[AppleGirl1990]

When i open up my hard drive i see an Applications Folder (as well as the Library, System and Users Folders). All my applications are stored in there (by default they are installed into that location.

But i also have an applications folder in my Home Directory (Users Folder). What applications get stored in there? Right now it's empty and i don't really understand it's purpose.

[gradient]

The one in your home folder would be for apps that are only available to your user. If someone logged in as a different user, they wouldn't have access to them.

[wataru]

Stuff at the "root" of your hard drive (/Applications, /System, /Library) is for all users on the computer. Stuff in a user's home folder (/Users/username/Applications, etc.) is just for that user. If you're the only user on the machine then it doesn't matter which you use.

There aren't really many applications I can think of that I'd want to restrict to just one user. The only thing I use my personal Applications folder for is storing prerelease versions of some software (like Firefox betas). That way I can leave the official release versions in /Applications so none of my family members get confused by unfinished or buggy software.

[AppleGirl1990]

Thanks. That was helpful.

[Mac User #001]

AppleGirl, do you seriously own your sigged Mac? If so, thats incredible.

[AppleGirl1990]

It's been ordered. Expecting delivery Feb 13th.

[Judge_Fire]

However, your personal applications don't need to be stored in that spesific folder. You could keep them on your desktop, too, for example.

[harbinger75]

Two 3.2GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon 5400 processors
1600MHz, 64-bit dual independent frontside bus
16 Gigs of 800MHz DDR2 memory
Two 1TB 7200 rpm hard drives

Wow. I wish I had that kind of money. I did my taxes this morning and, well, maybe getting married at the end of last year wasn't the greatest idea. (just kidding, honey!)

$4,000+ single down to $2,200 married. Ugh.

[besson3c]

I like to put porno in my applications folder!

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Originally Posted by besson3c 

I like to put porno in my applications folder!

Dude, everyone knows that porno goes on the DESKTOP!

[wataru]

Yeah, well I put my Desktop in /Porn/Applications.

[Cadaver]

Originally Posted by AppleGirl1990 

When i open up my hard drive i see an Applications Folder (as well as the Library, System and Users Folders). All my applications are stored in there (by default they are installed into that location.

But i also have an applications folder in my Home Directory (Users Folder). What applications get stored in there? Right now it's empty and i don't really understand it's purpose.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder how that folder got there. Its not created by default, and I've never come across an application installer that creates an Applications folder in the user's directory.

If its empty, it should be safe to delete. I keep an alias of the main Applications folder in my user directory just for convenience.

[Judge_Fire]

Some installers do create it, such as some version of Adobe AIR - just ran into this some time ago.

It's almost the correct thing for an Installer to do, in case of not having permission to write in /Applications. The idea is pretty much the same as with the various Libraries.. The proper thing to, however, would be ask where the user actually wants it.

[AppleGirl1990]

One thing that that upsets me is the Users/Home/Documents folder.
I want to just keep my school papers, etc in there...but some programs install stuff in there and i don't think it's safe to remove them. For example, i have Microsoft User Data and Mobile SyncBrowser Data in that folder and i'm not sure what will happen if i delete it or move it.

[Judge_Fire]

Yeah, that sucks. There is a particular location, /Library/Application Support/, that apps should use instead of sticking stuff in the user's 'personal' folders.

Does anyone know if the brand new Office still does that?