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Cheat Sheet
Macs All-in-One For Dummies
Macs come in all shapes and sizes, but you turn all of them on and off, and do things with the keyboard and mouse (or trackpad, if yours is a MacBook) the same way. Macintosh OS X Snow Leopard, Apple’s latest version of the Mac operating system, has all the familiar boxes, windows, and mouse pointers as its predecessors. This Cheat Sheet of timesaving keyboard shortcuts, mouse actions, Mac-related Web sites, and definitions can help you get the most from your Mac right away.
Using Mac Special Feature Keys to Switch between Open Programs
Newer Macs feature keyboards with a row of dedicated special feature keys marked with descriptive icons that also double as function (Fn) keys. For instance, the fifth key from the left is the one you tap to display any Dashboard widgets you’ve chosen to run, such as the weather widget, or calculator widget. Some special feature keys evoke a second special feature when you hold down the Fn key and then press the special feature key.
Here are six Mac special feature keys you can press to help you work with and switch between multiple Mac program windows you’re running at the same time:
| Keystroke | Command |
|---|---|
| Spaces (F3) | Exposé |
| Fn+Spaces (F3) | Displays every Spaces desktop (only if Spaces is enabled) |
| Fn+F8 | Displays every Spaces desktop (only if Spaces is enabled) |
| Fn+Mute (F10) | Displays all windows of the active program |
| Fn+Volume Down (F11) | Hides all windows to show the Desktop |
| Dashboard (F4) or | Displays Dashboard |
| Fn+Volume Up (F12) | Displays Dashboard |
| Command+Tab | Displays icons of all running programs |
Common Mac Program Shortcut Keystrokes
No matter what program you’re running on your Mac, you can usually speed up using a program by performing a Mac keyboard shortcut rather than use your mouse to point to a menu and select a command. The following is a list of the most common Mac keyboard shortcuts that can speed up working with 99.99999 percent of all Mac programs:
| Keystroke | Command |
|---|---|
| Command+N | Create a new file |
| Command+O | Open an existing file |
| Command+S | Save an active file |
| Command+F | Find text in an active file |
| Command+A | Select all items in a window |
| Command+C | Copy the selected item |
| Command+X | Cut the selected item |
| Command+V | Paste the most recently cut or copied item |
| Command+P | |
| Command+Z | Undo the last command |
| Command+W | Close the active window |
| Esc | Cancel dialogs and closes pull-down menus |
| Command+Q | Quit a program |
Mac Mouse Actions
Using your Mac’s mouse can be a real drag — in a good way! That’s because drag (as well as click and Control-click) describes how you use your Mac’s mouse to do things with windows, icons, and other things on the screen. The following is a list of Mac mouse action terms and what they mean:
| Action | How to Do It | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Click | Press the mouse button down and release. | Select an item or menu command. |
| Double-click | Press the mouse button down twice in rapid succession. | Select and open an item. Also used in word processors to select an entire word. |
| Triple-click | Press the mouse button down three times in rapid succession. | Used in many word processors to select an entire paragraph. |
| Drag | Point to an item, hold down the mouse button, and move the mouse. Then release the mouse button. | To copy or move an item from one location to another. Also used to select multiple items or draw a line in a graphics program. |
| Control-click (right-click, if your mouse has two or more buttons) | Hold down the Control key, press the mouse button down, and release. | To point to an item and view a shortcut menu of commands for manipulating that item. |
| Scroll | Roll the wheel or ball near the front and middle of the mouse. | To scroll a window up/down or right/left. |
| Squeeze | Press the side buttons of a Mighty Mouse at the same time. | Display all windows in Exposé (equivalent to pressing F3 or Fn+F9). |
Useful Macintosh Web Sites
Finding more information about your Mac from Apple, locating and downloading programs and games, and staying up on the latest Mac news, rumors, and buying advice, are all things you can discover by visiting these Web sites with your Mac’s Safari Web browser:
| Mac-related Web site | Description |
|---|---|
| www.apple.com | Official Mac information direct from Apple |
| www.opensourcemac.org | Lists only free, open source programs for the Mac |
| www.macupdate.com | Tracks the latest versions of popular Mac programs |
| www.insidemacgames.com | Browse and download free, shareware, and commercial video games for the Mac |
| www.freemacware.com | Lists only completely free software for the Mac |
| http://buyersguide.macrumors.com | Alerts you to the best time to buy a Mac based on the age of current models and the latest rumors |
| www.appleinsider.com and www.macrumors.com | Provides the latest news and rumors about Apple products |
Identifying Programs in the Mac Applications Folder
Your Mac’s Applications folder contains a treasure trove of useful Mac programs you can double-click to launch and use. Here’s a rundown of the programs you’ll find in your Mac’s Applications folder and an explanation of what each one does:
| Mac Program Name | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Address Book | Stores names and addresses |
| Automator | Automates your Mac |
| Calculator | Four-function calculator |
| Chess | Chess game |
| Dashboard | Displays Dashboard widgets (equivalent to pressing F4 or Fn+F12) |
| Dictionary | Dictionary and thesaurus |
| DVD Player | Plays DVDs |
| Font Book | Displays and organizes fonts on your Mac |
| Front Row | Plays music and movies, or displays pictures |
| GarageBand | Creates music through a connected instrument or through software |
| iCal | Stores appointments on a calendar |
| iChat | Text, audio, and video instant messaging via the Internet |
| iDVD | Creates and burns custom DVDs |
| Image Capture | Retrieves images from external devices, such as digital cameras and scanners |
| iMovie | Creates, edits, and shares movies |
| iPhoto | Stores and displays pictures and images |
| iSync | Synchronizes data stored on a Mac and external device, such as a PDA |
| iTunes | Plays music and video |
| Sends and retrieves e-mail | |
| Photo Booth | Captures pictures using the built-in iSight camera |
| Preview | Displays the contents of files, such as graphics and PDF files |
| QuickTime Player | Plays QuickTime audio and video files |
| Safari | Web browser |
| Stickies | Displays windows mimicking sticky notes for jotting down information |
| System Preferences | Displays icons for configuring different parts of your Mac, such as volume or your Internet connection |
| TextEdit | Simple word processor |
| Time Machine | Displays deleted or earlier versions of files (works only if Time Machine is enabled) |
