New mac user question!

[Khurram]

So my first ever mac just arrived a couple hours ago! i love it!
no problems so far whatsover...just a few newbie questions
My hd is already filled with 16.7gb of stuff I dont think I want..

How do I uninstall programs completely to free up some hd space?
Is there an add/remove programs type option like on windows?
this is my first time using a mac os!

Any links where I could go to learn the basics of using osx as well would really help, as i'm lost with the little things like copy, paste, cut shortcuts and stuff like that...

how do I maximize a screen? is the only way to drag it open? And will it stay like that when I re open it?
thanks in advance!
this lappy rules and it's ohhh so pretty

 

[Allotriophagy]

Cut = Apple key and X (Apple key is also called Option key, or Command. Or the one next to it is called that or the other. I forget)

Paste = Apple + V

Copy = Apple + C

Generally, wherever you had a shortcut in Windows that used CTRL, try swapping CTRL for Apple!

Check out the Apple Help by clicking on your Desktop then going to the Help menu. Search for keyboard shortcuts - lots of good stuff in the help.

Try Monolingual to remove unwanted language packs to free up some space.

To remove programs, you generally just drag them to the Trash then empty the trash.

The green circle in the top left corner should maximise the window.

 

[EricNau]

To uninstall applications you just click and drag the app's icon into the trash; that's it.

If you really want to free up space you might want to do a custom install of OS X and leave out the programs and features you don't want (like foreign languages).

Cut/Copy/Paste in OS X is similar to windows, only instead of the control key, you use the Command (Apple) key. So the shortcuts would be as follows:
Cut = Cmd + X
Copy = Cmd + C
Paste = cmd + V
Also see: http://guides.macrumors.com/Keyboard_shortcuts

You can make the screen larger by hitting the green button in the upper left corner, but that will only make the window as large as it needs to be - if you want it larger you'll have to click and drag the lower-right corner.

 

[balamw]

You could also do a complete reinstall of OS X ith only the features you want rather than uninstalling piecemeal...

There is a Javascript shortcut if you want to override the defaul maximization from the green button fo browsers... EDIT: More info here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/212463/

B

 

[Khurram]

You could also do a complete reinstall of OS X ith only the features you want rather than uninstalling piecemeal...

There is a Javascript shortcut if you want to override the defaul maximization from the green button fo browsers... EDIT: More info here: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/212463/

B

thanks a lot guys,
so how would I go about doing a custom install of osx?
just pop in the osx installation disc that came with the macbook and go from there? i'm assuming it' s pretty self explanatory or isn't it?

 

[mkrishnan]

Just a pleasant suggestion, that you can ignore if you wish...

If you are (a) new to using OS X, and (b) you noted a lot of stuff on the HD that you think you don't want/need, but you do not have any other stuff to take it's place (e.g. you don't pressingly need that space right now), then consider holding off on Monolingual or deleting things. Just saying that because it would be better to make sure you understand how OS X works first, and you can always delete those things when you actually run low on disk space.

There have been a lot of threads on MR about new users to OS X running Monolingual or otherwise going postal on the initial system install, and finally having to re-install OS X because they deleted the wrong things...

 

[dpaanlka]

Cut = Apple key and X (Apple key is also called Option key, or Command. Or the one next to it is called that or the other. I forget)

Paste = Apple + V

Copy = Apple + C

Generally, wherever you had a shortcut in Windows that used CTRL, try swapping CTRL for Apple!]

It is actually called, and more commonly referred to as the Command key. Now and then, some old timers will say Flower, Apple, or Open Apple.

But Apple documents refer to it as the Command key, which is what it always has been.

 

[decksnap]

It is actually called, and more commonly referred to as the Command key. Now and then, some old timers will say Flower, Apple, or Open Apple.

...or the 'infinite loop'.

 

[McGiord]

Maximize screen

For the windows just click on the + button in the left upper corner of the window.

And regarding the screen resolution go either to the display menu on the upper right corner (looks like an apple monitor).

Or go into the System Preferences, in the apple menu.

No big deal with a Mac you'll not mess it up nor damage it...
It will tell you when to make decissions over important things you are trying to do.

If you still think you are in the twilight zone because many former-windows users still think it has to be hard to use a Mac..go back to basics...use the help menu.

Enjoy and have fun with it!!!!

About the drive space: once you really need the space...burn some DVDs or get another Hard Drive, later on you'll start to look for things you think you don't need right now...forget the Windows....it's useful only to play games...you don't need it anymore...unless you want to spend money on antivirus and firewalls and adremovers...antispy stuff and wasting precious mac time for fixing it....
________
Mercedes-Benz W125 picture

 

[Khurram]

For the windows just click on the + button in the left upper corner of the window.

And regarding the screen resolution go either to the display menu on the upper right corner (looks like an apple monitor).

Or go into the System Preferences, in the apple menu.

No big deal with a Mac you'll not mess it up nor damage it...
It will tell you when to make decissions over important things you are trying to do.

If you still think you are in the twilight zone because many former-windows users still think it has to be hard to use a Mac..go back to basics...use the help menu.

Enjoy and have fun with it!!!!

About the drive space: once you really need the space...burn some DVDs or get another Hard Drive, later on you'll start to look for things you think you don't need right now...forget the Windows....it's useful only to play games...you don't need it anymore...unless you want to spend money on antivirus and firewalls and adremovers...antispy stuff and wasting precious mac time for fixing it....

Ok, so I installed firefox but now I have a firefox icon on my desktop which I can't seem to get rid off, it looks like the firefox icon with a cd drive underneath it...I just want to get rid of the icon on the desktop but leave it in my dock...when I try to drag it to the trash it says "firefox disc is still in use"....

how do I get rid of just icons (i'm assuming they are shortcuts?) on my desktop?

 

[Chundles]

Ok, so I installed firefox but now I have a firefox icon on my desktop which I can't seem to get rid off, it looks like the firefox icon with a cd drive underneath it...I just want to get rid of the icon on the desktop but leave it in my dock...when I try to drag it to the trash it says "firefox disc is still in use"....

how do I get rid of just icons (i'm assuming they are shortcuts?) on my desktop?

That's a mounted disk image. Open it, drag the Firefox icon within it to your Applications folder - it will install the app (currently you're running Firefox from the disk image, not your Apps folder so you'll have to quit Firefox) then eject the disk image by dragging it to the trash.

Then, drag the Firefox icon from your Applications folder to the dock.

 

[balamw]

how do I get rid of just icons (i'm assuming they are shortcuts?) on my desktop?

Not a shortcut, but a disc image (dmg file). You're probably trying to delete the mounted image. Eject the image first and delete the dmg (assuming you copied/installed the app into the Applications folder).

B

 

[Khurram]

Not a shortcut, but a disc image (dmg file). You're probably trying to delete the mounted image. Eject the image first and delete the dmg (assuming you copied/installed the app into the Applications folder).

B

Thanks to both of you guys! worked perfectly...so basically whenver I install a new prgoram, what would be the correct way to add it to the applications folder instead of it running off the disk image...because when I downloaded mozilla I dont remember it asking me where I wanted to install it, just the mozilla icon showed up...do I just drag most programs to application menu and then delete the disk image?
thanks again

 

[Chundles]

Thanks to both of you guys! worked perfectly...so basically whenver I install a new prgoram, what would be the correct way to add it to the applications folder instead of it running off the disk image...because when I downloaded mozilla I dont remember it asking me where I wanted to install it, just the mozilla icon showed up...do I just drag most programs to application menu and then delete the disk image?
thanks again

Yep, that's what we mean by "drag and drop installation."

When you download most programs, you'll get a file with the suffix .dmg when you double click on it a disk image mounts on the hard drive as if you have plugged in a disk. The application icon within this mounted disk is really a folder with everything the application needs to run and so all you need to do is drag that icon to your Applications folder and it will install the program there. You can then eject the disk image, I save the .dmg file somewhere just in case I need to reinstall that app.

Because all the program's stuff is inside the application icon, to delete a program you just drag the icon from the Applications folder to the trash and empty the trash.

Some programs use an installer but you'll be able to tell those from miles away, pretty self-explanatory.

 

[simontarr]

Heres a handy one. If you have a mouse with a scroll wheel, hold down CTRL and use the wheel to go back/forward on webpages.

 

[Khurram]

Yep, that's what we mean by "drag and drop installation."

When you download most programs, you'll get a file with the suffix .dmg when you double click on it a disk image mounts on the hard drive as if you have plugged in a disk. The application icon within this mounted disk is really a folder with everything the application needs to run and so all you need to do is drag that icon to your Applications folder and it will install the program there. You can then eject the disk image, I save the .dmg file somewhere just in case I need to reinstall that app.

Because all the program's stuff is inside the application icon, to delete a program you just drag the icon from the Applications folder to the trash and empty the trash.

Some programs use an installer but you'll be able to tell those from miles away, pretty self-explanatory.

So, unfortunatley I need to install windows because my grad school requires windows for some of the medical based apps we run...question is
how much minimal drive space do you think I need to alot to the windows drive partition? I wont' be storing that much stuff on there but I want it to run smooth.

Currently I have a 80gb hd on my macbook of which 57 is free...how much should I alot to windows?

 

[spinne1]

So, unfortunatley I need to install windows because my grad school requires windows for some of the medical based apps we run...question is
how much minimal drive space do you think I need to alot to the windows drive partition? I wont' be storing that much stuff on there but I want it to run smooth.

Currently I have a 80gb hd on my macbook of which 57 is free...how much should I alot to windows?

If you really don't plan to do much on Windows and don't want to play many games, then 10-20 GB would suffice. If doing more, maybe 30 GB.

 

[damienvfx]

So which one did you get?

Macbook? MacbookPro?