BOOK UPDATE + A TOOLBAR TIP

January 31, 2017

Posted by Bob Levitus

I’m so happy to have finished Working Smarter for Mac Users. All of the chapters are in production and the final iBook, Kindle, Nook, PDF, and print-to-order versions should be available by the end of February assuming no major hiccups.

Now, I’ve got some very good news for you: You don’t have to buy my book. I know it sounds crazy but I want everyone to see it so I’m going to give away all or most of it right here in the coming months. Just keep coming back (or sign up for my free newsletter) and you’ll see all (or at least most of) the book’s contents right here. It may take a year or more but I’m not going to hold back—all the good parts will appear here for free. Eventually.

Of course, if you can’t stand the suspense and don’t want to wait you can pre-order your copy now so you’ll be among the first on your block to own it. In the meantime, I’ve posted the book’s frontal matter—the Table of Contents, Introduction, and Prelude— for your reading enjoyment and edification, so please enjoy them at your convenience!

There is one more thing: This site is supposed to be all about the tips, so here’s a good one from Chapter 2 (of Working Smarter for Mac Users):

Getting More Out of Your Toolbar

You probably know you can choose View–>Customize Toolbar to add or remove items from the Toolbar:

What you probably don’t know is that you can also add any folder or file to your Toolbar by holding down the Command key when you drag the item onto the Toolbar. In the figure above, I’ve added the Dropbox and Work folders to my Toolbar, making it easy for me to drag files or folders onto them or open them with a click.

The Command key is also the key to other useful Toolbar tricks. For one, you can rearrange the items on the toolbar while the Customize Toolbar overlay is open, but it’s often faster to press the Command key and rearrange your Toolbar icons without bothering with the Customize Toolbar overlay.

The Command key is also the key to removing items without first invoking the Customize Toolbar overlay. To get rid of an item, press the Command key and drag it off the Toolbar; when you release the mouse button the item will disappear with a satisfying “poof.”

Here’s one final Toolbar tip before we move on: If you often forget what your Toolbar icons mean, choose Icon and Text from the pop-up Show menu in the lower left corner of the Customize Toolbar overlay. This will display the item’s name below its icon, as shown on the left below:

Or, hover the pointer over any item in the Toolbar for a few seconds and its description appears as a tool tip (Perform tasks with the selected items in the figure below).

One last thing: If you try to drag a file or folder to the Toolbar and it won’t stick, chances are you’re trying to drag an alias. You can’t do that. Instead, find the original file by clicking on the alias and choosing File–>Show Original or Command + R, and then dragging the original file onto the Toolbar.

P. S. If you like this stuff, please tell your friends. As a tiny independent publisher I’ll be ever so grateful. Thanks again for your support. 🤓

P. P. S. Comments, feedback, requests, and such are always appreciated… Leave them in the comments section here or email me at: bob@workingsmarterformacusers.com.

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Updated: January 22, 2021 at 22:57

Tags: Bob Levitus, Macintosh, Working Smarter Newsletter

About the Author

Bob Levitus

Bob LeVitus, often referred to as “Dr. Mac,” is a well-known authority on all things Macintosh, OS X, and Apple devices including the iPad and iPhone. One of the Apple community’s most trusted advisors for almost thirty years, he’s known for his trademark humorous style and unerring ability to translate “techie” jargon into usable and fun advice for regular folks. He's written more than 80 books including macOS Sierra For Dummies, iPhone For Dummies, and iPad For Dummies. And, for the past 20 years, he's written the Dr. Mac column for the Houston Chronicle (which he still does). He's also been writing for The Mac Observer for almost as long (he still does that, too). Bob has been published in more than a dozen computer magazines over the past thirty years including: a three-year stint as Editor-in-Chief of the irreverent and unpredictable MACazine and four different columns in MacUser magazine: Beating the System, Personal Best, Game Room, and the Help Folder (with Andy Ihnatko, and later, Chris Breen). Though best known for writing, he’s also dabbled in broadcasting with a radio show (Inside Mac Radio, CNET Radio, 2001-2002) and hosted a popular television series (Mac Today, Syndicated, 1992–1993). Another of Bob’s loves is teaching, which he's been doing at University of Texas Informal Classes for over a decade, with well-loved courses including, iPhone for Smart People, Making Music with GarageBand, and soon, Working Smarter for Mac Users. Always in-demand as a speaker, Bob has presented more than 200 seminars, workshops, conferences, and training sessions in the U.S. and abroad, and given Macworld Expo keynotes in three countries, He's also done presentations at countless Apple Stores, and at least three world-famous Geek Cruises. Last but not least, Bob won the Macworld Expo MacJeopardy World Championship three times before retiring his crown. He did not, however, return the Rocket J. Squirrel Memorial Cup, which is still displayed prominently in his office. Prior to giving in to his obsessions with Apple technology and productivity, Bob worked in advertising, producing television commercials, radio spots, and print ads for Kresser & Robbins and SelecTV, in Los Angeles. Bob holds a B.S. in Marketing from California State University and lives in beautiful (and over-crowded) Austin, Texas with his beautiful wife, Lisa, and Zeke the Wonder Vizsla, with occasional visits from now-adult children Allison and Jacob.