I love my Mac and even though this is a blog about work and the brain occasionally I add something about OS X.

OS X is pretty intelegant: simple, intelligent, elegant. I  just like my computer to do what I need to get done and Mac does that.

One of the few frustrations I have is how to, after minimizing a document or web page or application, restore that application to full-size.

I love that I can minimize applications and docs with an Cmd-M shortcut; but I got really frustrated that I can’t restore them with the opposite Shift-Cmd-M, which would be really logical and Mac like. Very unusual (and it bugs me) to find such a fundamental gap when just about everything else just works.

Sometimes Cmd-tab (Like ctrl-tab in Windows) and scrolling through the programs seems to work and sometimes it just doesn’t. And it is time consuming and destroys the thought flow to have to relocate the pad pointer and click… grrrrr….

So I use Spotlight.

Spotlight, for non-Mac users, is a super fast search engine for your HD built into Mac OS X. Just press Cmd-Spacebar and it’s there.

Firstly, it makes a superb program launcher: you simply type two or three letters of the name of the application, hit your arrow down button (And if Apps is your top list then you won’t even need to do this), press return and Boom! you’re away. Program launched. No clicking required.

It becomes very instinctive and fast, and just feels quicker. (And easier than, say, Quicksilver).

For restoring minimized apps & docs that you’ve put into the dock just use exactly the same method. Cmd-Spacebar to launch Spotlight, type the first couple of letters of the name of the Application you minimized, press return and you’re done. The app will restore. You can even hold down the shift button when hitting return if you want to see it done in the cool OS X Slow-Mo style….

Nice.

If anyone knows any other way of restoring minimized apps without clicks I’d love to hear about it - otherwise this is fast, easy, and becomes very Zen-like helping the cognitive flow of my work immensely.

One of daughters, unbeknown to me decided to drag a stool over to my my desk, climb up, and get a fingernail under the j key on my G4 mac. Key pops off. As I could find no instructions and lots of questions, and I have fixed the problem, below is a complete solution…

To mend: you will see four parts: two plastic rings, the key cover (With the letter, number, or symbol on it), and the keyboard with a toothy gap in it. The tricky part is all in the two plastic rings. They form a spring for the key. The bigger lies on the bottom, and the smaller part goes through the bigger to form an X.

The bottom (the larger) has two thinner but more pronounced nodules these will go eventually towards the screen. The smaller has two smaller nodules on the end of the frame, these lie on top of the larger nodule. The part of the smaller plastic ring with no nodules lies underneath the bigger plastic ring.

The two nodules halfway along the body of the smaller plastic ring are now inserted into the corresponding holes in the bigger plastic ring. You should be able to raise the two plastic rings into a fixed and firm X and also lay them totally flat, provided the smaller ring is half on top of the larger ring, and half underneath.

Put the actual flat letter key to one side. If you try to mount the key on the plastic X and then mount it all into the keyboard you will never succeed. Believe me I know…

To mount. Look into the keyboard. You will see a square. Nearer the space bar side you will see small metal bar, and, at the top (nearer the screen) you will see two holes . You must fix the small plastic ring to the space bar side first. (That’ll account for the 15 minutes of life I lost working that out). So, firstly, slot the smaller ring over the small raised metal bar nearer the keyboard. This is tricky, but achievable with patience. Then carefully insert the larger ring’s nodules into those holes at the top of the key box (nearer the screen). This is achievable with even greater patience. Once this is done, see that is can both lay flat and be raised into a fixed and firm X. Then look on the underneath of the key itself. You will see on the underside above the letter two small grooves the top of the smaller plastic ring goes here. The best tip is to lay the key on top of the flat plastic rings and simply push, jiggle, and push until it clicks. This should also be mirrored at the front of the keyboard, and voilà, one mended key. (If it goes wrong and breaks, sorry, it worked for me.)

Only took me 45 minutes to work out how it all fitted together - it seemed a lot longer - and I had visions of spending $80 or more on a new keyboard… now it works vis à vis… jjjjjjj