Mac OS X is a system full of small details. Sometimes these do not do anything really useful and sometimes are actions that will eventually make it really necessary for reasons of accessibility and time savings.
I propose a list of little tricks that I find quite interesting:
As we said Samuel, the ALT key hides some secrets if used in combination with others. For example, pressing ALT and clicking on the icons in the menu bar can view more detailed information on the wifi network to which we connect, select the audio input and output, information on Bluetooth, etc.. On the other hand, if we press ALT and click a Dock icon automatically hides from us the application.
If you remember, in Leopard could highlight items in a stack , as in Snow Leopard does the same terminal command.
defaults write com.apple.dock mouse-over-hilte-stack -boolean yes killall Dock
If we click on an application icon, which is executed in the Dock and hold the mouse button click we will Expose for all windows of that application and provide options for Exit, Hide, or options such as Open at logon, Maintain Show the Dock or the Finder.
Mac OS X has always been characterized by the concept of Drag & Drop (drag and drop). To this day I still see as many users to take a photo in iPhoto to Pixelmator, Photoshop or just export it to Mail first and then open with appropriate application. Do not waste time clicking on the file (photo, audio file, video, etc …), dragged into the application window or icon and drop. Time is money.
If you always liked iTunes mini player who appeared to press the green button on the window of that application and now you miss it in the new version of iTunes, 9, do not worry. As we commented in another entry Apple.Wisecodes, simply press ALT + click on green button will reappear. Remember, the ALT key.
Just run a simple command in the terminal we can make the list view in stacks behave like that seen in crosslinked.
defaults write com.apple.dock use-new-list-stack -bool YES$ killall Dock
Snow Leopard in the way that we can assign keyboard shortcuts has improved. In Mac OS X Hints shows how to create shortcuts to, unless we use application launcher, open the application you want with a simple keystroke. For that we created a new service application with the Open action.
In Snow Leopard is now possible to take screenshots of any content that we are playing with DVD Player. In previous versions when we conducted a screen showing in black the player window.
Try to select text within Safari or any application and drag it to the desktop, you have a file with the selection but if instead of dragging it on the desktop icon for TextEdit, Pages, … we have the text ready to edit, modify, …
Finally, browse into Mac OS X is a good activity for the moments of boredom. Like you find a trick that may become essential for your best user experience. Sure there are many more, a matter of time to discover little tricks.
He spent a week now since Mac OS X Snow Leopard went on sale for all mortals. He talked about many things, I deeply analyzed and highlighted all its aspects. But one aspect of which little or nothing was said about the source code was the same. Rodrigo Gomez, manager of new business for Apple Latin America said about it:
It is one of the most important updates to the operating system has had to date, with a rewrite of nearly 80 per cent
That is, practically rewrote the entire Operating System. A remarkable achievement which few would be enthusiastic to do. For example, even though Microsoft is aesthetically changed much, its source code has no major modifications.
And speaking of aesthetics, Rodrigo said:
While the interface is different, a little smarter, its use is more or less the same. Thanks to increased performance provided by the Mac OS X v10.6 users will not see differences … but it will feel.
While not using Mac OS X, I think there’s the essence of his philosophy. You do not necessarily have to notice all the changes that are made with just enough to feel the change. Maybe that’s why Windows 7 is so praised, so changes are not noticeable, but if performance.
On the changes of Snow Leopard, Gomez stressed that applications are written once but the system compiles for 32 and 64 bits. Also do not forget OpenCL technology, which leverages the processing of the graphics card when not in use.
As expected, Apple is doing things right, let’s talk about quality and usability of the software.
The video is of Matt Fisher, a boy of 16 who maintains the site Mac OS X tutorials where we can see some hidden features in Snow Leopard quite interesting among them are:
Coverflow
Spotlight
Resize icons in the Finder
Different ways to view in Preview
Minimize applications in the Dock icons
Organization of keyboard shortcuts
Finding and fixing the date and time
Display the date in the menu bar
Batteries
Replacing Text and symbols
Put the option back in the trash
I found very interesting because there were things to know before watching it. “You have learned something?
According to tests conducted by CNET, Mac OS X Snow Leopard appears to be a more efficient system in all respects. Not only because of the increased speed and new technologies including, apparently the more efficient energy consumption in the new cat.
After several tests, where we have used a MacBook Pro 17 “, the results were very similar with small differences lower for the latest version of Mac OS X, 10.6. These subtle tenths cause small savings individually, but really important when we consider what will be many computers that are upgraded to the new system.
Moreover, as many have already commented, that power management is more palpable in portable equipment where battery life has increased a few minutes on the previous version and reduced the heat generated.
It appears that Snow Leopard brings a new version of the on-screen keyboard, how can you see in the image can be re-sized to occupy a considerable size.
When its size reaches the maximum possible … Do not you teclear calls with your fingers?
It’s not outright proof, but it seems to have enough weight.
Posted by Venu Thomas on Aug 29, 2009 in How-to, Mac
Although Apple and left us with a fantastic and extensive input on how best to install the new operating system from Apple, I can not pass up the opportunity to discuss some personal experience with this system.
Few months I’ve been installing different versions of Snow Leopard and decided to install each in a different way, was a total test team for what was a bit like what happened. Basically, we can choose three options:
Installing from scratch. It is the least comfortable of all because it requires “back leaving everything in place” but not you for sharing, if you have time and inclination, is the best ever.
Update. It’s more comfortable, leave everything in place and you do not have to worry about anything. Curiously, it is the only one that has given me a problem, some software licenses became completely crazy and is by far the worst option of all. I sincerely recommend you.
Using Time Machine. It is the best one by far because it integrates other improvements into a single option. Installing the system is so simple: make a backup with Time Machine and then install Snow Leopard from scratch. Once installed, simply choose your copy of Time Machine to dump all your user data.
The latter is undoubtedly the best results has given me. The speed is almost the same of a new system, your background is, and above all our documents, programs and preferences are automatically configured just finish installing. That if you be patient is somewhat slow in operation and function of the amount of data can take several hours.
Snow Leopard comes out today and certainly by now you already have your most copies and the rest will be waiting for the postman’s arrival home. Today is 28 August and finally may publish without controversy all pictures of Snow Leopard.
Here’s a book of images of the packaging and everything that includes the long awaited new operating system from Apple. As the end I searched through the trunk of memories all installation CDs and DVDs from a Mac, you have a photo of all of them except the Panther DVD which I have at this time.
In the picture you can see from left to right on CDs and DVDs in Mac OS 9, Mac OS X 10.1, 10.2, 10.4, 10.5 and finally Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.
