Does Apple listen ?

Hi Guys

I am one of them guys that hate getting extra software to achieve things that are so obvious that one expects the OS X to have.

What I am talking about is the Separators. I did some good google searching and it turns out one can not add extra separators without using some tricks or installing programs.

I mean the guys at apple must have known people want this feature since the Dock was invented (whenever that was) .. yet they still haven't added the option to add extra separators.

This is my first disappointment.

Everything else is still good.

Thanks

Apple will listen, but they also have their vision of how you should use the Mac.

The way Apple wants you to use the Dock is that your most used programs will be permanently parked there, but that wouldn't be very many. They have Spotlight for quickly opening programs and searching for files that you don't used on a very regular basis.

Under that scenario, you wouldn't need extra separators since there would only be a handful of apps on your dock at any given time.

One of the biggest changes to get used to on Mac is that you really don't need to have all your programs out all the time. It's super easy to just hit CMD+Space to open up spotlight and type in the beginning of the name and hit enter.

While a lot of things will be very intuitive, there will be a few things that you might have to relearn or adapt to, every switcher goes through it. But in the end, most usually enjoy the "Mac" way of doing things.

Hmm Interesting answer.

I do a bit of webdesign and I wanted to have all my Web Design software separate from the rest.

But I guess you have a point too.

Two questions:

1) How do I setup time machine ? and if I do will it take a lot of HDD space ? Cause System Restore did !

2) I'm planning on getting an iPhone 4 soon (have you got one ?) and I want to use it as a Diary to keep track of appointments ..etc >> If I add appointments to iPhone 4 (I hope I'll be able to) can that then Sync with iCal somehow ?

THanks

Ciwan said:

1) How do I setup time machine ? and if I do will it take a lot of HDD space ? Cause System Restore did !

Click to expand...

You'll need an external hard drive. I'd recommend one about twice the size of your computer drive. Once you connect it, go to System Preferences --> Time Machine and turn it on, you can select the drive you connected and everything after that is automatic.

2) I'm planning on getting an iPhone 4 soon (have you got one ?) and I want to use it as a Diary to keep track of appointments ..etc >> If I add appointments to iPhone 4 (I hope I'll be able to) can that then Sync with iCal somehow ?

Click to expand...

The iPhone will automatically sync with iCal, AddressBook, etc when you connect it and sync your phone with iTunes.

Are iMac Hard Drives different from those of Windows ?

Because I already have an External HDD that I assembled myself. i.e. I bought the HDD enclosure and inside I fitted the HDD.

Great about the iPhone 4.

Thanks

Ciwan said:

Are iMac Hard Drives different from those of Windows ?

Because I already have an External HDD that I assembled myself. i.e. I bought the HDD enclosure and inside I fitted the HDD.

Great about the iPhone 4.

Thanks

Click to expand...

Nope it should work. You'll just want to reformat it using Disk Utility to use the Mac OS filesystem before you use it for Time Machine.

Awesome.

Thanks Schweb, You're a Great Help.

Bravo Schweb, excellent answers all.

To Ciwan:

Schweb is right about the purpose of the Dock, I see people stuff virtually every program they use onto the Dock and it just makes my head shake.

What I've done is this: my dozen or so most-used apps do actually sit in the Dock. But beyond that, I've take two measures to make every other program -- even the most rarely used ones -- almost instantly accessible.

Step #1. I dragged the Application Folder into the Dock (on the right side). This creates a shortcut to it (the Application Folder doesn't actually move). Click-and-hold and boom, there is every program I own, in order, accessible by simply scrolling to it.

Step #2. Inside the actual Application folder, I created folders that group certain kinds of non-Apple apps* together. All my Audio apps are in a folder called Audio. All my Video apps are in the folder called Video. My Games are in Games, my Adobe Apps in Adobe.

Each of these folders is then added to the Dock. Quicker than scrolling through the Application Folder since its now kind of broken-down by type. I put custom icons on all the folders so that I can see at a glance which folder I'm opening, and of course as I added these folders I changed the viewing options in the Dock to "folder" rather than "stack."

You may want to give that a try. I now feel that I am never more than five seconds away from launching any app I want, even a rarely-used one.

schweb said:

The iPhone will automatically sync with iCal, AddressBook, etc when you connect it and sync your phone with iTunes.

Click to expand...

Additionally, if you buy the MobieMe service you can have it do all of that real time over the air. It's handy to know that if you add a calender event or contact on the fly with the phone it will already be available on your desktop or laptop (assuming it's on) when you get back to it. It makes keeping track of this sort of thing that much easier. It also makes adding this info to new devices (iPad, new laptop etc) that much easier.

[/Sales Pitch]

Thanks for the replies guys

@Chas_m: Can you please send me a screenshot of your dock, also I'd appreciate it if you can tell me how I can change the icon for a folder

@baggss: But I never EVER leave my PC or Mac on while I'm not home !! Why should it use up Electricity when it isn't being used.

Thanks

Another perspective on the spacers: I definitely use them to group my most used apps, and I put them there through the use of Onyx. Now, a lot of people already use Onyx to perform a monthly or bi-monthly kind of maintenance (permissions, cleaning scripts etc..) so why not use it to kill two birds with one stone ?

Aside from all the maintenance scripts which Onyx performs, it also allows a bit of customization to certain aspects of the OS, including how things look in finder and the Dock. I highly recommend looking into this option since at the very least, you'll find the maintenance aspect of it very useful (IMO).

Like Chas, I also have my application folder in the dock, and it's extremely beneficial to have it as such. I didn't create folders for groups of apps, but hadn't really thought of doing so until he mentioned it and can see that being a great way to control clutter and also cut down on the time it takes to find other niche items.

Doug

Ciwan said:

@baggss: But I never EVER leave my PC or Mac on while I'm not home !! Why should it use up Electricity when it isn't being used.

Thanks

Click to expand...

You actually don't need to leave your computer on for MobileMe to sync through the cloud. But the main thing is that let's say you put an event on your iCal but don't sync your phone before you leave to go out somewhere. With MobilMe, it will just be on your phone calendar, without, it won't be there until the next time you plug your phone into the computer.

That's just one example. It's all done pretty real-time so if you're computer isn't on, when you turn it back on, it will sync up immediately with MobileMe and all the data will be there.

chas_m said:

Bravo Schweb, excellent answers all.

Step #1. I dragged the Application Folder into the Dock (on the right side). This creates a shortcut to it (the Application Folder doesn't actually move). Click-and-hold and boom, there is every program I own, in order, accessible by simply scrolling to it.

Step #2. Inside the actual Application folder, I created folders that group certain kinds of non-Apple apps* together. All my Audio apps are in a folder called Audio. All my Video apps are in the folder called Video. My Games are in Games, my Adobe Apps in Adobe.

Each of these folders is then added to the Dock. Quicker than scrolling through the Application Folder since its now kind of broken-down by type. I put custom icons on all the folders so that I can see at a glance which folder I'm opening, and of course as I added these folders I changed the viewing options in the Dock to "folder" rather than "stack."

You may want to give that a try. I now feel that I am never more than five seconds away from launching any app I want, even a rarely-used one.

Click to expand...

This is the way to go.... I do basically the same but using Dragthing, which the OP may want to demo - very flexible - although it is extra software, you'd have to pay up for.... www.dragthing.com

Excellent 'tip'


Coops

Thanks for clearing that up for me Schweb, I can clearly see MobileMe benefits right now.

Still I need to know how to change a folder icon.

Thanks

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Ciwan said:

@Chas_m: Can you please send me a screenshot of your dock, also I'd appreciate it if you can tell me how I can change the icon for a folder

Click to expand...

Screenshot below (you'll note that most of my right-side icons are folders, but the iWork one is actually a stack), and instructions for making a folder icon here. There are also some useful third-party tools to make folder icons, and of course lots of people have already created sets of folder icons you can use.

@baggss: But I never EVER leave my PC or Mac on while I'm not home !! Why should it use up Electricity when it isn't being used.

Click to expand...

Sleep has a number of advantages over shutting off the Mac every time you leave the house, but the important thing to know is that a Mac still draws a trickle of power even when shut off. Sleep only draws a tiny amount more than that trickle (seriously, we are talking about a few pennies per year difference), so there's really not enough difference to outweigh the advantages.

Apple itself advises just sleeping the machine unless you're going to be away from it for a significant period (like more than a couple of days).

schweb said:

You actually don't need to leave your computer on for MobileMe to sync through the cloud. But the main thing is that let's say you put an event on your iCal but don't sync your phone before you leave to go out somewhere. With MobilMe, it will just be on your phone calendar, without, it won't be there until the next time you plug your phone into the computer.

That's just one example. It's all done pretty real-time so if you're computer isn't on, when you turn it back on, it will sync up immediately with MobileMe and all the data will be there.

Click to expand...

+1 for MobileMe and it's uses.

Apple MobileMe

Ciwan said:

I'd appreciate it if you can tell me how I can change the icon for a folder

Click to expand...

A folder in a Finder Window:
Highlight the icon you want to change it to
Do the Get Info command
Click on the icon in that window and Copy
Highlight the icon you want to change
Get Info, highlight, Paste

In the Dock:
I've heard of Candy Bar, mostly in threads saying "I've screwed up my Dock, Help!"

I will probably get MobileMe once I get money for the iPhone 4.

No point in getting that service right now.

Thanks for all the information guys.