#How to use mac os basics how to
#How to use mac os basics software

Apple seems to add new features with every release. ItРІР‚в„ўs not quite as feature complete as Siri in macOS, but itРІР‚в„ўs got a lot of the same features, so give it a shot. There are a few more features hidden here: stock prices, currency conversion, online videos, even results from Maps if youРІР‚в„ўre looking for the location of a nearby business. If youРІР‚в„ўd rather not scroll down to the bottom of the list, you can use the keyboard shortcut Option+Command+Space instead-this will launch the Finder instantly. To do this, scroll down to the bottom of your results, then click РІР‚СљShow all in Finder.РІР‚Сњ But itРІР‚в„ўs also possible to bring your searches to the Finder, where thereРІР‚в„ўs a much more nuanced set of controls. Take It to the FinderР”Р„s we said before: you can see any search result in the Finder by pressing Command+Enter while itРІР‚в„ўs highlighted.

#How to use mac os basics how to

WeРІР‚в„ўve talked a lot more about how to use natural language searches in Spotlight, so check that article out for more depth: thereРІР‚в„ўs a lot to figure out here. You can use similar language to find documents from last week, videos from last Tuesday, or applications installed in March. For example: type РІР‚Сљpictures from december 2015РІР‚Сњ and you will see only photos from that specific month. What does this mean? That you can type surprisingly specific queries and get the results youРІР‚в„ўd expect. Spotlight is useful enough for simple searches alone, but you can go deeper by using natural language. RELATED: How to Use Natural Language Search in OS X's Spotlight Searching for Files With Natural Language ItРІР‚в„ўs usually not necessary, but good to have sometimes.

If you want to get fancy, you can also use basic boolean queries, including OR, AND, and NOT. You can open the document by hitting Enter, or see where it is in the Finder by hitting Command+Enter. In those cases, typing a phrase you know is in the document can help. If youРІР‚в„ўre like me, sometimes you canРІР‚в„ўt remember where you put a document, or what its filename was. All these years later, searching Spotlight for РІР‚СљMufflesРІР‚Сњ brings up the document, even though РІР‚СљmufflesРІР‚Сњ is nowhere in the filename. For example: way back in college, I helped publish a parody publication that was РІР‚СљwrittenРІР‚Сњ by a cat named Muffles. Searches look at filenames, but in the case of documents, Spotlight also looks inside the file. As you scroll through the photos, youРІР‚в„ўll see thumbnails in the right panel. No matter: you can use the up and down arrow keys to quickly jump from item to item. In the above example, youРІР‚в„ўll notice that music came up before photos. If you want to quickly find a photo you took in Paris, just hit Command+Space and search for the word РІР‚СљParis.РІР‚Сњ This becomes really useful when you need to quickly find a file. You can also use this to launch individual panels in the System Preferences, again just by typing the name.

#How to use mac os basics software

Once you get used to it, you will seriously wonder why you ever opened software any other way. It feels silly at first, but itРІР‚в„ўs actually faster than clicking an icon somewhere-you never even have to take your hands off the keyboard. Results will pop up instantly as you type, and you can hit РІР‚СљEnterРІР‚Сњ right away to launch an app or game.