Windows users are used to searching for files either through the basic search feature in Windows (all versions prior to Vista) or through add-ons such as Google Desktop Search.  Since the release of Mac OS X Tiger in April 2005, Mac users have taken their search experience to the next level thanks to Spotlight, the advanced Desktop Search technology built into the core of Mac OS X.

Performing a Spotlight search is intuitive and easy.  Just click on the Spotlight icon in the upper right corner to reveal the Spotlight search box.

You can perform a Spotlight search directly from any OS X Finder window.

Smart Folders are special folders that can dynamically hold content based on a specific Spotlight search.

You can customize the behavior of Spotlight by adjusting and tweaking Spotlight's preferences.

Perhaps you don't know where to modify a setting, no problem just search for it.  Starting with Mac OS X Tiger, it's easy to search for a setting in System Preferences

Thanks to the Aqua user interface you have different options to browse through your system with simple clicks of the mouse and keystrokes.  If you prefer the command line you can launch the Terminal applications and browse with keystrokes.