System 7 Finder additions and improvements are too numerous to mention here, so here's a short list to get you started.
Some New Features of System 7
-----------------------------
System Folder
Items are organized into specific subfolders. Drag files onto the
closed System Folder, and the System automatically installs them for
you.
Finder windows
In List view, folders and subfolders are displayed hierarchically in
a single window. Click the triangle to expand or collapse a folder's
contents.
Clicking the zoom box opens windows just wide enough to see all the
contents. Windows scroll when you move items beyond the boundaries.
Apple menu
Just about anything can reside in this menu -- desk accessories,
documents, applications, folders, aliases, control panel devices
(cdevs), even AppleShare volumes.
To put an item in the Apple menu, drag it into the Apple Menu Items
folder within the System Folder.
Desk Accessories
To install them under the Apple menu, drag the files onto the closed
System Folder. They're put in the Apple Menu Items folder within the
System Folder.
Fonts
Install them by dragging the files onto the System Folder. They're
put in the System file.
INITs and cdevs
INITs are called extensions under System 7. Extensions reside in the
Extensions folder within the System Folder; cdevs reside in the
Control Panels folder within the System Folder.
Trash
The Trash functions as a folder. It doesn't empty, even after you
shut down the computer. It only empties when you choose Empty Trash
from the Special menu.
Balloon help
The Finder provides a form of interactive on-line help for you.
Click the question mark icon at the far right of the menu bar.
Choose Show Balloons from the menu. Move the cursor over a window,
folder, document, or icon, and a pop-up balloon gives you information
about that item.
Getting System Information
--------------------------
1) At the desktop, click the Apple menu. You'll see About This
Macintosh... at the top of the menu.
2) Choose About This Macintosh... from the Apple menu.
The window that appears is similar to the About the Finder... window when you're running MultiFinder in System 6. It not only shows memory allocated to the System and Finder, but also to other programs loaded in RAM. (Note that you can scroll and move this window.) You always want to see some white space for applications on this graphic barometer.
To see the names of applications loaded into RAM, click the mini-icon at the far right of the menu bar. The application menu appears. The check mark shows which application you're currently running.
Switching Between Applications
------------------------------
MultiFinder lets you switch between applications in several ways:
Choose the application name from the Application menu at the far
right of the menu bar.
Click the visible portion of another layer.
Double-click an application icon (even if dimmed).
Drag the icon of a document onto the icon of an application (provided
the application supports the document's format).
Memory Allocation
-----------------
As with System 6 , each application in System 7 gets its own memory allocation. Even so, sometimes you'll get a message that there isn't enough memory to run the program, or that the application has unexpectedly quit. You can fix this by changing the program's memory allocation. Here's how:
1) Quit the application (no need to do this if the application has
unexpectedly quit).
2) At the Desktop, select the application icon.
3) Choose Get Info from the File menu (or press Command-I).
The Get Info window appears.
4) Select the Current size box.
5) Type a new number in the box. Make sure the number you use isn't
less than the Suggested size. It's best to increase the memory size
by only 50K to 100K at a time. (You can always repeat the procedure
if it isn't enough.)
6) Close the Get Info window.
You can now launch the application again. The application will get this new memory size until you change it.
Hints and Help
--------------
If an extension doesn't work properly in the Extensions folder, try
moving it to the root level of the System Folder.
While in Finder windows, you can drag a marquee around several files
to select them.
You can navigate without the mouse by using the arrow keys or by
typing the first few letters of the folder or file name.
Choose Finder Shortcuts from the Balloon Help menu to get a list of
keyboard equivalents for Finder operations.
Article Change History:
26 Aug 1994 - Updated for FAX/TIL/QRG maintenance.
21 Feb 1994 - Provided the text version as well as the binary file.