Apple OS-X Default Applications

You don't necessarily want to use the Apple applications that come with OS-X, nice as they undoubtedly are.

If you want different applications to open as default when you click on a file, try this: select the file in a Finder window, Ctrl-Click to get the pop-up menu, click on the arrow next to 'Open With:' to show the dialogue, select the application to use from the selection box (you can use the 'other' item right at the bottom to hunt for an application that isn't on the menu). To make your new selection the default application for all files of this type, click the 'Change All' button.

To change the default Internet applications (mail client, browser) in 10.2 or earlier, you need to open System Preferences from the Apple menu, select 'Internet' and follow the dialogue there.

For 10.3 onwards, it's a little trickier. To change the default web browser: start Safari, select 'Preferences' under the 'Safari' menu, select the 'General' tab (the leftmost item) and pull down the 'Default Web Browser' selection box. If the browser you want to use is not offered, choose the 'Select...' item and use the file dialogue to find your browser.

The procedure for choosing a mail client is broadly similar but use Mail instead.
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