Things You'll Need:
- Apple Macintosh computer (at least a G4
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Step 1
Time Machine backs up your Mac automatically.Use Time Machine. This is Leopard's backup software. Get an external hard drive, the bigger the better. Clicking on Time Machine in the dock the first time will walk you through the steps to set up this external HD as your backup disc. You can select the disc and tell Time Machine how often to back up your Mac. As long as the external HD is on and connected, and the Mac is on, Time Machine will back up everything for you without you having to think about it.
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Step 2
Cover Flow gives you a new, visual option for sorting through and finding files.Use Cover Flow. This search mechanism became popular on hand-held devices such as the iPod. It allows you to see a picture of the file (whether it be music, image or text) and "flip through," as if you were looking through an album or CD collection. You can use the slider at the bottom, click the files or use the arrow keys to sort through files. To use Cover Flow instead of the traditional Finder gizmos, open a Finder window and click the Cover Flow icon at the upper left.
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Step 3
Use Stacks. Leopard automatically "stacks" such things as downloads and gives you easy access in order of download, with the newest on top. As you click the Stacks icon in the dock, it fans out and up, so you can see all of your recent activity. Clicking on any one will open it in its appropriate program. This is a quick way to access downloads without them languishing on the desktop or somewhere where you can't find them. You also can create Stacks by taking a folder with the items inside and dragging it to Stacks on the Dock.
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Step 4
Mini-menus on the dock give you access to files and folders.Use the Dock mini-menus. Click and hold on any program or Stack in the dock, and a mini-menu will pop up displaying options. For example, Documents will allow you to sort by name, date or other criteria. The mini-menus also allow you force-quit any application that has frozen, without going to the Apple menu. You also can quit an application using these mini-menus and survey which files are open in each.
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Step 5
Use the Search function in the Finder. While Mac OS X has contained a search option for some time, Leopard allows you to search more quickly and gives you options of where to search. It even allows you to search across a network. You also can search based on contents of files or file names. To use the search, go to "Search" in the upper right corner of any Finder window and type a word or part of a word. The search engine begins immediately.
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Step 6
Use Spaces (Exposé) to organize your files. Go to "System Preferences>Exposé" and turn it on. Then select how many Spaces you want to use. For example, you can have one for blogging, one for presentations, one for writing and one for photos. Close "Exposé" and go to the first thing you want to add to Spaces. If you open Safari, for example, it will be added to Space 1. Go to the Spaces icon on the dock and click it. Select a second Space, then go to "Keynote" for presentations. It will be added to the second space. This makes it easier to navigate while doing multiple projects.
