Apple has a knack for layout and design that is unparalleled across the industry and has been widely regarded as the best in the business when it comes to systems that are straightforward and useful right out of the box. However, there’s an obvious sense in the newer versions of OS X that some things are missing, and a LOT of things sure are different. Having talked to a number of frustrated customers, I’ve come up with a list of common tweaks that might help both personalize and optimize your system. Though I really have mostly been impressed by the new developments, Apple may have overstepped the line between functionality and beauty in a few places in Yosemite. That’s not to say the same functionality isn’t present, it’s actually readily available, but in my day I see plenty of users who do not know where to look for themselves.
I’ve noticed that with each upgrade of OS X, the sidebar in Finder has changed in it’s focus. In the past, things were based on a hierarchical system that began with Macintosh HD, followed sub-folders, and left space for Smart Folders and other links below. In Yosemite, Apple approaches file management in a revolutionary yet sometimes confusing way. You can easily revert to the tried-and-true sidebar or customize it exactly to your specifications within Finder’s preferences – just look for the sidebar tab and you can pick and choose a layout that works for you! There are similar settings for almost all of the built-in apps on your Mac…
- Don’t like the dock on the bottom of your screen? Switch it up! A lot of customers prefer to have their Dock auto-hide or display on the left side of their screen: System Preferences > Dock
- You can get fancy and organize your desktop by a wide range of sorting options in the View Options menu: Command-J
- Try setting up some Automator workflows for common tasks every day! You can even use voice commands to trigger a script. See this great article on Automator for more information.
- Color code your files and folders! Pull up a contextual menu (by right- or Control-clicking on any item) in Finder and you’ll see the Label section available. It’s a great way to differentiate between projects that have multiple directories or as a progress indicator.
- Remember that you can easily create Smart Folders in Finder to automatically run filter searches on your directories: File > New Smart Folder
- You can hold the Command key and drag around menu items in multiple applications, as well as the system menu bar (right side only).
Remember – it’s YOUR Mac. YOU are the one who uses it every day. Why not make it work with your own style? There’s so much customization at your fingertips. You don’t need to just settle for the default. Explore your Mac and have fun with it!