Connected Addendum

Apples

David's Newspaper Columns  (updated weekly)

Getting used to Apple's Mac

Apple’s OS X operating system has a wide reputation as an easier operating system than Windows.  But to long-time Windows users, it might take some getting used-to.  So I’ve put together a few tips and techniques -- some of which were given to me by Apple product managers -- to help Windows users make the transition to Mac.

 

1. Don’t get frustrated by the differences.  There are some things that are different on a Mac than on a PC -- but they’re no harder to learn than when you first learned how to use the PC.  Yet you may find yourself relying on the Windows-ways you learned earlier.  Just go with the flow until the new Mac-ways become more natural.  It may take a few weeks -- or even a few months.
2. The one mouse-button can emulate two buttons.  Just hold down the [Command] button as you click on the mouse button.
3. Opening and closing Windows.  Instead of the Windows controls being in the top right corner of every window, they’re in the top left corner.  The red button closes the window.  The yellow button minimizes it (so it disappears).  The green button maximizes it (although that doesn’t seem to mean it takes up the entire screen as it does in MS-Windows).  If you can’t find minimized window, open the application associated with that window; then use the Window menu at the top of the screen.
4. One menu for all applications.  Where MS-Windows has a menu at the top of every window, Apple’s OS X has a single set of menus at the top of the screen that changes depending on which window and application is active.  To determine which application it is using, look for the name of the application next to the Apple logo.
5. One delete key.  At first I was annoyed by the single delete key which acts like a backspace in MS-Windows (deleting the character to the left of the cursor).  If you want to delete the character to the right of the cursor, hold the [Fn] key as you press [delete].
6. Where’s Windows Explorer?  There is no Windows Explorer.  Use “Finder”.  You’ll see it on your “Dock” (that strip of icons at the bottom of your screen that represent your applications.  The finder icon looks like a dimensional box with a stick character face on it.
7. Closing an Application.  Unlike MS-Windows, which closes the application if you close the final open window for that application, Apple’s OS X keeps the application running if you close the windows.  The quit the application, click on the name of the application on the menu bar; then select Quit.

 

There are a bunch of other differences, some minor, some substantial.  You’ll just have to play around to discover them -- or come back here as I outline more of them in future articles.