By Graham K. Rogers

There are several ways to navigate quickly round OS X, starting at the bottom of the screen with the Dock. This displays icons of several applications including any currently open, plus some minimised documents or browser pages. With the cursor over a Dock icon, click and hold opens a menu in a black frame with options for the file or application. These differ if the application is running or not.

The Dock

The Dock - With Applications Folder

The Dock - Applications Folder Open

There is little point these days in putting the applications folder in the Dock (although some may like to work with this) because to the left - if the Dock is horizontal - is Launchpad. This displays all apps available just like on the iPad or iPhone. Like those devices, the position of an icon can be changed (click and drag), so screens can be personalised. A search bar allows any app installed to be found quickly. We do not have to put the cursor over search: just start typing and apps appear.

Using Launchpad

Some find that the Dock interferes with work in certain apps and prefer the Dock to be positioned to one side. The quick way to do this is with the faint dividing line towards the right of the Dock: the cursor changes to a white, double arrow. Pressing the Control key and the mouse (trackpad) displays a menu with an option for screen position (Left, Bottom, Right). We may also use System Preferences > Dock and select the position.

System Preferences - The Dock

Quick Look

If a series of images is selected and the spacebar is pressed, the first image is opened. Pressing the Full Screen icon shows the first picture again, with a toolbar across the image. One of the controls here is a slideshow arrow: all images are displayed one by one. This is useful for showing a series of photographs without the need for opening applications.

Quick Look controls with a Selection of Images

Quick Look works with many file types including images, presentations and documents. It can also be used in applications such as Mail, so I can view contents of a file before I open it. For ZIP (or other compressed) files I use a plug-in (Quick Look Generator), so I can check all compressed files sent to me and can see any nasty files without opening the ZIP file. This is also available on the Mac App Store. Other plugins for Quick Look are available at QLPlugins and QuickLook Plugins List.

For those who use the Terminal, type zipinfo, add a space and drag a ZIP file into the window (that adds the path and file name). Pressing Enter gives a list of the contents. This works with DMG (Disk Image) files as well.

Microsoft Office for iPad

I have no intention of using this, but I would like a look. That is not possible. The suite is only available in 135 countries. In Asia-Pacific it is not available in Thailand, Japan, Nepal and Pakistan. It can be downloaded in neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia. There has been some frustration expressed about this online.

Not here in Thailand you Don't

I contacted MS Tech Support by phone on Friday 28 March. They took my details and said they would contact me. I have heard nothing. I also wrote to the company that, according to the Microsoft website, handles public relations: Waggener Edstrom Communications. There was a reply to my email (31 Mar) and I was asked for my phone number. As yet have they not contacted me. Apple support referred me to Microsoft.

Not the iTunes App Store for Thailand

As a note, the new Adobe Lightroom for the iPad was available as soon as it was released in the iTunes App Store for Thailand

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.