Here’s what you know after reading this Chapter:
After pushing the power button, your computer loads Mac OS X into its memory from disk.
During startup, Mac OS X goes through a login procedure in an effort to keep unauthorized people from using the computer. The login procedure is mandatory but can be automated.
Menus present lists of commands or attributes for you to choose from. Menus always appear in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Elsewhere, distinctive arrows indicate pop-up menus, and Control-clicking an item may display a contextual menu for it.
Mac OS X has several types of Aqua windows: Finder windows, document windows, dialogs, sheets, alerts, and palettes.
Icons represent applications, documents, folders, disks, and other items in your computer. An icon’s basic appearance tells you which type of item it represents.
The home folder is each user’s default file store, and it contains that user’s settings and preferences. Home folders are inaccessible to unauthorized users.
The Dock contains icons of items you use often, in addition to items that are currently open or hidden.
When you are ready to finish a session with your computer, you need to make it sleep, log out of Mac OS X, restart the computer, or shut down.