Mac OS X in a Nutshell

Chapter 6. Applications and Utilities

Apple has included a set of native applications and utilities for Mac OS X, including the famous iApps (iMovie, iPhoto, and iTunes; future releases will most likely include iCal and iSync as well).

There are applications for such things as viewing and printing PDF files, basic word processing, sending and receiving email, creating movies, and utilities to help you manage your system.

Use the Finder to locate the Applications (/Applications) and Utilities (/Applications/Utilities) on your system. You can quickly go to the Applications folder by clicking on the Applications icon in the toolbar, or by using the Shift-

-A keyboard shortcut. Because there is no keyboard shortcut to the Utilities, you might consider dragging the Utilities folder to the Finder toolbar.

These aren’t the only programs that Mac OS X ships with. The underlying Darwin system involves hundreds of command, tool, and system service programs (also known as daemons), which run either behind the scenes to make the operating system work, or are invoked as command-line programs through the Terminal. In Apple parlance, however, application specifically refers to a program that runs in the Aqua graphical interface (or in the Classic Environment). Chapter 25 covers command-line tools and system daemons.

If you’ve installed the Developer Tools, then you have access to another suite ...