Mac OS X Tiger/Meet the Applications

Your Applications folder comes stocked with a library of Apple applications. Each is a leader in its class and exhibits the same attention to detail that Apple applies to the rest of its products. This chapter covers each and every included application, except Apple's "iLife" apps, which come with new Macs but not with Tiger itself. For information on these, please see the iLife book.

To make this mega-chapter load over a dial-up connection, it's been split into sub-chapters, one for each application.

Contents

1. Address Book

   Address Book is a simple application for storing Names, Phone Numbers, E-Mail addresses, etc. for everyone you know.

2. Automator

   Automator helps you quickly perform boring, repetitive tasks like renaming large groups of files.

3. Calculator

   The digital version of everyone's favorite math machine.

4. Chess

   Chess is the famous strategy game digitized and played on a virtual 3D board.

5. Dashboard

   Dashboard lets you quickly access information and controls from anywhere in Mac OS X.

6. Dictionary

   Dictionary is the New Oxford American Dictionary’s digital counterpart.

7. DVD Player

   DVD Player lets you view standard-issue movie DVDs right on your Mac.

8. Font Book

   Font Book, designed primarily for graphic artists, lets you manage your collection of fonts.

9. iCal

   A digital calendar app, iCal lets you manage appointments and your to-do list.

10. iChat

    iChat is multifunction internet communication app, allowing you to use instant messaging, audio-conferencing, and video-conferencing.

11. Image Capture

    Image Capture is like a standalone version of iPhoto's "Import" function, used to suck up photos from a digital camera and put them on your computer. It also is the software you will use with your scanner.

12. Internet Connect

    If you have a modem, Internet Connect will dial your modem and connect you to the Internet.

13. Internet Exporer

    Internet Explorer used to be the de facto standard for Mac web browsing, but has been replaced by Apple's Safari, and is no longer updated. It is not covered in this wikibook.

14. iSync

    iSync is used to send your contacts and calendars to your mobile phone or Palm-powered handheld.

15. Mail

    If you use .Mac mail or an eMail service that supports POP or IMAP, you can read your mail without a web browser with Mail.

16. Photo Booth

    Although it doesn't come with Tiger, Photo Booth is included with all Macs with iSight cameras. It lets you take pictures of yourself, with or without special effects, and then send them to iPhoto or to your friends.

17. Preview

    Preview is used to quickly view images and PDF files.

18. QuickTime

    Covering both the "Player" and "Pro" varieties, this chapter explains Apple's popular media player application.

19. Safari

    Safari, Apple's web browser, is the most popular Mac browser in the world.

20. Sherlock

    Sherlock is a legacy application designed to let computer novices get information from the internet, but it was so limited and got so little 3rd party support that it is now generally considered obsolete. Its functionality has largely been superseded by Dashboard. Sherlock is not covered in this wikibook.

21. Stickies

    Stickies lets you plaster your desktop with virtual Post-It notes.

22. System Preferences

    System Preferences contains your user and administrator preferences. Everything from your Desktop picture to your Apache setup is covered. It has so many options, that we could spend an entire chapter on it. In fact, we did. See Chapter 8 for information on System Preferences.

23. TextEdit

    A basic text editor mainly used for viewing Read-Me files and other very simple documents.