Mac OS X

[John-BBY Community Connector]

Controlling how your Mac handles CD and DVD media

1) When you insert a CD or DVD into your Mac’s optical drive, the default behavior is to launch an application, like iTunes or DVD player.  You don’t have to keep these settings though.  Here’s how to assign new settings:

2) Open System Preferences and select “CDs & DVDs.”  The top two options are for handling blank media and are set by default to “Ask what to do.”  A dialog box will open offering options on how to handle the disk.  The available options are to open the application of choice, open Disk Utility, run a script or Ignore.

3)The bottom three menus allow users to customize which application will open for a music CD, DVD or a photo CD.

Customizing your Mac’s screen resolution

1) Most users agree that more desktop real estate is better, but sometimes what’s important is ease of use and readability.  You can control how much or how little you see by customizing your Mac’s screen resolution. 

2) Open System Preferences and select Displays.  Supported resolutions appear on the right.  A lower resolution will show less desktop but with larger icons and text.  A larger resolution shows more desktop real estate, maximizing screen space and letting you see more of a photo or document and arrange multiple application windows for ease of navigation.

3) In the same preference panel, you can adjust the screen brightness by dragging the slider.  A lower setting may be easier on the eyes in a darkened room and save energy too!

Changing your Mac’s desktop background and screensaver

1) Personalizing your computer makes the computing experience much more enjoyable.  Here’s how to help you make your computer all about you:

2) To change the desktop background, open System Preferences and select Desktop Background/Screen Saver.  Alternatively, you can open the preference panel by Right-click or Control-click on the desktop and selecting Change Desktop Background.  Once in the preference panel, you can choose from a variety of pre-installed desktop images or select one of your own from a personal pictures folder.  You can also drag an image from a folder onto the image thumbnail on the left.

3) To change your screen saver, select the Screen Saver tab and select from the options in the left pane.  You are given a thumbnail preview and you can also test it full screen by clicking Test.  Once you’ve completed your personalization, close System Preferences.

Changing your Mac’s Date and Time settings

Your Mac’s default setting is to update the date and time from an internet clock.  You still need to configure the date and time zone.  Here’s how:

1) Open System Preferences and select Date & Time.  Select the Date & Time tab.  If you want your Mac to continue to set the time automatically, an internet connection is required and you must check select the “Set Date & Time Automatically” checkbox.

2) To manually set the date, click on the month, day, and year in the field above the calendar and use the arrows to change the values.  To change the time, click on hours, minutes and seconds and make your changes with the arrows.  You can also change them by typing or dragging the hands on the clock graphic.

3) Select the Time Zone tab and click the approximate location of your city on the map or choose the city nearest you in the Closest City menu.

4) You can also personalize how the menu clock appears.  Select the Clock tab and choose whether the clock will display, and if it will be displayed digitally with day and time (with or without seconds or AM/PM) or with an analog clock face.