OS X Mountain Lion Bible

Summary

OS X comes with dozens of applications and utilities, but you also can install applications from other companies to do even more things with your Mac. The new Gatekeeper feature lets you restrict application installation to those in the Mac App Store and to those that Apple has certified as legitimate.

OS X provides many ways to open applications, though double-clicking them from the Applications folder or Utilities folder is the one way to access all your applications. The Dock and Recent Items menu option in the menu are handy ways to launch frequently used applications. And the Launchpad lets you see all your applications in home screens reminiscent of an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.

Uninstalling applications is usually as simple as dragging them to the Trash or running their uninstaller applications.

You can easily switch among running applications using the Dock or application switcher or by clicking a window from an open application. When you get overwhelmed by having too many open windows, use the Hide commands to move applications out of the way without quitting them.

Most OS X applications use a common set of controls presented in a common set of function containers such as dialog boxes and panels. Even applications that use their own interface approaches work essentially the same way as applications that follow Apple's standards, even if they have visual differences. ...