Robin Williams Mac OS X Book, Jaguar Edition, The

Chapter 7. All About Icons

Icons—the little pictures you see on the screen—are an intrinsic part of the look and feel of the Macintosh. Instead of having to type a code to open an application or document (which you had to do before the Mac was invented), you simply double-click on an icon.

An icon can represent any kind of file—a file is any form of information you see on your computer. The term “file” might refer to an application, document, clipart, photograph, folder, email letter, web page, or other items.

The icons offer rich visual clues. At first they may look like an odd collection of stuff, but once you really look at them you’ll see how much information icons instantly provide. This information is valuable to you, and that’s the purpose ...