- What happened to my Apple Menu items?
- Where is the trash?
- Where are my control panels?
All of these questions are answered by the new OS X feature known as the Dock.
When you turn on your computer running OS X, the Dock is placed at the bottom
of your screen by default. Windows users will find the Dock very similar to
the taskbar.
What is the purpose of the Dock?
The Dock serves many purposes:
- It can be customized to hold shortcuts to the applications and folders you
use most, much like your old Apple Menu.
- It holds the Trash can, System Preferences, and a shortcut to the Finder
application.
- It shows all currently opened applications and minimized windows as icons.
To add a shortcut to the Dock:
- Click and hold an application or folder icon.
- Drag and drop the icon on the dock. It will automatically open a space for
you. Application shortcuts are stored on one half of the Dock (with the Finder),
and folder shortcuts are stored on the other half (with the Trash).
NOTE: Dock icons are also commonly referred to
as "Docklings".
| Trash |
 |
In OS X, Trash functions just as it did in OS 9. To delete a file, remove a
Dockling, eject a disk, or disconnect from a network drive, simply drag the
item to the Trash.
| Finder
|
|
Rather than having to double-click your hard drive icon, as in OS 9, you can
now click the Finder icon, which shows up as the first icon in the Dock.
| System Preferences |
 |
Most of the functions you would have performed using Control Panels in OS 9
are now found in the System Preferences application, which has a shortcut in
the Dock by default.
Customizing the Dock
To customize the Dock:
- Open System Preferences by clicking on its icon in the Dock.
- In the section labelled "Personal," click on the Dock icon.
- Now you can customize the Dock's appearance and behavior to your liking.
- When you are done, quit the System Preferences and your settings will be
applied.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is there a little black arrow next to some of my Docklings?
This arrow is telling you that these applications are open. Clicking the icon
will bring its application to the forefront. To quit the application (and remove
the black arrow), hit Command-Q on the keyboard or select Quit from the application's
main menu at the top of the screen. You can also Control-click the icon and
select Quit.
2. Why does the Dock have two sides? Why is there a line through the Dock?
Can I remove the line?
The Dock is divided into two sections. One section holds application icons,
the other holds minimized windows, folders, and Trash. These sides are separated
by a thin bar. This bar cannot be removed.
3. I'm trying to put a folder or application in the Dock, but it won't allow
me to. What's wrong?
Make sure you are dropping it on the appropriate section of the Dock. If you
are creating a shortcut to a folder, you will not be able to place it on the
side where application icons are stored. If you are trying to make a shortcut
to an application, make sure you are not attempting to put it on the same side
as the Trash can.
4. Why is one of my Docklings bouncing up and down?
This can mean one of two things: 1) The application is starting up. 2) The
application wants your attention. Click on the bouncing icon to find out why.
More OS X Tutorials. >>