Computer Zoom

Have you ever ran into a problem with reading text or want a close-up? Try pressing the control key while scrolling to zoom-in when using your mouse. To scroll down on a page, remove your finger from the control key and just scroll down.

View all files in Stacks

To view all files from a stack hold the command button while clicking on the stack which will take you to the root folder where the files for that stack is stored.

Set exact volume levels

For those who like a perfect and exact volume level, this is for you. While holiding the shift and option key along with your designated volume key at the same time your volume will be broken up into smaller pieces.

Close Widgets

While in Dashboard, instead of clicking a + button at the bottom left corner to get the X for closing a widget. All you have to do is mouse over the widget you want to close and at the same time hold the alt/option key and the X will appear. This trick works with Tiger as well as Leopard.

Hide Dock

Option-Command-D hides the dock and whenever you mouse over at the bottom of the screen it appears again.

Empty Finder Window

The quickest way to get to an empty desktop or Finder window is to use the keyboard shortcuts, Command-up arrow which skips windows to view different windows as an integration with Spaces.

Saving Documents as PDFs

Adobe’s PDF format allows great ways of formatting, communication and ability to send letters and electronic documents. But there really is an easy way to transfer documents using Microsoft Word and TextEdit including other word processors to PDF format. Simply hit Command-P as you would go to Print but click the PDF dropdown menu instead of printing and then click the option, Save as PDF… and a dialog windows opens, enter the name of the document including Author, Keywords and Subject and be sure to save the file in the right place you may then search for the file in Finder or Spotlight, your choice and ta-da you have created a PDF file!

Emailing Web Pages

This isn’t a Leopard Tip but applies for Tiger, too. So, listen up! If you come across a web page in SAFARI that you want to share with a friend, don’t send a link send the entire webpage for easy access. Just press Command-I and a dialog will appear, just enter the recipient’s email address along with your subject and text and click Send. The complete webpage sends in an email format (complete with graphics, fonts, link, e.t.c.) EASY! 

Selecting Items

 key will give you the effect of toggling; It means that you can change the select/deselect status of certain items.

When keystrokes A is pressed, all items will be highlighted. It’s powerful, isn’t it? And one more thing, with this keystrokes, all highlighted items won’t be marked as Read, they will stay in their current condition. It’s all about using  key.

I hate kernel-panics…

Have any of you ever received any similar error messages like this? This has happened to me numberous times, probably about 4 or 5. From what I hear they are called kernel-panics. Rumors report that this is because of airport issues which may have an interference with Software Updates because Apple connected Software Update with Apple’s online software update downloads page available at http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/apple/ to view some of Apple’s new software update releases. I just learned that this very minute. I was running the current version of Leopard, 10.5.1 and just installed the MacBook Firmware Update and after re-booting a screen shown in the picture above appeared fading any activity on the screen, You need to restart your computer. Hold down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button. I experienced black-screen issues forcing my computer an erase of my hard-drive. I currently own and owned a Western Digital 160 GB external hard drive for my MacBook which the latest backup was on 11/11 a week ago. My disapointment was that I had created some extremely important files including new pictures and music. But it was too late, I was into my erase process of the hard drive @ The Apple Store. When I got home I had to take my Mac OS  X Install DVD 1 which traveled with my computer in the factory and do that which was installing Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger which at the time I bought my computer was the latest version which this took about 1 and a half hours. Now I have to download 20 Software Updates (3 h)  and then I have to install Leopard (1 h 10 min.) Once I am running OS X 10.5 I have to download and install all of my software programs again taking a good 2 hours including photo programs, iLife ‘08 the latest photo, movie, music, DVD software bundle, Microsoft Word 2004, The Print Shop 2 and more (4 h) and then the longest part, restoring files (photos, movies, documents, emails and music) (5 h). This was a pretty serious job and re-run causing much trouble for my computer and I. WHEW!    Share your computer troubles with us by visiting Contact Us page, we may even post them on this very website! 

New icon?

If you just started using Leopard on your Mac, you must be stuck in the mud trying to find System Preferences.    Well, this may give you an OS X hint, Apple changed their System Preferences icon in Leopard to this: 

Spaces Revealed!

Keyboard Shortcut to SpacesTo visit Spaces using your Macintosh running the latest version of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard just hit the F8 key on your Mac. You can edit Spaces Preferences by going into System Preferences and then hit the Expose & Spaces icon and then click the tab button that says Spaces, make sure you check the Enable Spaces box to use Spaces.

Use Quick Look

To use Quick Look to preview a file in Finder just single-click on the file when you see it surrounded by blue highlights and then hit the space bar to see a preview of that file. To use full-screen preview click this icon:

Finding Wireless Hotspots in Your Area

If you do not have a wireless router, no problem! Visit www.jiwire.com and scroll to the box looking like this:

WELCOME!

Welcome to Leopard Tips!! My name is Lane and have a MacBook at home running the new Apple Operating System, Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard on it. I find Leopard to be trick at first but then you get the hang of it, please visit this website for posts of how-to’s, useful tricks and tips.Please visit us again @ http://osxhints.wordpress.comSincerely,LANE!