
Customizing the User Experience
You manage a network user’s work environment by defining
There are two panes in Workgroup Manager Preferences: Overview and Details. To manage predefined system preferences, use the Overview pane. To manage preferences for any application or utility that has a preference manifest, use the Details pane.
The Overview pane is identical for users and groups, but additional items (Energy Saver and Time Machine) appear for computers and computer groups.
Many factors, including user responsibilities and security issues, determine what computer work environment is most suitable for a user. In some cases, setting up informal usage guidelines may be sufficient. In other cases, tightly controlling the computer experience may be necessary, with each setting defined and each application controlled. The preferences you define should use Mac OS X capabilities that best support your user and your business requirements.
The Power of Preferences
Many preferences, such as Dock and Finder preferences, customize the appearance of the desktop. For example, you can set up Dock and Finder preferences so the user’s work environment is simplified by including only essential applications and key folders in the Dock.
Other preferences manage what users can access and control. For example, you can set up Media Access preferences to prevent users from burning CDs and DVDs or making changes to a computer’s internal disk.
The following table summarizes how preferences affect the appearance of the desktop, and the activities a user can perform.
| Tailors the work | Limits access |
|
This preference | environment | and control | By letting you manage |
Applications |
| % | Applications a user can open |
|
|
|
|
Classic | % |
| Classic environment startup |
|
|
|
|
Dock | % |
| Appearance and contents of the Dock |
|
|
|
|
Energy Saver | % |
| Startup, shutdown, wake, sleep, and |
|
|
| performance settings |
|
|
|
|
Finder | % | % | Appearance of desktop icons and Finder |
|
|
| elements |
|
|
|
|
Login | % |
| Login experience |
|
|
|
|
Media Access |
| % | Ability to use recordable media |
|
|
|
|
Mobility | % |
| Creation of mobile accounts |
|
|
|
|
Chapter 9 Client Management Overview
149