Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Tiger Edition

The Finder Slideshow

Mac OS X is an operating system that's supposed to be all about graphics and other visual delights. No wonder, then, that one of Tiger's best unsung features is its built-in, full-screen slideshow.

It works like this: In the Finder, highlight some graphics documents, regardless of format. Control-click any one of them—or right-click, if you have a mouse that qualifies. From the shortcut menu, choose Slideshow (Figure 14-14, top).

The screen goes black, and the graphics begin their slideshow. Each image appears on the screen for about three seconds before gracefully cross-dissolving into the next one. (Press the Esc key or c-period to end the show.)

That's a useful enough feature right there, especially when you've just downloaded or imported a bunch of photos and want a quick look through them. But the real fun begins when you move the mouse or press the left or right arrow key. That's when the slideshow control bar appears, filled with useful controls (Figure 14-14, bottom).

Note

This same slideshow mechanism is available in Preview and Mail.