Mac OS X in a Nutshell

Chapter 1. Using Mac OS X

There are actually two interface layers to Mac OS X. One is Aqua, the system’s native graphical user interface (GUI); the other is a command-line interface (CLI), which is most commonly accessed via the Terminal application (/Applications/Utilities). This chapter provides a quick overview of Mac OS X’s Aqua environment; later chapters in the book will introduce you to the Terminal and the BSD Unix side, with a full examination of these deeper OS layers in Part V.

Mac OS X offers a feature-rich graphical user environment that makes it easy for people to interact with the operating system. This chapter starts out with a discussion of Mac OS X’s Desktop, and introduces things like the menu bar, the Dock, and basic window controls. Chapter 2 covers the Finder, Mac OS X’s file manager.

The Mac Desktop

When you first log on to your Mac, you are presented with the Desktop, as shown in Figure 1-1. By “Desktop,” we’re referring to the entire screen and all of its interface elements, including the menu bar, the Dock, the Desktop, disk and file icons, and the various windows used by the Finder and other applications.

Figure 1-1. The Mac OS X Desktop