Macintosh Notes


The mysteries of the Finder can be revealed using the View menu. These tips might be helpful if you are moving from Windows to Mac OS: 
  • Finder : Views (icon, list, column, gallery) - font size 
  • Finder : Show path, list view : column sort 
  • Finder : View menu > make changes > Set as Default 
  • Finder : Show Sidebar, drag items up or down, add folders 
  • Keyboard shortcuts : Shift = up arrow, Command = clover, Option & Control
From the Help menu choose Mac OS Help to open a window with the online user guide. The Search box is at the top right, click the Table of Contents link to show a left sidebar of topics and click a topic to read the details. For example, search for Keyboard Shortcuts. The top search hits were less helpful than the article "Keyboard shortcuts in Preview on Mac" because the words for the keys are spelled out and I can compare then to the symbols in the menus. The Shift key symbol is an arrow pointing up. The Option key (similar to the ALT key in Windows) is usually a mystery to me. But, thanks to you for getting me to research this, my physical keyboard shows the symbols and the words! Mystery solved! 

You can sync photos between your iPhone/iPad and a Mac computer/laptop. This involves your Apple ID. In the Mac OS Help an article titled Sync photos between your Mac and iPhone or iPad is a place to start. I'm glad to find this tip sheet. I have been syncing photos between iPhone and iPad but stopped the sync to my computer. It took me several days to research how to connect my computer and download photos again. The larger screen on a laptop or computer will help me view the Photo Library and cleanup duplicate images and add in old photos. Then everything will be on all my devices! 

Another tip is too make Screen Snapshots - useful to document any changes you make to your System Preferences or other online activities. In Mac OS Help review the article Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac to see the shift-Command-5 features. The images are saved to the Desktop as .png files with "Screen Shot" and the date and time. You will want to move the images to a folder for long-term reference. 

Renaming files might be another helpful tip. Rename the screen snapshot files or rename folders with the same techniques. In Mac OS Help the article Rename files, folder and disks on Mac will get you started. 


Use Spotlight Search to find documents on your computer, contacts in your address book or websites on the Internet. There is a small magnifying icon in the top right corner, but the fastest way to open search is by pressing the Command key and Space Bar at the same time. Then type something you want to find. This is also an easy way to open applications. When the search results appear, use the arrow keys to move the selection up or down the list or use your mouse.

Apple's web browser is Safari but you can add other web browsers like Mozilla's Firefox or Google's Chrome. One of the features built-in to Safari is a combination address and search field called Smart Search Field. If you know the web address, just type it. Or if you want to search for something, type a phrase. This field adapts to what you want. Set your preferred search engine in Safari > Preferences > Search.

When viewing web pages, you often see lots of ads or empty space. This website included! Look in the Smart Search Field, at the left margin for an icon of horizontal lines, click this button to turn on Reader Mode for distraction-free reading and improved printing.

There are two things to remember about your Mac, the model and the operating system version.

Here is a PDF iMac User Guide from 2009. It covers many details that are starting points for the hardware (model) and software (OS and included apps). But the OS has been updated many times and individual apps have been updated as well. Look at the list of instruction manuals collected by EveryMac.com - it makes my head swirl. Manuals for iPad, and iPhone are also included. Another source of user guides is the Wiki at Mac Rumors.

These links will help you identify your Mac laptop model or your iMac model.

For our first session, use the Apple menu in the top left corner and choose About this Mac to see a dialog box with a quick overview of your hardware and OS.

If you have a laptop, bring it to the workshop. If you have an iMac, take notes on what you see in the About this Mac dialog box and bring this information to the workshop.