Appleis Mac OS X 10.4.8 update gave us several system and security improvements, but one new feature they snuck in on us is especially useful: mouse-based display zooming. If you use a mouse with a scroll wheel, just hold down the Control key while you scroll to zoom in and enlarge everything on your display. This also works with two-fingered scrolling on later model iBooks and PowerBooks, as well as the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
Prior to the 10.4.8 update, zooming in on your display required using a keyboard combination. Check this Quick Tip if you are interested in using keyboard shortcuts to zoom in on your display.
Just like the zoom keyboard command, scroll wheel zooming focuses on the area around your mouse pointer, and follows your mouse if it is moved.
If scroll wheel zooming isnit working for you, it may not be active. Hereis how to check:
- Launch System Preferences. You can find it by choosing Apple menu > System Preferences.
- Select the Keyboard & Mouse Preference Pane.
- Click the Mouse tab (or Trackpad, if you are using the trackpad on your Mac laptop).
- Check Zoom using scroll wheel while holding.
- By default, you need to hold down the Control key to zoom. If that conflicts with key combinations you are already using with your scroll wheel, you can use the Option, Command, or any other key combination that isnit already used instead. Just choose the modifier key you want to use from the ^ Control pop-up menu, or type the combination you want to use.
 Use the Keyboard & Mouse Preference Pane to enable or disable scroll wheel zooming. |
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If you donit want to use scroll wheel or trackpad zooming, uncheck the Zoom using scroll wheel while holding option.
The zoom feature is handy when you want to draw attention to part of your screen during a presentation, or if you want to quickly see something on your display a little larger - like text. Keep in mind that zooming simply enlarges the pixels on your display, so the more you zoom in, the blockier everything will look.
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