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   Mac Basics found in Computers & Technology  :  Hardware A   A   A
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The Desktop, Menu Bar, and Dock

The desktop, menu bar, and dock are the essential, everyday elements you’ll interact with while using your Mac.

The Desktop

The desktop is what you see on your computer screen after you’ve logged in. Apple calls the desktop working environment the Finder because it’s where you can find everything you need to use your computer. Think of the Finder as a starting block: from here, you can launch applications, save and organize files, and find folders or documents.

Elements of the Desktop

Every Mac desktop displays the same basic elements.
  • Disk icons: Graphical representations of your hard drive and any other disks attached to your Mac, such as an external hard drive
  • Dock: A translucent band of icons at the bottom of your desktop used to launch and switch applications
  • Apple menu: A menu containing some of the most important commands, such as Shut Down
  • Finder menu bar: A space-saving bar at the top of the screen containing drop-down menus

How to Change the Desktop Background

The Mac desktop comes with a default deep space design, but you can change the background image as follows:
  1. Go to Apple menu > System Preferences.
  2. Select Desktop & Screen Saver.
  3. Select the Desktop button at the top of the panel.
  4. The left panel displays folders containing preloaded desktop images. If you want to use a photo that’s elsewhere on your Mac, use the + sign to find it. Then select an image in the right panel.
  5. Use the drop-down box to set how your desktop image displays: tile, fill screen, stretch to fill screen, or center.

How to Choose a New Screen Saver

A screen saver is a moving image that appears on your screen after your computer is idle for a certain amount of time. It helps protect the display. To pick a screen saver:
  1. Go to Apple menu > System Preferences.
  2. Select Desktop & Screen Saver.
  3. Select the Screen Saver button at the top of the panel.
  4. The left panel displays several preloaded screen savers to choose from. Pick the one you’d like to use, and see its preview in the right panel. To test the screen saver onscreen, click the Test button. Just move your mouse to come out of the test.
  5. To set the amount of idle time before the screen saver comes on, use the “Start screen saver” slider.

The Finder Menu Bar

At the top of your screen is the Finder menu bar, which contains the Apple menu and other menus, such as File, Edit, View, Go, Window, and Help. When you click an item in the menu bar, a menu, or list of options, expands below it.

The Apple Menu

At the far left of the menu bar is a small Apple icon. This is the Apple menu—the gateway to frequently used functions such as Log Out, Sleep, and Shut Down, as well as:
  • About This Mac: This option gives you information about your Mac’s operating system (OS X) and the software and hardware you’re using. Click the More Info button to open the System Profiler window to get an in-depth look at what’s inside your computer.
  • Software Update: This feature checks your computer to see whether any new versions of Mac software are available for download. If new versions exist, Software Update can automatically download and install them.
  • Mac OS X Software: This takes you to Apple’s website, where you can check for OS X software releases.
  • System Preferences: This panel is where you can change most of your computer’s preferences and set­tings. (For more information, see System Preferences.)
  • Dock: Used to modify Dock preferences. (For more information, see “The Dock,” later in this section.)
  • Recent Items: Here you’ll find a list of applications, documents, and servers you’ve used recently.
  • Force Quit: This is a last-ditch option for quitting an application that has stopped responding. (For more information, see Troubleshooting.)

Menulets

Tiny icons, called menulets, toward the right side of the menu bar act as status indicators for certain Mac features and provide access to controls in System Preferences. The speaker icon allows you to adjust your Mac’s volume. The Airport menulet (a series of curved lines like radio waves) allows you to join wireless networks. If you have a laptop, battery power status is indicated with a menulet too.

The Dock

The Dock is a translucent panel located by default at the bottom of your screen that contains icons for applications, files, and folders that you open frequently. The Dock allows you to:
  • Launch items: Open anything in the dock by clicking it once. A glowing oval under an application’s Dock icon means that the application is currently open.
  • Switch applications: Use the Dock to toggle, or switch, between different applications, folders, or win­dows. The Dock will always show open applications, whether you’ve added them manually or not.
  • View menus: Click and hold (or Control-click) any Dock item to see a drop-down menu related to that item.

How to Customize the Dock

The Dock comes preloaded with certain icons, but it’s easy to customize. To add an icon, just drag it to the Dock. To remove an icon, drag it off the Dock when it’s not in use. Rearrange icons in the Dock by simply dragging them to a new location. Applications go on the left side of the Dock. All other items, such as folders or windows, go on the right.

How to Change the Position of the Dock

You can change the position and appearance of the Dock in the following ways:
  • Hide the Dock: The Dock has an auto-hide feature that keeps it offscreen when you’re not using it. To turn on auto-hide, go to Apple menu > Dock > Turn Hiding On. To reveal the Dock when it’s hidden, move the cursor to where the Dock used to be.
  • Grow/shrink the Dock: You can adjust the size of the Dock and its icons. Go to Apple menu > Dock > Preferences.
  • Magnify the Dock Icons: It may be hard to see the Dock icons if the Dock size is very small. Go to Apple menu > Dock > Turn Magnification On to magnify Dock icons as you mouse over them. To adjust magnification, use the slider at Apple menu > Dock > Dock Preferences.
  • Move the Dock Icons: You can move the Dock so that it sits on the left or right side of the desktop. Go to Apple menu > Dock > and select your preference.
 
 
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