Tiger has a number of handy keyboard shortcuts.

F12: Open Dashboard
F11: Expose, hide all open windows
F10: Expose, see the open windows in the application you are currently using
F9: Expose, see all open windows
Command-Space bar: Start a Spotlight search
Command-Option-Space bar: Open a Spotlight window
Command-Tab: Quickly switch between open applications

 The new version of Mail released with Tiger allows you to choose where downloaded files appear. In the default setting, downloaded files are automatically placed in the Downloads folder, which is in the Library folder in your Home folder. Here's how you can change this setting.

1. From the Mail menu, choose Preferences.
2. Select General from the tool bar.
3. In the pull down menu for "Downloads Folder" select a folder where you'd like your downloads to go.

Next time you download a file, it will appear in your newly designated folder.

 OS X's Personal Web Sharing feature is an easy way to share large files with Mac and PC users. The only software needed on the remote computers is a web browser. Here's how to use this handy OS X feature.
- Choose System Preferences from the Apple Menu and click Sharing. Under Services you'll see a list of available sharing options.
- Choose Personal Web Sharing and click Start.
- Make note of the address provided at the bottom of the window and close System Preferences. (The address will look something like http://10.180.75.99/~cmcveigh/)
- Return to the Finder and choose Go>Home. Find the Sites folder, open it and toss out the index.html file and the images folder (unless you've already created your own web page)
- Place the files you want to share with remote Macs and PCs into the Sites folder and send your address to the people who need access to your files. Voila, easy file sharing.

 If you've ever had a system crash and had to reboot from your CD drive or other volume on your hard drive, these startup keystroke commands can be a life saver (at the very least, a time saver).

Press and hold X during startup – Forces your Mac to startup in OS X
Press and hold Option-Command-Shift-Delete during startup – Bypasses your primary startup volume and looks for a different startup volume such as a CD or external disk that has a system folder.
Press and hold C during startup – Start up from a CD that has a system folder.
Press and hold N during startup – Attempts to start up from a compatible network server
Press and hold R during startup – Forces PowerBook screen reset
Press and hold T during startup – Start up in FireWire Target Disk Mode (If your system is connected to another Mac by a FireWire cable, your Mac’s hard drive will mount on the other Mac’s desktop.)
Press and hold Shift during startup – Start up in Safe Boot mode and temporarily disable login items and non-essential kernel extension files

 You can easily maximize your web-page display by collapsing the IE toolbars. Then, when you need them, you can simply expand them again.

- To collapse the toolbars, press Command + B
- To expand the toolbars, press Command + B again

Try it now!

You visit a web site with a PDF, and unlike your friends using Windows, the PDF downloads to a file on the desktop and then you have to open it with Apple’s Preview application.

Wouldn't you like the PDF to just appear within your web browser and not have to launch a separate reader application? Previously people needed to download a shareware PDF plug-in from Schubert-It and install that on their system. But new Adobe Reader 7.0 now includes a PDF plug-in that should allow you to view PDFs from within your web browser.

The question is, how to make it work? Chris Gulker from Adobe offered these suggestions. Four (4) diagnostics are provided if you cannot get it to work. Start with the basic, and keep poking until you're palms are sweating about what they're asking you to do:

Here is a recipe that should make Acrobat or Reader 7.01 show PDFs inside Safari windows (please note that Acrobat/Reader 7 require Safari 1.2.2 or newer on Mac OS 10.3.x):

•     1. Quit Safari (this is important).
 
•     2. Launch Adobe Acrobat 7 or Adobe Reader 7, whatever you want to use within Safari. (Note Adobe released a small patch that updates Reader 7 to version 7.01 which will help better your chances of         success.)
•     3. In Acrobat or Reader:
•     Choose "Preferences..." from the Apple menu item
•     4. In the Preferences dialog:
•     Select "Internet" from the list on the left ...if all the items in the top section are disabled, you have Mac OS 10.2.x. Acrobat and Reader do not work inside Safari in 10.2.x.
•     5. Check (or leave checked) "Display PDF in browser"
•     Select (or leave selected) the first item in the menu to its right.
•     6. Click 'OK'
•     7. Choose "Detect and Repair" from the Help menu
•     ... you should see "Adobe PDFViewer" as one of the options
•     8. Check (or leave checked) Adobe PDFViewer
•     9. Click "Continue"
•     ... "missing components were repaired" or "No missing components detected" should appear.
•     10. Click "OK"

You should now be set up to see PDFs in the browser. Launch Safari and test.

If it still doesn't work, here are some diagnostics to perform to help figure out where the problem may lie; some have solutions and some would need further investigation:

 (SOLUTION 1) Make sure Safari thinks our browser plug-in is there and is the only one for handling PDFs
    •     1. Launch Safari
    •     2. In Safari:
    •     3. Choose "Installed Plug-ins" from the Help menu
    •     ... you should see a section titled "Adobe Acrobat and Reader Plug-in" - you may need to scroll to find -and it should contain several lines, the most pertinent being: application/pdf :: Acrobat Portable Document Format :: pdf ... if you don't find this, then somehow the Safari plug-in that is connecting Safari to Acrobat/Reader is not being correctly installed.
    •     4. In that same browser window, Find (command-F) "application/pdf" (no double-quotes). ... you should find *only one* of these, and it should be in the section titled "Adobe Acrobat and Reader Plug-in", in file
    •     "AdobePDFViewer.plugin".
    •    
    •     ... if you find more than one, then you have another plug-in that is interfering. Delete that other plug-in (then quitting and re-launching Safari) should make PDFs appear in the browser using Acrobat/Reader -- although I don't recommend deleting a plug-in without first understanding why it's there. Plug-ins are in /Library/Internet Plug-Ins In that same browser window, Find "pdf"
    •    
    •     ... you should find several, but they should all be in the section titled "Adobe Acrobat and Reader Plug-in". If you find "pdf" in another section, specifically in the third column of the table under "Extensions", then again you have another plug-in that is interfering with the connection between Safari and Acrobat/Reader (see above).

 (SOLUTION 2) In Finder, make sure our plug-in exists and isn't duplicated:  / Library / Internet Plug-ins / AdobePDFViewer.plugin There should be only one copy of it; there should not be any copies in the following directory:

 / Library / Internet Plug-ins

 (SOLUTION 3) More advanced: check for errors in the console
    •     1. Quit Safari
    •     2. Launch  / Utilities / Console.app
    •     3. In Console:
    •     Command-K to clear the console (this doesn't delete anything in the actual log: it only temporarily clears the window).
    •     4. Launch Safari
    •     5. In Safari: Navigate to a PDF
    •     ... check in the console for error messages that indicate a problem.

 (SOLUTION 4) Even more advanced: check Acrobat-Safari connection infrastructure
    •     1. In Finder
    •     Right-click on  / Safari.app and choose "Show Package Contents"
    •     2. Double-click on "Contents"
    •     ... you should see a folder labeled "Frameworks"
    •     3. Double-click on "Frameworks"
    •     ... you should see many aliases that start with "Adobe"

 
Mac OS 9 allows you to collapse any window to its title bar by clicking the small rectangle in the top right. This allows you to view the contents behind the window without having to actually close the window or move it offside. Fans of this features can simplify its activation by opening the Appearance control panel, clicking the Options tab, and checking off the second option which allows you to collapse any window by double-clicking its title bar.

 OS 9 allows users to map an application, document or URL to a function key for quick access. So, if you wanted to open Internet Explorer without having to search for the application, you could simply establish F1 as an Internet Explorer hotkey. Click the key once, and the application opens immediately.

To assign hotkeys, open the Keyboard control panel. At the bottom of the window, you will see a button called "Function Keys..." Click the button to open the Hot Functions Keys window. Check off the first option to ensure you use F1 through F15 as Hot Function Keys, and then move down to Hot Function Key Assignments. Now, locate an application in the Finder and drag it into the text box adjacent to the function key of your choice. Assign function keys to other applications as you like. Click OK, close the window, and then close Keyboard control panel. You're now ready for a test run. Click a function key to instantly launch an application. There's no longer a need to sift through window after window looking for the application icon!

Once you memorize the application-hotkey combinations, you can also switch directly to an open application simply by pressing the appropriate function key. Let's say you're using Internet Explorer and a chime informs you that Outlook Express has received some mail. Instead of pressing command-tab to cycle through open applications or selecting Outlook Express from the applications menu, all you have to do is press the Outlook Express function key. Although it's a minor time-saver, you'll soon appreciate hassle-free access to your applications.

 The Finder is chock full of shortcuts. Hold down the option key as you double-click a folder. This automatically closes the previous folder window as the new one opens. For a quick clean-up, hold down the option key as you close a window. This action automatically closes all open windows. You can also hold down the command key and click on the title of any window. This brings up a hierarchical location listing, allowing you to quickly select any higher-level folder.

 You already know your Macintosh is one smart cookie. But did you know it can tell time all by itself? So long as you have an Internet connection, your Macintosh can use a network time server to ensure it always has the right time. Open the Date & Time control panel. The first task is to select your time zone (you may have done this already, but double-check your entry to be certain). Move down to the Time Zone box and check off the option to "Set Daylight-Saving Time Automatically." Now click the "Set Time zone..." button, select your city (or the nearest one in your time zone) and click OK to return to the control panel. The third box listed allows your Mac to poll a time server. Check off the option to "Use a Network Time Server," and close the control panel. Your Macintosh will now contact Apple's time server at regular intervals to synchronize its watch.

 Need to protect your documents from prying eyes? Consider Apple File Security, an encryption application included with OS 9. You can find it in the Security folder in the Applications folder. To encrypt your sensitive files, simply drag a document or folder onto the Apple File Security icon. You'll be presented with a dialog box asking you to specify a password for the encrypted file. It's very important you remember the password, as the document cannot be unlocked without it. You can encrypt sensitive documents before sending them via email, too. Speak with your colleagues via online chat, telephone, or in person to predetermine a password for files you intend to exchange.

[Intro: Yesterday my older brother Jay came by to visit my apartment in
the Washington dc-area. When he saw all the refurbished computers and
computer parts in my bedroom, he joked about the tasteful decor. "This
decor style is named 'nouveau refurb,'" I joked with him.

When I was living in an apartment on my own, I sometimes had as many
as 5 refurbished computers stored temporarily in the bathtub. Yes it's
inconvenient to take them out for every shower or bath, but those
computers are lifelines for the people who will be getting them from
me. Worth the effort.

Along these lines, here are some humorous tips on how you can spruce up
and redecorate your living space using refurbished computers and
computer parts.]


Do you have computers and computer parts strewn around your living room,
bathroom and bedroom? Did you know you can give these a fresh new look
spending no money at all? From Zip drive floral bouquets to braided power
cords, there are countless ways of adding surprising twists to your decor.
Here are just a few tips to get you started.

If you have a corner of a room that doesn't have any computer or computer
parts in it, why not give it a decorative punch with a tasteful pile of
broken motherboards? For added interest, place these on a large square
pillow. What could be easier? Your friends will be all talking about it
for months.

Do you have a coffee table without any clutter on it? Why not highlight it
with a dusty tape drive -- the perfect accompaniment to any coffee table?
On top of the tape drive you can tastefully drape power cords. Use both
gray and black power cords for an interesting visual effect.

Do you have a bathroom lacking a broken CRT monitor? Grab a broken CRT
monitor and place it right beside the bathtub. A broken monitor draws the
eye right to the tub, accentuating both the monitor and the tub.

If you have a handful of Zip drives, why not create a Zip drive bouquet?
Remember the large chipped and broken vase your aunt offered you? Call her
up and grab it. After wrapping it with duct-tape, arrange the Zip drives
in a floral arrangement right in that vase. You'll be the talk of the
town.

You would be amazed what you can do with 14.4 modems. Look for a room in
your house with fewer than 20 modems. Scatter the 14.4 modems around the
room. Presto, the room is spruced up in a flash.

Want a finishing touch for your living room? How about a tangle of cables
hanging from a meat hook from the ceiling? It's a fresh idea you'll see
nowhere else around town. If you need any cable, just casually reach up
behind you and grab a cable. Please be careful about your hand and that
sharp meat hook.

Suppose you have a dozen beige box computers stacked up in a corner of the
room. If you give each of these beige boxes a slight twist, you create a
spiral helix, thereby honoring current dominant life forms, human beings,
and future dominant life forms, computers. Who says sculptures are only
for sculptors?

The most useful of all materials, of course, are Ethernet cables. There
are so many ways to use these to add decorative touches to a room. A long
yellow Ethernet cable strung around a room at eye level adds pizzazz like
nothing else can. Your artist friends will be begging you to tell them
where you buy your Cat 5 cabling.

In all of the above decorating tips, don't forget ways of adding clutter
under foot. If you see any rooms where there are no obstacles to trip
over, it's best to take care of this early rather than late. Old model
laser printers, weighing over 70 pounds, are best for placing mid-room.
Add a duct-tape vase bouquet of Zip drives on top for that special flair.

Keep in mind that in redecorating computer refurbishing spaces, musty is a
must. While you can't buy true must (although I've never understood why
not), a good substitute is a couple sprays of WD-40 to lend the right
aroma to your air.

I haven't yet mentioned dirty, crumpled clothes, but it goes without
saying that you would have sense enough to include these in your decor. A
room without crumpled clothes is like a room without sunshine.

Think of the computers and computer parts in your place as a way of
expressing your style, your personality. You can perk up just about any
space once you start getting creative. With proper planning and placement,
the results can be breathtaking. You can rest assured that your clutter
will be as unique as you are.

Don't forget to send a short note about your place to Better Homes and
Hard Drives magazine. They're always looking for their next cover photo
shoot.

Phil Shapiro

The author has been looking for new ways to add clutter to his life for
the past 10 years. He can be reached at
http://www.digitaldivide.net/profile/pshapiro    His blog is at
http://www.digitaldivide.net/blog/pshapiro

This article may be freely reprinted in any computer user group
newsletter, church newsletter, or nursing home newsletter. I'd be
interested in joining your church if you print this article in your church
newsletter.