Before you turn on that brand new Mac, make sure you understand the steps that Apple’s software is going to ask you to go through. It may save time to have help from the start, rather than sort out the issues later.

Transferring files from your old computer can be a snap, but the older the computer, the more likely you may need assistance.

Unless you use Apple’s Migration Assistant, you will be asked to set up a new User. The User account will get a short and a long name. The short name can never be changed, so choose it carefully.

Setting up internet and email. In some cases this may mean dealing with modems, DSL, routers, and wireless configurations.

Out-of-Box Add-Ons
Your new Mac comes with everything you need, right? Wrong. Can Safari read Flash pages and play all kinds of video? Can you open all the kinds of attachments that you get emailed or your downloads from the web? Add-Ons are the free programs, plug-ins and other files that help make the Mac “just work.”

If you are new to the Mac or to OS X, you may need some basic tutoring to understand where things are and how to use new features. After the initial orientation, you can schedule training sessions to make the most out of your new computer.