i'd just crack open the lid and turn the computer on, figure out what you want to use and go to help in the finder to set those things up. setting them up will also teach you how to use the mac. then just start using it. i do think there are somke online tutorials somewhere, but really ease of use is the main thing.
i delete the dmg file (drag to trash)... and firefox dissapears.
what am i doing wrong?
re-instal firefox (do this by clicking the .dmg, dragging the icon into the apps folder, and then delete the .dmg after you completely copied it into the apps folder -- which is in Finder). Then enjoy :-D
[/quote]
Quote:
Originally Posted by OM2
and if there aren't any video for using macs: heck... i'm klearning quick time and opening up store to sell video tutorials.
.mac has the following teaching videos just for you:
All in Quicktime. :-D .mac also comes with other videos, 1GB web space, and an online Address Book that you can sync with Address book on your mac. Comes in handy if you need a number and your away from your computer, if you use multiple macs, or if you have to re-install your OS.
:-D .Mac rocks. It costs $99 every year (so basically, if you buy it for one year, you will be buying a help book online for all of those applications with a few extra bonuses. :-D)
A .dmg file is an image file that can store other things, in this case a program. Double click the .dmg file to open it, then copy the Firefox.app file inside the .dmg to your Applications folder. Run it from there. Then you can unmount the .dmg image (the new icon that pops up on your desktop when you open the .dmg) and delete the .dmg.
Drag Firefox from inside the .DMG into your Applications folder. After that, you can delete the .dmg. Most applications don't have an actual installer, you just copy them to your applications folder.
i delete the dmg file (drag to trash)... and firefox dissapears.
what am i doing wrong?)
You were running firefox from the .dmg (Disk Image), so when you deleted the .dmg, firefox went as well. Look at it this way, a .dmg file is like a disk that you inserted like in the old days, except here you are downloading it instead of inserting it. You need to move (drag and drop) firefox from the .dmg to your Applications folder.
A .dmg file is an image file that can store other things, in this case a program.
This is also misleading and vague. Keep in mind that when you tell most people something is an "image file" they will think it's like a JPEG. The term "disk image" is not in most people's vocabulary.
OM2, .DMG files are pretty confusing to most new Mac users, but the Apple documentation linked in this thread explains them pretty well.
The .dmg confusion hits just about every new Mac user. Personally, I think Apple needs to do a *much* better job preparing new Mac users for they work. They offer very satisfying (almost tactile!) control over installing an application, but they're not intuitive.
Apple has some decent beginner's guides here and (if you've switched from Windows) here.
So then is a .dmg apple's version of a .zip file, that also can work as a .exe file (because .exe is usually what installs programs -- and thats what I thought .dmg was...because it has always installed programs on my mac. Didn't know it could hold other things).
And your right, they should be free, and it looks like some has done it (as iPeon pointed out). So yea....
Wow... Just... Wow. If you're really that lazy, go back to Windows and save the rest of us the hassle. If you really want to learn about Macs, open the lid and use it. If we just tell you everything, you won't learn anything.
OM2, use the Help system, as I said in another thread... that's your first line of learning. Feel free to ask here, but if it's something obvious or trivial, you'll probably just get "Try Help." as an answer.
Wow... Just... Wow. If you're really that lazy, go back to Windows and save the rest of us the hassle. If you really want to learn about Macs, open the lid and use it. If we just tell you everything, you won't learn anything.
Okay, what exactly is the difference between a .exe and a .dmg. .exe has a program -- and a .dmg (Disk Image) is, "A disk image is a computer file containing the complete contents and structure of a data storage medium or device, such as a CD."
So...once again, what is the difference?
And Smashbrosfan, lighten up. Mac's can be a little different then Windows -- such as Linux is different then Windows. So, if someone has a stupid question, something that can be so easy, why be so harsh? Just do what Kickaha did --"Try Help".
A .exe file does not contain a program, it is the program. 'exe' stands for executable. A .exe file is the executable file.
A .zip file is a compressed archive file of another file or folder of files. The Mac can create and decompress .zip files along with every other OS.
A .dmg file is a disk image file. Double clicking a .dmg file will mount a volume, or disk, on the Desktop. Where it will behave just like any physical CDs, DVDs, floppies or hard drives that you would connect to your Mac. The .dmg file makes it easy for software vendors to distribute their wares. They make one disk image to burn onto CDs for their physical distribution and then send this same image to people who download over the net.
A .exe file does not contain a program, it is the program. 'exe' stands for executable. A .exe file is the executable file.
A .zip file is a compressed archive file of another file or folder of files. The Mac can create and decompress .zip files along with every other OS.
A .dmg file is a disk image file. Double clicking a .dmg file will mount a volume, or disk, on the Desktop. Where it will behave just like any physical CDs, DVDs, floppies or hard drives that you would connect to your Mac. The .dmg file makes it easy for software vendors to distribute their wares. They make one disk image to burn onto CDs for their physical distribution and then send this same image to people who download over the net.
Thank You.
One of the best things about public forums is the posting of accurate, correct information.
One of the worst things about public forums is the posting of inaccurate, incorrect information.
Plainly, a .dmg is a shell that holds a virtual disk. When you click on the .dmg, it will mount the disk, which will come up on the desktop and a window will come up. The computer sees a .dmg as a place filled with files, just like a CD, 3.5" floppy, or an HD.
Usually, there are a few things in that disk, like the actual application, some text files, and maybe an installer instead if it's a large program. An .exe is just a program - in Windows, it's "program," while in OS X, it's "application," with the extension ".app." An .exe is an entity. A .dmg is a box that contains uncompressed files. You have to drag the files into folders you want them to be - or sometimes there is an alias or shortcut in the window for the drive that leads to the applications folder. There is too little consistency here, and you have to deal with that.
An archive like .zip, .rar, and .sit, is compressed, so it is smaller. It's similar to a .dmg, but it is not seen as a disk, but as a file that is read, and expanded. Look at what appears on your desktop: it's a folder, not a removable drive. This might seem like splitting hairs, but the way that the computer sees the files as being on the local HD or not affects the way that the file deals with the usability of files.
This is a little complex, but it makes a lot of sense when you get it. Don't worry about this mess; it's probably the most unusual part of the Mac.
Comments
qucik question: what's a dmg file?
what doesit stand for?
is it like an executable?
or a special installation file?
firefox: i installed and ran.
all ok.
i delete the dmg file (drag to trash)... and firefox dissapears.
what am i doing wrong?
and if there aren't any video for using macs: heck... i'm klearning quick time and opening up store to sell video tutorials.
erm... me being lazy... just wanna be spoon fed.
qucik question: what's a dmg file?
what doesit stand for?
is it like an executable?
or a special installation file?
its the same as a .exe
firefox: i installed and ran.
all ok.
i delete the dmg file (drag to trash)... and firefox dissapears.
what am i doing wrong?
re-instal firefox (do this by clicking the .dmg, dragging the icon into the apps folder, and then delete the .dmg after you completely copied it into the apps folder -- which is in Finder). Then enjoy :-D
[/quote]
and if there aren't any video for using macs: heck... i'm klearning quick time and opening up store to sell video tutorials.
.mac has the following teaching videos just for you:
Mac OS X Tiger
Mac OS X Panther
Anything iLife (iTunes, iWeb, iPhoto, garageband, iMovie, iDvd)
iPod
iWork (Pages/Keynote)
All in Quicktime. :-D .mac also comes with other videos, 1GB web space, and an online Address Book that you can sync with Address book on your mac. Comes in handy if you need a number and your away from your computer, if you use multiple macs, or if you have to re-install your OS.
:-D .Mac rocks. It costs $99 every year (so basically, if you buy it for one year, you will be buying a help book online for all of those applications with a few extra bonuses. :-D)
A .dmg file is an image file that can store other things, in this case a program. Double click the .dmg file to open it, then copy the Firefox.app file inside the .dmg to your Applications folder. Run it from there. Then you can unmount the .dmg image (the new icon that pops up on your desktop when you open the .dmg) and delete the .dmg.
but i think the videos should come free.
i installed firefox yesterday... and today it wasnt there.
i've reinstalled now.
am i doing something wrong?
there's no reason why it should have dissappeared?
also... how do i delete things using the keyboard?
and how do i permanently delete things without having to put into trash?
thanks.
Shift + Command + Backspace to empty trash.
Command is the key with the apple on it.
Drag Firefox from inside the .DMG into your Applications folder. After that, you can delete the .dmg. Most applications don't have an actual installer, you just copy them to your applications folder.
Are there any video tutorials on how to use macs?
Yes. http://www.atomiclearning.com/osx_tiger_orientation
what's a dmg file?
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=152179
firefox: i installed and ran.
all ok.
i delete the dmg file (drag to trash)... and firefox dissapears.
what am i doing wrong?)
You were running firefox from the .dmg (Disk Image), so when you deleted the .dmg, firefox went as well. Look at it this way, a .dmg file is like a disk that you inserted like in the old days, except here you are downloading it instead of inserting it. You need to move (drag and drop) firefox from the .dmg to your Applications folder.
its the same as a .exe
Wow. That is definitely not the case.
That's a little misleading and vague.
A .dmg file is an image file that can store other things, in this case a program.
This is also misleading and vague. Keep in mind that when you tell most people something is an "image file" they will think it's like a JPEG. The term "disk image" is not in most people's vocabulary.
OM2, .DMG files are pretty confusing to most new Mac users, but the Apple documentation linked in this thread explains them pretty well.
Apple has some decent beginner's guides here and (if you've switched from Windows) here.
And your right, they should be free, and it looks like some has done it (as iPeon pointed out). So yea....
Furthermore, .dmg's are NOT .zips.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_image
OM2, use the Help system, as I said in another thread... that's your first line of learning. Feel free to ask here, but if it's something obvious or trivial, you'll probably just get "Try Help." as an answer.
Wow... Just... Wow. If you're really that lazy, go back to Windows and save the rest of us the hassle. If you really want to learn about Macs, open the lid and use it. If we just tell you everything, you won't learn anything.
Furthermore, .dmg's are NOT .zips.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disk_image
Okay, what exactly is the difference between a .exe and a .dmg. .exe has a program -- and a .dmg (Disk Image) is, "A disk image is a computer file containing the complete contents and structure of a data storage medium or device, such as a CD."
So...once again, what is the difference?
And Smashbrosfan, lighten up. Mac's can be a little different then Windows -- such as Linux is different then Windows. So, if someone has a stupid question, something that can be so easy, why be so harsh? Just do what Kickaha did --"Try Help".
A .zip file is a compressed archive file of another file or folder of files. The Mac can create and decompress .zip files along with every other OS.
A .dmg file is a disk image file. Double clicking a .dmg file will mount a volume, or disk, on the Desktop. Where it will behave just like any physical CDs, DVDs, floppies or hard drives that you would connect to your Mac. The .dmg file makes it easy for software vendors to distribute their wares. They make one disk image to burn onto CDs for their physical distribution and then send this same image to people who download over the net.
A .exe file does not contain a program, it is the program. 'exe' stands for executable. A .exe file is the executable file.
A .zip file is a compressed archive file of another file or folder of files. The Mac can create and decompress .zip files along with every other OS.
A .dmg file is a disk image file. Double clicking a .dmg file will mount a volume, or disk, on the Desktop. Where it will behave just like any physical CDs, DVDs, floppies or hard drives that you would connect to your Mac. The .dmg file makes it easy for software vendors to distribute their wares. They make one disk image to burn onto CDs for their physical distribution and then send this same image to people who download over the net.
Thank You.
One of the best things about public forums is the posting of accurate, correct information.
One of the worst things about public forums is the posting of inaccurate, incorrect information.
Usually, there are a few things in that disk, like the actual application, some text files, and maybe an installer instead if it's a large program. An .exe is just a program - in Windows, it's "program," while in OS X, it's "application," with the extension ".app." An .exe is an entity. A .dmg is a box that contains uncompressed files. You have to drag the files into folders you want them to be - or sometimes there is an alias or shortcut in the window for the drive that leads to the applications folder. There is too little consistency here, and you have to deal with that.
An archive like .zip, .rar, and .sit, is compressed, so it is smaller. It's similar to a .dmg, but it is not seen as a disk, but as a file that is read, and expanded. Look at what appears on your desktop: it's a folder, not a removable drive. This might seem like splitting hairs, but the way that the computer sees the files as being on the local HD or not affects the way that the file deals with the usability of files.
This is a little complex, but it makes a lot of sense when you get it. Don't worry about this mess; it's probably the most unusual part of the Mac.