When logging into a Mac you generally see your list of usernames that you can click, followed by a password entry field. While you can enable other features such as a the shutdown and restart buttons, as well as the system’s input menu, these are fairly static functions that offer utility but no additional information about the system. However, being able to identify a system at the login window may be useful, and in OS X there are two ways to accomplish this. Continue reading
How to view system identification at the OS X login window
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When you are at the login window in OS X, your system should be set to use the default keyboard layout you chose when you initially set up your Mac; however, there may be instances where this layout changes, which in some cases can frustrate your ability to enter your username and password. While you can change your keyboard layout from the login window through the input menu (provided you have it enabled), this should not be required every time you use your Mac. 
After having upgraded to OS X Yosemite, a number of people have found their Macs now take a relatively long time to log in. While powering on the system will reveal the login screen almost immediately, after supplying an account password the system will show a progress bar and hang for up to a couple of minutes, before finally showing the desktop and allowing the computer to be used.