How to Switch Between Programs on a Mac

You can have as many applications open as you have RAM to open them. But how do you get from one program to another? It's easy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Open the Application menu, marked with a small icon at the rightmost part of your screen, to see each application you have open. The program you're currently using has a checkmark next to it.

2. Choose the application you want to use.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also switch programs just by clicking on another program's window. Click on the desktop to switch to the Finder.
• Remember that on a Mac, you can close all of a program's windows, but the program might still be open. If you ever get confused and aren't sure which program you're in, go to the Application menu and look for the checkmark.
• You can create a "palette" from the Application menu by dragging down the Application menu until your pointer is off the menu and you see the outline of a box. Release the mouse to display the Application Switcher.
• To change programs with the Switcher, just click the program's icon. You can change the size of the icons by holding down the Option key and clicking on the Switcher's zoom box.
• Each application you launch claims its own block of memory, or RAM. (See "How to Increase the Memory for a Macintosh Application.") If you run out of memory, the Finder will give you an error message.
• You can upgrade the built-in memory by adding DIMMs (memory chips), and you can use a trick found in the Memory control panel called Virtual Memory, which uses your hard drive for temporary storage.

[flipsmithers]

on 8/28/2007 Again, ancient history. In OS X, you can change apps by holding down the option key and hitting tab. A floating "Dock" will appear in the center of the screen and you can select the app you what by moving the mouse over it or tabbing to it. Once you let go of the Option key the menu disappears.