desktops and icons: how?

[hannibal]

i'm sure a lot of people here can help me. i'm a switcher and i'd like to know a few things about desktops and icons. i guess i must admit that after seeing the gallery of mac desktops, i felt so "ignorant" about computers. so, here are a few questions i wish you could help me answer: (please keep the giggles at the minimum, i know most of these are 'stupid' questions)

1. how do i put my name in the menu bar?
2. where do i download desktop wallpapers and icons? any specific recommendations as to what i should download?
3. how do i place a calendar on my desktop to reflect date, time and temperature range, etc for the current day?
4. how do i capture my desktop so i can upload it as an attachment?
5. how can i make the "downloaded items" folder a permanent fixture in my desktop?

thanks.

[super_ed]

Originally posted by hannibal
i'm sure a lot of people here can help me. i'm a switcher and i'd like to know a few things about desktops and icons. i guess i must admit that after seeing the gallery of mac desktops, i felt so "ignorant" about computers. so, here are a few questions i wish you could help me answer: (please keep the giggles at the minimum, i know most of these are 'stupid' questions)

1. how do i put my name in the menu bar?

check your system preferences/ accounts

2. where do i download desktop wallpapers and icons? any specific recommendations as to what i should download?
3. how do i place a calendar on my desktop to reflect date, time and temperature range, etc for the current day?

for the icons and widgets, get 'em here.

4. how do i capture my desktop so i can upload it as an attachment?

for capturing desktop, you can use keyboard shortcuts like:

for selection: hold apple+shift+4
for window screenshot: hold apple+shift+3

or download a Snap N' Drag.

5. how can i make the "downloaded items" folder a permanent fixture in my desktop?

just drag 'em to your desktop.

thanks.

enjoy!

[Edited on 5-18-2004 by super_ed]

[poink]

ooh, ooh, i wanna try answering..! im a newbie myself...barely 2 months, so uh, guys puhleez correct me nalang if im wrong! i feel like im taking a quiz hehe.

1. how do i put my name in the menu bar?
oop...got me there :P

2. where do i download desktop wallpapers and icons? any specific recommendations as to what i should download?
i go to pixelgirl presents they have the coolest mac icons (for windows too!) and links to other cool sites.

3. how do i place a calendar on my desktop to reflect date, time and temperature range, etc for the current day?
download Konfabulator, it comes with the widgets (cute word!) you need. more widgets at Widget Gallery

4. how do i capture my desktop so i can upload it as an attachment?
everyone here uses snap n drag, but u can also use command+shift+3 if you don't have the app (it's free by the way!)

5. how can i make the "downloaded items" folder a permanent fixture in my desktop?
hm...i have a downloads folder on my desktop too! the icon's a peptobismol-looking bottle. :P anyway, i just went to Safari preferences (do u use safari?) under General, then Save downloaded files to:______, then specify the folder on your desktop.

:blush:


EDIT: haha...naunahan ako. k lang! :P

[Edited on 5-18-2004 by poink]

[ncarandang]

1. how do i put my name in the menu bar? - i'd go with super ed on this, just enable fast user switching.

2. where do i download desktop wallpapers and icons? any specific recommendations as to what i should download? - www.xicons.com and www.iconfactory for icons. www.macdesktops.com for wallpapers.

3. how do i place a calendar on my desktop to reflect date, time and temperature range, etc for the current day? - use konfabulator

4. how do i capture my desktop so i can upload it as an attachment? - in your utilities folder, there's a program named grab. use it. or a third party program such as screentool.

5. how can i make the "downloaded items" folder a permanent fixture in my desktop? - i'd go with poink with this one. if you use safari, her suggestion is the way to go.

[hannibal]

thanks guys! (super_ed, poink and ncarandang) i'm beginning to love konfabulator...

[annie_mae]

so this is where hannibal got the stuffs he taught us during our mini newbie meet :P

anyways, about icons, how can i change the icons for the trash? can i change the icon for the airport icon, bluetooth icon, etc.? i found icons that represent those stuffs and i don't know where to paste them.

[elbert]

JM, fyi, there's no such word as 'stuffs'.

As for your queries, you may want to hop on over to versiontracker,com or macupdate.com. In the serach field, try the keywords 'dock' and 'menu'.

Also, here in PhilMUG, we've had discussions on the menu.
http://www.philmug.ph/viewthread.php?tid=4800

HTH

[annie_mae]

oops...my bad. hehe

thanks for the info.

[the_world_is_an_apple]

hi, im a switcher too and was interested with the thread because i want to change my icons...

so, yes i have the icons i want downloaded and expanded (via stuffit), but how do i use/install them? is it the same as with the font installation?

[annie_mae]

@the_world_is_an_apple

choose the icon you want and ctrl-click (or right click) on it, choose copy "[name of icon]" (see first pic)

then ctrl-click (or right click) on the item you want changed, choose get info. select the small pic representing the icon of that item and from the Edit menu, choose paste. (see second pic)

[Edited on 9.28.05 by annie_mae]

[Edited on 9.28.05 by annie_mae]