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Installing applications and various questions

D

delude

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 27, 2007
458
34
UK
Hey there, I'm glad I can finally write in this section regarding my new MBP!

I have already downloaded a few applications, and understand the very basics but I was wondering a few things.

Why when I install an application does a separate sort of drive appear on the desktop? Is there a way to get rid of this or move it somewhere else?

Also, is there a manual anywhere, am I missing something? I'd like to learn a lot more, starting from the basics of OS X but the only 'manual' included is the little 'basics' book.

Thanks very much
 
Whenever you download a .dmg file or insert a DVD with software or insert a flash drive, it appears on your desktop like another hard drive. After you've installed the software, typically by dragging the application icon to your Applications folder, simply drag the drive icon from the desktop to the Trash to "eject" the virtual drive.

Explore all the links on this page to get you oriented to the Mac.
 
The drives that appear on your desktop are disk images that have been mounted. After installing the application/copying it to your applications folder you can unmount the disk image (and make it disappear from your desktop) by dragging it to the trash.

I don't think there's an official Apple manual for OS X, but there are number of books out there that fill a similar role - I've never bought any myself, so I'll let someone else make a recommendation. There is of course the searchable help menu in every application, which may help answer some of your questions.
 
Thanks so much for you answers guys, amazingly quick and extremely helpful!

If I have any more questions after searching, I'll be sure to post here :D
 
If you're looking for an intro to OS X in a book, David Pogue's books have a good reputation.

I haven't tried them myself, but have heard a lot of positive things about his approach to the topic. Try to find and illustrated version (one that includes screenshots), but really, any of them should help.
 
delude said:
Thanks so much for you answers guys, amazingly quick and extremely helpful!

If I have any more questions after searching, I'll be sure to post here :D
Click to expand...
Another tip: if you use MRoogle to search the forums, you can typically find answers to just about anything you might ask. (It's much more effective than the standard "Search Forums" function, as it uses Google to perform the searches.) Many topics are discussed frequently, so the forum holds a wealth of information in existing threads.
 
scienide09 said:
If you're looking for an intro to OS X in a book, David Pogue's books have a good reputation.

I haven't tried them myself, but have heard a lot of positive things about his approach to the topic. Try to find and illustrated version (one that includes screenshots), but really, any of them should help.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll definitely have a look :)

I have managed to come up with another question already, linking to the title. When I install a new application, is it possible for the icon to be added to the dock automatically, or must I manually open finder and drag it in?
 
delude said:
Thanks, I'll definitely have a look :)

I have managed to come up with another question already, linking to the title. When I install a new application, is it possible for the icon to be added to the dock automatically, or must I manually open finder and drag it in?
Click to expand...

The dock is your "favorite apps" list, so most apps won't automatically show up there upon installation. To add something to the dock, just drag it there, between existing icons and drop it. To remove something from the dock, just drag it off and it disappears.
 
ggjstudios said:
The dock is your "favorite apps" list, so most apps won't automatically show up there upon installation. To add something to the dock, just drag it there, between existing icons and drop it. To remove something from the dock, just drag it off and it disappears.
Click to expand...

Thanks! So am I right in saying that to drag the icon on I must open 'Macintosh HD', browse to the applications folder and then just drag it in?

ta :D
 
Welcome to the world of Mac, delude! :)

You can also drag your applications folder to the right of the separator on the dock to create a "Stack" that shows all your apps. You can then right click on your Stack to choose whether you want them to show in a "fan", a grid or a list. THis can be done with any folder aswell.
 
cbrain said:
Welcome to the world of Mac, delude! :)

You can also drag your applications folder to the right of the separator on the dock to create a "Stack" that shows all your apps. You can then right click on your Stack to choose whether you want them to show in a "fan", a grid or a list. THis can be done with any folder aswell.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much :)
 
Okay, I've managed to copy my music from my iPod to iTunes using 'Music Rescue' however my playlists did not copy. What can I do to transfer my playlists?
 
Well I've searched around quite a lot but still can't find a way to easily transfer my playlists from my iPod to my MacBook. I may well switch my iPod to sync with my MacBook primarily instead of my PC sometime in the future, but I don't want to do that right now.
 
Remember to keep backups of the DMG files if you have the space. Things you may want to re-install later, you never know when it will disappear off the net.

Things like Firefox are not a big deal, new versions are always coming out with big fixes and are available online, so keeping them around is a waste of space. All you're going to do when you re-install it is: Install it, then download a newer version (when it tells you), and have that one installed.

If you pay for an app, keep the DMG, along with your license info. Personally I keep them on a portable HDD, and also back up to DVD periodically.


I have separate DVDs for PC-files and OS X files.
 
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