Mac is short for Macintosh, a brand of computers created and sold by Apple Inc. Apple currently produces several lines of Macintosh computers including the iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and MacBook. All current Macs ship with Mac OS X. You can also install Windows or Linux ...
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What are some tips or tricks for Terminal in Mac OS X?
One tip or trick per answer.
My favorite is
open .
Opens the folder you're currently browsing in Finder. You can also pass URLs, images, documents or else to open.
If you specify a program name ...
40
votes
4answers
4k views
How do I disable or get rid of the startup sound my Mac makes?
Everytime I turn on my Macbook Pro it makes a start up noise. This is annoying since there is no volume or ability to turn it off. I just don't want the sound to play at all.
How do I disable this ...
36
votes
5answers
3k views
Do Macs need to be defragmented?
I don't see any application to defragment my Mac (running OS X).
Is defragmenting not necessary for Mac OS X? If so, why not?
32
votes
7answers
10k views
How to simulate slow internet connections on the mac
What's a good software solution to slow down internet connections on the mac for testing and simulations?
My primary need is when testing code in the iPhone / iOS simulator, so slowing down the ...
31
votes
19answers
21k views
OS X Terminal “must have” utilities
I've just read with pleasure, and learned a lot from these questions :
OS X Terminal Tips and Tricks
OS X Hidden features and nice tips & tricks
OS X Applications you can't live without
But I ...
29
votes
12answers
33k views
What's the best NAS for home usage with Macs?
Please share your experiences and reviews about NAS (Network-Attached Storage) below. In particular, rate their compatibility with Macs, OS X, iTunes, Time Machine, AppleTV, and other Apple-specific ...
28
votes
5answers
10k views
Is fine volume adjustment possible in OS X Lion?
On previous versions of Mac OS X pressing ⌥+⇧+volume+ would adjust the volume by quarter increments. This seems to have been removed in Lion.
Is there any way to do fine volume ...
26
votes
5answers
2k views
Do computers slow down as they age?
I have an eMac I bought in 2004. I just used the system restore CD to re-install Panther, iLife '04, Internet Explorer for Mac(!), etc. I don't have any timed specs from "back then", so I can't answer ...
21
votes
3answers
5k views
How can I achieve page-up and page-down in OS X?
I am using MacOSX Snow Leopard.
How do I achieve page-up and page-down?
16
votes
8answers
2k views
What's the proper way to pronounce “Mac OS X”?
I was inspired by the question Mac or Macintosh.
What's the proper way to pronounce "Mac OS X"? I've heard the following things used to refer to the operating system on the Macintosh:
"Mac OS Ten" ...
16
votes
2answers
5k views
Isn't Inactive memory a waste of resources?
I'm looking for explanation of memory usage on my machine especially in light of the example in this screenshot below:
I understand what is Free and Active means
But what are the meanings of Wired ...
15
votes
7answers
32k views
How do I figure out if my OS is Mac OS X 32 bit or 64 bit?
I am using a Mac for the first time and need to install Eclipse. How do I know if I am on a 32 bit or 64 bit computer? I am on a MacBook Pro.
14
votes
5answers
39k views
How can I open a .pkg file manually?
Some applications come in .pkg files, and ask for you administrator password, even if all they do is copy the binary to /Applications.
I like to have my applications in ~/Applications, and I do not ...
13
votes
4answers
8k views
How can I reinstall an application that the Mac App Store thinks is installed already?
I'm the developer of an application that is currently on the Mac App Store. I'm trying to download my own application so that I can test out the binary that is on the store. (As opposed to running it ...
13
votes
2answers
680 views
What is the Mac keyboard key with a symbol ⌅ of an up arrow pointing into a horizontal line?
On a Mac, symbols are often used for keys rather than names. In Adobe Indesign for Mac, the keyboard shortcuts for inserting various break characters are described using what looks like an up arrow / ...
13
votes
4answers
3k views
How can I stop OS X from switching Spaces when the mouse cursor is at the edge of the screen?
Mac OS X Spaces change when I hold the mouse at the edge of the screen. Is there an application or 'defaults' command to disable this?
Warp looks like it might help, but hasn't changed the behavior ...
12
votes
2answers
953 views
refresh Preview from command line
I have a workflow (LaTeX editing in Emacs) which produces PDFs that I then examine in Preview. Preview is smart enough to re-load the PDF when it changes, but it only does so when I click on the ...
12
votes
4answers
719 views
Case-insensitive ls sorting in Mac OSX
How can I make the ls command in Max OS X Lion sort files and directories similar to how Ubuntu Linux does (case-insensitive, directories NOT on top, dot files NOT on top)? Ideally I'd like to do ...
11
votes
7answers
5k views
What is the difference between Intel and PPC?
What is the hardware and software differences between Intel and PPC Macs?
11
votes
6answers
11k views
How to arrange two windows easily to left and right side?
In Windows 7, we can easily arrange two windows with these shortcuts: Option (Alt) ⌥ + ← maximizes the window to the left side of the screen, and Option (Alt) ⌥ + → maximizes the window to the right ...
11
votes
3answers
235 views
Are DropBox files viewed on iOS devices taking up space on them?
When travelling I will need all of the "space" I can claim on my iPad. Am I correct in thinking "space" is not being taken up on the iPad by DB folders, unless I have made them favorites?
10
votes
15answers
27k views
Is there a good Hotmail client for Mac OS X?
I have had an Hotmail account since 1997 (i.e. don't ask me to switch - have hundreds of filters and folders and thousands of contacts) and I recently switched to a Mac and I am looking for a Mac ...
10
votes
8answers
15k views
Which Mac to develop iPhone apps? [closed]
I'm a developer working with Windows. I have some cutomers who are interested in iPhone Apps, so I'm looking for a Mac right now. The problem is, that I have no clue at all about what to buy.
I don't ...
10
votes
2answers
5k views
Can I change the behavior of the Home and End keys on an Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad?
I just bought an "Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad", then I connected it to my Macbook Pro running Lion.
But the home and end key under the F14 key doesn't work as I expected. Say in "Pages", the ...
10
votes
6answers
3k views
Is there any Mac software to handle archives (zip, rar, 7z, tar, etc.) that allows browsing?
I am looking for a software to handle archives on OS X.
I know there are many of them quite easy to find, but none seems to have the most basic feature that most Windows archive applications have: ...
10
votes
1answer
246 views
Why is lsof on OS X so ridiculously slow?
I can't figure out why lsof on my Mac (10.8.2, MacBook Pro) is so slow.
On my Mac, lsof takes more than a minute:
$ touch /tmp/testfile
$ time lsof /tmp/testfile
real 1m16.483s
user 0m0.029s
...
10
votes
3answers
348 views
Can I get iPhone charge status from my Mac?
I have my iPhone plugged into my Mac via USB. Is there anyway to check on the charge status? I know iTunes does give you a small battery indicator, but I am looking for something a bit more detailed, ...
9
votes
9answers
3k views
Can I trust Apple Store's employees with my laptop?
This might be a bizarre but crucial question, can I fully trust leaving my laptop in repairs (Genius Bar) while they have full access to it ?
I recently went to the genius bar to get my display ...
9
votes
6answers
6k views
How can I forcibly shut down my Mac at an appointed time?
I'm looking for an auto shutdown app that will forcefully shut down the computer at an appointed time.
The most important part of this is that the shutdown should not be cancelable (unless the ...
9
votes
3answers
12k views
In Lion, how can I configure to not automatically re-open recent files that weren't closed?
For example: I opened some files in Excel, then I close Excel, without close each file (ex.: command + Q). In the next time that I will open Excel, it is going to open my recent files that weren't ...
9
votes
3answers
3k views
Image capture opens after iPhone is connected
Everytime I connect my iPhone to my laptop, Image Capture opens. How to I stop it? I just need to use iTunes, not Image Capture.
9
votes
5answers
2k views
Compress PDF with adjustable ratio
One can use Preview to compress a PDF. However Preview on Mac OS X 10.7 does a too hard compression for my taste. There is only one compression setting.
Are there alternative tools that allows you to ...
9
votes
4answers
5k views
Mac OS X Lion Finder Window Size
I know that when I close a finder window the next time it opens, it will open at the same size.
This works with me for a while, but sometimes all the finder windows just go back to the default size ...
9
votes
6answers
13k views
Move iPhone notes to iCloud
So, today 10.8 released, and I have empty list of notes on my mac. But I have some notes on iPhone, which are not in iCloud. How to move them into iCloud?
8
votes
7answers
6k views
How can I make my 27“ iMac and my 27” Thunderbolt display the same height?
I'm using an external 27" Thunderbolt display with my 27" iMac and I want the iMac and display to have the same height. By default, the Thunderbolt display is about an inch shorter than the iMac, ...
8
votes
6answers
493 views
Mac or Macintosh
Commercially speaking they are the same, as stated by Wikipedia, but what should be the correct way to name our precious personal devices?
8
votes
2answers
2k views
Do Macs store a serial number on the disk?
About a year ago, I sold my old MacBook Pro. Last week I got a call from the buyer who said that it had been stolen and he didn't have the serial number — and did I have it?
I haven't been able to ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
Why does my MacBook Pro take so long to go to sleep?
My Macbook Pro takes an awful long time to go to sleep when I close the lid. Considering that I generally want to close the lid and then carry it somewhere, I want it to be fully asleep so I don't ...
8
votes
2answers
383 views
Battery warning ''Service battery"
Battery warning "Service battery". This warning have appeared in my MacBook Pro (2008) with Snow Leopard. Is there a way to find out what a reason of this warning, without apply to service centre?
8
votes
2answers
1k views
Is there a way to disable OS X auto termination of applications?
Is there a way to tell OS X Lion to disable auto-termination for a given application that you do not want to auto terminate?
FYI Lion is a quitter if you did not already know, what if you don't want ...
8
votes
6answers
2k views
Is there a tabbed PDF reader for Mac OS X?
I am looking for a tabbed PDF reader, preferably with annotation support (highlighting mostly) for Mac OS X. I looked at the Skim FAQ which said that tabs would never come to Skim.
I am currently ...
8
votes
1answer
275 views
Will Apple's Mac Remote Wipe delete items on external disk?
With all the news about remote wipe I am wondering if having a backup on an external disk that is connected to my Mac is OK. Or if someone did a remote wipe, would they wipe that disk as well?
8
votes
3answers
2k views
Copy and Cut sometimes don't work
My system is kept fully up to date and I still see this problem intermittently, although not as often as I used to; I would say that this has not been fully fixed. If there are any workarounds ...
8
votes
4answers
13k views
How can I map buttons on my PS3 controller to keystrokes on my Mac?
I purchased a PlayStation 3 controller for use with my Mac. It's paired via Bluetooth. It works great in emulators such as Snes9x, but I'd like to use it for other things as well. Is there any ...
7
votes
4answers
388 views
Will a cloned hard drive function exactly as the original?
If I buy a new hard drive and clone my original onto it (using Carbon Copy Cloner or something similar), will my computer function exactly the same as it did before? Will things like licensed programs ...
7
votes
4answers
29k views
What's a good Mac app for making timelines (Gantt charts)?
What's a good native Mac app for making timelines on Macs? I'm looking for an easy-to-use program that I can use to create timelines easily without delving into graphics programs like Illustrator. ...
7
votes
3answers
8k views
How can I rotate a video?
I just recorded a video on my phone, but when I play it on my Mac it's in the wrong orientation.
How can I rotate the video by 90 degrees so that I can upload it to youtube?
Free solutions are ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
How to see what files were changed in TimeMachine?
I tried TimeTracker, tms and timedog but none of them works with OS X 10.6
Any suggestions?
7
votes
5answers
4k views
Keyboard shortcut to sleep a MacBook Air with Lion
I am looking for a quick way to sleep without closing the lid, or using the mouse.
7
votes
1answer
463 views
Equivalent of nautilus in mac
I used to use nautilus . command to open the graphical folder / file viewer in red hat linux. Now I moved to mac and it seems that there is no nautilus support in it. Is there any equivalent command ...
