Thanks for your help guys. Another question:
Is there any danger to making transactions on an unsecure wifi network? Like will someone somehow be able to access my wallet if it's unencrypted and I'm using it at a coffee shop or something? The ins and outs of computer security have been difficult for me to wrap my head around in the past.
Transactions are public knowledge. They have to be -- they are sent to everyone for verification and eventually end up in the block chain. They are not encrypted and contain no secret information. The only downside to sending a transaction over an open wifi, is that a hacker can potentially determine that the transaction came from you.
Also, it is very important to encrypt and back up your walllet before sending any bitcoins to it. Then if someone does gain access to your computer, or you lose it, your bitcoins are still safe.
