hi guys
i always work in windows..my uncle has a mac machine..i don't even know if is a i06..and i have some questions about it..
the machine is in te box...
-what would be the first steps to take?
Take it out of the box, plug it in, turn it on. You should be able to tell from the box what model it is. You can find specs on the computer by entering the serial number
here.
do i need to be connected online to fill his information
An internet connection is very helpful for not only registering but for downloading updates, other software, etc.
-does it come with a reinstallation disk in case i have to reinstall the system
That depends on what version of Mac OS X is installed. If it's a new Mac (running Lion or Mountain Lion), it doesn't come with any install disc. Instead, there is a built-in recovery partition, as well as internet recovery available (another reason to have internet access).
OS X: About OS X Recovery
Apple - OS X Recovery restores your Mac with a few clicks.
Hands on with Mountain Lion's OS X Recovery and Internet Recovery
-do i need an antivirus for it?..and which one?
do i need protection to surf the web..do i need a program like sandboxie
Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 10 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below). Also, Mac OS X 10.6 and later versions have
anti-malware protection built in, further reducing the need for 3rd party antivirus apps.
- Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
- Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
- Disable Java in your browser (Safari, Chrome, Firefox). This will protect you from malware that exploits Java in your browser, including the recent Flashback trojan. Leave Java disabled until you visit a trusted site that requires it, then re-enable only for the duration of your visit to that site. (This is not to be confused with JavaScript, which you should leave enabled.)
- Change your DNS servers to OpenDNS servers by reading this.
- Be careful to only install software from trusted, reputable sites. Never install pirated software. If you're not sure about an app, ask in this forum before installing.
- If you're running Mountain Lion, check your Gatekeeper settings in System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General > Allow applications downloaded from. For more information on these settings: OS X: About Gatekeeper
- Never let someone else have access to install anything on your Mac.
- Don't open files that you receive from unknown or untrusted sources.
- For added security, make sure all network, email, financial and other important passwords are long and complex, including upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.
- Always keep your Mac and application software updated. Use Software Update for your Mac software. For other software, it's safer to get updates from the developer's site or from the menu item "Check for updates", rather than installing from any notification window that pops up while you're surfing the web.
That's all you need to do to keep your Mac completely free of any Mac OS X malware that has ever been released into the wild.
While you may elect to use it, 3rd party antivirus software is not required to keep your Mac malware-free.
If you still want to run antivirus for some reason,
ClamXav (which is free) is one of the best choices, since it isn't a resource hog, detects both Mac and Windows malware and doesn't run with elevated privileges. You can run scans when you choose, rather than leaving it running all the time, slowing your system.
can i make an image backup on a disk or partition ,do i need a third party software to do it] in case the system becames unbootable
I recommend
Carbon Copy Cloner to make a bootable backup of your drive. If your drive fails, you can simply boot up from the backup drive, without having to restore or reinstall anything. You can use version
3.5.1 ($40) or
3.4.7 (free, and works well on OS X 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8).
This may be useful:
