Mac OS X tips for newbies


Ben W. Friedman,  03january2009  4:24 pm

Dashboard widgets:

  1. iStatPro
  2. RadarInMotion
  3. OnTour

Apps:

  1. Quicksilver (more than a launcher; a grammar utility).  I like the Bezel look. 
  2. Camino (firefox 2 customized for os x)
  3. Google Notifier for the mac; calendar and gmail
  4. Google Picasa Web albums uploader
  5. Keyword Manager plugin for iPhoto allows you to embed hierarchical keywords in the file meta data so that when you export from iPhoto, you don't loose your album organization.
  6. Google Earth 4.2, not 4.3 beta
  7. Google toolbar for Firefox.  The AutoLink button is wonderful. 
  8. The iPhone Config Utility gives you advanced control of your iPhone.  I don't use it.
  9. TunnelBlick is a good VPN.
  10. NeoOffice is OpenOffice for os x.  Free and donations are welcome.
  11. Tables is a good spreadsheet app but pricey.  Sorting is easier than in Numbers (iWork 08) but sort performance is better in Numbers'08.  Finding/searching in Numbers'08 is quite clumbsy.  Numbers'08 has far more features than Tables (version 1.4.6).  Niether one handles fixed width files well; use NeoOffice for those.  The find/search featurn in Numbers'09 is greatly improved. 
  12. Gawker takes time-lapse photos with your iSight camera.
  13. DeltaWalker is a good diff tool for comparing text files.
  14. iPhoto Library Manger is handy for large libraries and multiple libraries.
  15. Gtalk video & voice
  16. Yahoo Messenger (ez way to send large files to friends)
  17. I have not yet found a general purpose text editor I like.  TextWranger, TextMate, Smultron, TextEdit, & Coda are okay.
  18. Terminal is just as good as iTerm.
  19. "Better Gmail 2" add-on for Firefox 3
  20. Flip4Mac allows Quicktime to play wmv files.
  21. Perian allows Quicktime to play avi files.
  22. Gimp is nice for creating image files, like icons or graphics.
  23. GooglePreview add-on for Firefox 3


Security:


  1. Disable auto login.
  2. Enable FileVault for laptops
  3. In your General Security preferences, require a password to wake the computer from sleep or screen saver.
  4. Enable "Empty Trash Securely" in Finder preferences for laptops.  You still have the option of purging the trash without secure overwrite, if you wish.

Tips:

  1. To do a Microsoft Windows right click with an Apple mouse, hold the Control key and click.
  2. In iCal, subscribe to your Google calendars
  3. Use Spaces on a laptop.  I press the Option key and hit the up/down arrow keys to move between my vertical spaces.  I have four. 
  4. fn+delete is backspace
  5. Gmail on Firefox is better than imap in Mail or Thunderbird
  6. Enable a Bonjour account in iChat
  7. Enable a guest account
  8. Don't place images in your Pictures directory; just import them into iPhoto from your Downloads directory.  Then delete from Downloads directory.  
  9. Set Firefox to always place downloads into your Downloads directory
  10. Kill frozen apps with Activity Monitor.
  11. Spotlight is great.  It's similar to Google Desktop and Microsoft Windows Desktop Search.  Keeps your hands on the keyboard and off the mouse/trackpad.  Command+space is wonderful.  The same is true for Quicksilver.  Don't browse for document folders, search for the folder/directory names in Spotlight.   
  12. Enable gestures on your trackpad if you have the newer aluminum laptops. 
  13. Bluetooth config is not intuitive in os 10.5   Disable Discoverable on laptops until you need it.  It might mess up other mac users.  
  14. In Finder preferences, Show All File Extensions
  15. On the Desktop, Keep Icons Arranged by Name
  16. On laptops, auto-hide the Dock to maximize usable space.  Do that in Dock preferences.
  17. Shift+Cmd+4 captures an image of the area you select and places the PNG image on your desktop.  Super handy for taking notes & reminders.
  18. Command+comma gives you the preferences for your active app.
  19. Command+w closes the active window.
  20. Command+q exits the active app.
  21. Command+shift+q signs you out of your mac os x account.
  22. Command+tab cycles thru active apps.
  23. Option+h usually hides the current app.
  24. To populate your Address Book quickly, first export your Gmail contacts.
  25. iSync may be useful for some Bluetooth phones but use it with caution. 
  26. If your desktop network connection is a ethernet cable, turn off AirPort.
  27. In Finder, View menu, choose Show Path Bar
  28. To open generic files in specific apps, you can drag the icon from the Finder window or Desktop to the app icon in the Dock.  
  29. Netflix now supports instant downloads on the mac.  However, the quality is grainy for DSL connections at full HD resolution (1080p).  Try it if you prefer a lower resolution or have a higher bandwidth connection.