TOPIC
The following article contains important information about your iMac.
DISCUSSION
This document contains important late-breaking information about your iMac computer, including: Using Your iMac Third-party Software Compatibility Issues Third-Party Hardware Compatibility Issues For additional information, see Mac OS Help and the online documentation that came with your computer. Apple provides substantial information online. If you have access to the World Wide Web (WWW), you can check the latest information about the iMac in the support area at the following Uniform Resource Locator (URL): ' www.apple.com/support/imac ' Using Your iMac Starting up: Mac OS ROM and System Enabler 462 files ---------------------------------------- The System Folder contains two important files-Mac OS ROM and System Enabler 462. These files are required for your computer to properly start up. If you delete either of these files or move them to another folder, your computer will not successfully start up. Using the correct disk as the startup disk ------------------------------ If you selected a CD as the startup disk in the Startup Disk control panel, and you start up your computer without a CD or with a CD other than the software install or software restore CD that came with your computer, a single folder with a reappearing question mark appears on the screen. The computer will then search for any available System Folder and start up. If no System Folder is available, you must insert the software install or software restore CD that came with your computer and restart your computer. If you do not want to start up from a CD, make sure you select the hard disk as the startup disk in the Startup Disk control panel. Restarting your computer -------------------- If you are having problems with your computer, you can often eliminate the problem by restarting your computer, which clears the computer's memory. A restart allows you to save changes to any open documents and will close any open applications. To restart your computer, open the Special menu and choose Restart, or press the power button on your Apple USB keyboard or on the front of the computer. A dialog box appears. Click Restart. If your computer freezes while you are working, the power button may not restart your computer. (The Control/Command/power key combination used in earlier Macintosh computers will not work.) You may need to reset your computer manually. Open the cover on the side of your computer and locate the Reset hole (it's the upper hole on the right side, between the Ethernet and modem ports). Carefully insert the end of a large straightened paper clip into the hole and push gently. Do not use excessive force. Your computer should start up. An alternative to a paper clip is the iReset, described in article 59010: " Macs Only! " For more information, see the Emergency Handbook that came with your computer. Adjusting the volume for audio CDs and CDs with audio ---------------------------------------- If you can not hear an audio CD or audio portions of a CD, check the volume level in the AppleCD Audio Player and set it to a higher level, if necessary. If you started up your computer from a bootable CD, the volume for the AppleCD Audio Player may be set to zero. Using the iMac internal 56K modem -------------------------- Setting up your modem In most cases, before you can use your modem with a communications program or connect to an online service, you need to set up your modem. You may be asked for the following information: - In the Modem control panel, make sure the option in the Connect via pop-up menu is "Internal Modem." - The internal modem is called the "iMac Internal 56K." - The modem initialization string "AT&F" will reset the modem to the default factory settings. Note: You may be able to use this initialization string as the necessary setup information in a communications program that does not have the modem profile "iMac Internal 56K" in its list of modems. - If your communications program has an option for hardware handshaking, turn it on. In some communications programs, this is called "flow control"; the option you select is "Hardware" or CTS & RTS (DTR). If you have difficulty using a communications program, make sure you selected the correct port and modem name in the setup information. If problems persist, shut down your computer (from the Special menu, choose Shut Down). This turns off your computer and resets the modem. Then press the power button to turn your computer on. Note: Restarting your computer will not solve the problem. Having your computer go to sleep when using a communications program ---------------------------------------------------- Many communications programs can be set up to check the modem port for incoming calls. If so, your computer will not go to sleep automatically (after the specified interval in the Energy Saver control panel). For more information, see the documentation that came with your communications program. Setting the modem connect speed for communications software ---------------------------------------------- Communications programs may want you to set a maximum port speed as part of their setup procedure. The port speed indicates the speed that the computer communicates with the modem. In most cases, you want to set the maximum port speed to the highest speed available. Sending commands to the modem using AT commands -------------------------------------- You can send commands to the internal modem using a standard set of codes known as the AT Command Set. These commands are in the document "AT_Commands.pdf," located in the Internal Modem folder. Using FAXstfTM with your modem ------------------------- To quick fax from a third-party application other than the Fax application, a printer must be designated using the Chooser (from the Apple () menu, select Chooser). After selecting a printer, hold down the FAXstfTM "activation keys" to change the Print command to the Fax command. Additional tips ----------- Apple recommends that you don't open more than one communications programs at a time (for example, attempting to access an ISP when you're receiving or sending a fax). An error message may appear, or the application may freeze. Make sure that the communications programs, such as a fax application, are not set to automatically answer incoming calls. Recently the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), one of the organizations working on forming international standards for communications, announced the ratification of the V.90 standard for 56K modems. Previous to the ratification of the V.90 standard there were two proposed standards for 56K modems, x2 and K56flex. The iMac Internal 56K modem supports both the V.90 and K56flex standards. For more information on the V.90 upgrade, go to the support information on Apple's web site at: http://www.apple.com/support Using the built-in speakers --------------------- The built-in speakers may distort louder audio sources. To avoid this, turn the volume down or use headphones or external speakers. Using the built-in microphone ------------------------ If you are recording sound using the built-in microphone and the background noise of the computer is in the recording, use another microphone to record, such as the Apple PlainTalk Microphone. Using infrared ------------- The Apple USB mouse has an optical sensor which can interfere with infrared transmissions. When you transmit information or connect to a network via infrared, make sure the mouse is not directly in front of the infrared port on your computer. Working with a RAM disk ------------------- The RAM disk cannot be used as a startup disk. If you create a RAM disk, its icon will not be displayed in the Startup Disk control panel. The contents of a RAM disk are saved to the startup drive when you restart your computer. The contents are restored, once the computer restarts. Large RAM disks may add additional time to shutting down and restarting the computer. WARNING The contents of the RAM disk can be lost if: Performance problems using Ethernet ----------------------------- If you experience performance problems on your Ethernet network, check with your network administrator. Your computer performs best when the Ethernet port is set to auto-negotiate. IMPORTANT: The duplex mode of an Ethernet link to a switch is not detected if the port at the switch port is not auto-negotiating. If the switch port is not auto-negotiating, your computer will detect the appropriate speed but default to half duplex operation. If the switch port at the other end of the link is configured for full duplex operation, a large number of late events can occur on the link. Set the switch port to auto-negotiated operation where possible. If this isn't possible then set the switch port to half duplex operation. For more information, see the documentation that came with the Ethernet switch. Determining the amount of Virtual Memory using Apple System Profiler ------------------------------------------------------ The Apple System Profiler 2.0.1 incorrectly calculates the current amount of Virtual Memory. To view the correct amount of Virtual Memory available, open the Memory Control Panel. Turning Virtual Memory off when installing third-party applications --------------------------------------------------- Some third-party applications may need virtual memory turned off in order to install the application properly. You can turn virtual memory back on after installation. For information on turning virtual memory off and on, see Mac OS Help. Allocating memory for third-party applications ------------------------------------ Some third-party applications may need to have more memory allocated to them in order for them to run or print properly. For information on increasing the amount of memory for an application, see Mac OS Help. Performing a clean installation of software -------------------------------- Before you do a clean install of your system software, turn File Sharing off in the File Sharing control panel. Third-party Software Compatibility Issues Using up-to-date Internet browsers -------------------------- Apple recommends that you use Netscape 4.0.5 or later, or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0.1 or later, both are included with your computer. If you use earlier versions, you may experience problems. Using Netscape Navigator 4.0.5 ------------------------- To set a different home page using Netscape Navigator 4.0.5, you must use the Internet Config application. To do this, double-click the hard disk icon, then double-click the Internet folder icon. Double-click the Internet Utilities folder icon, then double-click the Internet Config folder icon. Double-click the Internet Config icon to start the application. Click the World Wide Web button. In the Home Page text box, type in the full text of the Universal Resource Locator (URL) of the desired home page. Installing third-party applications that install QuickTime ------------------------------------------ QuickTime 3.0 is currently installed on your computer. Some third-party applications install QuickTime as part of their installation process. If an application installs a version of QuickTime earlier than QuickTime 3.0, make sure you do a custom install of the third-party application so you don't install an earlier version of QuickTime. If an earlier version of QuickTime is inadvertently installed on your computer, you can replace it by reinstalling QuickTime 3.0, located in the CD Extras folder on the iMac Software Install CD. Playing QuickTime movies via America Online ----------------------------------- To play QuickTime movies from the Internet using America Online, the QuickTime Plug-in, version 2.0 or later, must be in the AOL Plug-ins folder. You can download this plug-in from any QuickTime supported web site. Using FreePPP ------------ If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) requires that TCP/IP be configured for FreePPP, FreePPP starts and tries to connect when attempting to access a server via the Chooser. If this happens, you need to reconfigure the TCP/IP control panel. In the "Connect via" pop-up menu, choose AppleTalk (MacIP) or Ethernet built-in. Using Norton Utilities ---------------- Norton Utilities 3.5.3 or earlier is not compatible with the new Mac OS Extended format of hard drives, also known as HFS+. Apple recommends using Disk First Aid 8.2 or later if you need to test and repair your hard disk. For more information, see the Emergency Handbook that came with your computer. Third-Party Hardware Compatibility Issues Using Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices with your computer ---------------------------------------------- Some Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices may not be supported by the iMac because of recent changes in the USB Specifications. Apple recommends that you do not plug in or unplug USB devices while you are using an application. Printing to an HP670 printer using a Belkin F5U002 USB cable ------------------------------------------------ If you've connected a Hewlett Packard HP670 printer to your computer using a Belkin F5U002 USB cable, when you attempt to choose the printer, a message appears saying the computer was unable to choose a printer. Do the following: Using ADB dongles -------------- Some applications require the use of an ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) dongle for security purposes to prevent software piracy. The iMac uses Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology. You may be able to use a USB dongle with these applications. For more information, contact the software manufacturer. July 16, 1998 ©1998 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Power Macintosh, and QuickTime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iMac and Mac OS are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Other company and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Mention of third-party products if for informational purposes and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the performance or use of these products. |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | iMac |
| Category: | iMac Support |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
| Keywords: | kimac |
Copyright © 2000 Apple Computer, Inc. All rights reserved.