It can also be used in applications such as Mail, so I can view contents of a file before I open it. Quick Look works with many file types including images, presentations and documents.

This is useful for showing a series of photographs without the need for opening applications. One of the controls here is a slideshow arrow: all images are displayed one by one. Pressing the Full Screen icon shows the first picture again, with a toolbar across the image. If a series of images is selected and the spacebar is pressed, the first image is opened. There are other features, controlled by tools at the top of the panel, such as Export (including mail and messages), Open in an application or Full Screen. If a file, like an image or a PDF, is highlighted (click on it once) and the spacebar is pressed, the file is displayed and the contents can be viewed. The simple spacebar is part of a useful tool that Apple introduced with OS X 10.5, or Leopard, called Quick Look. We may also use System Preferences > Dock and select the position. Pressing the Control key and the mouse (trackpad) displays a menu with an option for screen position (left, bottom, right). The quick way to do this is with the faint dividing line towards the right of the Dock: the cursor changes to a white, double arrow. Some find that the Dock interferes with work in certain apps and prefer the Dock to be positioned to one side. We do not have to put the cursor over search: just start typing and apps appear. A search bar allows any app installed to be found quickly. Like those devices, the position of an icon can be changed (click and drag), so screens can be personalised. This displays all apps available just like on the iPad or iPhone. There is little point these days in putting the applications folder in the Dock (although some may like to work with this) because to the left - if the Dock is horizontal - is Launchpad. Its icon style depends on the user’s apps. That includes the Applications folder: clicking on this shows all the apps. Dragging any application, file or folder to the Dock adds its icon. While the Dock has a default application set available when the Mac comes out of the box, clicking on an icon and dragging it to the desktop removes it (with a puff of virtual smoke).

View of Applications folder placed in the Dock and opened.

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