What about when I have a Finder window open that I don't want to disturb? I've got to open a new Finder window and then go to the Applications folder. I suppose what I'm looking for is something like the Start menu...?

Open up a new Finder window and click on the top-right corner widget of the window. If you're using 10.3 or 10.4 you'll see an Applications folder alias on the left.

Another useful trick is to drag the Applications folder to the Dock, to the right of the vertical line separating application dock items and "file and folder" dock items. Just be careful not to drag it to the Trash can! This puts an Applications folder alias on the Dock.

When you want to get to an application, Control-click or right-click on the folder alias to bring up a disclosure window with a list of the folder's contents. You can do this with any folder, by the way: your Desktop folder, Documents folder, etc. This is a "Start" button-like feature.

If you have 10.4, you can use Spotlight via the keyboard to open an application. Hit Apple-Spacebar, type in a few letters of the application's name, wait a moment for the application(s) to show up at the top of the search results, press the Down arrow button to select the application you want, and then press Return.

The fool-proof way of uninstalling an app depends on the application. Most applications have all their contents in one file in the Applications folder — just drag that application to the Trash.

However, some applications create preference or helper items in your Library folder, your Application Support folder, or the system-wide Library folder. You may have to dig around for these items to clean them out.

The really fool-proof way to nuke an application is reformat the hard drive and reinstall the OS from scratch. Unnecessary, but it works.

Exposé does indeed rock the socks. Vista just can't compete with some of the UI advances in 10.4. Can't wait to see what's in 10.5...

Press Alt-Tab until you get to finder.
Press Shift-Apple-A to open the applications screen.

Here's a tip for installing quickly from DMG.
After opening the DMG, press Alt-Apple-T (Or on the menu, click View and Show toolbar)
You can then drag the application straight into the Applications section of the toolbar.

re: uninstalling,
I await an answer to that one myself.

Ctrl-Spacebar to search (Not Apple-Spacebar)
Apple spacebar flips between keyboard configurations. (For me anyway)

Based on a blog entry by mathowie, I tried AppZapper and was very pleased with how easy it was to clean out applications I no longer wanted.

AlexReynolds! Thank you! I've now got a wonderful little Applications shortcut in the Dock.

Great tip, seanyboy. The billion Finder windows were driving me insane. Can't imagine why the toolbar isn't shown by default.

I'll be sure to give AppZapper a whirl, terrapin.

Okay so this is the thread where OSX noobs get help?

How do I get Safari to open all links that would otherwise open in a new window in a new tab instead? I don't ever want to see more than one Safari window at a time.

I think Opera does this per default and I got Firefox to do it with a plugin. But I've recently been using Safari for my daily web surfing because it is so fast and it feels more native than Firefox on OS X.

I just use Apple-Click to open items in new tabs.
Apple-Shift-Click to open new tab and go to it.

Yeah but that doesn't work with Gmail. I use the Gmail notifier to check my mail. When I click on a new email I'm taken to a page that shows only that single email. There is a link to my inbox but cmd-clicking it doesn't work. It still opens in a new window.

When I right-click the inbox link I'm given the following options:
Reload
Open frame in new window
Open frame in new tab (this opens the same email -- not the inbox -- in a new tab)
View frame source
Save frame as
Print frame
Print window

I have a feeling this is due to some kind of Javascript issue? Anyway, I don't understand why anyone would ever want to open a link in a new window. Opening links with target="_blank" in a new tab should be the default behaviour IMNSHO.