Mac OS X Power Hound, Second Edition

Chapter 4. Programs

For the longest time, the success of Mac OS X was up in the air. It all boiled down to one thing: programs. Without applications, no operating system can survive, and for most people, switching to Mac OS X meant having to buy all new, Mac OS X-compatible programs.

Fortunately, the tide has turned at last. All of the big-name programs have finally been made over in the Mac OS X mold, and thousands of smaller, lesser-known programs are sprouting up to make this operating system more interesting, useful, and fun.

All you need to do now is figure out how to use them.

Managing Programs

As you start using all your marvelous Mac OS X programs, you could find yourself spending more time sifting through open windows than breathing. The following hints can help you manage the window glut. (Also be sure to read the Exposé hints section of this chapter, where you’ll learn to master the hidden tricks of Panther’s new window management tool.)

Hide Others I

If there are a lot of open windows cluttering your screen, you can minimize them individually to the Dock as a housekeeping measure. Hiding them one by one, however, takes a lot of time that would be better spent playing Bugdom, for example.

It’s easier to use the Hide Others command, which appears in each program’s Application menu (the boldfaced menu that bears its name). Choosing Hide Others instantly hides the windows of all programs except the one you’re currently using—an especially likeable trick if your program offers ...