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14: System Preferences - Dock

The Dock gives you easy access to often-used applications, documents, and minimized windows. It can be customized to include specific applications, folders, and documents that you use often. This allows quick and easy access to these files any time you need them.

Customizing the Dock

Open System Preferences then select the Dock in the first row or icons.
To set the size of the Dock and its items, drag the slider to adjust the size.

To enable Dock icon magnification, check the box next to "Magnification." Then, drag the slider to adjust the size. With magnification turned on, when you point at an item in the Dock, it will grow so you can see it better.

This is what it will look like with magnification on.

To change where the Dock resides on the screen, select one of the options (Left, Bottom, Right).

You can also change the effect that is displayed when you minimize a window. The options are "Genie Effect" and "Scale Effect." While the "Genie Effect" is cool, it uses more system resources than the "Scale Effect". Thus, if you are trying to save battery life, select the "Scale Effect".

"Genie Effect" shrinks the window into the dock as if a genie were shrinking into a lamp.
"Scale Effect" shrinks the icon into the dock.

Checking the "Animate opening applications" check box will bounce the application’s icon in the dock any time you open that application.

If you wish to save desktop space, select the "Automatically hide and show the Dock" option. This will minimize the dock until you move your mouse to the edge of the screen where the dock is positioned.

To add an item to the Dock, simply drag it to the desired position in the Dock. You can also move items within the Dock to different positions. If you wish to remove an item from the Dock, simply drag it off of the dock and it will be removed permanently.

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14: System Preferences - Dock

Customizing the Dock

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