Tech expert Chris Pirillo has written 100 tips on how to optimally use your Apple computer. Today we are excited to share with you his first 20 Mac tips. If you think that you have a good Apple tip that we haven’t included, share with us your tip as a comment below, tweet us at @ParallelsMac with #SwitchToMac, or like us and write on our Facebook page with the hashtag #SwitchToMac. Every week we’re giving away copies of Parallels Desktop 5 (the best way to run PC applications on a Mac), and you’ll also be entered to win one of two Apple Magic Trackpads (the best way to zoom, scroll and work on a Mac). The more you share, the more chances you’ll have to win, so Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and share these amazing tips!
To read all of Chris’ 100 tips, you’ll have to wait for the next installment, or you can click and download all 100 Mac Tips. Make sure to check in next Monday to see what tips Chris has next up his sleeve!
1. Forget about walking through folders to find a file. Tap Command+Space to pull open Spotlight – then tell it what you’re looking for.
2. ⌘ indicates the Command key; ⌥ indicates the Option key; ⌃ indicates the Control key; ⇧ indicates the Shift key.
3. The “Finder” is essentially Mac OS X’s “Explorer.” With it, you can browse files, folders, and other devices on your network.
4. Programs are referred to as “Apps” or “Applications” – but essentially have the same function.
5. If you don’t have “right click” functionality yet, enable “Secondary click” in the Mouse preference pane.
6. To uninstall an application, find where it sits on your drive, then drag its icon into the Trash. Download “AppCleaner” for complete erasure.
7. To switch between running apps, simply hold down Command and tap the Tab key – it works like “Alt+Tab” does in Windows.
8. Hold down the Command key, right-click the Trash icon, and select “Secure Empty Trash” to ensure those files can’t be recovered.
9. Hold down the Option key, click the upper-left Apple logo in the menu bar, and select “System Profiler” to see what kind of hardware is installed.
10. Hold down Control+Command+D while your cursor is hovering over a word to see its definition.
11. Create a new keyboard shortcut for a menu option by pressing the “+” button in the Keyboard preference’s “Application Shortcuts” menu.
12. Right-click the Dock’s “dash strip” to see more options for it. You can click, hold, and drag this line up or down to resize Dock icons, too.
13. Just so you know, it’s pronounced “Mac OS Ten” – the “X” is a roman numeral.
14. To hide or show the Dock dynamically, press Option+Command+D to toggle.
15. To enable file sharing with Windows PCs, turn on “File Sharing” in the “Sharing” preference pane – toggle the SMB feature in “Options.”
16. To boot into “Safe Mode,” hold down the Shift key as your Mac starts up (depress before the chime and hold until you see a progress bar).
17. To move your menu bar to another screen, move the white line in the “Monitor” preference pane’s “Arrangement” tab.
18. When you’ve selected an object in the Finder, tap the Space Bar to “Quick View” it (and potentially, its contents).
19. If an app isn’t responding, right-click its icon in the Dock and select “Force Quit” – or, press Option+Command+Esc.
20. Need more information? Select some text in an app, then right-click it and select “Search with Google.”
