i'm really noob about Mac

[acuariano]

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?
do i need to be connected online to fill his information
-does it come with a reinstallation disk in case i have to reinstall the system
-do i need an antivirus for it?..and which one?
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
do i need protection to surf the web..do i need a program like sandboxie

i have more questions..and thanks in advance for your responces

[TC400]

You will need to set up an Apple ID upon first boot up of your new Mac.
If you buy a mac yes it comes with restore discs.
No antivirus needed.
You can make a back up using time machine which is a built in app from apple to back up your machine.

http://www.apple.com/why-mac/

[old-wiz]

Originally Posted by TC400

If you buy a mac yes it comes with restore discs.
http://www.apple.com/why-mac/

Physical restore disks are no longer included with new Macs.

IOS6 is the OS for the iDevices such as phone, iPad, iPods.

Mountain Lion is the OS for MacBook Pros, iMacs, MacPros.

[TC400]

Originally Posted by old-wiz

Physical restore disks are no longer included with new Macs.

IOS6 is the OS for the iDevices such as phone, iPad, iPods.

Mountain Lion is the OS for MacBook Pros, iMacs, MacPros.

I would think they are no longer included with ones with out DVD drives

[justperry]

Originally Posted by TC400

I would think they are no longer included with ones with out DVD drives

Any new Mac does not include Install Disks.

Originally Posted by acuariano

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..

Macs run OS X

-what would be the first steps to take?
do i need to be connected online to fill his information

No, you can send it later, don't even need to if you don't want.

-does it come with a reinstallation disk in case i have to reinstall the system

No, it can be done while holding the Option key on start up, a screen shows up and can do an internet recovery or local.

-do i need an antivirus for it?..and which one?

No, but if you want to scan for it you can use Clamav

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

OS X has build in backup software called TimeMachine, use this or Carbon Copy Cloner which you can download, one of the best if not the best.

do i need protection to surf the web..do i need a program like sandboxie

Just use common sense, there are no known viruses for Mac OS X although there is malware, just don't click on a box to install anything you don't know.
Download things like flash manually from Adobe and install manually.

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by acuariano

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.

Originally Posted by acuariano

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.

Originally Posted by acuariano

-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

Originally Posted by acuariano

-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.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ

1. Make sure your built-in Mac firewall is enabled in System Preferences > Security > Firewall
   
   
2. Uncheck "Open "safe" files after downloading" in Safari > Preferences > General
   
   
3. 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.)
   
   
4. Change your DNS servers to OpenDNS servers by reading this.
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. 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
   
   
7. Never let someone else have access to install anything on your Mac.
   
   
8. Don't open files that you receive from unknown or untrusted sources.
   
   
9. 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.
   
   
10. 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.

Originally Posted by acuariano

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:

Helpful Information for Any Mac User
Portables Fast Start: The New User's Guide to Apple Notebooks
iMac Fast Start: The new user's guide to iMac
Mac Pro & Mac mini Fast Start: The new user's guide to the Mac

[acuariano]

wow great answers..thanks guys..
-do you have to worry about fixing the registry.
-do you have to defrag the drive ..and chkdisk [to fix the drisystem files,etc]

[GGJstudios]

Originally Posted by acuariano

wow great answers..thanks guys..
-do you have to worry about fixing the registry.

There is no registry in Mac OS X.

Originally Posted by acuariano

-do you have to defrag the drive ..and chkdisk [to fix the drisystem files,etc]

With very few exceptions, you don't need to defrag on Mac OS X, except possibly when partitioning a drive.

About disk optimization with Mac OS X

You probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X.

Forget all the "maintenance" habits you had with Windows. Mac OS X takes care of itself. Just relax and use your Mac.