10 Basic Mac OS X

The day I bought my new Apple Macbook Pro, I knew my life wouldn’t be easy anymore.

There are some things in nature which can’t be changed and one of them is the difficulty we PC users face in switching to a totally new operating system like Mac OS X. Mac OS is no doubt very flexible and efficient but a nightmare for new Windows users.

Below is a list of all those tips and tricks which I learned in time to get myself used to the Mac OS. Mac newbies and beginners will definitely find these tips helpful.
1. Take an Instant Screenshot

The easiest and fastest way is to use a combination of the keys: Command + Shift + 3.

There is also a utility called Grab which can be found in Applications → Utilities → Grab. It even allows you to set a timer or take screenshot of a select portion of your screen.
2. Forcefully Eject a CD/DVD

You will need to use this trick when you accidentally inserted a blank disc or ejected while the disc was being used and the disc icon disappeared from desktop.

Just Go to Applications → Utilities → Disk Utilities, select your CD/DVD and click Eject or restart your Mac and while it reboots, hold down the mouse or mousepad button.
3. Setup a Proxy for your Network

Open System Preferences and look for Network under Internet & Network. Then select your network device from the menu (AirPort for WiFi, Ethernet for LAN) and click Advanced button.

In the menu that splashes in, select the Proxies tab, define your settings and hit OK.
4. Completely Quit an Application

In a Mac, applications don’t completely shut down by clicking the [x] button like they do in Windows. They just move out of focus but keep running in the background.

To completely shut down or quit an application, select it and use the combination: Command + Q. If the application is stuck or is not responding, make use of the Applications → Utilities → Activity Monitor.
5. Install an Application

Download the Apple Disk Image (.dmg) of the application to be installed and extract to your desktop (this will make a virtual drive). Open the virtual drive and copy the application file and paste into the Applications folder.

To cleanup, simply move the virtual drive and the downloaded .dmg file to the trash bin.
6. Arrange the Icons on Desktop

Lets say you have been playing around with the icons on your desktop and you jumbled them all by mistake.

The easiest solution is to use the combination: Control + Mouse Button to open a context menu and select Clean up to make all icons align properly in the grid.
7. Search for a File or Folder

Use Spotlight, built-in search assistant. It can be located on the top right corner of the task bar.

8. Change Icon Size

If you are on a Macbook Pro, you can use the mousepad gestures (pinch/expand) to change the icon size on the desktop, in a folder or virtuall anywhere.

However if you want to do it manually, use the combination: Control + Mouse Button to open the context menu, click Show View Options and choose your settings.
9. View all Open Applications and Folders

Suppose you opened a dozen applications and folders and do not know how to switch to a particular one instantly, don’t worry!

Just press F3 command key on the keyboard and it will show you a grid view of all open applications and folders, then you can switch to any application or folder by clicking on it. Easy eh?
10. Change Startup Disk Options

This is one reason I love a Mac. You can change the startup disk options from a GUI instead of a BIOS like in Windows.

Just go to System Preferences and look for Startup Disk in the System tab. Here you can change which OS/Disk you would like to boot at startup.

I am still a Mac newbiew so if I missed any important Mac tips please share in the comments below. Suggestions are also welcome.