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Help, Guides, and News on making the Switch To Apple Macintosh Computers
Finder Guides
The Default Application
In Mac OS X, the Finder is the default application. In fact when you complete the initial setup of a new Mac or perform a new installation of Mac OS X with Setup Assistant, Finder is the active application. Also note that Finder is the active application each time you log into your Mac.
In Mac OS X, the Finder is the default application. In fact when you complete the initial setup of a new Mac or perform a new installation of Mac OS X with Setup Assistant, Finder is the active application. Also note that Finder is the active application each time you log into your Mac.
By default Mac OS X behaves in a way such that only a single Finder window opens at a time. This guide will demonstrate how you can open more than one Finder window and alter how Finder behaves when you double click a folder.
You can perform a Spotlight search directly from any OS X Finder window. Simply type your search into the box in the upper right hand corner of a Finder window and surely enough, the Spotlight results will be displayed within the current window.
By default, the top of every Finder window contains a Finder Toolbar, a row of icons each associated with a specific action or display option.
The Mac OS X Finder is flexible in that is allows you can customize the Finder Toolbar to your liking. You can add or remove icons and adjust the size of the toolbar.
If you don't want to have the Finder toolbar visible you can hide it. There are two easy ways to make it go away or reappear.
Burnable Folders are folders that make it easy to burn CDs or data DVDs directly from a Finder window. This feature within Mac OS X is made possible with a folder "Burn Folder".
Finder Slideshows allow you to create and view images as a slideshow and kick them off directly from the Mac OS X Finder. If the image size is large enough, you'll be able to see the images full-screen.
The Finder and Sidebar co-exist in Finder Windows. The Sidebar resides on the left side of any Finder Window.
Finder Windows give you flexibility in how they present items to you. For example, you can view items by Icon, List, Column, or in Cover Flow (a new view that debuted with Mac OS X Leopard).
Thanks to the slick Aqua user interface you have different options to browse through your MacIntosh HD. You can accomplish this with a few simple clicks of the mouse and/or keystrokes. If you prefer the command line, you can launch the Terminal application and browse using UNIX commands.
The Mac OS X Finder allows you to make numerous changes to the look, feel, and behavior of Finder windows. For example, you can adjust the size of the displayed icons and text. The modification options shown to you by Mac OS X will depend on the Finder view you are currently using. The examples shown in this guide have been performed on the Applications Folder.
You can configure the Sidebar via Finder preferences to show only the items that you want. For example, you don't have to stick with the default items under the 'Devices', 'Shared', 'Places', and 'Search For' headings.