Mac OS X 10.6 Settings

Introduction

Here are some of my Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard settings and preferences. See also: Operating Systems, BIOS Settings, Device Settings, System Info, Installation Order, Computers.

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Settings

Finder

Preferences

General

[ ] Hard disks

[x] External disks

[x] CDs, DVDs, and iPods

[ ] Connected servers

[x] Always open folders in a new window

[x] Spring-loaded folders and windows

Sidebar

[ ] Back to My Mac

[ ] Connected servers

[ ] Bonjour computers

Advanced

[x] Show all filename extensions

[x] Show warning before changing an extension

[x] Show warning before emptying the Trash

System Preferences

Appearance

Appearance: [Blue]

Highlight color: [Blue]

Place scroll arrows: (*) At top and bottom

Click in the scroll bar to: (*) Jump to the next page

[x] Use smooth scrolling

[ ] Double-click a window's title bar to minimize

Number of recent items:

[10] Applications

[10] Documents

[10] Servers

[x] Use LCD font smoothing when available

Turn off text smoothing for font sizes [4] and smaller

Desktop and Screen Saver

Desktop

Apple: Nature: Aurora (default desktop background)

Screen Saver

Screen Savers: Computer Name (I prefer using blank screen: Energy Saver: Display Sleep: 1 hour)

[ ] Use random screen saver

[ ] Show with clock

Start screen saver: 2hr

Hot Corners...

Top Left Corner: [Start Screen Saver]

Exposé & Spaces

Exposé

Top Left Corner: [Start Screen Saver]

Spaces

[ ] Enable Spaces

[ ] Show Spaces in menu bar

Dock

Size: 10/10

Magnification: approximately 8/10

Position on screen: (*) Left

Minimize windows using: [Scale effect]

[x] Animate opening applications

[x] Automatically hide and show the Dock

Language & Text

Text

Symbol and Text Substitution: everything turned off

Spelling: [Automatic by Language]

Word Break: [Standard]

Smart Quotes: ["abc"]

['abc']

Security

General

[x] Require password [5 seconds] after sleep or screen saver beings

[x] Disable automatic login

[ ] Require a password to unlock each System Preferences pane

[ ] Log out after [60] minutes of inactivity

[x] Use secure virtual memory

[x] Automatically update safe downloads list

[ ] Disable Location Services (MacBook Pro)

[x] Disable remote control infrared receiver (MacBook Pro)

FileVault

Turned on

Firewall

Firewall: On

Spotlight

Search Results

[x] Applications

[x] Documents

[x] PDF Documents

[x] Images

[x] Folders

[x] System Preferences

[ ] Mail Messages

[ ] Contacts

[ ] Events & To Do Items

[x] Webpages

[x] Music

[x] Movies

[ ] Fonts

[x] Presentations

Privacy

Prevent Spotlight from searching these locations: Torrent folders

CDs & DVDs

When you insert a blank CD: [Ask what to do]

When you insert a blank DVD: [Ask what to do]

When you insert a music CD: [Ignore]

When you insert a picture CD: [Ignore]

When you insert a video DVD: [Open DVD Player]

Displays

Apple LED Cinema Display 24" (rarely used)

Resolutions: 1920 x 1200

Brightness: approx. 6/10

HP ZR24w

Resolutions: 1920 x 1200

MacBook Pro 15.4" Antiglare

Resolutions: 1680 x 1050

Brightness: approx. 4/10

Energy Saver

Battery (MacBook Pro)

Computer sleep: 1 h 30 minutes

Display sleep: 1 hour

[x] Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible

[ ] Slightly dim the display when using this power source

[x] Automatically reduce brightness before display goes to sleep

Power Adapter

Computer sleep: Never

Display sleep: 1 hour

[ ] Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible (disable for Mac Pro, Enable for MacBook Pro)

[ ] Wake for Ethernet access

[x] Allow power button to put the computer to sleep (Mac Pro)

[ ] Start up automatically after a power failure (Mac Pro)

[x] Automatically reduce brightness before display goes to sleep (MacBook Pro)

Keyboard

Key Repeat Rate: 5/7

Delay Until Repeat: 4/6

[ ] Use all F1, F2, etc. key as standard function keys

[ ] Illuminate keyboard in low light conditions (MacBook Pro)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Screen Shots

[x] Save picture of screen as a file

[x] Copy picture of screen to the clipboard

[x] Save picture of selected area as a file

[x] Copy picture of selected area to the clipboard

Mouse (Logitech Notebook Optical Mouse Plus+)

Tracking Speed: approx. 8/10

Scrolling Speed: 8/8 (Mac Pro: 8/8, MacBook Pro: 6/8)

Double-Click Speed: 9/11

Primary mouse button: (*) Left

Trackpad (MacBook Pro)

Tracking Speed: 5/10

Double-Click Speed: 9/11

Scrolling Speed: 3/10

One Finger

[ ] Tap to Click (doesn't work for me well enough, so it's disabled)

[ ] Dragging

[ ] Drag Lock

[x] Secondary Click: [Bottom Right Corner]

Two Fingers

[x] Scroll: [with Inertia]

[ ] Rotate

[x] Pinch Open & Close (like using iPod Touch's Safari)

[ ] Screen Zoom

[ ] Secondary Tap (disabled, because may affect Two Finger Scroll)

Three Fingers

[x] [Swipe to Navigate] (helps go through pics)

Four Fingers

[ ] Swipe Up/Down for Exposé

[ ] Swipe Left/Right to Switch Applications

Print & Fax

[ ] Share this printer on the network

Default printer: [EPSON AL-CX11] (situation in June 2011)

Default paper size: [A4]

Sound

Sound Effects

Play sound effects through: [Digital Out] (MacBook Pro: Internal Speakers)

Alert volume: 0/4

[ ] Play user interface sound effects

[ ] Play feedback when volume is changed

[ ] Play Front Row sound effects

Output

Digital Out (Mac Pro)

Internal Speakers (MacBook Pro)

Input

Line In (Mac Pro)

Internal microphone (MacBook Pro)

[x] Use ambient noise reduction (MacBook Pro)

MobileMe

(not in use, no account)

Network

Mac Pro: Connection List

Location: Automatic

Nokia Datacard

Nokia Datacard 2

Ethernet 1

Ethernet 2

FireWire

Location: Local Area Network

Ethernet 1

Ethernet 2

FireWire

Bluetooth PAN (OS X Lion)

Location: Mobile Broadband

HUAWEIMobile-Modem

HUAWEIMobile-Diag

HUAWEIMobile-Pcui

Bult-in Ethernet

MacBook Pro: Connection List

Location: Automatic

Wi-Fi

Ethernet

HUAWEIMobile-Modem

HUAWEI Mobile

FireWire

Bluetooth PAN (OS X Lion)

Huawei Settings 1: OK (see also: cogwheel icon: Set Service Order)

HUAWEI Mobile-Modem (seems to be working without "Mobiililaajakaista ohjelmisto")

Configuration: [Default]

Telephone Number: [*99#] (connection: Saunalahti Nopsa)

[x] Show modem status in menu bar (from menu bar I may need to select "Connect HUAWEIMobile-Modem")

Advanced

Modem

Vendor: [Other] (MacBook Pro: Generic)

Model: [EasyConnect Modem Script] (MacBook Pro: Dialup Device)

[x] Enable error correction and compression in modem

Dial Mode: [Wait for dial tone before dialing]

Dialing: (*) Tone

Sound: (*) On

PPP

[x] Connect automatically when needed (connection sometimes stops)

[ ] Prompt every [30] minutes to maintain connection

[ ] Disconnect if idle for [10] minutes

[x] Disconnect when user logs out

[ ] Disconnect when switching user accounts

[ ] Prompt for password after dialing

[x] Redial [1] times if busy, waiting [5] seconds before redialing

[x] Send PPP echo packets

[x] Use verbose logging

Terminal Script: [None]

[x] Use TCP header compression

[ ] Connect using a terminal window (command line)

Huawei Settings 2: Disconnects A Lot Or Doesn't Connect At All (For some reason I used these settings with my MacBook Pro.)

HUAWEI Mobile-Modem

Configuration: [Default]

Telephone Number: [*99#] (connection: Saunalahti Nopsa)

Advanced

Modem

Vendor: [Generic] (I can't find "Other" as with Mac Pro)

Model: [Dialup Device] (try GPRS (GSM/3G))

APN: internet.saunalahti (with setting GPRS (GSM/3G))

CID: 1 (with setting GPRS (GSM/3G))

[x] Enable error correction and compression in modem

Dial Mode: [Wait for dial tone before dialing]

Dialing: (*) Tone

Sound: (*) On

PPP

[ ] Connect automatically when needed

[ ] Prompt every [30] minutes to maintain connection

[x] Disconnect if idle for [10] minutes

[x] Disconnect when user logs out

[x] Disconnect when switching user accounts

[ ] Prompt for password after dialing

[x] Redial [1] times if busy, waiting [5] seconds before redialing

[x] Send PPP echo packets

[ ] Use verbose logging

Terminal Script: [None]

[x] Use TCP header compression

[ ] Connect using a terminal window (command line)

Bluetooth (these settings apply when I use Bluetooth)

Tip: See also Sharing settings: Bluetooth Sharing.

Tip: Use "+" only on one Mac computer to start discovering a Bluetooth device.

Tip: Use cogwheel icon: "Show More Info".

[x] On

[x] Discoverable (disabled after I have setup my Bluetooth devices)

[x] Show Bluetooth status in the menu bar (there you can see "Send File" and "Browse Device")

Advanced...

[ ] Open Bluetooth Setup Assistant at startup when no input device is present

[ ] Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer

[x] Prompt for all incoming audio requests

[ ] Share my Internet connection with other Bluetooth devices

Sharing

[ ] DVD or CD Sharing