The most visible new feature of Mac OS X is the dock, which brings together Mac OS 9’s application menu and Apple’s Launcher file utility, with a dash of the Windows Taskbar.
A. A triangle indicates that an application is currently running. All applications that are running appear in the dock, as well as any other applications you’ve dragged into it.
B. Mac OS X’s built-in mail program features full support for HTML mail, mail rules, and other advanced e-mail features. When you look at the program’s icon in the dock you can see how many new messages are waiting for you.
C. The Dock’s magnification feature lets you minimize clutter without sacrificing usability. When you move your cursor over a part of the Dock, icons get bigger (and therefore more readable) and pop over the Dock’s top edge
D. Mac OS X comes with native versions of Sherlock (for finding items on your hard drive or on the Internet) and StuffIt Expander (for decompressing items you download off the Net).
E. Hickory dickory Dock. Run your mouse up Apple’s new Clock application and you can actually see the time from within the Dock itself–complete with an optional second hand.
F. Instead of a Control Panels folder, Mac OS X offers an application called System Preferences, from which you can control various aspects of Mac OS X’s behavior.
G. Multimedia is not ignored in Mac OS X–Apple’s created an OS X-native version of the QuickTime player, and has replaced the AppleCD Audio Player with a new combination CD and MP3 Player.
H. Classic is a Mac OS X application that runs Mac OS 9 inside it. Once Classic is running, you can run Mac OS 9 applications inside Mac OS X.
I. Mac OS 9 applications such as this one still show up in the Dock. That way, it’s easy to see all programs that you’re currently running, whether or not they’re Mac OS X native.
J. Items to the left of this line are applications; items to the right aren’t. You can also click on this line and drag it up or down to make the dock larger or smaller.
K. This icon represents a Web link; click on it and you’ll be sent to a Web page.
L. Any document you drag to the dock appears down here, as do any windows you minimize by clicking on the yellow button with the minus symbol in it.
M. Although Oscar the Grouch would be mortified, this wire basket is the new Mac OS trash can. Drag items here if you want to trash them — or just hit Command-period in the finder.