Apple menu
Encyclopedia
The Apple menu has been a feature in Apple's Mac OS
since its inception. It is the first item on the left hand side of the menu bar
. The Apple menu's role has changed throughout the release history of Mac OS, but the menu has always featured a version of the Apple logo.
and Alarm Clock. If MultiFinder
(an early implementation of computer multitasking
) was active, the Apple menu also allowed the user to switch between multiple running applications.
The Macintosh user could add third-party Desk Accessories via the System Utility "Font/DA Mover". However, there was a limitation on the number of Desk Accessories that could be displayed in the Apple menu. Third-party shareware packages such as OtherMenu added a second customizable menu (without the Apple logo) that allowed users to install Desk Accessories beyond Apple's limitations.
to their favorite software and documents in the menu. The Menu Manager forced these additions into alphabetical order, which prompted users to rename their aliases with leading spaces, numbers and other characters in order to get them into the order that suited them the best. Several third-party utilities provided a level of customization of the order of the items added to the Apple menu without having to rename each item.
The Apple menu also featured a Shut Down
command, implemented by a Desk Accessory. An alias to the Control Panel
s folder was also present. System 7.0 was also the first version to feature the rainbow
striped logo, as opposed to the black logo found in previous versions. In System 7.0, the black logo was retained in grayscale modes, and was used when the Monitors control panel was set to display "Thousands" or "Millions" of grays.
System 7.0 featured built-in multitasking, so MultiFinder was removed as an option. The feature allowing users to switch between multiple running applications as in System 6 was given its own menu (appearing as the icon of the active application) on the opposite side of the menubar. Beginning in Mac OS 8.5, this new menu was given a unique "tear-off" capability, which detached the menu from the menu bar to become a free-floating window when the user dragged the cursor downwards off the bottom of the menu. In this case, it ran the application called "Application Switcher".
System 7.5 added an Apple Menu Options control panel, which added submenus to folders and disks in the Apple Menu, showing the contents of the folder or disk. Apple Menu Options also added Recent Applications, Recent Documents, and Recent Servers to the Apple Menu; the number of Recent Items was editable by the user.
features a completely redesigned Apple menu. System management functions from the Special menu
have been merged into it. The Apple menu was missing entirely from the Mac OS X Public Beta
, replaced by a nonfunctional Apple logo in the center of the menu bar, but the menu was restored in Mac OS X 10.0 due to negative user feedback. The quick file access feature implemented in System 7 was removed, although a third-party utility, Unsanity
's FruitMenu, restored the Apple menu to its classic functionality until the advent of OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard). The menu is now dedicated to managing features of the Macintosh computer, with commands to get info on the system, update software, launch the Mac App Store
, open System Preferences, set Dock preferences, set the location (network configuration), view recent items (applications, documents and servers), Force Quit applications, power management (sleep
, restart, shut down
), log out, etc.
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
since its inception. It is the first item on the left hand side of the menu bar
Menu bar
A menu bar is a region of a screen or application interface where drop down menus are displayed. The menu bar's purpose is to supply a common housing for window- or application-specific menus which provide access to such functions as opening files, interacting with an application, or displaying...
. The Apple menu's role has changed throughout the release history of Mac OS, but the menu has always featured a version of the Apple logo.
System 6 and earlier
In System 6.0.8 and earlier, the Apple menu featured a Control Panel manager, as well as Desk Accessories such as a Calculator, the ScrapbookScrapbook (Mac OS)
Scrapbook under the Mac OS is a small Desk Accessory which enables users to store images, text and sound clippings. It was included in the original Macintosh system software in 1984 with the Macintosh 128k, and was included throughout every Mac OS revision until Mac OS 9.Starting in Scrapbook...
and Alarm Clock. If MultiFinder
MultiFinder
MultiFinder was the name of an extension software for the Apple Macintosh, introduced on August 11, 1987 and included with System Software 5. It added the ability to co-operatively multitask between several applications at once – a great improvement over the previous systems, which could only...
(an early implementation of computer multitasking
Computer multitasking
In computing, multitasking is a method where multiple tasks, also known as processes, share common processing resources such as a CPU. In the case of a computer with a single CPU, only one task is said to be running at any point in time, meaning that the CPU is actively executing instructions for...
) was active, the Apple menu also allowed the user to switch between multiple running applications.
The Macintosh user could add third-party Desk Accessories via the System Utility "Font/DA Mover". However, there was a limitation on the number of Desk Accessories that could be displayed in the Apple menu. Third-party shareware packages such as OtherMenu added a second customizable menu (without the Apple logo) that allowed users to install Desk Accessories beyond Apple's limitations.
System 7.0–9.2.2
System 7.0 introduced the Apple menu Items folder in the System Folder. This allowed users to place Alias(es)Alias (Mac OS)
In Mac OS System 7 and later, an alias is a small file that represents another object in a local, remote, or removable file system and provides a dynamic link to it; the target object may be moved, and the alias will still link to it...
to their favorite software and documents in the menu. The Menu Manager forced these additions into alphabetical order, which prompted users to rename their aliases with leading spaces, numbers and other characters in order to get them into the order that suited them the best. Several third-party utilities provided a level of customization of the order of the items added to the Apple menu without having to rename each item.
The Apple menu also featured a Shut Down
Shutdown (computing)
To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
command, implemented by a Desk Accessory. An alias to the Control Panel
Control panel
Control panel may refer to:* Control panel , a flat, often vertical, area where control instrumentation is mounted.* Control panel , the tool in the operating system which allows most or all of the settings to be changed through a user interface** Control panel ** Control Panel ** Web hosting...
s folder was also present. System 7.0 was also the first version to feature the rainbow
Rainbow
A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of light to appear in the sky when the Sun shines on to droplets of moisture in the Earth's atmosphere. It takes the form of a multicoloured arc...
striped logo, as opposed to the black logo found in previous versions. In System 7.0, the black logo was retained in grayscale modes, and was used when the Monitors control panel was set to display "Thousands" or "Millions" of grays.
System 7.0 featured built-in multitasking, so MultiFinder was removed as an option. The feature allowing users to switch between multiple running applications as in System 6 was given its own menu (appearing as the icon of the active application) on the opposite side of the menubar. Beginning in Mac OS 8.5, this new menu was given a unique "tear-off" capability, which detached the menu from the menu bar to become a free-floating window when the user dragged the cursor downwards off the bottom of the menu. In this case, it ran the application called "Application Switcher".
System 7.5 added an Apple Menu Options control panel, which added submenus to folders and disks in the Apple Menu, showing the contents of the folder or disk. Apple Menu Options also added Recent Applications, Recent Documents, and Recent Servers to the Apple Menu; the number of Recent Items was editable by the user.
Mac OS X
Mac OS XMac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
features a completely redesigned Apple menu. System management functions from the Special menu
Special menu (Mac OS)
The Special menu was a feature of Apple's Mac OS from its inception until the last release of "Classic" Mac OS, Mac OS 9.2.2. This menu was responsible for managing the hardware and other system functions. It was always the rightmost menu on the menu bar in the Finder...
have been merged into it. The Apple menu was missing entirely from the Mac OS X Public Beta
Mac OS X Public Beta
The Mac OS X Public Beta was an early beta version of Apple Computer's Mac OS X operating system Cheetah. It was released to the public on September 13, 2000 for US$29.95...
, replaced by a nonfunctional Apple logo in the center of the menu bar, but the menu was restored in Mac OS X 10.0 due to negative user feedback. The quick file access feature implemented in System 7 was removed, although a third-party utility, Unsanity
Unsanity
Unsanity is a Mac OS X shareware software developer founded in May 2000, notable for coining the term "haxie".Their most popular software includes ShapeShifter and WindowShade, utilising their freeware Application Enhancer module...
's FruitMenu, restored the Apple menu to its classic functionality until the advent of OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard). The menu is now dedicated to managing features of the Macintosh computer, with commands to get info on the system, update software, launch the Mac App Store
Mac App Store
The Mac App Store is a digital distribution platform for Mac OS X applications developed by Apple Inc.. The platform was announced on October 20, 2010 at Apple's "Back to the Mac" event. Apple began accepting app submissions from registered developers on November 3, 2010 in preparation for its launch...
, open System Preferences, set Dock preferences, set the location (network configuration), view recent items (applications, documents and servers), Force Quit applications, power management (sleep
Sleep mode
Sleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...
, restart, shut down
Shutdown (computing)
To shut down or power off a computer is to remove power from a computer's main components in a controlled way. After a computer is shut down, main components such as CPUs, RAM modules and hard disk drives are powered down, although some internal components, such as an internal clock, may retain...
), log out, etc.