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OS X Tips and Tricks
For the Mac OS 9 user
August 23, 2004
by
Scott Nourse
Introduction
Macintosh OS X (pronounced “ten”) and OS X Server offer many advanced features and
performance benefits over Mac OS 9 and Appleshare IP. The interface has been completely
overhauled, however, which can take some getting used to.
This document is intended to help OS 9 users adjust to the new interface and get the most
out of it. It is broken into two sections: 1) Differences from Mac OS 9, and 2) Configuring
the interface for easy access.
Other sources of information are available in the Mac Help included with OS, and on the web
(try http://www.apple.com/macosx/whatyoucando/ ). Please note, as updates to the
operating system occur, interface appearances and behaviors may be changed.
Page 1 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
Part 1: Differences from Mac OS 9
Many things have changed from Mac OS 9, some of which are shown in the picture below.
Application Hide Toolbar
New Toolbar
Menu Control
(customizable)
New Close,
Minimize, and
Grow Window
controls
New Location for
Trash
The Dock
(customizable)
Some key differences follow:
I. The Close, Minimize, and Grow window controls.
A. The red (x) control closes a window.
B. The yellow (-) control will minimize the window (with a special effect) into the
dock. A miniaturized picture of the window appears in the dock.
Page 2 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
C. The green (+) control will grow the window to fit the available screen space, or
“ungrow” it if clicked again.
D. The “Stretch” control works as before, allowing you to stretch the window.
II. Moving windows around hasn’t changed much- grab the title bar of a window and
drag it. However, there is no longer an “edge” that can be grabbed around a window as
in MacOS 9.
III. Opening Finder folders, by default, does not open a new window. This cuts down
on screen clutter, but can take some getting used to. Hide the Toolbar to revert
to Mac OS 9 behavior, or follow the tips later in this document for easier navigation.
IV. The Apple Menu has changed. It allows easy access to system wide functions, and
to recently used applications and documents. It is NOT customizable by the user.
V. System Preferences takes over for Mac OS 9’s control panels. The layout is different,
but fairly easy to figure out.
Page 3 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
VI. The Application Menu (next to the Apple Menu) now contains application specific
functions, including the Show/hide, preferences and Quit functions.
VII. The Dock is designed to do a number of tasks formerly handled by the Apple Menu,
Application Menu, and the Launcher under Mac OS 9. It can hold shortcuts for
applications, folders, hard drives, and documents. It shows currently active applications
and allows the user to switch between applications.
A. Dock Layout and Display. Application shortcuts and open applications
appear on the left. Open applications have a triangle displayed underneath.
Shortcuts to documents, folders, and hard drives appear on the right, as well
as any minimized windows and the trash. Clicking on an item will open it or
bring it to the front.
Document, folder, and
Application shortcuts
hard drive shortcuts
and open applications
and minimized windows
(triangle underneath)
B . Dock Resizing- Click and hold (grab) the dock divider and move it up and down
to make the dock larger or smaller.
C. Dock Options- Control-click (or right click) on the dock divider to access the
dock preferences. (also available from system preferences)
Page 4 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
D. Dock Application Menu- Click and hold on a running application for quick
access to open windows, special options, or to quit the program. Clicking on the
running application’s dock icon will switch that program to the foreground.
E. The Trash is no longer located on the desktop, but on the right hand side of the
dock.
VIII. Finder views can be selected from the View menu or the toolbar. Icon and List views
work as in Mac OS 9. Column views is a new breed. Key trick- use the horizontal
scroll bar to move up and down the directory structure.
List
Icons Columns
Column View
List View
Icon View
Page 5 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
IX. Save Dialog Boxes have also changed. Most applications will now use a save dialog
box that is similar to the Finder’s column view. It has two modes- simplified and full.
A. Simplified Save Dialog box. In this mode the user is presented with a limited
list of options on where to save a file. This is usually enough on most occasions.
B. Full Save Dialog box. This allows the user to save the file anywhere. Click the
disclosure button to change modes. Use the horizontal scroll bar to
move up and down the directory structure.
X. Who Am I? OS X is built to be a multi-user system from the ground up, but it can be
difficult to see which username is currently logged on- especially important on a server
in situations where you may / may not want to be logged on as the Root user.
A. Click the Home button on a Finder window toolbar. It will take you to the current
user’s home directory, and display the username in the window title.
Page 6 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
XI. File Copying. With OS X, the Finder tends to be oriented towards single window
operation. This can make it unwieldy to copy files from disparate locations. The OS X
Finder supports a Copy Files / Paste Items command to help alleviate the problem.
A. Select the items you wish to copy. Select Copy .. Items from the Edit menu.
Navigate to the directory you want to copy the items to. Select Paste Items from
the Edit menu. The files will then be copied to the destination location.
-->
--> -->
-->
Page 7 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
Part 2: Configuring the interface for easy administration.
Please Note, any changes you make below only take effect for the current user.
Customizing the Finder
I. Show Status Bar: In the default configuration Finder windows do not show the number
of files contained in the volume or folder, or the amount of space remaining as in the
following screen shot. This information may be important on a server.
To change this, choose Show Status Bar from the View menu. The status bar will then
be displayed on each finder window.
II. Customize The Toolbar: The default Finder toolbar has some shortcuts and functions
built in. A few modifications can help a server administrator.
A. Add the Path and New Folder standard items. Choose Customize Toolbar
from the view menu. A list of standard items to add will show up. Drag the Path
and New Folder items to the toolbar, as shown below.
Page 8 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
1. Using the Path tool: OS X supports the Mac OS 9 method of moving
through the directory path of a window. (Hold down the Command key
and click on the window title)
By adding the Path tool to the toolbar, you can move through the path
without touching the keyboard.
2. Using the New Folder shortcut. One change in OS X that’s frustrating is
the change of a few keyboard shortcuts. One of these for a new folder-
Command-N now opens a new window, Command-Shift-N creates a new
folder.
Now, to create a new folder, simply click the New Folder shortcut in any
Finder window.
Page 9 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
B. Add your own items. You can add any item (folders, documents, hard drives)
you want to the Finder toolbar by dragging its icon to the toolbar.
1. Add your document sharepoints on your server to the Finder Toolbar.
This gives you quick access to the sharepoints you want to work with from
any Finder window.
Note- if your window is not large enough to show the entire toolbar, a >>
pop-up menu will be available on the right hand side of the toolbar.
2. Add shortcuts to any other frequently used folders, applications, or files to
the toolbar.
Page 10 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
III. Customizing And Using The Dock
A. Add commonly used apps to the Dock. Locate your applications in the Finder,
and drag them to the dock.
B. Delete unneeded items from the dock. Drag items that are not needed out of
the dock to make it cleaner and more efficient.
--->
Make sure that your dock is streamlined for Server use.
Page 11 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
C. Add the Application Folder to the document section of the dock (right of the
divider). Now, by holding down on the Application Folder dock icon, you can get
easy access to any application in the folder or any sub folder.
D. Add any other frequently used documents or folders to the dock.
Page 12 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
E. Use the Application Dock Menu to navigate through a running application’s
windows.
Page 13 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
For the Mac OS 9 user
August 23, 2004
by
Scott Nourse
Introduction
Macintosh OS X (pronounced “ten”) and OS X Server offer many advanced features and
performance benefits over Mac OS 9 and Appleshare IP. The interface has been completely
overhauled, however, which can take some getting used to.
This document is intended to help OS 9 users adjust to the new interface and get the most
out of it. It is broken into two sections: 1) Differences from Mac OS 9, and 2) Configuring
the interface for easy access.
Other sources of information are available in the Mac Help included with OS, and on the web
(try http://www.apple.com/macosx/whatyoucando/ ). Please note, as updates to the
operating system occur, interface appearances and behaviors may be changed.
Page 1 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
Part 1: Differences from Mac OS 9
Many things have changed from Mac OS 9, some of which are shown in the picture below.
Application Hide Toolbar
New Toolbar
Menu Control
(customizable)
New Close,
Minimize, and
Grow Window
controls
New Location for
Trash
The Dock
(customizable)
Some key differences follow:
I. The Close, Minimize, and Grow window controls.
A. The red (x) control closes a window.
B. The yellow (-) control will minimize the window (with a special effect) into the
dock. A miniaturized picture of the window appears in the dock.
Page 2 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
C. The green (+) control will grow the window to fit the available screen space, or
“ungrow” it if clicked again.
D. The “Stretch” control works as before, allowing you to stretch the window.
II. Moving windows around hasn’t changed much- grab the title bar of a window and
drag it. However, there is no longer an “edge” that can be grabbed around a window as
in MacOS 9.
III. Opening Finder folders, by default, does not open a new window. This cuts down
on screen clutter, but can take some getting used to. Hide the Toolbar to revert
to Mac OS 9 behavior, or follow the tips later in this document for easier navigation.
IV. The Apple Menu has changed. It allows easy access to system wide functions, and
to recently used applications and documents. It is NOT customizable by the user.
V. System Preferences takes over for Mac OS 9’s control panels. The layout is different,
but fairly easy to figure out.
Page 3 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
VI. The Application Menu (next to the Apple Menu) now contains application specific
functions, including the Show/hide, preferences and Quit functions.
VII. The Dock is designed to do a number of tasks formerly handled by the Apple Menu,
Application Menu, and the Launcher under Mac OS 9. It can hold shortcuts for
applications, folders, hard drives, and documents. It shows currently active applications
and allows the user to switch between applications.
A. Dock Layout and Display. Application shortcuts and open applications
appear on the left. Open applications have a triangle displayed underneath.
Shortcuts to documents, folders, and hard drives appear on the right, as well
as any minimized windows and the trash. Clicking on an item will open it or
bring it to the front.
Document, folder, and
Application shortcuts
hard drive shortcuts
and open applications
and minimized windows
(triangle underneath)
B . Dock Resizing- Click and hold (grab) the dock divider and move it up and down
to make the dock larger or smaller.
C. Dock Options- Control-click (or right click) on the dock divider to access the
dock preferences. (also available from system preferences)
Page 4 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
D. Dock Application Menu- Click and hold on a running application for quick
access to open windows, special options, or to quit the program. Clicking on the
running application’s dock icon will switch that program to the foreground.
E. The Trash is no longer located on the desktop, but on the right hand side of the
dock.
VIII. Finder views can be selected from the View menu or the toolbar. Icon and List views
work as in Mac OS 9. Column views is a new breed. Key trick- use the horizontal
scroll bar to move up and down the directory structure.
List
Icons Columns
Column View
List View
Icon View
Page 5 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
IX. Save Dialog Boxes have also changed. Most applications will now use a save dialog
box that is similar to the Finder’s column view. It has two modes- simplified and full.
A. Simplified Save Dialog box. In this mode the user is presented with a limited
list of options on where to save a file. This is usually enough on most occasions.
B. Full Save Dialog box. This allows the user to save the file anywhere. Click the
disclosure button to change modes. Use the horizontal scroll bar to
move up and down the directory structure.
X. Who Am I? OS X is built to be a multi-user system from the ground up, but it can be
difficult to see which username is currently logged on- especially important on a server
in situations where you may / may not want to be logged on as the Root user.
A. Click the Home button on a Finder window toolbar. It will take you to the current
user’s home directory, and display the username in the window title.
Page 6 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
XI. File Copying. With OS X, the Finder tends to be oriented towards single window
operation. This can make it unwieldy to copy files from disparate locations. The OS X
Finder supports a Copy Files / Paste Items command to help alleviate the problem.
A. Select the items you wish to copy. Select Copy .. Items from the Edit menu.
Navigate to the directory you want to copy the items to. Select Paste Items from
the Edit menu. The files will then be copied to the destination location.
-->
--> -->
-->
Page 7 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
Part 2: Configuring the interface for easy administration.
Please Note, any changes you make below only take effect for the current user.
Customizing the Finder
I. Show Status Bar: In the default configuration Finder windows do not show the number
of files contained in the volume or folder, or the amount of space remaining as in the
following screen shot. This information may be important on a server.
To change this, choose Show Status Bar from the View menu. The status bar will then
be displayed on each finder window.
II. Customize The Toolbar: The default Finder toolbar has some shortcuts and functions
built in. A few modifications can help a server administrator.
A. Add the Path and New Folder standard items. Choose Customize Toolbar
from the view menu. A list of standard items to add will show up. Drag the Path
and New Folder items to the toolbar, as shown below.
Page 8 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
1. Using the Path tool: OS X supports the Mac OS 9 method of moving
through the directory path of a window. (Hold down the Command key
and click on the window title)
By adding the Path tool to the toolbar, you can move through the path
without touching the keyboard.
2. Using the New Folder shortcut. One change in OS X that’s frustrating is
the change of a few keyboard shortcuts. One of these for a new folder-
Command-N now opens a new window, Command-Shift-N creates a new
folder.
Now, to create a new folder, simply click the New Folder shortcut in any
Finder window.
Page 9 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
B. Add your own items. You can add any item (folders, documents, hard drives)
you want to the Finder toolbar by dragging its icon to the toolbar.
1. Add your document sharepoints on your server to the Finder Toolbar.
This gives you quick access to the sharepoints you want to work with from
any Finder window.
Note- if your window is not large enough to show the entire toolbar, a >>
pop-up menu will be available on the right hand side of the toolbar.
2. Add shortcuts to any other frequently used folders, applications, or files to
the toolbar.
Page 10 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
III. Customizing And Using The Dock
A. Add commonly used apps to the Dock. Locate your applications in the Finder,
and drag them to the dock.
B. Delete unneeded items from the dock. Drag items that are not needed out of
the dock to make it cleaner and more efficient.
--->
Make sure that your dock is streamlined for Server use.
Page 11 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
C. Add the Application Folder to the document section of the dock (right of the
divider). Now, by holding down on the Application Folder dock icon, you can get
easy access to any application in the folder or any sub folder.
D. Add any other frequently used documents or folders to the dock.
Page 12 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
E. Use the Application Dock Menu to navigate through a running application’s
windows.
Page 13 of 13
OS X Tips and Tricks for the Mac OS 9 user
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