Control panel (Mac OS)
Encyclopedia
Under Mac OS 9
and earlier, a control panel is a small application
which enabled the user to modify software and hardware
settings such as the sound volume and desktop pattern. Control panels differ from extensions
in that they allow the user to specify options, whereas extensions provide the user with no interface for setting preferences. In many software distributions Extensions provided the functionality and the corresponding Control Panel provided all the configuration options.
were all combined into one small Desk Accessory
. Susan Kare
designed the interface
for the original control panel, and tried to make it as user-friendly as possible. This design was used until System 6
when separate control panel files ("cdev"s) were added, accessible solely through the control panel.
With the debut of System 7
the control panels were separated into individual small application-like processes accessible from the Finder, and by a sub-menu in the Apple menu provided by Apple Menu Options. By Mac OS 9
, many control panels were true applications.
Hearkening back to System 6, Mac OS X
's equivalent of control panels are found as "Preference Pane
s" accessible solely through the System Preferences
utility's unified interface. Preference panes in Mac OS X are small documents rather than independent applications.
:
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
and earlier, a control panel is a small application
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
which enabled the user to modify software and hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
settings such as the sound volume and desktop pattern. Control panels differ from extensions
Extension (Mac OS)
On the Apple Macintosh operating system prior to Mac OS X, extensions were small pieces of code that extended the system's functionality. They were run initially at start-up time, and operated by a variety of mechanisms, including trap patching and other code modifying techniques. Initially an...
in that they allow the user to specify options, whereas extensions provide the user with no interface for setting preferences. In many software distributions Extensions provided the functionality and the corresponding Control Panel provided all the configuration options.
History
The original control panels in the earliest Mac OSMac 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...
were all combined into one small Desk Accessory
Desk Accessory
A desk accessory is a small helper-type application that can be run concurrently with any other application on the system. Early examples, such as SideKick and Macintosh desk accessories, used special programming models to provide a small degree of multitasking on a system that initially did not...
. Susan Kare
Susan Kare
Susan Kare is an artist and graphic designer who created many of the interface elements for the Apple Macintosh in the 1980s. She was also one of the original employees of NeXT , working as the Creative Director.-Background:Kare was born in Ithaca, New York and is the sister of aerospace engineer...
designed the interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
for the original control panel, and tried to make it as user-friendly as possible. This design was used until System 6
System 6
System 6 is a graphical user interface-based operating system for Macintosh computers. It was released in 1988 by Apple Computer and was part of the Mac OS line of operating systems. System 6 was shipped with various Macintosh computers until it was succeeded by System 7 in 1991. The boxed...
when separate control panel files ("cdev"s) were added, accessible solely through the control panel.
With the debut of System 7
System 7
System 7 is the name of a Macintosh operating system introduced in 1991.System 7 may also refer to:* System 7 , a British dance/ambient band* System 7 , 1991 album* IBM System/7, a 1970s computer system...
the control panels were separated into individual small application-like processes accessible from the Finder, and by a sub-menu in the Apple menu provided by Apple Menu Options. By Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
, many control panels were true applications.
Hearkening back to System 6, Mac OS X
Mac 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...
's equivalent of control panels are found as "Preference Pane
Preference Pane
A Preference Pane is a special dynamically loaded plugin in Mac OS X. Introduced in Mac OS X v10.0, the purpose of a Preference Pane is to allow the user to set preferences for a specific application or the system by means of a graphical user interface. Preference Panes are the OS X replacement to...
s" accessible solely through the System Preferences
System Preferences
System Preferences is an application included with the Mac OS X operating system that allows users to modify various system settings which are divided into separate preference panes...
utility's unified interface. Preference panes in Mac OS X are small documents rather than independent applications.
List of control panels
The control panels included with Mac OS 9Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
:
- Appearance
- Apple MenuApple menuThe 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.-System 6 and earlier:In...
Options - AppleTalkAppleTalkAppleTalk is a proprietary suite of protocols developed by Apple Inc. for networking computers. It was included in the original Macintosh released in 1984, but is now unsupported as of the release of Mac OS X v10.6 in 2009 in favor of TCP/IP networking...
- ColorSyncColorSyncColorSync is Apple Inc's color management API for the Mac OS and Mac OS X.-Version history:Apple developed the original 1.0 version of ColorSync as a Mac-only architecture, which made it into an operating system release in 1993. In the same year, Apple co-founded the International Color Consortium...
- Control StripControl StripThe Control Strip is a user interface component of the "classic" System 7 Mac OS which and remained until the Macintosh OS X system replaced the class Macintosh OS in December 2001.- History :...
- Date & Time
- DialAssist
- Extensions ManagerExtension (Mac OS)On the Apple Macintosh operating system prior to Mac OS X, extensions were small pieces of code that extended the system's functionality. They were run initially at start-up time, and operated by a variety of mechanisms, including trap patching and other code modifying techniques. Initially an...
- File Exchange
- File Sharing
- File Synchronization
- General Controls
- Internet
- Keyboard
- Keychain Access
- Launcher
- Location Manager
- Memory
- Modem
- Monitors
- Mouse
- Multiple Users
- Numbers
- QuickTimeQuickTimeQuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
Settings - Remote Access
- Software Update
- Sound
- Speech
- Startup Disk
- TCP/IP
- Text
- Web Sharing