I have been quite forcibly reminded in the last couple of weeks that Snow Leopard did not fall off the face of the earth when Lion was released, and some people are still quite happily using it.
These tips probably work in Lion too, well actually I know they do, but the important thing is that they are present and ready to serve you in Snow Leopard.
Substitutions (TextEdit and Other Software)
Auto-dashes. If you write in TextEdit a lot, there’s an easy way to automatically turn a double hyphen (—) into a nice, neat long em dash (—), choose Edit from the Menu Bar, then Substitutions, and then just click on Smart Dashes so that a check mark appears next to it. This option is also available in Stickies and Mail, and once you’ve changed it, it will be the same in all of the apps that use the feature.
Turning on Em Dash Substitutions in TextEdit
(Note this screenshot was taken in Lion, but it works the same in Snow Leopard!)
Smart Links. There is an option that lets you create smart links, where any Web address you type turns into a blue, underlined, clickable link to a Web page. Choose Edit from the Menu Bar and then choose Smart Links. Smart Links works in several Apple products - Text Edit, Pages, Numbers, etc.
Case Swapping. Did you type it in lower case and need it initial cap? How about needing it all caps. You don’t have to retype the info. Just highlight the text you want to change and select Transformations from the Edit Menu. You have options for Upper Case, Lower Case, or Capitalize.
Fool Spammers
This is a neat tip that I just discovered. I’m really happy that it works in both Snow Leopard and Lion. First the tip - Open Mail > Preferences and click on the Viewing Tab. Uncheck the box next to “Display remote images in HTML messages”.
Spammers will send out messages that contain graphic images that appear to be embedded in a message, but are actually linked from a Web site somewhere. Spammers use that embedded-graphics trick to discover that their message has gone to a live, active email address. Of course, if you never open the message that works too, but we have all opened spam messages at one time or another.
Add URL’s To Address Book Correctly
I don’t know about you, but I really hate typing out web addresses because not only do I fear making typos, I do make typos. So here is a cool way to add a specific web address to a specific card in your Address Book. This only works between Address Book and Safari.
Open Address Book and click on a specific card. It can be personal or business entry. Open Safari and go to the Web page you want added. In Address Book choose Card > Add URL from Safari. The URL will be added. You don’t even have to click the Edit button on the card.
Delete An Account
So your sister flies in for a visit from wherever and first thing out of the box she wants to use your computer to get in her “chat rooms.” In fact, she spends most of her visit in her chat rooms. What’s up with that? As a point of self protection you create an account for her which she sets up with her own password. When she goes home, you want to delete the account, but you don’t know what password she selected. Actually you could have made a few suggestions, but we won’t go there. Not to worry. You are the all powerful administrator and you can delete the account.
To delete a user account you must be logged into your administrator account.
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Accounts.
If the padlock in the bottom left corner is in the locked position, click on it so you can unlock it. You can’t make changes until it is unlocked. You will be asked for your administrator password before it will unlock.
In the far left column click once on the account you want to delete.
Click the - (minus) sign in the bottom left portion of the window. You will receive a cautionary window. Click yes and the account will be deleted.
Suggestion: Lock your padlock when you are finished.
Those are my Snow Leopard tips for all the Snow Leopard users out there. You really haven’t been forgotten. It’s just, you know, some of the Apple kids want the newest toys and Lion is the newest toy.