Mac OS X (Leopard) The Basics

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Mac OS X (Leopard)

The Basics

Howard County Public School System  OIT Training  Document ID No.: MAC02  Revision Date: 10/14/2008 =Warning =Timesaver =Suggestion

Navigating Your New Computer

This section will describe where things are located and how to navigate your Mac.

The desktop is your main work area and where you do most of your work; applications, files, and folders get opened on the desktop. If you insert a CD, DVD, or flash drive into your Mac, its icon displays on the desktop. If you open a folder or document, it will display on the desktop.

The Desktop

When you click on the desktop, Finder becomes the active application. This also applies when you select any item on the desktop. Once selected, it becomes the active application. If you are working in CLC and then click on the desktop, Finder becomes the active application, but CLC will still run in the background.

The menu bar is located across the top of the desktop. It contains words that represent the options for the active application and system functions. The menus in the menu bar will change as you switch applications. The word to the right of the Apple logo in the menu bar will tell you which application is active.

The Menu Bar

The menu bar also contains a few icons on the right side that represents menus for other features on your Mac, such as your network connection, volume control, and battery status. If a menu item is dimmed (the text is gray), then that particular item isn’t applicable at that moment. Click the Apple logo in the menu bar to view menu options that apply to the computer settings.

Navigating Your New Computer

 The Desktop

 The Menu Bar

 The Dock

 The Finder

Customizing Your New Computer

 Customize the Dock

 Add an Application to the Dock

 Set Your Preferences

 Change Your

Desktop/Screen Saver

 Create Folders Extras

 Dashboard

 Expose Summary

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The Dock is that bar of icons that sits at the bottom of your screen. It provides easy access to some of the Apple applications on your Mac, displays which applications are currently running, and holds windows in their minimized state. It’s also the place to find the Trash. For your convenience, you can add your own applications, files, and folders to the Dock as well as change the Dock location. For more information on customizing your Dock, see page 3.

The Dock

Launch an Application from the Dock

To select an item in the Dock, click on its icon. When an application is running, the Dock displays a blue light beneath or beside the application’s icon. To make any currently running application the active one, click its icon in the Dock to switch to it (the active application’s name appears in the menu bar to the right of the Apple logo). If you minimize an application, the window becomes small and is placed in the Dock until you open the window again.

Example: Click on the Safari icon in the Dock. Note that there is now an arrow below the Safari icon. This arrow reminds you that this application is open. Click the yellow button in the top-left corner of the window. This minimizes the window and places it in the Dock in its minimized state. Click this icon to open the window again.

Additionally, the Dock provides some quick tools via the Dashboard. Click on the Dashboard icon in the Dock.

The Dashboard contains a clock, calendar, calculator, and local weather information. Click anywhere in the background of the Dashboard to close it.

As you open applications (or open files to launch applications), their icons appear in the Dock, even if they weren’t there originally. As you open more applications, your Dock will grow. The Dock keeps applications on the left side and folders and windows are on the right side. If you look closely, you will see a vertical bar that separates them. If you want to rearrange the icons within their line limits, just drag a docked icon to where you want it and drop it.

Close an Application

To close an application, you will need to use the application menu in the menu bar. Keep in mind that closing a window by clicking the red button in the top-left corner of the window does not close the application. It only closes that window. To close the application completely, click the application name then Quit in the menu bar. If you quit an application whose icon resides in the Dock, the blue light disappears, but the icon remains. When you quit an application whose icon does not reside in the Dock, its icon disappears from the Dock.

Trash

The Trash functions somewhat like a folder in that you can drag things to it and then open it to review the contents.

You then have the option of emptying the Trash which will permanently delete its contents. When the Trash is empty, the icon will be an empty trash basket. When there are files in the Trash, the icon will be a trash basket with paper.

To get rid of unwanted items, click and drag the item from the Finder to the Trash icon in the Dock. The item will remain in the Trash folder until you either move it out of the Trash or empty the Trash. To empty the Trash, click Finder in the Menu Bar, then click Empty Trash.

Stacks and Download Folder

As you download files to your desktop, they are stored in a Stack in the Dock. When the download is complete, the Stack signals that a new item has arrived. When you want to see the files in a Stack, all you have to do is click – Stacks springs open from the Dock displaying all of the contents of the folder.

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The Finder allows you to navigate the contents of your computer: applications, files, and folders. Activate Finder by clicking on the Finder icon

The Finder

in the Dock or by double-clicking on the Macintosh HD icon on the Desktop. The diagram below highlights all of the features within finder.

Sidebar

Finder windows include a sidebar on the left side. Items are grouped into categories: places, devices, shared computers, and searches.

The top portion contains whatever mounted and accessible volumes you have, such as a hard disk, network, CD, DVD, or flash drive.

The bottom portion contains your user account folder (Home Folder), Applications, and some of the folders found in your Home folder: Desktop, Documents, Movies, Music, etc.

Viewing Folders/Files

The contents of the selected folder or volume appear in the right pane. Multiple views are available for the Finder: Icons, List, or Columns. Use the icons to select the

view option that is best for you. Click on folders to see the contents. Use the back and forward buttons to navigate through previously viewed folders. Note: All folders open within the same window.

Launch an Application in Finder

Click on Applications in the sidebar, and double-click on an application icon.

Customizing Your New Computer

You can customize your new computer to operate in a way that is most efficient for you.

By default, the Dock appears at the bottom of your screen. You can customize the Dock settings: its position, its size, icon magnification, and whether or not you want to hide it until you need it.

Customize the Dock

1. From the Apple menu, click System Preferences.

2. Click Dock. You can adjust the following settings:

a. Set the Dock Size.

b. Set the icon Magnification.

c. Select the Position on screen.

d. Select the Minimize effect.

e. Select if you want to animate icons.

f. Select if you want to hide the Dock.

You can also access these settings quickly by clicking the Dock option in the Apple menu.

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You can click and drag any application, folder, or file to the Dock. If there is an application that you use often, you can add a shortcut to the application to the Dock.

Add an Application to the Dock

1. Double-click on the Macintosh HD icon on the Desktop.

2. Click on Applications on the left side.

3. Locate the application you want to add to the Dock.

4. Click and drag the application to the Dock.

To remove an application from the Dock, click and drag the application icon to the desktop. The icon will disappear in a poof of smoke. Don’t worry. You didn’t delete the application from your computer. You only deleted the shortcut to it. You can always add the application back to the Dock at any time.

You can set your Mac to know how you prefer to work by setting your preferences. Your Mac has a set of system-wide preferences known as System Preferences which you can configure.

Set Your Preferences

Customize Your Keyboard

We all type, point, and click differently. The keyboard preferences can be adjusted for how quickly your fingers move across the keys or how long they linger on them.

4. Click Keyboard & Mouse.

5. Note the tabs across the top. Click Keyboard.

6. Move the Key Repeat Rate slider to set how quickly a key types its character repeatedly when held down.

7. Move the Delay Until Repeat slider to set how long you can hold down a key before it starts repeating.

Customize Your Mouse

You can customize your mouse to control how fast the arrow moves across your screen when you move your mouse and adjust for your double-click reflexes. Other controls may be available depending on the type of mouse you are using.

2. Click Keyboard & Mouse.

3. Note the tabs across the top. Click Mouse.

4. Move the Tracking Speed slider to set how fast the arrow moves across your screen when you move the mouse.

5. Move the Double-Click Speed slider to set your computer’s reaction to your double-click speed.

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Change Your Screen Resolution

You can adjust your screen resolution to either display as much as possible on the screen or to increase the size of items on your screen.

2. Click Displays.

3. Note the tabs across the top. Click Display. Your display’s supported resolution settings are listed in the Resolutions page, from the smallest to the largest size dimensions.

4. Select the desired dimensions. A smaller resolution gives you less desktop space but the elements appear larger.

5. Move the Brightness slider to adjust the screen’s brightness.

You can edit your desktop picture and screen saver settings to something that reflects your individuality. Your Mac comes equipped with more than the default picture; in fact, Apple pre-installs over 50 images from which to choose.

Change Your Desktop/Screen Saver

Desktop

2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver.

3. Click the Desktop tab to change the image in the background.

4. Click on the different folders in the left pane. The picture options display in the right pane.

5. Click any thumbnail to change the desktop image instantly. Try a couple of different images until you find one you like.

6. Close the window and the desktop image is saved.

If you want to use a personal photo, select Choose Folder in the left pane and search for the photo.

Screen Saver

2. Click Desktop & Screen Saver.

3. Click the Screen Saver tab to specify the settings to be used when you are inactive for a period of time. All installed screen savers appear in the left pane. The right pan displays a preview of the of the selected screen saver.

4. Click on one of the Screen Saver items in the left pan to select it for use. The image will appear in the right pane.

5. Click Test to see what the screen saver will look like in use.

6. Set the Start Screen Saver time to indicate the number of minutes the computer is inactive before the Screen Saver begins.

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You can create folders to help organize your documents in a logical way.

Create Folders

It is best to create all of your folders in the Documents Folder. Avoid creating folders and storing files on your Desktop.

1. Locate the folder in which you want to create a new folder.

2. Click File > New Folder in the menu bar. The new

“untitled folder” appears in the Finder on the right side.

3. Rename the folder by simply typing a new name in the highlighted text box below the folder icon.

You can now drag or save any files or folders into your new folder or drag this folder into any other folder to establish a folder hierarchy.

Extras

Not everything you do on your Mac requires a heavy-duty application. For those smaller tasks, Mac OS X features Dashboard, a semi-transparent layer that floats above your desktop at the press of a key, and provides access to several fun and functional mini-applications called widgets.

Dashboard

Dashboard even includes widgets for some of your Mac applications, including Address Book and iTunes, which allow you to access your contacts and music, respectively, without having to switch over to the full application. It doesn't end there. You can add more widgets to Dashboard, and if you're feeling really ambitious, you can even create your own widgets.

By default, Dashboard starts up when you first turn on your Mac, but you won't actually see it until you open it by clicking its icon in the Dock or by pressing the F12 key on your keyboard.

To work with the Dashboard:

1. Activate the Dashboard by clicking on the icon in the Dock or pressing F12.

2. A default set of widgets appears. You can move the widgets anywhere you want by dragging them to the desired location.

3. To see all of the widgets on your Mac, click the Open button in the lower-left corner of the screen.

4. The Widget Bar, which displays all widgets on your Mac, appears at the bottom of the screen. Click the arrow buttons on either side of the bar to display more widgets.

5. To add a widget to the Dashboard, simply click an icon in the Widget Bar.

6. To remove a widget from the Dashboard, be sure the Widget Bar is displayed and then click the unwanted widget’s close button (small X in the top-left corner of the widget).

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Exposé is a built-in feature that can give you fast access to any open window with a few keystrokes, temporarily hide all open windows, or scale all windows down so you can get an overview of all of them.

Expose

To show windows by application, press F10;

Exposé highlights one application's open window(s) while dimming everything behind it.

To toggle through other application windows, press the Tab key. Click a window to select it, or press F10 to return everything back as it was.

To view all your open windows, press F9. To select a window, click it. To return your view back to normal, press F9 again.

To hide all windows so you can see your Desktop, press F11. Press the key again to display the clutter.