by , 7:30 AM EDT, May 24th, 2006

The Dock is more than just a place to find a list of your active applications. It also gives you quick access to some of the features tucked away in your running programs. Let's look at iTunes as an example: Click and hold on the iTunes icon in your dock, and a contextual menu pops up that shows the currently playing song, song rating information, and also includes options like pause, play, shuffle, and quit or hide.

Most applications include common functions in Dock menus.

Other applications show you a list of their open windows. Choosing one brings it to the front and makes it the active window even if it is hidden or minimized. You can check for new email messages from Mail's pop-up menu, and open a new browser window from Safari's Dock icon.

Try clicking and holding on the Dock icons for the applications you use all the time. You may find some time saving options in their pop-up menus.

if you have ideas for Mac related tips that you think other TMO readers might find helpful.