Learn how to Set up or customize your Dock
Finally, another update on Still Scripts. All of the future tutorials will be based on Mac OS X 10.5 and above. I have been using Leopard since it's release and just cant go back to Tiger. Of course, if you have any questions about anything on Tiger I would still be glad to help out; so send me a message.
I start my tutorials by warning everyone that "my computer is not set up 'standard'". I have had a few requests asking me "why?" Well i read form left to right, so when I go to looking for something I look to the left. I do not look down I also do not look right. i have also had a few requests asking me "How?" i will answer that now.
Just before we get started... As in every tutorial on this site I have to warn you my computer is not set up "standard"; I have my Dock on the left side of the screen and several programs in my system preferences that are not standard. This should not cause you any problems, you should know where your dock is. If you have any questions, send me a mail through the request form. Now that we have that out of the way.
Preparing
As with my Learn how to Set or Change your Desktop Background on apple computers tutorial there is not much to "Prepare" for.
Execution
In your Dock, there is a System Preferences icon. Click on that. if you cant find it in the Dock someone must have removed it. That is OK. you can also find System Preferences in your applications folder. the icon looks like the one in the image to the right.
You should have already been through your System Preferences. If you have not then please go through them now. Click each icon and read what is in there. There are lots of goodies in there. I can not live without Expos%uFFFD and I am very happy that I could put the Dock on the left side of my screen. Also, you will see that my System Preferences Overview has some extra stuff at the bottom. I will get to all of that, eventually; got questions about that stuff? Send me a mail through the request form. Now, you have just opened your System Preferences overview. In the first row "Personal", under the third icon, you will read "Dock". Click that.
In the window that opens up there, you will see the settings for the Dock, obviously. Looking at my settings, displayed here, I have the Dock size just to the left of the middle. I did that because I have more than a few programs in my dock. i have set mine for magnification so I know exactly which Icon i am about to click upon. i like my dock at the left of my screen, for reasons stated above. I have the "Genie Effect" selected just because i like it too. You should experiment here. I also like the Animation of the application coming out of the dock; so it is also activated. Finally, I have "Automatically hide and show the Dock" selected, because I know where my dock is and what is in it. Therefore i don't have to see it all the time. Remember, these are only my own preferences. Please, play around with these settings, see what you like.
You can now close system Preferences. There is no "ok" or "save" button. It just does it.
...that is all I have to say on that.