Apple Laptop Question
 

How do i change the screen resolution on my Apple ibook so that I can fit more things on the screen? I feel it's very crowded and would like more room. I tried system preferences but it seems the resolution is set to big.

Go to System Preferences, displays, then change resolution. There's also a check box that can put the display preferences in the menu bar at the top of your screen.

I think the ibooks come set to the maximum display resolution by default. You might not be able to get much more out of it.

If you're running Leopard, have you tried using Spaces to work with enlarging your desktop in a virtual sense?

I actually prefer to have fewer things on my screen. Right now I have nothing because I went and turned off hard drives and network volumes. Stacks are handy enough for me, and once I get into a folder, keyboard shortcuts and spotlight are WAY faster than mousing around. Similarly, I actually have no permanent apps in my dock. When everything is shut down, the dock contains only Finder and my resident stacks. Simplicity is it for me. Spotlight is faster and more reliable than clutter.

Also, spaces won't give any relief for desktop clutter. The desktop remains the same. Spaces is windows only -- notice that the dock still shows all running apps regardless of space assignment (as does command-tab). Quick user switching is more the ticket, but that's also a whole 'nother layer to be thinking about.

Try hooking your iBook to a monitor, if you need more desktop space. Or if that's not possible, try hiding the dock. It gives you a little more space, but not much.

My guess is you're probably stuck. Most laptops that aren't either of the entertainment or gaming variety have relatively low native resolutions. My new 13" MacBook goes to 1280x800 and stops there-which is fine for the web-browsing and IMing and word processing I do on it, but not a whole lot else. It's entirely possible that your machine isn't equipped to display a whole lot, in which case your best bets are either upgrading to Leopard and using spaces (I love it) or getting an external monitor.

Again, Leopard and Spaces won't help with desktop clutter. Folders and stacks will, quick user switching will, but Spaces preserves the clutter from space to space.

ubertuber:

I think I may have said something that has mistaken you. I made the reference to the "desktop"...and you're right, spaces won't help with that.

The Original Poster wanted help with getting more on his screen. I'm assuming that he means "applications." While Spaces wont' necessarily help with more applications on the screen at ONE time, it certainly will help him/her have more apps open simultaneously, given a bit of prep work and organization within Spaces.

OP checking back in. What I was trying to do was to increase the viewable space on my screen like I can do with my PC desktop (by changing the screen resolution so that everything is smaller but more things are on the screen). But I can't change the screen resolution like I can on my PC.

I like having more viewable space, less scrolling etc and I can manage my windows better. My dock is already hidden.

I don't know what my OS is called but it is 10.4.11. It's not that old, from late 2005.

Dude, post #2. I've been on Macs since I was an infant. It's really simple.