Tap on the Input Sources tab, make sure that your default input source is selected (in the list of languages seen in the image below), and be sure to check the 'Show Input menu in menu bar' box in at the lower part of the preference pane. The secret to playing with all of these bizarre characters is to get to know the Language & Text preference pane that can be found in System Preferences. Follow along as I show you how to insert or type characters that won't be found on your keyboard. It's actually quite easy to do this, although finding these uncommon characters isn't something that's readily apparent, especially to new Mac users. One that I frequently hear is 'How do I type on my Mac?' A good example of this is people who want to type fractions that look like this - ½ - rather than like 1/2, or plop a character like an umbrella - ☂ - or a skull and crossbones - ☠ - in the middle of a sentence.
As a Mac consultant, I'm often asked some pretty bizarre questions.
