New MBP!

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Some of you may have seen a few of my posts on here regarding pre-purchase questions I had about MBP's. I finally got one, and got lucky because I ordered it 2 days before they released the new MBP so I got a free upgrade, so now I'm cruisin on a 15.4" WS with an LED backlight, 2.2 ghz intel core 2 duo, 2gb of ram, 160gb HDD @ 7200rpm, etc etc. I love it! So fast, so sexy. Anyway, it's now time for me to LEARN how to use it. Here is my first question! Is there a way to reduce the size of the desktop icons? Thanks for all of your help!
 
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Yes indeed. Bring the desktop into focus (so that the Menu Bar displays "Finder") and press Command-J (Command is your Apple key). Manipulate the slider in the dialogue that appears.
 
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Yes indeed. Bring the desktop into focus (so that the Menu Bar displays "Finder") and press Command-J (Command is your Apple key). Manipulate the slider in the dialogue that appears.

Awesome...thanks! More questions to come :)
 
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I guess your "Macorwhat" username no longer applies to you. Obviously, Mac.
 
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Ok, next question.
I've downloaded a couple of programs (firefox and limewire). First of all, there is a .dmg file that stays on the desktop. What is this? And as it seems that these files are necessary to run the programs they are connected with, is there another place I can store them so they don't clutter my desktop? My second question has to do with firefox. When I open firefox, besides the main browser window opening, there is also a much smaller window with the firefox logo/shortcut in it with a couple of other things in the window as well. What is it, and is there a way to stop it from opening each time I run firefox? Thanks for your help!

Jeff
 
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Question 1:

DMG files are the disk image files associated when installing programs. Double click them, and you should see a few icons inside the window that pops up. Look for the program-name-goes-here.app file, and drag it into your Applications folder. That will install the program. You don't have to double click the dmg file everytime you want to run a program. From a PC perspective, think of the DMG file as a Window's setup.exe

Now, check the Applications folder to make sure that the program is there, once it's there, you can go back to Finder and eject the disk image file. You can now delete the .dmg file.

Question 2:

No idea what you're talking about. Can you take a screen shot of it? You'll learn how to take a screen shot in the process :) Then just upload it to http://imageshack.us/, paste URL here.

Hint:

For a full screen screenshot, hit APPLE + SHIFT + 3.
To select a certain area to only take a screen shot of: APPLE + SHIFT + 4

:)
 
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good questions im new and im learning just by reading.
 
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Ok, uploaded the image. Here it is:

http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/4330/picture1de8.png

The window on the left is what opens when I double click either of the icons that are on the left. The .dmg file always stays on the desktop, and the other one appears after I open firefox. How do I relocate them and/or stop the one on top from appearing every time I open firefox. Thanks for your help!
 
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Alright got those questions answered. I stopped the smaller window from opening each time I ran firefox (although to be honest I'm not entirely sure what I did!). Thanks for your help prpandey
 
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Ah... ok. Did you read my post above? The bottom icon you have there, the Firefox.#.#.dmg file you have there - that's just the disk image file. The icon above it, it's the disk image LOADED on your computer.

Now, you see that window? Take the Firefox icon (on the left) and drag it into the Application folder (the icon on the right, in the same window) -- I'm pretty sure that's a link to the application folder. If it is not, just take the Firefox icon from the same window, and drag it into the Applications Folder.

[edit] - you posted before I finished typing this one. Well, good job :) Remember, the method above works when installing other programs, as well.
 
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Macorwhat, a good indication that you've followed prpandey's instructions correctly is to delete both of those files on your desktop. Once you've done that, you should still have Firefox in your Applications folder, and you should be able to run the app from there.

Assuming you've done it right (it takes a bit of getting used to, I know), congratulations, as you've mastered the way to install a large bulk of Mac apps!
 
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I know that many people on this thread and others have explained how to install Apps, but let just let me take a whack at it.

In that little window with the Firefox icon it it, (http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/4330/picture1de8.png) press the little tiny rectangle button in the top right hand corner of that window.

That should have made the Finder sidebar visible.

Now just drag the Firefox icon into the Applications folder on the sidebar.

If that makes since, then you have installed Firefox. You can now drag both that Firefox DMG drive, and the .dmg file into the trash!
 
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New problem...or maybe I'm just being an idiot! My backlit keyboard is acting weird. F8 turns it on/off, but when I turn it on, it'll go back and forth between normal operation (lighter when ambient is darker, darker when ambient is lighter) to just the opposite, so it gets lighter when the ambient gets lighter, and vise versa. Any suggestions?
 
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Ok, fixed that (again, not sure how, but it counts!) Next question...
How do I install a program from a .bin file such as InstallAIM4.7.bin??
 
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Ok, fixed that (again, not sure how, but it counts!) Next question...
How do I install a program from a .bin file such as InstallAIM4.7.bin??

StuffIt Expander
 
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Got it working with stuffit. Is it worth it to delete stuffit and install unarchiver? And while we're on the subject, what is the best way to uninstall programs?
 
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Got it working with stuffit. Is it worth it to delete stuffit and install unarchiver? And while we're on the subject, what is the best way to uninstall programs?

I don't wanna break your balls, but how about you search around on this forum or Google regarding Mac OS X 101. There are plenty of threads here and websites that give you all the info you need to know.

As for StuffIt, I personally think it's totally bloated. The Unarchiver is much leaner and does the job just fine.
 

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