Get to know the Finder
Customize the Finder
Learn how to use the Dock
Discover Finder menus
Master the Trash
When you turn your Mac on, it goes through its startup process, displaying a screen with a few messages as it progresses, it displays the login screen (if you haven’t turned on automatic login), and then it finishes by showing you the interface of the Finder. This program is the heart of Mac OS X, the conductor that leads the rest of the operating system in its symphony of operations. The Finder manages windows, the Desktop, your files, the Dock, and everything you do that isn’t in a specific program.
Whenever you use windows containing files, folders, or applications, you’re using the Finder. While the Finder is always running, it’s only active when you’re working in it. The Finder’s icon is always visible in the Dock.
No matter what application you’re working in, you can click this icon to come back to the Finder.
In this chapter, you learn about the Finder and the many elements that are a part of it: the Desktop, the Dock, its menu bar, windows, and the Trash. This chapter shows you how to work with the Finder, how to use its menus, how to work with the Trash, and how to set Finder preferences and customize its display. (See Chapter 6 to learn about working with Finder windows.)