Mac computers come preloaded with the stock operating system and select Apple programs. Note that the operating system may not necessarily be the latest nor will it have been updated with the latest security fixes.
There are three ways to open a program that has been loaded on the Mac computer:
a. Go to the Finder program by clicking on it in the Dock. This is the farmost left icon. Alternatively, clicking on the Desktop will allow you to access the Finder Menu bar.
b. Select Go in the Finder menu and select Applications. If a Finder window is open, Applications can also be selected in the SideBar.
3. Use the Launchpad program to start the desired application. Function key F4 is the shortcut to activate Launchpad. Another commonly used shortcut is the four finger pinch on the trackpad.
Programs that are opened will show up in the Mac Dock usually with a black dot underneath it. It is easy to switch between open programs - simply click on the program in the Dock bar. Alternatively, it is easy to switch between open applications by pressing Command-Tab. This will take you back to the last used program. If there are more than two open programs, cycle through them by holding Command and clicking Tab. Each click on the Tab button will advance forward one application.
Although there is no real requirement to close programs, having too many programs can clutter up the Dock and/or the desktop as well as potentially slowing down the computer. There are several ways to close programs:
These days, most programs are installed by downloading the program. Very few programs come on CD/DVDs since most new computers don't have a CD/DVD drive any more. Windows users will recognize program extensions as a .exe file which stands for an executable file. Mac programs come with a .dmg (Apple Disk IMaGe) or a .pkg (Apple software packages) file extension.
When a .dmg file is opened, it will mount a disk folder onto the desktop much like when you insert a USB drive. The .dmg file is like a container in which many files are stored relating to the program. Double click the .dmg folder to reveal the contents. It will ask you to drag the program to the Applications folder. In most cases, there is an Applications shortcut in the same folder in which case all that is required is to drag the program file into the Applications shortcut folder. Otherwise, the Applications folder will have to be manually opened in order for the file to be dragged into it. In the Finder Menu Bar, select Go and select Applications. Once the installation is installed, you can remove the mounted disk by dragging it to the Trash where an Eject button will appear.
In other instances where the program file takes the form of an installer or an application (.pkg file), simply double click to install.
To remove any application, simply drag the icon from your Applications folder into the Trash can.