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Go backMacintosh BasicsMore about the desktop

In this section, you’ll learn more about the desktop.

Let’s begin by learning a new way to open an icon. It’s called DOUBLE-CLICKING. To open the Hard Disk by double-clicking:

  1. Point to the Hard Disk icon.
  2. Then quickly press and release the button twice.

It may take you a few tries to learn double-clicking. If it doesn’t work the first time, try again.

  1. Move the pointer to the Hard Disk icon.
  2. Then quickly press and release the button twice.

Good. Now there are only a few items on the disk. As you create more documents and folders, your window will become more crowded with icons.

For example, suppose you write status reports, and you keep them in monthly folders on your disk.

The September folder is partially hidden from view. Now I’ll show you some ways that you can view the hidden icons in a window.

These are called SCROLL BARS. The horizontal bar is gray now, indicating that there are icons or parts of icons that you cannot see.

Inside the scroll bar is a SCROLL BOX. To see the September folder, you need to drag the scroll box to the right. Try it now. Drag the scroll box all the way to the right of the scroll bar and release it.

Another way to view the hidden contents of a window is to click one of the SCROLL ARROWS at the ends of the scroll bar. Try it now: Click the left scroll arrow until the scroll box is at the left end of the scroll bar.

Now click the right scroll arrow until the scroll box is at the right end of the scroll bar. Practice as much as you like.

There is another way to view hidden icons in a window. You can make a window bigger or smaller by RESIZING it. To resize a window you use the SIZE box.

To make the window bigger:

  1. Move the pointer to the size box.
  2. Drag the box to the right until you can see all of the September folder. Click the right arrow when you’re done.

As you work with your Macintosh, you’ll want to throw away documents and folders that you no longer need.

Let’s say you don’t need the July folder any more and you want to throw it away.

All you have to do is toss it in the Trash. Drag the July folder to the Trash icon.

The bulging Trash icon tells you that something is in the Trash. Now drag the August folder into the Trash.

You can retrieve documents from the Trash if you decide that you don’t want to throw them away. Open the Trash icon by double-clicking it.

Your folders are in the Trash window. To retrieve something you don’t want to throw away, you just drag it back out of the Trash. Drag the August folder out of the Trash and back to the Hard Disk window.

Now you’ll empty the Trash to remove the July folder. Choose Empty Trash from the Special menu.

When you choose Empty Trash, a dialog box appears giving you a chance to change your mind. For now, go ahead and click OK.

The folder is gone now. It has been erased from the hard disk, and the space it occupied is free again. Close the Trash window by clicking its close box.

Now the Trash window is closed. To finish up this section: Close the Hard Disk window by clicking its close box.

There’s one more thing you should know before you end this section. If you have questions as your work, there is on-screen help available to you.

The Help menu lets you get information as you work. Choose Show Balloons from the Help menu and then I’ll explain how the balloons work.

To see how the balloons work:

  1. Move the pointer to the Trash icon.
  2. You don’t need to click the icon.

This is the balloon which gives you information about the Trash. If you point at any item on the desktop, you’ll get information about it. Go ahead and try.

In this section, you’ve learned about double-clicking to open icons, viewing hidden parts of windows, and using the Trash. Click the right arrow to practice what you’ve learned.

For this practice session, here’s a new folder: Projects. Open the Projects folder by double-clicking it.

To view the hidden contents of a window, click one of the SCROLL ARROWS at the ends of the scroll bar. Try it now: Click the left scroll arrow until the scroll box is at the left end of the scroll bar.

Good. Now, throw the Eli’s Library folder in the Trash.

Now, empty the Trash.

When you choose Empty Trash, a dialog box appears giving you a chance to change your mind. For now, go ahead and click OK.

Good. You’ve completed the practice session for “More About the Desktop.” You can go back to any part of this section to review it or click Topics to select another section or to quit Macintosh Basics.

Page added on 6th October 2005.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Marcin Wichary, unless stated otherwise.