alot of questions

[mynameismatt89]

hey..

well the mailman just arrived a couple of hours ago with my brand new ibook!!!! i have alot of questions tho.. and i will be having alot more as time goes on as i think of them.

1. when i have a internet window already opened, such as now for typing this message, i cant open up another webpage. When i click on safari.. it just does nothing... how can i change this?

2. How can i fully maximize windows?

3. how can i hide the taskbar with finder, Dashboard, mail, safari, ichat..etc. so that it does not appear when i am looking at the screen.. but does appear when i put my mouse over it? is this possible?

4. for deleting all i have to do is drag it into the drashbin?? do i have to do anything else like on windows how you had to go to add remove programs to officially delete them?

5. how do i remove icons from the bar at the bottom of the screen as well as icons on the desktop?

6. how can i confirm that i have the correct amount of memory installed as well as hard drive space??

well these are all my questions so far.. thanks in advance,

Matt

 

[dcv]

hey..

well the mailman just arrived a couple of hours ago with my brand new ibook!!!! i have alot of questions tho.. and i will be having alot more as time goes on as i think of them.

Congratulations!

1. when i have a internet window already opened, such as now for typing this message, i cant open up another webpage. When i click on safari.. it just does nothing... how can i change this?

From the Safari menu at the top of the screen go in to Preferences and select Tabs. Check the 'Enable Tabbed Browsing' option; you can also choose the 'Select new tabs as they are created' option, if you so wish. So you should then be able to click Command (apple key) + T to open a new tab for browsing.

2. How can i fully maximize windows?

By dragging the window from the bottom right corner. The green button is NOT the same as maximise in Windows.

3. how can i hide the taskbar with finder, Dashboard, mail, safari, ichat..etc. so that it does not appear when i am looking at the screen.. but does appear when i put my mouse over it? is this possible?

It's called a Dock not a taskbar
You can hide it by going to the main Apple menu - Dock - Turn Hiding On

4. for deleting all i have to do is drag it into the drashbin?? do i have to do anything else like on windows how you had to go to add remove programs to officially delete them?

Yes just drag to the trash can; this applies to applications and docs.

5. how do i remove icons from the bar at the bottom of the screen as well as icons on the desktop?

Just drag the icons off the dock and they should disappear with a little 'pooof' For desktop items (click F11 to view your desktop) you can drag those to the trash can.

6. how can i confirm that i have the correct amount of memory installed as well as hard drive space??

Go in to System Profiler. Apple menu - About this Mac - More info
that should tell you everything you need to know about your hardware configuration


hope this helps... and *enjoy* your new purchase!

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Lots of these questions has been answered more than once here at MR. A quick search would have given you the answer to most of them.

Now lets, see, if we cannot answer a few quickly:

1. when i have a internet window already opened, such as now for typing this message, i cant open up another webpage. When i click on safari.. it just does nothing... how can i change this?

Try cmd-N (File -> New Window) to get a new window (or even better enable tabbed browsing and use cmd-T (File -> New Tab) to get a new tab).

2. How can i fully maximize windows?

Short answer: You cannot. (Edit: Whithout dragging them, of course, I was referring to the green button... )

This is one of the main differences between the Windows and Mac OS UI. There's a workaround for browsers, though. Make a bookmark, put it in your Bookmarks bar and change the URL to: javascript:self.moveTo(0,0);self.resizeTo(screen.availWidth,screen.availHeight);

3. how can i hide the taskbar with finder, Dashboard, mail, safari, ichat..etc. so that it does not appear when i am looking at the screen.. but does appear when i put my mouse over it? is this possible?

You mean the Dock (that's easy) or the Apple menu, ie. the narrow white line at top (impossible)?

4. for deleting all i have to do is drag it into the drashbin?? do i have to do anything else like on windows how you had to go to add remove programs to officially delete them?

Drag it to trash and empty Trash every now and then. That's all.

5. how do i remove icons from the bar at the bottom of the screen as well as icons on the desktop?

To remove icons in the Dock, just drag them off.

Which icons on the Desktop are you talking about? Regular ones you can just drag to Trash. HDs and other Media can be set not to show at the Desktop by Finder -> Preferences -> General -> Show these items on the Desktop

6. how can i confirm that i have the correct amount of memory installed as well as hard drive space??

RAM: Apple menu -> About this Mac (or more info in /Applications/Utilities/Activity Monitor.app)

HD: Available HD space should be indicated at the bottom of any Finder window. You can also just mark your HD and hit cmd-I (File -> Get info) to see all details.

Check out the Guides here at MR for more info.

Congratulations on your Mac purchase. Hope it will bring you years of worry-free computing.

Edit: Beaten! D*mn...

 

[Jason_Bryan]

Welcome to the platform

If you want a new browser window hold down the Apple Key and press N or go to the preferences and under the Tabs tab enable tabbed browsing

To hide the Dock press Alt Apple and D

To remove programs just drag them to the trash

To remove icons from the Dock just drag them off the Dock

Hope this helps

 

[yellow]

1. when i have a internet window already opened, such as now for typing this message, i cant open up another webpage. When i click on safari.. it just does nothing... how can i change this?

Command(aka the Apple Key)-N is how to open a new Window in Safari. Or New Window from the file pull down menu. You'll have to forget the WIndows way, where you could open another window (iteration of the app) by clikcing on it's icon. Alternately, you can turn on Tabs in Safari's preferences and Cmd-T (or New Tab from the File pull down menu) to open a new Tab.

2. How can i fully maximize windows?

MOve the Window to the upper left hand part of your Desktop, then drag the lower right hand part of the window to the lower right hand part of the desktop. You can TRY the green bvutton at the top, but it's more of a 'resize' button than a maximize button. Again, what you want to do is more of a Windows thing and isn't really a Mac thing, which is why it's not a simple 'click one button' thing.

3. how can i hide the taskbar with finder, Dashboard, mail, safari, ichat..etc. so that it does not appear when i am looking at the screen.. but does appear when i put my mouse over it? is this possible?

What do you mean by "Task bar"? The bar at the top, or the Dock at the bottom?

4. for deleting all i have to do is drag it into the drashbin?? do i have to do anything else like on windows how you had to go to add remove programs to officially delete them?

90% of the time, just drag them to the Trash. Some offer uninstallers, but most you can just drag to the trashcan to get rid of them.

5. how do i remove icons from the bar at the bottom of the screen as well as icons on the desktop?

The bar at the bottom is called the Dock. To remove icons from it, simple click and drag the icon off the Dock and let go. Poof, it's gone. The icons on the Desktop are actual files/folders. If you want to move them someplace else, just move them someplace else.

6. how can i confirm that i have the correct amount of memory installed as well as hard drive space??

Select your hard drive on the Desktop and do Cmd-I (or Get Info from the file pull down menu) and it'll tell you how large the disk is, and how much space you have left.

Go to the Blue Apple in the upper left hand corner and select About This Mac, that will tell you much "Memory" (RAM) you have.

EDIT: D'OH, what a waste!

 

[goodwill]

hahah - each one of you deserves props for answering his question. it's just too funny you all were doing it at the same exact time pretty much. and you answered every one of his questions!

 

[mynameismatt89]

thanks everyone.. and another question..

how do i 'officially' quit programs.. hitting the red X just doesnt seem to do it.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

how do i 'officially' quit programs.. hitting the red X just doesnt seem to do it.

Cmd-Q ("Application" menu -> Quit "Application"). The red x just closes the window (can also be done by cmd-W (File->Close Window) in most apps).

Or just right-click** the dock icon and chose Quit.

** Use ctrl-click or click and hold if you have a one button mouse.

 

[croshtique]

For some programs hitting the red x will quit it; but for others it won't. If the application has a black arrow underneath it in the dock it is still running.

To quit, hit command-Q; or ctrl/right-click on the application's icon in the dock and choose quit.

PS - have you checked out Apple's Mac101 page? It contains a lot of useful and basic info that would be useful

 

[Applespider]

For some programs hitting the red x will quit it; but for others it won't. If the application has a black arrow underneath it in the dock it is still running.

In theory, if the app is a single window app, hitting the red button will quit it (ie iPhoto). iTunes (which can play music without the main library being open) won't quit and Safari which can have multiple windows won't quit either.

Will second the Mac101 pages - they're great for picking up useful info when you first switch to the platform since they explain some of the logic behind some differences which makes it easier to figure out other changes.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

PS - have you checked out Apple's Mac101 page? It contains a lot of useful and basic info that would be useful

I, too, second (third?) this.

Also check out the Mac Beginner's Guide from the above mentioned MR Guides.

 

[mynameismatt89]

so when i press command q it gets rid of it off of the dock.. if i want to quit the program without it becoming removed from the dock what do i do.

 

[Applespider]

so when i press command q it gets rid of it off of the dock.. if i want to quit the program without it becoming removed from the dock what do i do.

OK... Dock has two purposes.

1. It shows you the running applications (with the black triangle)
2. It's a 'shelf' for your most popular applications so you can access them quickly.

If you have an application that you'd like to keep in the Dock, drag the icon from your Applications folder onto the Dock and it will stay there whether it's open or closed. To remove those that you don't use often, just drag the icon off the Dock - the application will stay in your Applications folder.

If you command Q an application that lives on the Dock, it will lose its triangle but will stay on the Dock. If you command Q an application that doesn't usually live on the Dock, it will disappear from it.

Just so you know - you don't have to have it on the bottom of the screen taking up vertical space - you can have it on the right/left hand side instead.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

so when i press command q it gets rid of it off of the dock.. if i want to quit the program without it becoming removed from the dock what do i do.

Right-click the dock icon (when the app is running, of course) and choose "Keep in Dock" (or just drag the icon to the place in the dock you want it).

 

[mynameismatt89]

right click?? all i see is one button.. and when i press on the rigtht of it.. it does the same as on the left

 

[yellow]

so when i press command q it gets rid of it off of the dock.. if i want to quit the program without it becoming removed from the dock what do i do.

If it leaves the Dock when you quit it, you need to add it to the Dock. One way to do this is to Click and hold on the icon in the Dock and choose Keep In Dock, another way is to drag the app's icon to the Dock (when it's not running).

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

right click?? all i see is one button.. and when i press on the rigtht of it.. it does the same as on the left

Well, unless you have a Mighty Mouse, that's how it works (and even the Mighty one needs to have right-clicking enabled in System Preferences, doesn't it?)...

As I said above: Right-clicking with a one button mouse is done by holding down the ctrl key while clicking with the mouse (ctrl-clicking = right-clicking). Alos, in some apps the same context menu will appear if you just click-and-hold (for a second or so), this includes the Dock.

 

[dops7107]

right click?? all i see is one button.. and when i press on the rigtht of it.. it does the same as on the left

Welcome to one of the Mac's inadequacies (please don't start, people! ). Ctrl-click is the same as right click. Get a USB mouse with a scroll wheel!

 

[freeny]

To remove programs just drag them to the trash

Be sure you "empty trash" (finder/empty trash) to actually remove the item from your hard drive.

 

[yellow]

right click?? all i see is one button.. and when i press on the rigtht of it.. it does the same as on the left

If you don't have a multi-button mouse (you should get one), then Control-Click = Right-Click.

 

[OldCorpse]

I know you just want to dive in and use the 'puter. I dont' blame you, we're all short on time. Still, if I can make a recommendation... it will be well worth your time, if you use your computer a lot. Get a David Pogue book: either

"Mac OS X Tiger edition, The missing manual" or "Switching to the Mac Tiger edition, The missing manual".

The "Switching" book is written more with former/current Windows users in mind, while the Mac OS X book is generally about Tiger. I'd get either (persoally I got both). Both are extrememly accessible for first time mac users, the Mac OS X is a bit more comprehensive, but both are very easy to follow. It may seem like a lot to read, but I found that the time I put in, pays back a 100 times in time saved when using my iBook... of course, I use it a lot, maybe less important if you only use your 'puter occasionally.

You can buy either book used for quite reasonalbe prices.

And congratulations on your new iBook - I've had mine for 2 weeks now, and I'm in love with it! And other than using macs back in the early 90's (and then only a little, and I forgot everything), I'm new to macs as well. There will be some adjustments, 90% will be better than on XP, about 5% will be just different, and about 5% will be worse (don't try to play any audio/video that's not quicktime on the web on a stock machine )

Overall, though, the iBook and OS X is awesome!

 

[mduser63]

OldCorpse's suggestions are really good. I switched in 2004, and there's no way I would ever switch back to Windows. That said, when you first switch, everything is sort of different and unfamiliar, and sometimes frustrating. My only advice is to be patient, and realize from the start that you're not on Windows anymore. Some things are pretty much the same, many things are just different, but most things are better on the Mac. Don't make the mistake of immediately complaining about things that don't work the same way as Windows. Give them some time, and you'll (usually) come to really appreciate the Mac way of doing things.

The answers you've received in this thread are good. I would point out that for each of the things you asked about, there are multiple ways of doing the same thing. Reading the Missing Manual book is a really good way to learn all the little intricacies of the Mac and OS X's user interface. I got the Missing Manual Panther Edition when I switched, and it was what really helped me go from admiring the Mac but being a little uncomfortable and confused by it to feeling completely at home on a Mac. Now I feel uncomfortable and confused when I try to use Windows, even though I know it as well as anyone having it used it since Win 3.1.

 

[mynameismatt89]

do i need to register my ibook at all for warranty purposes or anything like that.. i did not purchase applecare.

 

[kwajaln]

do i need to register my ibook at all for warranty purposes or anything like that.. i did not purchase applecare.

No, just register yourself as a 100% true BLONDE!!!!! GREAT questions!!!

 

[slooksterPSV]

:O You guys forgot something, to hide an application (all its windows and that (for most applications)) press: CMD + H or ?+H
Congrats on the new iBook, way to go!