[Closed] Windows to OS X...how did you find it?

Fine. Took a few days to learn all the gestures (I use a trackpad on my imac) and some of the software takes some learning (Pages, Numbers) but now Microsoft seems awfully basic when I use it at work.
Take some time to learn it and you'll be fine. Fight it or try and use it like Windows and you'll be disappointed.
I can't recommend using a trackpad enough, either. So much nicer than a mouse.

connecting up an external monitor led down a path of hacking initialisation files to get it to work properly, which is something I'd hoped to leave behind.

Erm...why?

As for Safari, I've used Chrome for as long as I can remember.

For shortcuts: https://www.apple.com/uk/support/macbook/new_user/

I made the jump 5 years ago at home and now that I have my own business we use all Apple gear.

When I first got my Mac I too struggled to work out what all the fuss was about but the more you use them the better they get.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been rebranding our company paperwork and the ease that I can prepare really nice document templates with Pages is just streets ahead of Word. Not too sure about Numbers so still use Excel most of the time.

Printers just work without loads of time consuming loading of drivers.

And you n all this time the only thing that has ever crashed any of my Macs is Tesco's website!

I've never gotten away with Safari. Even on Windows - XP, Vista, 7 - I used and became very comfortable with Firefox.

With my MBP I use a second monitor - Dell U2413f - which is connected via the Thunderbolt/Mini-DisplayPort to HDMI. It's plug-and-go and never had any set-up other than calibration. Why exactly are you having to hack into things? What monitor?

What I found with OSX was that I needed to do less, but that obviously I had to learn the new routes. For all that Apple has the geeky label, I find that OSX is less-computery, for want of a better term, and that I feel like I'm using programs rather than a computer. Software installation is simpler and the folder/file system is largely hidden, unless you specifically want access. For applications that you use regularly, put them in the dock at the bottom. Remove anything that you don't use often.

Command-space is your No.1 short cut. This opens Spotlight - top right - and you start typing the thing you're after. Then just press 'enter' when Spotlight highlights it.

Go into System Preferences and then into the Trackpad settings. Look through the options for swiping/gestures and let them teach you what's what. I found that Apple's 'natural' scrolling was actually unintuitive for me and deselected it - navigation immediately became for comfortable. Play around with the gestures and it'll help you learn your way around.

Is there anything in particular you're struggling to settle with?

Found the unified menu bar annoying and stupid, but it's always been like that, and found the Ubuntu one annoying and stupid too when they copied the idea (but at least there was an option to put it back)
the command (or is it option?) and a letter instead of ctrl-c (etc.) similaryl stupid, but at least theres not a windows symbol on the keyboard.
one mouse button was always daft. never made sense back in 1984, and didn't make sense in 2010 either. fortunately add on mice and trackpads work.
best thing to do with safari was forget it was there and install another browser. ironically based off the same rendering engine as safari 😉
the photoviewer was stupid, and always insisted on some animated to music viewing of photos.

sure everything "just worked" (apart from the 2-3 kernel panics), but tbh... "it's just a computer", there's nothing special about it, nothing fancy, no real extra hardware quality, no real extra software quality (any more). It's just a bit different.

wiped mine and installed Linux in the end. not kernel panics (blue screen equivalent) since.

one mouse button was always daft. never made sense back in 1984, and didn't make sense in 2010 either. fortunately add on mice and trackpads work.

The Apple wireless mouse has left and right click and also scrolling and gestures. It's also rather beautifully in appearance.

[img] [/img]

The Trackpad also has numerous options with single, two, three or four-finger options.

once I got the hang of the trackpad on my macbook and learned how good spotlight is (CMD+Space) then I haven't looked back.

Every now and again I open up MS Office and die a little inside as it takes me through the 10,000 step update process (why should I care where you're installing the updates? Just install them!)

the logitech mouse also has the normal array of buttons for a fraction of the price.
I prefer not to need lug peripherals about with a laptop though.
although I understand newer models have some kind of fancier built-in trackpad.

i've just got myself a MacBook Pro, after years of Windows use and being rude about Apple. To be honest, i'm finding the transition far easier than I thought I would. OK, I may not have discovered everything yet, but so far, so good.

I actually like Safari: I don't think it's any better or any worse than the other browsers; just different, which makes a nice change.

It probably helps that the MBP makes my Dell laptop look and feel like an old, rusty barge.

I prefer not to need lug peripherals about with a laptop though.

Nobody has suggested carrying or using a mouse. I was just letting you know that you may have overlooked the complete functionality of the Apple mouse you hate so much.

The monitor worked (it's a Dell 27", can't remember the exact model no), but wouldn't display at the native resolution. Googling it found other people with the same problem with that monitor.

Have you switched between 'Scaled' and 'Best for Display' in System Preferences > Displays?

Yes, some details here...

http://www.itcentralpoint.com/dell-u2713-full-resolution-problems-on-osx-mavericks

(although I have not tried it yet, I'm away from home at the mo)

Just tried cmd+space,,,,nice!

don't hate the mouse. indeed the only thing I hate is Windoze 8.
I just prefer a functional mouse with all the functions of a mouse, and what shipped with mine had a very useful button (2 buttons even) missing.
Who cares what it looks like when it's obscured by my hand.
Functionality >> Looks.

Apologies in advance if I offend Apple fanbois.

It's just a computer+OS, that's a bit different, with some very clever marketing.

I just prefer a functional mouse with all the functions of a mouse, and what shipped with mine had a very useful button (2 buttons even) missing.

No it didn't - You just need to go into settings and make whatever changes that you prefer - including setting-up the right hand side of the pad to act as right mouse button, and/or selecting the two finger tap as right-click.

The trackpad actually has more functionality than a traditional mouse (if you choose), you just need to go into settings and set it up.

mine had a single mechanical button

mine had a single mechanical button

Ok, so your machine is from 2009 - I'm sure the OP found your insights helpful though.

Pages is just streets ahead of Word

To be honest that is a low bar. Word is an awful program.

I like finder - stuff is in a nice logical structure and doesn't have shortcuts and alises all over the place. OSX seems a lot les bloated than windows too 🙂

Word is an awful program.

No it's not, it's great. Assuming you know how to use it. Libre/Open Office, however...

Found this comment a bit weird, too:

For all that Apple has the geeky label, I find that OSX is less-computery

Apple has the geeky label? Really? I always thought it was Windows for office workers, Apple for hipster designers, and Linux for geeks?

I use word infrequently, but I'm still very impressed with it. It's superbly designed and refined over the years, and you can buy it and a load more besides for £80.

I think Finder smells. I use Path Finder.

the command (or is it option?) and a letter instead of ctrl-c (etc.) similaryl stupid, but at least theres not a windows symbol on the keyboard.
one mouse button was always daft. never made sense back in 1984, and didn't make sense in 2010 either. fortunately add on mice and trackpads work.
best thing to do with safari was forget it was there and install another browser. ironically based off the same rendering engine as safari

All of that is basically 'I've not used a Mac before and expected it to be just like my Windows / Linux machine'. Though I sort of agree with Safari. It has got better though. So I guess that makes me a fanboi.

Can't get on with touch pads at all (I think 15 odd years of trying on various OS is long enough) but any old mouse works perfectly.

Everything else is about a days fiddling about.

There is always the possibility it isn't for you. This will result in either a) burning at the stake OR b) elevation to sainthood depending on who you tell. At least the resale value will be high.

Finder is utter shite, I just don't get why Apple don't improve it a bit.

Also networking is pretty cack in OSX, I have a complete Apple set up at home, including remote drives and if a drive goes to sleep and you try and access it, it will completely lock up the Mac until the drive awakes, which is a really crap design.

It also endlessly keeps rediscovering the same MacBooks and thinks they are new, so in Finder I get a list like:

Ben's Mac
Ben's Mac (1)
Ben's Mac (2)
Ben's Mac (3)
Ben's Mac (4)
Ben's Mac (5)

only one of which actually works and you have to guess which one it is. The same thing happens on the iMac and both Macbooks, all bugs from the latest OSX.

All of that is basically 'I've not used a Mac before and expected it to be just like my Windows / Linux machine'

If I used entirely OSX on Apple hardware I'd probably get frustrated on the one day I borrowed a W8 machine.

And all these big corporations (Apple, MS, Google, Yahoo) go on about "experiencing" an OS. I don't want to experience anything, I just want it to be there in the background allowing me to work.

And the Sun keyboard was best.

It would be great if we could keep the thread positive (like Three Fishes spotlight search suggestion). Anybody have any more tips or point me at resources to start getting a warm feeling about OSX?

I’ve bought the laptop now, I’m determined to make a go of it. I’ve used Window’s for 20+years, so it only reasonable to expect that a different OS is going to require some work to get the best out of it.

I made a bit of progress last night (programmer mode on the calculator and Command-Shift-3 for screen shots).

Command-Shift-3

I keep forgetting that and end up trying all combinations with the number 3 till it works....

It would be great if we could keep the thread positive (like Three Fishes spotlight search suggestion). Anybody have any more tips or point me at resources to start getting a warm feeling about OSX?

Get Better Touch Tool, it's free, and make OSX your own.

http://www.boastr.net/

...plus it gives you window snapping, which you're probably missing coming from Windows.

I made a bit of progress last night (programmer mode on the calculator and Command-Shift-3 for screen shots).

If you run Grab, just search for it in [s]Alfred[/s] Spotlight, then you can have a few more capture options:

[img] [/img]

Command Shift 4 for grabbing a section of the screen. Pointer changes to a cursor, highlight the area you want and takes the photo when you release the mouse button.

I made the switch back in 2009, it took a little while to adjust and there are lots of features in OSX which take time to discover. The magic mouse or a trackpad are required to make the most of OSX with the various scrolling and zooming gestures

Hold down shift when you hit the yellow minimise button.
Also, MagicPrefs adds a whole lot more to your mouse or trackpad. i.e. on the mouse you can set the apple stem as another tap spot. I use it for launchpad.

Another useful feature and shortcut is in Finder. Command-T will open a new Finder tab, like in a web browser. Means you don't have several Finder windows open. You can drag folders/files between tabs. Make use of the favourites list at the left to for easy access to folders.

The Command-Click is also a good shortcut. In Finder, pressing Command when you click on a folder in your favourites and it will open in a new tab. Likewise, in a web browser, Command-Click will open a link in a new tab.

Hold down shift when you hit the yellow minimise button.

I like it - bit trippy...

Not to derail the thread, but a lot of these features and tips also work on Windows. Spotlight, for example; just hit the Windows key and start typing. I can't remember the last time I actually used the Programs menu as a menu (aside from having to use Server 2003). Any hassle with printer drivers I can only assumes refers to XP (which is twelve years old), almost everything is plug&play these days and what it doesn't understand it'll go to Windows Update for.

Dock = pin. Screen grab = Print Screen button / alt-PS snaps the current window / Windows-S launches the clipper if you've got OneNote installed. Ctrl-click opens in new tabs (as does the middle mouse button), shift-click opens in new window.

just hit the Windows key and start typing

Also works in Ubuntu. I think it was a Windows invention no?

Windows-S launches the clipper if you've got OneNote installed

The snipper tool comes free with Windows 7 and is very good.

Also works in Ubuntu. I think it was a Windows invention no?

Dunno, first time I saw it was a third-party app called Launchy.

The snipper tool comes free with Windows 7 and is very good.

Yeah, but you have to manually set a hotkey if you want one, the OneNote one does it by default. Mostly I use alt-printscreen and Paint.NET for trimming, which is a bit old-school.

No it's not, it's great. Assuming you know how to use it. Libre/Open Office, however...

I never mentioned Libre / open office?

Yeah, but you have to manually set a hotkey if you want one

I like pinning it to the taskbar, myself.

I struggled when I started using OSX. Even getting through the initial setup, I didn't know how to use the mousepad although I think I was later able to reconfigure it in a more familiar windows fashion.
I never really embraced OSX and after a few issues (2 or 3 time I had to do a full disk reformat and reinstall after failed updates) I got rid of the machine. The only thing I miss is the very quick resume from sleep...my new windows 8 laptop is slower than my old windows 7 on resume from sleep so that's annoying and the macbook was much faster still.

The only thing I miss is the very quick resume from sleep

When something big happens, usually you just need to know how to reset the PRAM.

The only thing I miss is the very quick resume from sleep...

Get an SSD. Mine goes from sleep to logged in in about five seconds.

Spotlight, for example; just hit the Windows key and start typing.

Any hassle with printer drivers I can only assumes refers to XP (which is twelve years old)

I'll confess that I had a Mac previously and didn't get on too well with it when trying to use it for business. I've invested in a Mac Book Pro purely for my hobbies nothing work related which I continue to use a Windows 8 laptop for.
I have found the transition slow going and have booked myself on an Apple "Discover your Mac" workshop to hopefully get myself upto speed. Most things I have tried so far have been frustrating. Either quicker in Windows or not working such as network drives shown one moment then not the other time. The "Mac just does it" isn't working for me yet but hopefully it will.

Get an SSD. Mine goes from sleep to logged in in about five seconds.

I don't think I can without losing my existing hard-drive as it's a (Dell Inspiron 7000) laptop. The hard drive is a hybrid affair with, I think, 8GB 'SSD' and it's taking about 15 seconds to wake (okay not too bad but was expecting an improvement with the new kit).

15 seconds to wake is a long time, but it's probably down to one of your hardware devices being slow I'd guess. All the gubbins in your PC have to come out of their own personal sleep mode before your computer wakes up. It's a bit like trying to get your family ready in the mornings 🙂

I have swapped out the HD in both my work W7 and home MBP with 500GB SSDs, both now resume from sleep in a few seconds and load large apps etc really quickly.

sorry going off topic (although the MacBook was always great for wake up time) , since I mentioned a problem I've found an answer that may help someone else with a similar issue - Control Panel -> Power Options > Change Plan Settings -> Change Advanced Power Settings -> Sleep -> Allow hybrid sleep = turn on (was off)

5 or 6 seconds now 🙂

Ah yes.. You don't want hybrid sleep.

Not to derail the thread, but a lot of these features and tips also work on Windows.

That's some nice derailing there, Cougar. 8)

i made the switch 7 years ago and bought a new iMac few months ago and went one shade braver and added Parallels so I could use one MS specific software for my business.

Then, I clicked 'upgrade' to Yosemite and wished I hadn't. Something somewhere isn't right and it's like using Vista all over again. Apple looked at it and now recommending a full clean install, despite me using time machine their preferred method of backups, which the now point the finger at for dragging something across that shouldn't be there, despite the fact that it wasn't an issue before the upgrade.

Windows -> Mac migrant here, although I still use Windows for work (strictly, Server 2008/2012).

95% of my work is Linux ( DevOps ), so OSX is the perfect balance (MS Office). Definitely at the [i]power user[/i] end of the spectrum 🙂

Also works in Ubuntu. I think it was a Windows invention no?

Dunno, first time I saw it was a third-party app called Launchy.

Definitely not a MS invention, was also around with an app called Quicksilver before OS X had spotlight and Gnome-do, or synapse in Ubuntu before they launched Unity.

My favourite things from OSX:

* The fact that all apps use the same short cuts (E.g. Apple+P for preferences)
* Expose, when I realised that you could drag/drop stuff between almost all apps willy nilly
* Multi touch gestures (They are common on all platforms now but when I had my old white Macbook, two finger scrolling/right clicking was da bomb).

Can't remember any more but I'll pop back here if I remember anything. I use Ubuntu full time now but do miss OSX and how simple it was occasionally.

I recall something like 40% of Windows machines are still running XP

There's no way it's that high. I'll see if I can find some stats.

The fact that all apps use the same short cuts

Most Windows apps to do - there's a name for the particular theme of hotkeys that was proposed as a standard, but I forget what. F1 = help, F3 = search, F11 = full screen and so on. The only app I come into contact with that doesn't do this is Notepad++ which I frigging hate.

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

Win8 19%
Win7 55%
XP 5%
OSX 10%

So that's about 6% of the (desktop) market running XP, based on web browser usage. 40% was true about three years ago.

Most Windows apps to do

Ay to be honest it was a long time ago I last used Windows (XP last time I had it installed) so it's probably come on a lot.

Net Applications gives XP a higher mark; they reckon about 20%, and other sources somewhere in between.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems

The mobile market is interesting too, iOS and Android pretty much neck and neck, with everything else a long old way behind. Though again, it's based on web traffic so may be skewed.

Most Windows apps to do...

but a lot of these features and tips also work on Windows.

Can either of you explain how either of these, or similar, replies are intended to help the OP?

Nice one Three_Fish...a good point well made.

replies are intended to help the OP?

Innit. Page 1 and page 2 of this thread appear to be on different topics.

Can either of you explain how either of these, or similar, replies are intended to help the OP?

Can you explain why that's a necessity? The thread's evolved from "Mac tips" to "Computing tips", I don't see how that's a bad thing.

Cast in point,

@cougar thanks - didn't know this ! I am back at an employer with Windows as work machine so that's useful

Productivity tips are handy regardless of your platform choice, no?

Can you explain why that's a necessity?

Of course. The tone is more of a 'so what if OSX does that, so does Windows'. It's almost like low-level trolling, you (collectively) just seem desperate to not be out-done by OSX, whereas all the OP wanted wanted was to find out how he can transition and learn a new tool. It may or may not have been your intention, but it came across as a tad contrary. The other fellow just sounds desperate.

Productivity tips are handy regardless of your platform choice, no?

Right so. I'll remember that the next time somebody asks for user guidance or tips for [insert topic], and [s]derail[/s] steer the thread in a direction that will be more useful to people who probably aren't reading the thread anyway, I'm bound to hit somebody with something helpful - and who gives a shit if I bury the genuinely helpful information or start an argument?

Productivity tips are handy regardless of your platform choice, no?

Not really.

If OP is asking how to do X in Y, how will knowing how to do X in Z help?

Edit: Hmmm. In the time it took me to write a sentence, a new post appeared.

Three fish - I had been reading this thread in a tone unusually unlike what you describe, so if you thought it that way I apologise. I have absolutely nothing against MacOS, it's just fanbois that annoy me 🙂

it's just fanbois that annoy me

You know you 'reverse fanboys' are just as bad as they are, right?

They created me...

They created me...

[img] [/img]

Answering the original point of the OP - I found it fine. A little bit of trial and error and some googling has seen me through. I do use Windows on a VM for some stuff though. As it's for business using Word and Excel to manipulate or create docs in Word so that Windows users can easily share with with me is really helpful - without messing with formats and stuff. I have an Air too and whilst it runs Office for Mac - I prefer the authentic Office experience on my main work machine. Also I run Visio which I haven't found a good replacement for and MS Project and Project Server too.

I'm finding office for mac slightly odd (feels like a Windows version half converted to behave like a mac application, and it looks a bit cheap), but I think it's being revised soon. VM's appear to run really well, my PC based laptop used to take 5mins to shutdown at the end of the day after i'd been running lots of VM's, but they appear to close in seconds on the mac.

The only real problem I've had this week was trying to copy a VM to a portable hard drive...took me half an hour to work out although you can read NTFS partitions, you can't write to them 🙁

Other than that it's going well 🙂

Yeah, no problem really. Getting used to the quite cool trackpad took a short while and the shortcuts to make up for the things they've forgotten to put on the keyboard took a bit longer than that but I use various versions of windows, linux, unix and my mac on a daily basis and switch happily between them all.

The tone is more of a 'so what if OSX does that, so does Windows'

I wasn't saying "so what", you've just made that up. My original post was partly in response to a "OSX is so much better because it does all these things" and I was simply pointing out that you might not have realised that Windows does those things too; I was trying to be helpful, not engage in a pissing contest. But if it helps you any, think of it as balance for all the helpful "buy a Mac / install Linux" comments that crop up with tedious regularity every time someone wants PC help.

Still, this meta-discussion is [i]far[/i] more helpful to the OP's plight, isn't it.

But if it helps you any, think of it as balance for all the helpful "buy a Mac / install Linux" comments that crop up with tedious regularity every time someone wants PC help.

That's awfully altruistic and public spirited of you. Maybe if you got an outfit you could be like a computer productivity, internet fairness superhero or something.

Lodious, I beg your pardon for the page of bollocks I contributed to. Enjoy your learning, I'm out of here...

Uh-Oh.

Cougar's gone [s]all[/s] more sarky. Abandon thread.... 😀

Cheers for those how tried to help with the mac stuff,,,i guess it was never going to end well 🙁

,i guess it was never going to end well

To close a tab in your browser, it's command+w. This is system wide, so will close any active window in all apps.

If things have got really bad, it's command+q to quit an application.

If you just need some respite, command+h hides the application.

Cougar's gone all sarky. Abandon thread....

Gone? As opposed to what? (-:

To close a tab in your browser, it's command+w.

Ctrl-W in Windows.

Nah, it's your general demeanour. It would be the same if you had fluffy puppy wuffykins next to your name.

I found the most awkward thing in changing at home from Windows XP to OS X (it was some time ago) was the positioning of the close/minimize/maximize buttons on windows. I'd go into work and go up left. I'd be at home and go top right. Now to swap between apps I tend to win+m or alt+TAB at work and use spaces and four finger swipes on the MacBook.

Another 'problem' was the difference in the action of the close button on OS X from Windows. On Windows it always quits the program. Well, except when it goes all 'Not Responding'. On the Mac it seems up to the whims of the developer. Some programs quit. Some just close their windows but are still running. Practically it makes little difference.

Between the two systems I favour the Mac & OS X. Even though Yosemite has changed some things, including stability and compatibility with some older programs, it is still a joy to open my MacBook Pro, have the login screen appear almost instantly, login and start work. It is a different story with my Windows 7 Lenovo Carbon X1. Which is a real shame. If it worked as I'd expect it would be OK.