Big Book of Apple Hacks

Chapter 3. Hacking Mac OS X

The default behavior of Mac OS X isn’t for everyone. There are undoubtedly things you can’t stand about Mac OS X or times you find yourself wondering why you can’t do something that seems like it should be easily done. Of course, Apple designs its software to appeal to the largest number of its users, and any time a person or company tries to appeal to the broadest number of users, there is a risk of pandering to the lowest common denominator. While Apple largely avoids this trap with Mac OS X, there are still bound to be times when you wished Mac OS X was tailored a little more closely to your personal preferences.

There is good news: Mac OS X is highly hackable. You can move Widgets to your Desktop, add a quit option to the Finder, or adopt a variety of fun, interesting, and productivity-enhancing hacks. This chapter covers everything from changing the default file type of screenshots to getting things done with Automator. Your customized, enhanced version of Mac OS X is just a few hacks away...

HACK 16: Know Your Cats

Mac OS X has gone through seven distinct iterations. Find the differences (and your hacking capabilities) with this guide.

You can always hit “About This Mac...” in the Apple menu (see Figure 3-1) to find which version of Mac OS X you’re running, but that won’t tell you its cat name or what features you can expect.

If you’re hacking your way ...