69 really useful OS X timesavers

Apple has always put the user first when it comes to designing operating systems, building environments that help you in your everyday computing life rather than making you work around their limitations.

One result of this has been that Mac OS X has grown to become a highly capable and multi-layered entity, with many tools and features hidden just below the surface, which can make your everyday Mac use quicker and easier.

There are also a number of third-party applications that can help you to save time when performing any number of tasks. These range from simple solutions, like speeding up searching for files or connecting to other Macs, to more advanced features like remote controlling Macs without leaving your seat and understanding iMovie's export options to minimise render times.

The whole ethos of Apple products is to get things done more quickly and elegantly, and with our guide to 101 essential Mac timesavers you'll get the best out of your Mac, iPod or iPhone and learn some great timesaving tricks as well.

Timesavers for everyday Mac use

1. Save time sending files
If you have a group of files or folders that you need to transfer by email, FTP or over iChat, rather than adding them individually multiple-select them and choose File > Create Archive in 10.4 or Compress in 10.5. The resulting zip file will contain all the items and can be added with a single drag and drop.

2. Find files faster
Select File > New Smart Folder and enter criteria for the kinds of files the folder should keep track of. For example, 'all images opened this month', making it quicker to find what you want.

3. Save time turning your Mac on and off
In System Preferences > Energy Saver > Schedule, set a regular time for your Mac to boot up and shut down. For example, you can tell the schedule to start up your Mac just before you start work.

4. Save time fixing other people's Mac problems
Use the Screen Sharing feature built into OS X 10.5 to remotely control any Mac on a local network. Use Remote Desktop to do the same for any remote Mac for which you have available the IP address and password.

5. Save time when entering your passwords
Whenever you have the option, always tick remember this password when authenticating, so that it is automatically entered for you next time. It's best to avoid this if you're on a public Mac or are concerned about security, though.

6. Quickly share iCal events online
Emailing a group of people when you have news of an event can be quite tiresome – but iCal has the solution. Create a new calendar in the application then choose the Publish option, which will enable you to publish it to either your MobileMe account or a private FTP server. Send the URL of the calendar to friends or colleagues and they can opt to subscribe to it. Choose the publish changes automatically option when you first publish the calendar and new events and any changes you add will be automatically pushed to their calendars, meaning no need to send emails for future events.

7. Speed up repetitive tasks
You can use Automator, found in the Applications folder, to automate multistep tasks by building applications, scripts or plug-ins. For example, importing, resizing and exporting images from a camera then mailing them to a predetermined group of people.

8. Send regular email notifications automatically
In iCal, select an event and then from the sidebar's repeat menu, choose a frequency such as every week from the repeat menu. Then select Alarm > send email 1 day before to your email address. You could use this, for example, to remind yourself to pay a bill the day before it becomes due every month.

9. Open your applications faster and easier
Rather than navigating to the Applications folder, use the Spotlight search bar at the top-right of Finder and type in the first few letters of the program's name. It will then appear almost at once and you can click on its name to launch it.

10. Connect to other computers faster
In the System Preferences > Sharing tab on your Mac, turn on Personal File Sharing. Now, that Mac will automatically appear in the Network tab of Macs running 10.4 and the Shared tab in the sidebar in 10.5. If you enable the Apple Remote Desktop option in the Sharing preferences, you will be able to use the screen-sharing feature, even controlling a 10.4 Mac from a 10.5 machine.

11. Quickly open multiple pages in Safari
With multiple pages stored in a folder within the Bookmarks Bar, if you hold the Cmd key and click on the folder's name, Safari will open all those pages in separate tabs for you.

12. Reveal the Desktop with one click
Hold down Cmd + Alt and click anywhere on your Desktop. All active applications will be hidden letting you access items on the Desktop without having to hide each application separately.

13. Quickly open programs you always use
In System Preferences > Accounts > Login Items, drag into the list any items you want to open automatically on login, such as iChat or Mail, saving you time manually loading them.

14. Save time deleting files and folders
Instead of dragging items to the Trash manually, simply select them and hit Cmd + [Backspace] to send them to the Trash with one click.

15. Save time when downloading images
Simply right-click on an image in Safari or any other browser and you can then choose to quickly save it onto the Desktop, into iPhoto or set it as your Desktop background.

16. Quickly sync the contents of folders for backup
Use Automator to back up the contents of one folder into another with the click of a mouse. Specify the input and output folders and backup options and save the workflow. Now the backup can be performed any time with a single click.

17. Quickly cycle between open applications
Rather than clicking an application's icon in the Dock, hold Cmd and press the tab key to instantly bring up the application switcher, so that you can move between active programs.

18. Save time when filling in web forms
In Safari's preferences go to the Autofill tab. Here you can set it to use information from your Address Book card and save usernames and passwords to make the process of filling in forms much quicker and less tedious.

19. Quickly preview music, movies, pictures and text
In OS X 10.5, select any item and press the space bar to invoke Quick Look. You will be able to play movies and music and scroll through and read text and PDF documents without having to open any applications first.

20. Save time logging out
To log out as quickly as possible, press Cmd + Shift + [Q] then [Enter].

21. Save time when juggling lots of applications
Instead of endlessly moving application windows around, use Spaces in 10.5 to assign programs to spaces, then switch smoothly between them. This means less minimising and moving of windows.

22. Quickly jump to important folders
Use the Go menu in Finder to jump to the major folders like Applications or Home with just a single click.

23. Remove unwanted preference panes
If you want rid of a preference pane, go to the System Preferences > Other section. You can then right-click on a pane and remove it in a single click.