How to Install & uninstall applications on the Mac.
Install: Copy application to any spot on your computer.
Uninstall: Drag application to trash and empty trash.
So, now that is out of the way, here is a meat of this post:
On the PC, you would always run an installer. It would add files with odd file extensions, like.dll, all across your hard drive. So when you went to uninstall the app, there was this huge mess that only an uninstaller could ever clean up and fully remove the app from the system.
Well, the mac works differently (shocking, I know!). There are really two methods to install an app on a computer. I realize that some of you are asking, "but I thought mac's were simplier? Why are there two ways on the mac and one way on the pc?". The easy answer is that there are two types of installs, those that alter the inner workings of you computer (be cautious with these,but don't fear, they are rare) and those that are just single file applications (these are much more common). For those complicated installs, they act just like the installs on the pc and you switchers are going to feel right as rain here. Yea, nothing new to learn!
The other types are much more simple. If you download something like Firefox, you will notice that all that exists is just the Firefox application. If you compare the same app on a pc there is the application and tons of files. Where are all these files on the mac? The app that you copy to the applications folder is actually a folder. Apple has just designed it so that all those important files are hidden away from the user and kept nice and clean by turning it into a folder, but it just looks like the icon of the app in question. Don't belive me, try this:
Right click, or hold down on the ctrl key while clicking, on any app in the Finder.
In the menu, select "Show Package Contents".
A new folder will pop up. These are all the "hidden" files that you never have to see or deal with.
So now that you know this, the way that you install on a Mac is just by copying the single file to your computer. You can copy it anywhere and it still should work. Now to uninstall, it is just as simple, like anything else on the computer that you dont want, throw it away (key command: select the item, and hit ⌘ + delete moves it to the trash, then shift + ⌘ + delete empties the trash). That is it. Not too crazy huh?
Oh and if you want to "install" the app in the dock? Welcome to the drag & drop world of Mac. Just click and drag the app to the doc and pick a spot for it. There you have it...
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