Last week we dealt with the following question relating to keeping applications handy on the Mac:
“I’m kind of new to the Macintosh, how do I set up my desktop so I can have easy access to my favorite applications without having to dig through the hard drive?”
Last week’s answer focused on how to do this in Apple’s OS 9. This edition we’ll discuss solutions within Apple’s OS X.
The following are just a few ways you can personalize your Mac OS X desktop and enable easy access to your favorite applications at the same time.
1. As in OS 9, make an alias of the application and drop it on your desktop. This is very easy, and common. Find the original icon of any given application and highlight the application by clicking on it once. Next go to the File menu and choose “Make Alias”. An alias icon will appear in the folder highlighted and ready to be placed on your desktop. Finally, drag this alias to your desktop. Just double click on the alias and the application will open!
2. The Dock will be the most common area to gain access to your favorite applications. In OS X, the Dock is found at the bottom of your desktop screen (though you can move it to the left or right side if you choose to). To create an alias of your application in the Dock simply drag the application to the dock and release it once the Dock makes a “space” for it. If you choose to remove an alias from the Dock, simply drag it from the Dock and release it and you’ll notice it “explode”.
These are only two ways to gain easier access to your most commonly used applications within OS X. There are additional ways to customize your system that will open up endless efficiency and esthetic possibilities.