desktop
"Desktop" is like "operating desk", it is a temporary place.
The macOS desktop is used to place software windows and some files that I will use currently . It will not be used to save files. That is, close when used up, and delete when used up.
You can think of the macOS desktop as a "operating console" or a *** desktop. We put the dishes and chopsticks on the table when we eat. After eating, we put the dishes and chopsticks together, and the table top is clean.
macOS can have multiple desktops at the same time (the latest Windows 10 also has it). We can deal with different things on different desktops to complement each other. You can even set different wallpapers for different desktops.
The macOS software window can also be split left and right in full screen mode. It is very useful when two softwares need to be used together. For example, you can put a mind map on the left and a writing software on the right. Or swipe the live lesson on the left and the QQ chat window on the right. At this time, the software window occupies the screen, and the top menu bar and the program dock below will be hidden, which may be more conducive to focus. This is a bit like the split-screen multi-window of iPadOS.
Recommend a few desktop-related software.
1. One Switch for Mac (one-key control system function in the menu bar)
2. Magnet Pro for Mac (Mac window auxiliary tool)
One Switch is a small menu bar tool that can implement some functions in one click. For example , it is very convenient to temporarily hide the "clutter" on the desktop with one click , when you want to take photos or record the screen of your Mac. Of course, the function is much more than this one.
Magnet is a software window arrangement tool. Software windows can be arranged by drag and drop or shortcut keys. This is also a piece of software that I like very much.
Visiting
"Finder" is like a "storage cabinet", a place for storing and sorting and managing documents.
The "Finder" of macOS is similar to the "File Manager" on Windows. In the left column, there are "Personal Collection", "iCloud", "Location" which is generally an external storage, and the "Label" function.
The function icons in the sidebar can be modified and adjusted. Open the Finder preferences (open it in the top menu bar, or use the shortcut key commond-逗号), select the sidebar to see it. I like to select my user folder (the one with a small house in front of the user name) for display. And set to open the Finder by default to display my user folder.
So you can also create some folders under this user folder to save your own classification files.
You can also drag and drop any folder to the sidebar for fixed display, which is very convenient to open next time.
The label function is actually very useful. For example, some files have some common characteristics, but they are not easy to put in a folder. It can be associated through tags. It is equivalent to an index. For example, set a "cat" tag, and then you can add the "cat" tag to any file that you want to "cat"-related on your Mac, such as photos, videos, PDF books, and even folders. Next time you want to find everything about "cats", just click the "cats" tab in the sidebar to see all these files. It should be noted that the tag is not a copy of the source file. If the source file is deleted, the file in the tag it belongs to will also disappear.
You can open multiple Finder windows at the same time. You can select "New Finder Window" in the Finder icon in the program dock below, or press the shortcut key after opening a Finder window command-N.
Finder also supports tab pages, that is, multiple tab windows are displayed in one software window. The shortcut key for adding the Finder tab is command-T. This shortcut is used in the new tabs of many software, such as Safari.
iCloud Drive
"ICloud Drive" is like your "carry-on bag". Take where to go. The size of iCloud storage space determines the size of this "package".
If you want to access and manage files in iCloud Disk on your iPad or iPhone, you only need to open the "File" app in iOS, and you can also see "iCloud Disk" in the sidebar.
In iCloud cloud disk, you can also see many software's own data storage folders. Many software use iCloud to store data, so there is no need to worry about data preservation and loss.
Many friends ask me how to manage files on Mac. For me, it doesn't really need management. Temporary files can be placed on the desktop. The downloaded files are automatically saved in the "download" folder and emptied regularly (make sure that important files have been moved elsewhere). The installed software will be automatically saved to the "Applications" folder. Software data is automatically saved in "iCloud Disk". Photos are all in the "Photos" App and are automatically backed up to iCloud.
Of course, there are definitely some files that need to be saved, such as relatively large video files, work materials in the company's Mac, etc. It can be saved by creating a new folder under the user account folder. But for data security. , It is recommended to save multiple backups. Such as NAS, various cloud disk products and so on. But this is not what this article wants to discuss.