Here is a quick video showing you how icons in the menu bar can be moved and removed.

If you want to move the icons, hold down the command key while dragging the icons with your mouse. To remove an icon simply drag it to the desktop. Restoring an icon to the menu bar is handled by the application that provides the icon (i.e., the Time Machine preferences has an option to show an icon in the status area.)

When I first made the transition from Windows XP to OSX I was a bit confused about the Finder menu. To a Windows XP user, the Finder menu had the features of the start menu, an application menu and the tray notification area rolled into one. The menu bar is broken into two areas, on the left side are application menus, on the right side is a notification area.

The application menu shows the menu of the currently active application. When no application is running, the bar displays the Finder menu. If you are used to Windows XP this may take some getting used to. Windows XP application menus are typically displayed inside the running application window. If you are running an application and want access to the Finder menu, just click on the desktop.

The icons on the right side of the menu bar typically indicate the status of running programs. This is very similar to the tray notification area used by the Explorer in Windows XP. Applications can place an icon in this area to provide you with valuable feedback. Icons in this area also can have their own menus attached to them to allow quick access to common application functions.

When you take your Mac out of the box one of the first things you do is create a new user. The next time you boot your system, OSX will automatically log you into the desktop as the newly created user. This is a great feature for a single user system. Automatic logins are not a great feature if you are using a MacBook or have multiple users on your system.

It’s easy to disable the automatic login feature by using the System Preferences.

Click on your user name and select the Login Options button at the bottom of the list. Then, on the right hand side of the preferences window select Disabled in the list of Automatic Login options. Close the window when you are finished.

You use software called a web browser to view content on the Internet. There are many types of web browsers. Windows bundles Internet Explorer with their operating system. Apple’s OS X is no exception. Apple bundles the Safari web browser.

Safari let’s you view content on the Internet. From time to time, you may wish to download and install new software. This brief video shows you how you do this.

When you download software it is saved in a Downloads folder by default. Downloads is found in your home directory and it is also placed in the Dock as a stack. After a files finishes, click the stack to reveal the software you just downloaded.

There is a great companion post over at OSX Help which discusses what to do once the file is downloaded into your system.

The Dock is the application launcher provided by the Finder.

The Finder generally sits at the bottom of the screen. However, it doesn’t have to remain there. The Dock can be configured to display on the left or right sides of the screen. It can also be animated to provide feedback when something happens.

This can happen easily by using the System Preferences application. The following video demonstrates how to make the Dock behave the way you want it to.