If you ever used the Launcher in OS 9, the Dock should be familiar to you. Located at the bottom of the screen or on one of the sides, the Dock is a feature in OS X where you can reach frequently used applications, folders, or files. If there is a new application you want to add to the Dock, simply drag its icon onto the Dock. Want to add a folder or file? Drag its icon to the Dock. Applications go on the left side of the small divider, and folders and files go to the right. Applications that are currently running will have a small triangle underneath them. You can switch between applications by clicking on their icons in the Dock. If you minimize a window it will show up on the right side of the Dock. Something in the Dock you no longer want to see? Simply drag it out of the Dock and it will drop off in a puff of smoke. This does not delete the actual item from the hard drive, it just removes the shortcut from the Dock. Holding down the control key and clicking on an application in the Dock brings up a contextual menu that lets you keep the shortcut or even add it to the list of start up items.