The Mac Observer: Computing With Bifocals - Nancy's Mac Basics Quiz (& Cheat Sheet!)

Nancy's Mac Basics Quiz (& Cheat Sheet!)
April 5th, 2001

A few months ago I did a column that included a quiz so that readers would (a) see how much they had learned, or (b) have a cheat sheet to help with the learning curve. It was very favorably received and this week's column will have another quiz. Ready, set, go!

1.What do you do when someone sends you a graphic image that you can't open?

2. Define the following Internet terms: Web page, HTML, Upload, Banner Ad, home page, URL, and Link.

3. Why are some download files compressed?

4. What are bin-hqx, Stuffit, self-extracting archives and Zip filesm and which is the most frequently used by Mac users?

5. How can you recover your trash can icon when it disappears?

6. Name two ways to open an existing document or image?

7. Name two reasons why your attempts to download a graphic image would fail.

8. How do you change the folder icons into different graphic images?

9. Name one reason one folder on your desktop opens slowly while another opens quickly.

10. Name two ways to stop a print job once it has started.

11. How do you change the number of colors available (in your monitor) when instructed to do so by a particular game or application?

1. When Graphics Won't Open

What's The Secret?

How Do I Do It?

The quickest way to get those images open is to use your Internet browser (Netscape, Explorer, etc.)

Drag the image(s) to your desk top.

Open a new window in your browser and drag the first image onto the new window.

As long as the image is not corrupted in some way, it will instantly open.

Save the image in the appropriate format (jpg, gif)

Repeat as needed.

2. Internet Related Definitions

Term		Definition
Web Page	-	A site on the Internet, which can be viewed by anyone, created and maintained by an individual, organization, or business for a specific purpose.
HTML	-	The primary code used to create the desired effects; such as color, organization, type size, etc. on a Web page.
Upload	-	The process of transferring your work to an Internet server (the computer that will host your Web page so others can see it. You can think of it as saving your work (photo, text, or icon) to the Web page you are creating.
Banner Ad	-	An advertisement that usually appears at the top or bottom of a Web page. Banner ads are used to pay for the Web space you are using and can only be installed by the owner of the Web site; i.e., Angelfire or The Mac Observer.
Home Page	-	The first or main page of your Web site.
URL	-	The name for the Internet address of any item or site. Why is it called URL instead of Web address? URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator which is nerd-speak for Web address.
Link	-	The coded Web address that allows you to automatically go directly to another site by clicking on an image or text that contains the link.

3. Compressed Files

Why Compress?		To speed up the download time.
Where did file compression come from?		This goes back to the days when a 2400 modem was considered to be demonically fast and floppy disks added considerably to the cost of producing software. Some clever software engineers thought of a way to compress the data by using all kinds of fancy logarithms and formulas that consider the 1's and 0's that make up a software program in a way that computers normally don't. The result is that extra data and wasted space is discarded and you have a compressed file. This might turn a 746k shareware game into a 542k stuffed file. In today's Internet world, being able to lop over 30% of the file size off of a file might make the difference between a 10 minute download and a 7 minute download with most modems.

4. Types of Compression Files

bin-hqx, Stuffit, self-extracting archives and Zip files are all versions of compression files.

The first 3 are for Mac's. Zip files work on PC's, but can be opened with recent version of Stuffit Expander from Aladdin Systems. Most Mac users rely on Stuffit to decompress files.

5. The Elusive Trash Can

First Option	-	Reboot (restart) the computer.
Second Option	-	Highlight the icon of the file you want to trash and hit Command and Delete. The trash can should come out of hiding again, and your files will have been moved there as well.

6. Opening Files

First Option	-	Double click on the document icon.
Second Option	-	Drag the document to the application icon and release.

7. Failed Image Downloads

Reason		How Can You Find Out?
There may be a problem with the server (the computer where the file resides) from where you are downloading.		Try again. If the download keeps stopping, is most likely something that is wrong on the other end. If that is the case, there is little you can do. If you have reason to think that this is a mistake, write the Webmaster or owner of the site and tell them of the problem.
The image may be in a format not recognized by your machine.		To determine the format look at the name of the document (i.e., dogs barking) and see what follows the name (i.e. dogsbarking.jpeg). This sample graphic is a jpeg.
The download was successful, but you still can't open the image.		The image file may be too large for you to open without increasing the memory for your program. (I have provided instructions for increasing the memory for a program in a past column.)

8. Changing Folder Images

First		Download the icons you want to use and save them on your desktop.
Second		Click on and highlight the icon you want to copy and then choose "Get Info" from the File pulldown menu
Third		In the Get Info window, the icon you have selected will appear at the top. Click it once (a black frame will surround it), then choose "Copy" from the Edit pulldown menu.
Fourth		Repeat the "Get Info" routine with the blank folder or file you want to attach the new icon to; select it and choose "Get Info."
Fifth		Again, click the old icon in the Get Info window, so that the frame appears, but this time choose "Paste" from the Edit pulldown menu. The new icon should be pasted onto the folder and replace the old one

9. Uncluttering Your Folders

Why is It Slow?		The slow folder probably has too much in it.
How To Solve?		Create new folders and reorganize your files.

10. Ways To Stop A Print Job

First Option	-	Hit the Apple key and the period together.
Second Option	-	Double clicking on the printer icon. When it opens, click on the document icon and move it to the trash can in the top right corner of the dialogue box. It will instantly be trashed and stop printing quickly. Your print software may be a bit different, but those directions should still help.

11. Changing Color Options

First	-	Go to your Control Panel on your hard drive and choose "Monitors and Sound."
Then	-	A box will open that gives choices of black and white, 4, 16, 256, Thousands or Millions of colors, depending on the capabilities of your system. Some older and newer systems may have fewer options.
Then	-	Click once on the number you want to use and close the box. Some games and applications will adjust the color automatically for you when you open the item, but after closing you may have to follow these directions to put the color back where you want it.

How did you do? Bet you didn't know you actually knew so much. Keep up the good work and enjoy your Mac.

If you have any questions, comments, or tips, let me know and I may include them in a future column.