OS X Mavericks: The Missing Manual

Opening OS X Programs

You can launch (open) an application in any of several ways:

• Single-click an icon on the Launchpad, described on the following pages.

• Single-click a program’s icon on the Dock, the Sidebar, or the Finder toolbar.

• Use Spotlight. Hit ⌘-space bar, type the first letters of the program’s name, and then press Return.

• Double-click an app’s icon in the Finder.

• If you’ve added the Applications folder to your Dock, click the Dock icon to open the pop-up fan, grid, or list of icons. Then click the program you want (or even type the first few letters of its name and then press Return).

• Highlight an application icon and then press ⌘-O (short for File→Open) or ⌘-down arrow.

  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION: What’s with the Big “Duh”?

  So I double-click an Excel document, and the Mac asks me: “You are opening Microsoft Excel for the first time. Do you want to continue?” Well, HELLO! I double-clicked the icon, didn’t I? Does Apple think I’m some kind of idiot?

  It’s not you Apple is worried about. It’s the silent parade of evil hackers, lurking out there in Internet Land, waiting for the right moment to bring down the Mac.

  See, spyware authors have to be sneaky about how they install their stuff on your computer. You wouldn’t be so stupid as to double-click an application called Spyware Installer™, of course. So the spyware tricks you into running its installer. In the Windows world, it commandeers a certain document type (like MP3 or JPEG), reassigning it to its installer. You innocently double-click ...