What are gestures?
What (and where) is the Launchpad feature?
How do you open files, folders, and apps?
Whether you're new to the Mac environment, or familiar with previous versions, learning
how to navigate OS X Lion - the latest from Apple - can be very helpful.
Let's start with the desktop, which is the screen you see here.
It includes a desktop background, also known as your wallpaper… the menu bar at the top…
and the dock at the bottom.
The dock is where you'll find shortcuts to some of the folders and applications on your
computer; for example, iTunes, Safari, and Finder.
To open one of these items, just click the icon.
There are actually several different ways to open files, folders, and apps in Lion - Finder
is one of them.
We'll talk more about how to use Finder later, though.
For now, I'm going to close the window by clicking the button in the top left corner.
Let's check out Launchpad instead, which you can also find on your dock.
This feature is new for OS X Lion.
As you can see, Launchpad gives you access to all of your applications at once, making
it easier to find and organize the programs on your computer.
To open the one you want, click the icon.
Exiting applications is just as easy.
Let's zoom in on the menu bar so you can see how it works.
To close an application, just click the app name in the upper left corner, then choose
Quit.
Also on the menu bar is the Apple icon, which gives you access to your system preferences;
recent files, folders, and apps; and more.
You'll also use the Apple icon to restart, or shut down your computer.
On the right side of the menu bar, you'll find an icon that looks like a magnifying
glass.
This opens up Spotlight, which you can use to search your computer if you're having trouble
finding something.
Just type the name of the file or the app that you're looking for, and you'll get a
list of search results.
The desktop itself is one more place where you can store files, folders, and shortcuts
(like this one) for easy access.
This time, however, you'll need to double-click your mouse to open the item you want.
Before we move on, here's something I like about working with apps in Lion.
Some have a full-screen mode that you can activate by clicking the double arrow in the
top right corner.
This causes the app to expand, so you can focus on what you're working on without any
distractions.
To return to normal view, press Esc on your keyboard.
Not all apps support this feature, but it's used in several of the apps that come pre-installed,
like Safari, iPhoto, and more.
The last thing I'd like to talk about is using your mouse in Lion - specifically a new feature
called natural scrolling.
You can learn more about how it works by going to System Preferences (that's this icon here),
then choosing Mouse or Trackpad depending on what you have.
In this case, we'll choose Mouse.
As you can see from the demo, natural scrolling is basically the reverse of traditional scrolling.
It's almost like you're pushing the content up and down on the page, instead of moving
the scroll bar.
This may seem awkward at first, but it's actually how touchscreen devices work, so it may not
take long to get used to.
Natural scrolling is the default in Lion, but you can always disable it using the checkbox
here.
I recommend trying it both ways to see which one you prefer.
You can also take a look at multi-touch gestures while you're in this window.
For example, here's one that lets you go back and forth between pages using a simple swipe.
Lion supports many different types of gestures, including pinches, taps, and double-taps,
depending on what your mouse or trackpad is capable of.
Each gesture performs a specific task.
To learn more, I recommend visiting this resource again once you become more familiar with Lion.
That covers the basics.
Now that you know your way around, you can start using Lion, and taking advantage of
everything it has to offer.