Windows users are familiar with the Control Panel.  System Preferences is the corresponding program in Mac OS X.

It's easy to launch System Preferences.  If you have a default installation of Mac OS X, Apple has configured the Dock with a System Preferences icon.  You can click on the icon or click on the Apple Menu and then select System Preferences.  When launched, the following window (or something very similar) will appear.

Here's how System Preferences look in Mac OS X Leopard



Here's how System Preferences look in Mac OS X Tiger

 

As you can see, Apple has grouped the preferences in an easy to use and easily identifiable pattern and by default System Preferences in Mac OS X Tiger has been divided into the following categories:

• Personal
• Hardware
• Internet & Network
• System
• Other

You can modify the view and show the icons in alphabetical order by clicking on View -> Organize Alphabetically in the System Preferences Menu Bar to show the following:

 

System Preferences is Hardware Specific
Depending on the hardware configuration of your Mac, certain preferences will either appear or not appear.  For example, if your Mac does not have a Bluetooth module installed, the Bluetooth icon will not appear.

System Preferences and Third-Party Software
The "Other" category will list preference icons for third-party software (applications) installed on your Mac that have the ability to be modified via preferences.  The images in this guide show that third-party applications "NetUpdate X4" and Flip4Mac WMV" have the ability to be updated via the Mac OS X System Preferences.