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Click on Workshops to see the details.

I demonstrated how to open Finder and change the way files are displayed. We covered how to make a new folder, how to name (and rename) it and how to drag files into the new folder. Some used this skill to clean up their Desktop.

We also talked about each user’s Home folder: what it is, what it is for and how it can help you in organizing and finding files.

We learned about Spotlight, the search tool that some thought was a mysterious Q in the corner. We learned how to find the “path” to any file, how to open a file or an application quickly.

We practiced some commonly used keyboard shortcuts, with a promise to cover more of them in the future. We talked about opening, closing and switching between applications in the Dock. Also how to add and remove icons from the Dock.

The group agreed to continue organizing in the next meeting, to be scheduled in April.

Try this:

1. Click the Apple Menu
2. Go down to ‘Recent Items‘ and hold your cursor there

You will see a list of recently used

• Applications
• Documents
• Servers

Click on an application or document to open it. This is helpful if an application is not in the Dock or a document was elusive when you last opened it. We’ll talk about servers in another post.

The number of items that appear in the list is up to you. It will display from none to 50 items. You change the setting in System Preferences:Appearance.

One more thing: If you press and hold the Command (CMD) key while hovering over ‘Recent Items‘ the display will offer to show the Finder location of each item. Click to open a Finder window at that file location.

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If you don’t know which pane to choose, you can search by topic. As you type, suggestions for related topics and possible Preference panes will be displayed and narrowed. In this case, ‘speed’ suggests ‘Mouse’ or ‘Network’. Click on one to open it.

In this example, typing ”monitor” suggests ‘Displays’, ‘Energy Saver’ or ‘Parental Controls’.

If you choose a suggested topic with your mouse or arrow keys, you will likely see the highest ranked suggestion in a Spotlight.

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This pane is one of the ‘Hardware’ preference settings which directs what, if anything, happens when you insert CD’s and DVD’s into your disk drive. Depending on the media and whether it is blank or not, your choices may include:

Ask what to do: Will allow you to decide each time media is inserted

Open Finder: Will open a Finder window

Open iTunes: Makes sense if you typically play or import commercial pre-recorded CD’s using iTunes

Open iDVD: For burning blank DVD’s

Open DVD Player: For playing pre-recorded DVD’s

Open Disk Utility: Primarily for erasing Re-writable disks

Open other application: If you have other software installed you may choose that

Run script: Will run a script, to be discussed later

Ignore: Will require action from you later: open Finder or an application or eject the disk

Some users like to be asked each time but if you establish a preference, come to this pane and set it the way you want it.

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You can access some Dock Preferences via the Apple Menu:

And reach the remainder by clicking ‘Dock Preferences‘ at the bottom of the list which opens the pane:

Like most of the visual settings, you have to try them.

Size is the overall size of the Dock.

The Magnification slider dictates how large the icon will get when you mouse over it. Plus on or off with the check box.

Position on Screen is pretty clear.

Minimize windows using –  When you click the Yellow Dot, you get one of these effects, like it or not.

Minimize windows into application icon – This determines whether the window disappears into the application’s icon in the Dock or takes a place over near the Trash where you can see it.

• To restore a window that you see in the Dock, just click it.
• To restore a window from an icon, you can double click the icon (for just one minimized window) or click and HOLD the icon which will reveal thumbnail views of all windows, click to restore one of them.

Animate opening applications – A bouncing icon lets you know your click did the job and the application is opening.

Automatically hide and show the Dock – This can be helpful on smaller screens where you need all the room you can get.

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The Desktop and Screen Saver pane determines two significant visual choices for the user.

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Desktop – How the Desktop appears for each user account. Apple provides graphic backgrounds and stunning photos but you can use one of your own. They can even cycle like a slide show through a particular folder on your hard drive, an Album in iPhoto or the entire iPhoto library.

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To open System Preferences:

1. Click the Apple Menu
2. Click System Preferences

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When the System Preferences window opens, click the ‘Desktop & Screen Saver’ icon to show:

Choose a source for your desktop image, such as ‘Nature’, then the image itself. If this is all you want to do, click the Red Dot and you’re done.

You can also choose as a source any folder on your hard drive.

• Click the ‘+’ sign in the lower left.
• Select a Folder (such as Desktop) and click ‘Choose’.
• It will be added to the list of choices in the left column.
• You will see previews of the contents in the preview window.
• Photos grouped in folders should be the same format (jpg, tif, gif, pict, PSD, PDF).
• Notice the options for sizing your personal pictures and choose what looks best to you.

Within iPhoto, you can choose the entire library or any Album you have created. MobileMe galleries, too.

Clicking ‘Change Picture’ reveals time intervals to choose from, This dictates whether your slide show is leisurely or speedy.  And you have the option of ‘Random Order’.

Translucent menu bar allows a little of your desktop to show through.

If this is all you want to do, click the Red Dot and you’re done.

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Screen Saver – Offers a lot of built-in choices from Apple which you’ll want to preview with the ‘Test‘ button. As with the Desktop settings, you can choose the iPhoto Library or any particular Album, MobileMe Gallery or even an RSS feed. Click on the ‘+’ sign to add additional sources, which includes browsing the Apple web site for downloads. More on that in another post. There’s also the option for Random Order and Clock display.

If you choose photos, Display Style gives you the option of a slide show, collage or mosaic of photos. Click the Option button to apply settings to each. Test will preview full screen. Graphic screen savers sometimes offer Options but do not offer Display Styles.

RSS Visualizer will access an RSS feed that you’ve set up in Mail, Safari or MobileMe. Click Option to choose the feed. Kind of a fun way to see the news.

Start Screen Saver provides a slider to set the start time you choose.

Hot Corners allows you to execute ‘Expose‘ commands just by moving the cursor to one of the four corners of your screen. You exit the command by mousing to the corner again or hitting the Escape key. Try it with ‘All Windows‘ or ‘Desktop‘ to see if you like it. If not, select the ‘-’ at the bottom of the list which is ‘Off’.


If you’re wondering why this setting is here in Screen Saver, so am I.

Click the Red Dot and you’re done.

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1. Click the Apple Menu
2. Click System Preferences

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When the System Preferences window opens, click ‘Appearance’.

The Appearance Pane:

It’s best to experiment with the top two sections to find your color and scroll bar preferences.

Double-click a window’s title bar to minimize – When you minimize a window it goes to the Dock (where in the Dock depends on a Dock preference setting) and waits to be maximized. Normally, you do this with the Yellow Dot but checking this option allows you to click anywhere in the gray title bar to minimize the window.

‘Recent Items’ is in the Apple Menu, displaying recently used Applications, Documents and Servers for quick retrieval. You can set the number of items to display from none to 50! It can be a big help and will be mentioned in a separate post.

Font smoothing will depend on your monitor. I use it.

Experiment.

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Yes, there are settings in System Preferences best left to professionals but consider that here you choose your desktop appearance, when your computer goes to sleep and how fast your mouse tracks. You add printers, dictate what happens when you pop in a Music CD and can set up a separate user account for that pest who shares your computer. This is where you control nearly everything about your Mac.

We’ll look at Preference panes separately so topics can be searched for later.

You’ve seen shortcuts to System Preferences via icons (like TIme Machine) but to access it directly:

Click the (Black) Apple Menu, then System Preferences and this window will open:

When you open one of the panes and want to return to this view, click ‘Show All‘ or the ‘Back‘ button.
If you are not sure which icon to choose, use ‘Search‘. It will highlight the relevant panels.

You may have an icon in the Dock for System Preferences which you can use to open or switch to it.

I rarely say this:  Clicking the Red Dot will quit System Preferences.

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The Dock is one of the fundamental components of the Mac. It displays icons which are shortcuts or links to:

• Finder
• Applications
• Trash
• Folders
• Files

In a new Mac the Dock is populated with icons for built in applications like Mail and Safari. You can add other apps, too. See the post entitled ‘Where Are My Applications?‘

The Dock is divided into a left side which contains application icons and a smaller right side containing the Trash and optional items. There is a divider to the left of Trash.

Add files and folders to the Dock

You can drag files and folders into the right side of the Dock for easy access. Remember, these are just shortcuts and you can drag them out at any time without losing the original.

To remove Dock items:

Click and hold on the icon, drag it out of the Dock and let go. It will disappear in a puff of smoke.

Switch between applications

The Dock is a good way to switch from one application to another. Some people click the Red Dot to get to the application hidden underneath. The problem is when you want to return to say, Mail, there’s no longer a viewer window. CMD-N fixes that of course, but wouldn’t it be easier to click on the app in the Dock? If you see the small blue glow below the icon, the app is running. If not, when you click,  it will open.

Dock Preferences

One way to see Dock Preferences is to click the Black Apple menu then hover over ‘Dock’..

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You will see several options, one of which is ‘Dock Preferences‘.
Click there and you’ll be taken to the Dock pane in System Preferences.

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In Dock ‘System Preferences’ you can change:

• Size of the Dock
• Magnification on or off and how large
• Position on screen: Left, Right or Bottom
• Minimize windows setting (the Yellow Dot)
• There are also three checkboxes which control:
  • Where minimized windows go: into the application icon or on the Dock (near the Trash)
  • Whether icons bounce as the app opens
  • Auto hiding on or off

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Try them all, they’re kind of fun.
Click the Red Dot to close System Preferences.

Remember that when using your Mac, Finder is always running and the Finder icon can’t be moved or removed from its place at the far left (or top) of the Dock. Same for Trash at the far right (or bottom).

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