How to Install Apps in Mac OS X

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If you're fairly new to a Mac and want to be able to install applications, there are a couple of ways to do it. You can use the Mac App Store, which combines the download and installation into a single step. Or you can download programs from the web and then install them. Here's how to use both methods.

Install from the Mac App Store

1. Click on the price located beneath the app's star rating. If an app is free, the button will read Get.

2. Click on the green Install App button that appears. Enter your Apple ID password if prompted.

The app you just downloaded from the Mac App Store should automatically show up in Launchpad, ready for you to open with a single click.

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Install from the Web

If you’ve downloaded a program straight from the Web, however, the installation process becomes slightly more complicated. If the file you've downloaded ends with the .zip extension, just double-click the file to unpack it.

If the file you've downloaded is a disk image (these end with the .dmg extension), you’ll first have to "mount" the image onto your machine.

1. Click on the Finder icon at the bottom left of the screen.

2. Click Downloads on the left side of the window.

3. Double-click the downloaded file. If you get an error message that says the program "can't be opened because it wasn't downloaded from the Mac App Store," right-click the downloaded file and select Open.

4. Follow the on-screen instructions. 

Once the file is mounted, it will appear as a device under Devices in the Finder. Once the application has been successfully installed, you can uninstall the .dmg file by clicking the eject button next to its name in the Finder.

5. Add the application to the Dock by dragging its icon from the Applications folder in the Finder to Dock. You can do the same thing from the Launchpad.

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David Eitelbach