Macs for Windows users
Macs for Windows users
Macs for Windows users
IF you're a Windows user, don't turn the page.
This isn't going to be one of those annoying "Gee, isn't the Mac great?" or "Why I chose the Mac over Windows" articles that Apple fanatics have inflicted on the rest of the world for years. I've had my fill of those - and they don't get any better, even though I'm a Mac user now.
I'm writing this column for the likes of my colleagues Rome, a long-time Windows user who recently bought an iBook, or Connie, who dreams of getting one free from her editor.
Windows users are different from novices. Shaped by years of experience, they approach a computer expecting to do things in a certain way. Dissonance sets in when they find that the common tasks they used to perform on Windows are no longer available - or, as more likely the case, accessible through a different set of commands. Here then, is some practical advice from someone who's been in the trenches.
Delete. The "delete" key on a Mac doesn't work like its Windows counterpart. Instead of deleting the character to the right of the cursor and closing up the space, the Mac delete works like the backspace key. To get Windows-style delete, hold down the "fn" key before hitting the delete key.
Of Mice and Macs. Apple only recently discovered the advantage of a right mouse button. Don't fret. Any old USB optical mouse will work. I personally prefer a good wheel to the little button on Apple's Mighty Mouse. Just as in Windows, you can right-click on an icon to activate a context-sensitive menu. On a notebook touch pad, hold down the "ctrl" key and click on an icon to get the same effect.
Windows Media Player. Forget Windows Media Player for the Mac. The reviews have been rather bad. In fact, forget QuickTime, which won't play AVI or WMV files, and won't go full screen unless you upgrade to a paid version. Download VLC Media Player, a free multi-platform program that will do all of the above and play DVDs, MP3 and MP4 files to boot. For some reason, VCD playback is choppy, so for that you can use MPlayer (also free) or QuickTime.
iTunes, ShmyTunes. Many people swear by iTunes, but if you don't have an iPod, you're probably better off using VLC Media Player to play your music. It's less intrusive - it won't offer to scan your hard disk for songs, try to sell you music, give you unnecessary information about licensing or eat up more disk space by duplicating your songs in its own directory. It will just play your sweet tunes. On an iBook, VLC will also play music louder. Download VLC Player to compare and see all its features and the media playable.
File associations. So how do you tell a Mac to always use VLC to play your AVI or MP3 files? Easy. Right click on any MP3 file and choose "Get Info" from the context menu. In the "Open with" section, choose VLC player. Then click the Change All button to apply the same file association everywhere else.
Finding stuff. Finding files on the Mac can be a challenge if you're used to Windows Explorer. Macs have Finder, which has subtle differences. The sidebar on Finder isn't the same as the folders view on Explorer, which gives you a hierarchical view of your directory. The top half of Finder shows you what drives - including those on a network - that you can access. The bottom half of the sidebar contains shortcuts to folders and files you use often. While you're still familiarizing yourself with Finder, try using Spotlight, a powerful search utility that can help you find what you need quickly. Just click on the blue and white icon on the top right portion of the screen and type. Spotlight will quickly guess what you want.
Ways to skin a Mac. With the possible exception of games, most Windows XP applications have Mac counterparts. For example, there's no Mac version of my favorite BitTorrent client, uTorrent, but a program called Transmission does the same job very well. There are versions of MS Office for the Mac, of course, but there's also a freeware equivalent called NeoOffice. The FTP program I use on XP, WS FTP, isn't available on the Mac, but I've got Cyberduck working just fine. Instant messaging? Forget Yahoo or MSN Messenger and get Adium.
Just about the only thing I still can't get on the Mac these days is a free version of Freecell that's as slick as the one that comes with XP. So who says everything is better on a Mac?
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