Welcome Switchers: a brief glossary
I've noticed that with the surge in switchers, plus renewed interest in Apple from various PC-centric publications, there has been a tendency to carry PC nomenclature forward into Mac discussions.
So much so that it sometimes seems like Mac specific naming conventions are in danger of being lost altogether.
So in the interest of preserving same, here is a brief list of Mac specific terms:
1) Mac, not MAC. Mac is short for Macintosh. MAC is an acronym for several things, none of them a computer.
2) The picture that typically fills up your screen is called a desktop image, not wallpaper.
3) An icon that has a symbolic link to a file is called an alias, not a shortcut.
4) The little icons at the right side of the menu bar are called menu items (or sometimes menu extras or menulets). The icons along the bottom or sides of the screen are called the Dock. Neither are called a task bar.
5) We throw things away in the trash, not recycle bin.
6) We use the System Preferences to change settings, not the Control Panel. There is no control panel.
Well, those are the ones that spring to mind, I'm sure there are others.
Note that I'm not claiming Mac terms are "better", they're just customary.
So much so that it sometimes seems like Mac specific naming conventions are in danger of being lost altogether.
So in the interest of preserving same, here is a brief list of Mac specific terms:
1) Mac, not MAC. Mac is short for Macintosh. MAC is an acronym for several things, none of them a computer.
2) The picture that typically fills up your screen is called a desktop image, not wallpaper.
3) An icon that has a symbolic link to a file is called an alias, not a shortcut.
4) The little icons at the right side of the menu bar are called menu items (or sometimes menu extras or menulets). The icons along the bottom or sides of the screen are called the Dock. Neither are called a task bar.
5) We throw things away in the trash, not recycle bin.
6) We use the System Preferences to change settings, not the Control Panel. There is no control panel.
Well, those are the ones that spring to mind, I'm sure there are others.
Note that I'm not claiming Mac terms are "better", they're just customary.
Comments
And we don't "search" either.
We "find" or "spotlight"...
5) We throw things away in the trash, not recycle bin.
6) We use the System Preferences to change settings, not the Control Panel. There is no control panel.
Well, that's half correct, in pre OS X they where called Control Panels.
Well, that's half correct, in pre OS X they where called Control Panels.
Well actually it's 100% correct, as we are no longer Pre-OS X, and haven't been for years.
Well actually it's 100% correct, as we are no longer Pre-OS X, and haven't been for years.
You are right, it would be incorrect for me to use the term Control Panels when referring to pre OS X because I'm currently using OS X.
Apple makes Macintosh computers. "Mac" does not make anything. Please don't say "Why does Mac make Apple computers that....." Meh.
Oh good God man take a break for your desk or something.
But if you insist...
http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashb...nesweeper.html
or the ghetto windowsey version:
http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Dashboa...esweeper.shtml
Posted from an iPod touch.
And no, Mac does not have minesweeper pre-installed.]
also don't refer to the operating system as "Mac"
also don't refer to the operating system as "Mac"
No, I actually meant Mac -- the general operating system. OS 7, 8, 9, etc. all didn't come with Minesweeper.
I suppose I should have said "Mac OS" though.
• It's OS 10 not OS Ex
While X did indeed stand for 10, it's not "OS 10," it's "OS X." Apple is drifting away from number versions (10.5) in it's marketing, but for organizational and semantic reasons the 10.x is always there, especially in technical documentation.
But the point is, it's not OS 10.5, it's OS X 10.5.
But the point is, it's not OS 10.5, it's OS X 10.5.
OS X 10.5 is incorrect. X stands for the roman numeral 10.
Mac OS X.V
But the point is, it's not OS 10.5, it's OS X 10.5.
But do you say it 10 <point> 5, or 10 <dot> 5 ?
But do you say it 10 <point> 5, or 10 <dot> 5 ?
point.