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Installing Firefox, Printing Web Page Text and Using Mini-DVDs

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That instruction to drag and drop the icon into your Apps folders is the way it gets installed. It's so easy, it's deceiveing.

Printing selected text from a web page takes a few steps in Safari, but just one in Firefox.

Odd shaped discs can damage Macs. You'll need to get an adapter.

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Installing Firefox, Printing Web Page Text and Using Mini-DVDs

By: Chuck Konfrst
Published: Thursday, August 28, 2008
Categories: My First Mac Q&A

Welcome to My First Mac's Q&A column. It is said that Macs are easier to use, but they are still complex in their own right. Here are a few questions we have received lately from readers like you. Sometimes we reformat the questions for clarity and presentation.

This week we have questions about that big Firefox install box, How to print text from a website and what to do with mini DVDs.

		I don't really like Safari so I downloaded Firefox, But every time I open Firefox, Firefox opens but also Another window opens that says drag firefox into the applications folder. I have already done this but it still says drag it in....what shold I do and Why does it do this!?

		When you download an application, many times it is delivered in a disk image. Think of it as a virtual CD-ROM. This is the case with Firefox. You are not actually opening the application, you are opening the virtual disk that delivers it. When opened, a new icon appears on your desktop that looks like a shiny white CD-ROM drive. In the window that opens, simply drag & drop the Firefox icon into the Applications folder (if you haven't already) and open from there. You can now safely delete the disk image in your downloads folder called "Firefox.dmg". And you can "eject" that virtual disc, using the app from the Applications folder in the future. By the way, you've just "installed" the program. Pretty simple, eh?

		How do you print only selected text from a web page. The only option I have found is to print the entire page.

		This one isn't as straight-forward as it should be in Safari. Highlight the text you want to print and open the "Safari" menu and navigate to Services, then Textedit and select "New Window Containing Selection". Your highlighted text will appear in a Textedit window where a quick Command-P will print your selected text. Firefox uses can highlight their text, Command-P and then select "Print Selection Only" from the print dialog.

		Will Macs accept Mini-DVDs?

		Macs that have slot loading drives cannot accept the smaller DVDs or CDs. Inserting one can damage the drive and will void your warranty. However, there are several adapters out there that may enable you to use the smaller discs. Macs that use trays should be able to read them.

You can send in your questions via the Contact page or email us at editor[AT]myfirstmac[DOT]com. Because of the volume of email we receive, we can't reply to each and every question personally. We read each question that comes in and reply to the ones that fit the scope of this column. We also save some questions for future columns.

If you need your specific question answered right away, try asking it in the Comments section of a related article or in the MFM Forums.


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