Macintosh OS X Tutorials

Atomic Learning Tutorial videos are available to help you learn how to use your Macintosh more efficiently. 

These tutorials may require log in; see the AL Account Information.

Mac OS X 10.10 (Yosemite)

• Exploring the new look and what you'll learn in this training

• Finder

• Using tabs in the Finder

• Merging multiple Finder windows

• System Preferences 

• Yosemite: Preview files in Finder 

• Spotlight

OS X 10.5 and above

A. The Dock

• Introducing stacks

• Changing View options for stacks

• Creating & deleting stacks

• Using the Downloads folder

• Identifying open applications

B. View Options

• Using the Cover Flow view

• Changing a window background

• Showing an icon preview

• Introducing Quick Look

• Viewing a Quick Look Slideshow

• Using the Zoom feature

C. Desktop Options

• Switching between open applications

• Compressing files

• Adding to the Finder toolbar

• Enabling Spaces

• Using Spaces

• Assigning applications

• Moving windows between Spaces

• Using the Dock with Spaces

D. Dashboard

• Installing additional Widgets

• Removing Widgets

• Creating a Web Clip Widget

• Adjusting a Web Clip Widget

F. Preview

• Opening files in Preview

• Adjusting the size of an image

• Adjusting the color in an image

• Cropping an image

• Extracting shapes

• E-mailing an image from Preview

OS X 10.5 and above — Universal Access

Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) - Universal Access Training

A. Universal Access

• Locating the Accessibility features

• Understanding the Accessibility window

B. Visual Accommodations

• Using grayscale

• Switching to white on black

• Adjusting the contrast

• Using the Zoom feature

• Using the scroll wheel to zoom

• Setting a range for rapid zooming

• Showing the zoom preview rectangle

• Adjusting how the zoomed screen moves

• Changing the size of text and icons

• Changing the grid spacing

• Adjusting window background color

• Choosing Cover Flow view

• Using Quick Look

• Changing screen resolutions

• Changing the appearance

• Changing the highlight color

• Changing the desktop image

• Choosing a screen saver

• Changing dock size & magnification

• Choosing dock location

• Adjusting the cursor size

• Changing the mouse tracking

• Using Mouse Keys

• Setting the screen to flash

• Changing text size on a Web page

• Adjusting the output volume

• Changing system alert sounds

• Enabling VoiceOver

• Changing the VoiceOver greeting

• Changing the default voice in VoiceOver

• Choosing additional voices in VoiceOver

• Choosing rate, pitch & volume in VoiceOver

• Temporarily changing rate, pitch & volume

• Choosing VoiceOver pronunciation

• Moving the VoiceOver cursor

• Moving through toolbars with VoiceOver

• Clicking with the VoiceOver cursor

• Adjusting VoiceOver cursor size

• Using the Caption panel in VoiceOver

• Using the VoiceOver menu

• Showing the Braille panel in VoiceOver

• Using a Web browser with VoiceOver pt. 1

• Using a Web browser with VoiceOver pt. 2

• Navigating HTML content with VoiceOver

C. Hearing Accommodations

• Adjusting the output volume

• Changing system alert sounds

• Setting the screen to flash

D. Physical Accommodations

• Using Mouse Keys

• Adjusting the cursor size

• Changing the mouse tracking

• Using Sticky Keys

• Using Slow Keys

• Setting the key repeat speed

• Using standard function keys

• Setting up your mouse buttons

• Changing keyboard shortcuts

• Enabling VoiceOver

• Moving the VoiceOver cursor

• Moving through toolbars with VoiceOver

• Clicking with the VoiceOver cursor

• Using the VoiceOver menu

• Using a Web browser with VoiceOver pt. 1

• Using a Web browser with VoiceOver pt. 2

• Navigating HTML content with VoiceOver

OS X 10.4 and Above — Tips & Tricks

A. Finder Facts

• Closing the sidebar

• Controlling sidebar content

• Renaming sidebar items

• Customizing the toolbar

• Putting files on the toolbar

• Removing the preview column

B. File Tricks

• Customizing color label names

• Changing a file's icon

• Finding the original for an alias

• Creating aliases without "alias"

• Saving time in Save As

• Finding the combined size of multiple files

• Making instant slide shows

• Finding the hidden goto field

C. Dock Tips

• Changing Dock Preferences

• Moving and resizing the Dock

• Freeing up system resources

• Double-clicking a title bar to minimize

• Adding folders to the Dock

• Keeping files on the dock

• Hiding all but one application

D. Search Tricks

• Narrowing your search by file kind

• Searching without typing

• Searching for two separate words

• Changing the search results order

• Auto-closing the results window

• Searching by color

• Saving spotlight searches

E. Font Tips

• Understanding Font Book

• Creating a new collection in Font Book

• Removing a font from a collection

• Comparing fonts side-by-side

• Finding corrupt fonts

• Resolving font conflicts

• Viewing fonts before use

F. More tips & tricks

• Making compressed (zip) files

• Doing a selective screen capture

• Screen-capturing one window

• Making a left-handed mouse

• Finding word meanings quickly

• Getting news on you screen saver

• Setting a default printer

• Changing a keyboard shortcut

OS X 10.3 and Above

A. New Finder Features

• The Finder Sidebar

• The Finder Search Form

• The Finder Toolbar

• The Finder Toolbar Action Menu

• Setting Finder View options

• Collapsing Finder Toolbars and Sidebars

B. New Finder Prefs

• The General Finder Preferences

• The Finder Labels Preferences

• The Finder Sidebar Preferences

• The Advanced Finder Preferences

C. New System Pref Features

• Enabling Fast User Switching

• Using Fast User Switching

• Using Expose

• Using FileVault Encryption

• Desktop and Screen Saver Preferences

• CD and DVD Preferences

• Receiving Faxes

• Using a .Mac iDisk

• More on using a .Mac iDisk

• Setting User Limitations

• More User Limits

• More on Setting User Limits

• Repairing Disk Permissions

• New Keyboard Shortcut Preferences

• Using Built-in Speech Recognition

D. Also of Note...

• The New Save Dialogue Box

• Updating Your Software

• Securely emptying the Trash