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Any suggestions are definitely welcomed.
(Note for the OS X experts out there, yes I full well understand some of the terms are not "technically" correct. This post is only to provide the new windows switcher a feel - most of whom just want to know how to do it.)
For those coming to OS X from Windows, the installation and removal of applications can be a little confusing at first, especially when there are several methods, typically determined by the developer of the application. Since this is asked so often, finally decided to provide a small tutorial, and hopefully this will bring you up to speed pretty quickly.
I'll be dealing here strictly with apps downloaded from the web.
With most apps for OS X, what you will be downloading is typically a .dmg file. This is a disk image and can be considered similar to what you have in windows when you have a software application CD in your hand.
Installing
After you download an app, head for your Downloads folder and click on the file.
You'll then have the dmg open up and you may see a hard drive icon on your desktop similar to these:
(outdated links removed)
Not all of them will be as fancy as these two and that icon represents the CD you're use to seeing.
You will also have a separate window open up that has the actual application itself. What's in that window can vary a great deal.
Installation Method One - Drag and Drop
With this method, you are simply going to drag the icon from the window and drop it into your Applications folder.
Some of them will have nothing inside that window except the icon of the app itself, like this:
(outdated link removed)
Just grab the icon, drag and drop it onto the Applications icon in the dock or you can open a separate Finder window and drop it there.
The Onyx install window is actually not nearly so plain, and many will look similar to it and tell you what to do.
(outdated link removed)
In both of the above examples, you just drag and drop the app icon onto your Applications icon in the Dock. If you have removed the Applications icon from the Dock, then you'll need to open a Finder window and drag it into Applications there.
Some of them will save you a little trouble and they'll actually have a shortcut (or Alias) to the Applications folder right there in the window for you like Firefox.
(outdated link removed)
In this case, just drag the app icon right across within the window and drop it onto the Applications folder shortcut they've provided for you.
Once you have dragged it into your Applications folder, close the window and you can then delete the dmg file. You do not need it any longer. To delete the file, you can right click on the drive icon still on your desktop and select Eject "Firefox" same as you would eject that CD in Windows.
(outdated link removed)
Or you can drag the icon to the trash to eject it. Then open your Downloads folder and you can delete the downloaded file.
One thing to note:
With all of the above examples, you can actually open and run the app without installing it. If you simply double click on the app icon within that window, you'll discover the app will open and run even though you have not installed it onto your machine. This is a great way to run new apps that you just want to check out before you install them.
(Note for the OS X experts out there, yes I full well understand some of the terms are not "technically" correct. This post is only to provide the new windows switcher a feel - most of whom just want to know how to do it.)
For those coming to OS X from Windows, the installation and removal of applications can be a little confusing at first, especially when there are several methods, typically determined by the developer of the application. Since this is asked so often, finally decided to provide a small tutorial, and hopefully this will bring you up to speed pretty quickly.
I'll be dealing here strictly with apps downloaded from the web.
With most apps for OS X, what you will be downloading is typically a .dmg file. This is a disk image and can be considered similar to what you have in windows when you have a software application CD in your hand.
Installing
After you download an app, head for your Downloads folder and click on the file.
You'll then have the dmg open up and you may see a hard drive icon on your desktop similar to these:
(outdated links removed)
Not all of them will be as fancy as these two and that icon represents the CD you're use to seeing.
You will also have a separate window open up that has the actual application itself. What's in that window can vary a great deal.
Installation Method One - Drag and Drop
With this method, you are simply going to drag the icon from the window and drop it into your Applications folder.
Some of them will have nothing inside that window except the icon of the app itself, like this:
(outdated link removed)
Just grab the icon, drag and drop it onto the Applications icon in the dock or you can open a separate Finder window and drop it there.
The Onyx install window is actually not nearly so plain, and many will look similar to it and tell you what to do.
(outdated link removed)
In both of the above examples, you just drag and drop the app icon onto your Applications icon in the Dock. If you have removed the Applications icon from the Dock, then you'll need to open a Finder window and drag it into Applications there.
Some of them will save you a little trouble and they'll actually have a shortcut (or Alias) to the Applications folder right there in the window for you like Firefox.
(outdated link removed)
In this case, just drag the app icon right across within the window and drop it onto the Applications folder shortcut they've provided for you.
Once you have dragged it into your Applications folder, close the window and you can then delete the dmg file. You do not need it any longer. To delete the file, you can right click on the drive icon still on your desktop and select Eject "Firefox" same as you would eject that CD in Windows.
(outdated link removed)
Or you can drag the icon to the trash to eject it. Then open your Downloads folder and you can delete the downloaded file.
One thing to note:
With all of the above examples, you can actually open and run the app without installing it. If you simply double click on the app icon within that window, you'll discover the app will open and run even though you have not installed it onto your machine. This is a great way to run new apps that you just want to check out before you install them.
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