Switcher needs help downloading apps

Hi, I just picked up my 24" iMac yesterday and so far so good. I do have a question about downloading applications from the internet. It seems that when I downloaded Firefox and Thunderbird an icon appeared on the desk top representing the file being downloaded. Then upon completion it installed itself and created an icon for the application. I then purchased a suite of solitaire games and downloaded them and the same icons appeared. When I opened the game icon it said not to start from the desktop but to drag to the application folder and start from there. I guess I have several questions:

1. Is it safe to launch these applications from the desktop

2. How do you place these apps permanently on the dock, or what is the easiest way to launch them

3 Is it safe to drag the original file (once the app has been installed) to the trash

4 Why did I get that message about not launching the game from the desktop

The Firefox and Thunderbird icons when clicked actually open another small window which I have to click to open the app, is there a quicker way to open the app?

What you downloaded were .dmg files or disk images. Open that and install the app into /Applications and run them from there. After that you can do what you want with the .dmg file (unmount it first).

As far as the game...some games write to their own directory and need to be in the Application dir to run.

To put an App in the dock, drag it's icon to the dock. To remove it, drag it off and watch the "Poof". You're not deleting it, just getting it off the dock.

cradom said:

What you downloaded were .dmg files or disk images. Open that and install the app into /Applications and run them from there. After that you can do what you want with the .dmg file (unmount it first).

As far as the game...some games write to their own directory and need to be in the Application dir to run.

To put an App in the dock, drag it's icon to the dock. To remove it, drag it off and watch the "Poof". You're not deleting it, just getting it off the dock.

Click to expand...

Thanks, I think I understand now. The icons on the desktop were actually the directories for Firefox and Thunderbird. I dragged the icon inside the directory and placed it in the application folder and then I was able to drag to the dock.

One Question, do I have to keep those icons (directories) on the desktop? Can I drag them to the trash? If not where do they go?

anderson said:

Thanks, I think I understand now. The icons on the desktop were actually the directories for Firefox and Thunderbird. I dragged the icon inside the directory and placed it in the application folder and then I was able to drag to the dock.

One Question, do I have to keep those icons (directories) on the desktop? Can I drag them to the trash? If not where do they go?

Click to expand...

You understand right anderson, the .dmg files are simply containers for the apps. When you double-click on the .dmg this mounts the volume and from there you are able to instal the app. To unmount the volume just drag it to the trash and it's gone. Then you can either keep the .dmg's in a separate folder or trash them. I keep my .dmg's don't ask me why, I just do.

If you do a search, this question crops up a lot on the forums. There are various FAQs and HOWTOs for beginning users.

The stuff that's left on the desktop can be safely deleted. The icons that look like drives with the Firefox logo on will simply disappear when dragged to the trash because it is a 'mounted' disk image. The disk image itself (the thing you downloaded) can be put in the trash as normal.

Thanks for the replies, I think I understand the process now!!