cool mac tricks

[PepeRB29]

so i've been doin research, not sure if there is a thread about this, but i have found some really cool key strokes and stuff for my mac. i'm not sure if they are only on macbook pro's but i would assume they would be on all apples. here are a couple cool ones i have found.

control-option-command-8 : all at the same time like switches your screen color, pretty cool imo.
control-command-D : put your mouse over any word on your screen and click this and it will give you a definition of the word, works for all real words.
control-2 finger on trackpad towards the screen : zooms in on the whole screen, and vice versa to reverse.

feel free to post up any cool ones you know or find out as well, its always interesting to learn more stuff about these things.

[freakydeaky dutch bastard]

Whoa! Those are really cool!! Thanks, Pepe. Have you heard of quicksilver? Very cool program. I highly recommend.

[Youngbinks]

I love stumbling upon special keystrokes.

Command + H hides all windows open on my friend's MacBook but not on my Air

That's the only really cool one I know of so far, but I'll be on the lookout for more.

[Ramesh]

Cool. I never knew the dictionary one...

[PepeRB29]

I love stumbling upon special keystrokes.

Command + H hides all windows open on my friend's MacBook but not on my Air

That's the only really cool one I know of so far, but I'll be on the lookout for more.

this doesn't work on my macbook pro.....

keep em coming guys, these tricks are awesome

[Ramesh]

this doesn't work on my macbook pro.....

keep em coming guys, these tricks are awesome

huh, that always has worked on any mac I've owned. You have be in the program for it to work....

[gotpancakes]

those are sweet!!! Can't wait to use a few

[deac]

Looks like some of yours came from this cool little article of Ten Things mac will do we might have forgotten.

http://lifehacker.com/390226/top-10-things-you-forgot-your-mac-can-do

22 year Macaholic here and I love tips and tricks and shortcuts and dangit forget them as fast as learn them. Here are a few sites of interest and hopefully helpful.

There is also a section of the Apple site itself which has weekly or monthly User Tips that are wonderful -- can't find the dang linky right now
This is a video tip section which is decent.

http://www.apple.com/business/theater/#tutorial=managingbrowsertabs

OK, found it, this is the Tip of TheWeek part of Apple site which is awesome.

http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/



Dashboard widget for Daily Mac Tips

http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/blogs_forums/mactipsdailymactipstricksandhacks.html

Keyboard Shortcuts summary -- tons here

http://developer.apple.com/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/OSXHIGuidelines/XHIGKeyboardShortcuts/chapter_950_section_1.html

I'll make up a list of little shortcuts I use daily which seem second nature to me but which have some new Mac friends surprised to learn them.

[projectdarkside]

That will be an interesting addition to my imac :)

[Cantwait4iPhone]

Great Mac tricks. I encourage you to look around other sites, such as YouTube, as there are so many cool tricks out there. I don't usually take interest in this kind of thing, but the word definition one is really cool. Thanks again.

[Ramesh]

bump............

[Witness]

hold shift apple 4 to select an area on your screen and take a snapshot of it.

[phsycology]

hold shift apple 4 to select an area on your screen and take a snapshot of it.

and shift apple 3 to take a screenshot of your entire screen.

[Witness]

If you click the spacebar on any selected file most of the time it shows you a preview of it.

[Ramesh]

command spacebar will open up spotlight. You can immediately start to type and application's name and then hit enter to launch the program, or say system preferences.

[smknSRT8]

command spacebar will open up spotlight. You can immediately start to type and application's name and then hit enter to launch the program, or say system preferences.

I think this is hands down one of the best features on a mac. To be able to find ANY file on my computer, wether it be searching for an Application, and email (searching any keywords in that email, name, address subject ANYTHING), same for files. I use this almost every time I use my computer! the only time I open a window is to copy files or just miscellaneous things.
I LOVE SPOTLIGHT!!!

[smknSRT8]

This is not a shortcut key but...
By pressing Command + Spacebar to get spotlight THEN
you can type in calculations, words to get definitions, thesaurus, apple (do not know what it does but it is there) and lastly wikipedia.

[phsycology]

I'm mising this wikipedia in spotlight...???

[smknSRT8]

I'm mising this wikipedia in spotlight...???

http://i480.photobucket.com/albums/rr167/smknSRT8/Picture1-4.png

My MBP is running Mac OSX v10.5.4

[smknSRT8]

No one has any tips or tricks?

I got one for Gmail and Apple Mail

In the article Quickly Attach File in your browser Drag and Drop (http://www.mactips.org/archives/2008/09/17/quickly-attach-files-in-your-browser-with-drag-and-drop/) you can simply drag a file from your desktop or in any folder right in the "choose file" button. The same is true for Mail, just drag the file you want right into the Mail icon (for me, in the dock) then a new message dialogue box will appear with the attachment already there!

This is handy for me cause i frequently "forget" to attach files, then have to reply and say "Sorry, I am an idiot and forgot the most important part of this email, here you go."

Let's get this thread going, I love new tricks and tips!
If we can get some advanced "tip-ers" to maybe get some scripting in here, I have only heard about it but don't know much on it.

cough cough lincoln cough cough
I am a lot of respect for you, you are very young, but yet full of knowledge!!

[Witness]

This website isn't so bad.
Mactips.org

[nydmx]

bump
move me to top, people should read me

[Europa]

Click on a file once and then hit enter to change the name of the file.
Command delete-moves file to trash
Command Shift Delete-Empty trash with dialog
Command Shift option Delete-Empty trash without dialog
Command a-select all
Command Option Eject-Sleep
Control Command Eject-Quit all apps and restarts
Command 1-View menu as icons
Command 2-View menu as list
Command s during start up-Runs Applejack (a very useful program, but it must be installed)

[Europa]

Open terminal and type, say my god its full of stars
Don't use any punctuation or forget to type the word say before your text.
The Mac will then say, "my god it's full of stars"
Not that impressive in itself but priceless when activating this feature through the Jaadu VNC app on your iPhone, when you're not near the computer (or even home for that matter), but a friend or family member is.

[iphonewarrior]

Open terminal and type, say my god its full of stars
Don't use any punctuation or forget to type the word say before your text.
The Mac will then say, "my god it's full of stars"
Not that impressive in itself but priceless when activating this feature through the Jaadu VNC app on your iPhone, when you're not near the computer (or even home for that matter), but a friend or family member is.

I never knew that but i suppose it could be used to aid a prank or two.
The use of 'say' first is just the prefix command that allows you to say anything you want.

Good tip Europa

[Mo Lester]

Awesome thread, thanks op and everyone who has contributed!!

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

No problem, Pepe.

[The Apple]

http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss353/Netcracking14/Picture1-1.png

That is a selected portion of my screen where I read the shortcut tip. I used the command shift 4 to select what I wanted.

[Europa]

No problem, Pepe.
Naps, he's not Pepe !

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Fine. Whatever.

[The Apple]

Naps, he's not Pepe !

You might be right.

[Ramesh]

You might be right.

Check KNK's twitter. :)

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

Check KNK's twitter. :)

What's his Twitter name?

[Europa]

What's his Twitter name?
http://twitter.com/KNK_DESIGN

[Napoleon_PhoneApart]

I checked his tweets; did I miss something?

[styfle]

Swipes:
2 fingers up/down/left/right: scrolling
3 fingers up: jump to top of page
3 fingers down: jump to bottom of page
3 fingers left: back
3 fingers right: forward
4 fingers up: shows desktop
4 fingers down: shows all open windows
4 fingers left/right: scroll through open programs (same as command + tab)

Another useful shortcut is command + ,
It usually opens preferences for the current program.

[Europa]

I checked his tweets; did I miss something?
I'm not sure what Ramesh was referring to either...

[The Apple]

Maybe I know what it was referring to. Maybe I don't. Do you know the password?

[Europa]

^ opps, I meant to say Ramesh, not The Apple. I just corrected it.

[Ramesh]

Doesn't matter now.