Gadgets are handy objects that you can place on your desktop or webpage. These can include calculators, calendars, games or your daily horoscope!

Google Gadgets for your desktop

Google Gadgets for your webpage

Google Talk

• Pressing Return is the same as clicking OK, Yes, or Continue

• Pressing Esc is the same as clicking Cancel.

• ⌘-A selects everything in the current window.

• ⌘-C copies the selected text or image to the Clipboard.

• ⌘-X copies the selected text or image and stores it on the Clipboard and then deletes it from its current location.

• ⌘-V pastes the current contents of the Clipboard into the current document or window.

• ⌘-Z undoes the previous action, whatever it is.

• ⌘-O opens anything (folders, files, volumes, or applications).

• ⌘-Shift-N creates a new folder within the current directory.

• ⌘-Delete sends an item to the Trash.

• ⌘-W closes the active window.

• ⌘-Option-W closes every open window.

• ⌘-M minimizes the active open window.

• ⌘-Option-M minimizes every open window.

• ⌘-P prints a document.

• ⌘-I brings up the Get Info prompt, where you can find information about a file, a folder, or an application.

• ⌘-E ejects the selected disk or disc. (This disc could be an external FireWire hard drive, a Zip or floppy disk, a CD-ROM or DVD, or a mounted disk image.)

To quit “frozen” applications on your Mac without having to shut the cmputer  down click on the Apple menu and select “Force Quit”.  This forces a pop-up window to appear and you will see the trouble application listed in red.  The keyboard command for this is holding down the Command-option-esc keys at the same time.

Check out this Apple support page for some mac basics.

Mac 101: Get started with the Mac

• First, dim the display. Dimming your display increases battery time between charges
• Second, go to System Preferences -> Energy Saver and check “Put the hard disk to sleep when possible”
• Download the widget, Juice to check battery status

Let’s start with something called Widgets. Widgets are handy little tools on your desktop that will check the time, watch the weather, track flights, bring up a dictionary, view stock prices, find a local restaurant and many more - instantly and in real time.

Just press F12 on your ibook and the program Dashboard will launch with all of the widgets you currently have on your computer - to see more widgets press the + sign in the lower left hand corner of your screen while you are looking at your widgets. Additional widgets that can be downloaded include; sudoku, world clock, tv listings, unit converter and many more.

For more info about other widgets you can download visit the Apple site.