how do I move an app from my desktop or system preference or finder onto the background?

Diablo7 wrote:

Thank s again for the posts. What I wanted to know was is the finder the most important item for you on the mac. As in how often do you use it.

I basically use the Finder everytime I am on my computer. The items stored in my Dock are my odds & ends apps except for my browser.

For me navigating the mac is like going to a foriegn country and not knowing the language.

I know the feeling. I came from OS 9.x straight to OS 10.4. Talk about culture shock!

What has gotten me through it was my Rosetta Stone - The Missing Manuals. I have purchased these books through each OS upgrades. These books are my Bible.

The following reference book: OS X Mountain Lion: The Missing Manual - David Pogue. This book is very easy reading, non technichal & non geeky. I strongly recommend this book as it takes you step-by-step through Mountain Lion.

How long did it take you to learn to navigate the mac?

Approximately 6 months as I was coming from Microsoft directly to OS 8.6. In my mind, the Mac OS was the direct opposite of Microsoft. I was clicking on the left side of the window when I should have been clicking on the right.

Learning OS X took me about 1 1/2 years. Huge learning curve for me. Matter of fact, I am still learning. Still looking for those Easter Eggs. 😁

Other resources:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2477
Mac Basics: The essentials

New to Macs/My First Mac

There is Apple’s own Knowledge Base Articles: http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=search

The OS Help Menu.

Apple’s troubleshooting website: Mac 101

Diablo7 wrote:

Like the question says how do I move an app of mine from my doc or finder onto the main screen of my MBA.I am following the instructions but it is just not happenning.

Please detail ALL you have done so far in the way of troubleshooting? Need this info to avoid the been there done that scenarios.

Care to share which OS version you are using?

Hi.

Applications are stored in the Applications Folder

Some will be preset by Apple to be in the DOCK.

Others you can place there by opening the Applications Folder and dragging an app to the DOCK.

This does not move the app itself but places it's icon on the DOCK and creates the linkes that launch it when you click the icon.
At this point the icon normally bounces to indicate the app is starting up.

The right hand end has a divider and to the right of this is the Folder Access (your Home Folder, Applications, Utilities and Preferences are in mine).

You can add Folders here or app to the left.

Pic of My Dock and the open Application folder Dock display.

Starting from the left.

Everyone has the Finder.

Safari, Messages, LaunchPad, iTunes, iPhoto, System Preferences, FaceTime and the Contacts app are likely to be present.

You can remove them by Clicking and Holding and then Dragging off the DOCK.

On letting go there is an animated Pufff of Smoke.

Most apps you install after upgrading to Mountain Lion will also be put in the LaunchPad.

This is an app that displays the apps in a more iOS type style.

You can flick left or right to see more "pages".

9:12 pm Saturday; December 14, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Hi,

Some pics to aid Baby Boomer's advice.

The Finder > Go Menu

This is one route.

You can also have Finder window open and the Applications should appear in the Side Bar

Clicking to highlight it will show you the Contents of the Applications Folder

As to whether the Applications Folder is Normally in the DOCK I can't remember.

The settings for this User Account on my iMac has progressed with me from OS X 10.2 through to OS X 10.5.8 on my G4 Tower from 2001 and then on this iMac though Lion (OS X 10.7) and Mountain Lion (10.8) to Mavericks which I am using now (10.9).

For me the Applications folder has long been in my DOCK but it might be because I put it there. (having checked second Mac User accounts on my two other computers that I use for testing it seems it is always there).

8:07 pm Sunday; December 15, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Hi,

I started a Diploma in Higher Education in 1991.

The Education Establishment I started with had Mac Labs.

We were booked in for an afternoon and given an piece of A4 paper.

It was a practical list of things from turning it Off and On and typing something and Saving it.

The computers were using System 6 ( a long way back from today's OS X )

The Word Processor was called Claris

The A4 piece of paper went on through the formatting things the app could do.

Since OS X came about I have grown used to the DOCK and I have it at the bottom.

If I know were something is then I trend to open a Finder window and navigate there (much the way I did things pre OS X).

If I am not sure then I use Spotlight (the Looking/Spy glass icon top right).

What you tend to find is there are several ways to do the same things.

8:29 pm Monday; December 16, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Hi,

The Finder is running all the time.

You can click anywhere on the Desktop pic you have showing to make it the App that is then listed in the menu bar.

Baby Boomer may be dragging items from the Applications Folder to the Desktop.

Open a Finder window and navigate to the Application folder.

Use the bottom right hand corner to resize if required.

Click and hold an item and then drag it to it's new place.

The Desktop is really a full screen window in this case and you can just let go to place things there.

I feel Baby Boomer is not actually doing this but is creating (or has created) those Folders within the Applications and is using them to "sort" things.

Although you can change the size of the icons what you find works may be bigger than will display all your apps

In same cases "sorting folders" can help.

There are exceptions such as Messages, which will not update if it is placed in a "Messaging" folder.

Older versions of the OS were less fussy about this and you could keep applications almost anywhere.

Apple are getting stricter about this but I also talking about htis happening over 20 years.

The best thing is to just try things.

Another resource are Mac User Groups

9:18 pm Thursday; December 19, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Hi,

You are welcome and thank you for the comments.

For me it's a bit like swapping to drive a left hand car.

You know all the bits you need are there - they just are not in their familar places.

Things such as items on the Desktop ( I have the hard drives showing up there) are on the right.

It make no ergonomic sense to me to have to drag the mouse all the way to the left.

My phone would not be on the left of a real desk as I am right handed.

There probably is a way to stack them on the left but I have not needed it and have not looked.

On the other hand it is probably one of the things that is more closely linked to the "Look and Feel" element of the Mac OS.

Enjoy your Learning Curve.

9:59 pm Saturday; December 21, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Hi Diablo7,

If you clcick and hold one of the items on the right hand of the Dock (other thatn the Trash) you are given options on how they are displayed.

I prefer the icon view that I posted earlier.

The basic is Stacks or Folder and this is the way the Dock part looks.

The other is the way the pop up bit works, Grid, Fan, List

The Utilities as Stacks

and Expanded as a Fan

Hope that helps.

The Christmas Sleigh pic is an animated GIF as you are probably aware.

I use the HTML option to place the HTML needed to align the pic to the right.

Although when I do this it is above the Sig block I use it tends to drop down "beside" that block.

Once a Pic is place here at Apple Support Communities it gets it's own reference.

I used the normal camera icon to place it the frist time.

Then I went to HTML and copied the entry.

Then I added the align="right" part.

The HTML look like this:-

<p><img align="right" alt="christmas.gif" class="jive-image" src="https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/347814040" /></p>

This includes the paragraph tags to space it from other (HTML) items.

Baby Boomer obviously has a Christmas/Holiday one as well as a regular sig spray can.

8:07 pm Sunday; December 22, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Hi,

You can drag any folder to the DOCK.

They will only fix themselves to the right hand end (much like an active item you minimise as that is an open "document")

You can then make those choices about how it displays.

The Fan option does not show you as many items and the Grid option does.

Both tend to show only the items near the top of the Folder, although in Mountain Lion and Mavericks the Grid options in scrollable.

EDIT

As for the .gif you can find many all over the net.

A search for Christmas Free gifs

9:47 pm Monday; December 23, 2013

 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

I cannont find the applications folder on my mAC. I have looked everywhere.

The main folder is inside Machintoch HD>Applications. <----- Do not mess w/this folder as it is a system file.

To get to the Applications the regular way Finder>Go>Applications or open up a Finder window & click on the Applications folder icon in the left column.

how do you do this .....all I see to the right of my dividing line is trash can and downloads folder.....

Drag the item you want to the right of te divider line & let go. You will see the line move to the left to make room for your item. The original item will return to its rightful place & its alias will be in the dock.

how do you take a screenshot of your page and then upload it....

Screen shot instructions are in the OS Help menu. To upload pics, click on the cam icon in the reply window. Follow the onscreen instructions.

whats crazy is though that if I begin to learn the osx lions manuals when it comes time to upgrade to mavericks i then have to spend days learning that. I wonder why they just cant leave well enough alone but develop new softwares that then take more time to learn?

The basics of OS X are the same w/each upgrade. With each new upgrade are the newer bells & whistles and their locations that were not in the previous OS. Most of these apps, I never use after trying them out for awhile. The ones I don't like or cannot figure out how to use them I just remove them into a folder I made up called Miscellanious & place the folder inside the Finder until I find the time to read how to use them and/or their purpose. This is where the Missing Manuals come in handy.

My folders are custom made & easily recognizable. Below is an example.

If you note, most here use the List or Column views. It's easier for me find what I am looking for by using the Icon view. Very self explanitory. 🙂

Ralph pretty much summed up everything.

I feel Baby Boomer is not actually doing this but is creating (or has created) those Folders within the Applications and is using them to "sort" things.

My "misc" folder is inside the Documents folder.

My "games" folder is inside Home (the little house in the left column of the Finder).