to serve web pages locally via name instead of IP address.
Setting up and using SNMPv3 on OS X
When it comes to checking on your network, Simple Network Management Protocol offers a relatively low-bandwidth way to see what’s happening. Version 3 of the protocol adds an extra layer of security. John C. Welch shows you how to set up SNMPv3 and explains why you would want to.
How to set up a cross-platform network
As your business grows and you add employees and computers, you’ll need to find a way to connect them—especially if you’re working in a cross-platform environment. By using suitable off-the-shelf networking equipment and the various operating systems’ built-in tools, you can connect your heterogeneous hardware to the universe in short order.
Deploying the iPhone 3G for business: Integrating with Exchange
In this second part of his three-part series, Ryan Faas provides tips for integrating and managing iPhones in an Exchange environment.
Get Leopard and Windows to play nice
Although Leopard and Windows typically play well together, understanding some of the nuances for getting a Mac to talk with a PC can sometimes be a little challenging. Computerworld’s Ryan Faas looks at some of the details you should understand to get the best of both worlds.
Computerworld: Deploying the iPhone 3G for business
In part one of a three-part series on enterprise iPhone deployment, Computerworld’s Ryan Faas looks at how best to activate, configure and deploy the iPhone 3G.
Securing your iPhone 2.0
The iPhone 2.0 software update offers some dramatic improvements in security management, though gaps remain. Glenn Fleishman takes a closer look at iPhone security.
Installing Nagios on Mac OS X 10.5 Server
John C. Welch updates his instructions for installing the open-source Nagios on to the latest version of OS X Server, an operation that will turn a Mac into a network monitoring station that can notify you of hardware and software problems.
Buying Macs to run Windows
Your company plans to purchase hundreds of Macs so you can use Outlook. Huh?
Working Mac: Corral group calendars
The version of iCal included with OS X 10.5 (Leopard)—version 3—has some surprisingly powerful features for managing group schedules—whether you’re trying to organize a family or a large business.
Working Mac: Set up your OS X calendar server
OS X Server 10.5 includes iCal Server, a full-featured yet easy-to-configure CalDAV server. Beyond the ordinary requirements for OS X Server, though, iCal Server has some additional qualifications.
Working Mac: Set up a free CalDAV server
Apple’s Darwin Calendar Server (DCS) is a free, open-source CalDAV server that works with iCal. It’s not the only one, but it’s a good choice—as long as you don’t mind a bit of command-line tinkering.
Connect: Configure Leopard’s firewall
While OS X has long included basic firewall software, Leopard introduced some significant changes to it, leaving many Leopard users confused as to how to keep their Macs secure. But though the firewall interface in Mac OS X 10.5 is indeed quite different from that in earlier versions of the OS, it’s still relatively easy to use.
Back up Entourage with AppleScript
John C. Welch uses AppleScript to help him back up Entourage, including compatibility with Time Machine.
Excerpt: Avoid file-sharing risks
File sharing helps coordinate group projects, create a central archive of files, and share media. But before you dig into the details of how to share files, consider the risks of file sharing. Glenn Fleishman does just that in this excerpt from his new ebook, Take Control of Sharing Files in Leopard; he also looks at what actions you can take to avoid such risks.
Improving AirPort's range
While Wi-Fi signals are supposed to reach 150 feet in any direction from a gateway, that optimistic number is rarely reached indoors.
Easy online backups
You know you should back up your data. But whether it’s the cost, the setup, or the hassle of swapping discs or shuttling around hard drives, most of us find a million excuses not to get the job done. So wouldn’t it be great if you could click on a few buttons and ensure that your data was backed up regularly?
Troubleshooting AirPort Interference
Imagine a large room full of loud people. Voices bounce off the walls, making it impossible to follow any one conversation. That’s something like what happens to wireless networks: there are all sorts of other electronic devices out there using the same wireless spectrum, and your AirPort hardware can have a hard time distinguishing one transmitter from another.
Mac 911 - Dec. 2007
In this month’s edition of Mac 911, Christopher Breen offers tips for hiding iWeb pages, copying Keychains, easy blind carbon copying option for Mail, and dealing with Safari’s regrettable memory.
How to: Discover malware before installing
How can you tell if the program you're downloading is what it claims to be? In light of this week's Trojan Horse outbreak, Rob Griffiths outlines a few simple, non-technical things you can do to check on downloads before you install them.
Excerpt: Getting your Mac ready for Leopard
Planning on taking the plunge when Leopard arrives on October 26? There are things you can do right now to make the upgrade process run smoother. In this excerpt from his Take Control of Upgrading to Leopard ebook, Joe Kissell runs through the things you can do to clean up your Mac in advance of OS X 10.5's arrival, such as updating third-party software, decluttering your hard disk, and running Disk Utility.