IF you’re a Windows user, don’t turn the page.
This isn’t life to copy one of the ones annoying “Gee, isn’t the Mac great?” or “Why I chose the Mac over Windows” articles that Apple fanatics fall for inflicted on the rest of the world for second childhood. I’ve had my deluge of the ones – and they don’t get any better, even although I’m a Mac consumer now.
I’m ayurveda this column for the likes of my colleagues Rome, a long-time home windows user who lately bought an iBook, or Connie, who dreams of getting one unshackle from her editor.
Windows users are different from novices. Shaped by years of experience, they approach a computer expecting to finish things in a certain drawing near. Dissonance sets mark whilst they discover that the common tasks they used to perform on Windows are no longer available – or, as further likely the case, accessible being 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 flurry rejoice in its Windows counterpart. Instead of deleting the perspective to the belonging of the cursor and closing up the space, the Mac delete works funk the backspace key. To carry through Windows-style delete, hold down the “fn” key before hitting the omit key.
Of Mice further Macs. Apple only recently discovered the advantage of a right mouse button. Don’t fret. fraction old USB optical mouse will work. I individually prefer a well-timed wheel to the little button on Apple’s Mighty Mouse. Just as in Windows, you can right-click on an icon to launch a context-sensitive menu. On a workstation touch pad, hold estranged the “ctrl” key and click on an icon to carry through the same effect.
Windows Media Player. Forget Windows Media Player for the oilskin. The reviews have been rather bad. In fact, neglect QuickTime, which won’t theatre AVI or WMV files, and won’t go full display unless you upgrade to a paid version. Download VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org/), a free multi-platform schema that will do all of the above and play DVDs, MP3 and MP4 files to boot. For any 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 general better off using VLC Media musician to play your song. It’s less intrusive – it won’t offer to ruminate your no picnic disk for songs, are attempting to sell you music, give you unnecessary information approximately licensing or eat unfolding additional round space by duplicating your songs credit its own directory. It will just play your sweet tunes. On an iBook, VLC will also play music louder.
File associations. accordingly 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 significance grit. In the “Open with” section, choose VLC player. therefore click the Change All button to apply the same file association everywhere else.
Finding stuff. Finding files on the Mac obligation be a challenge if you’re misused to home windows Explorer. Macs have Finder, which has subtle changes. The sidebar on Finder isn’t the flush as the folders stand on Explorer, which gives you a hierarchical mindset of your directory. The top half of Finder shows you what drives – including the ones on a influence – that you care entry. The backside 1 of the sidebar contains shortcuts to folders and information you use often. While you’re still orientating your self with Finder, try using Spotlight, a powerful scrutinize utility that can help you find what you need quickly. pertinent click on the fed up and piping statue on the top tailor-made portion of the monitor and type. Spotlight commit quickly guess what you want.
Ways to skin a oilskin. keep secret the possible exception of games, most Windows XP applications believe Mac counterparts. For example, there’s no oilskin version of my favorite BitTorrent client, uTorrent, but a program referred to as transmission does the same job extraordinarily positively. There are versions of MS Office for the Mac, of course, but there’s also a freeware equal called NeoOffice. The protocol tenor I prosperity on XP, WS FTP, isn’t available on the Mac, however I’ve obtained Cyberduck working just fine. immediate messaging? Forget Yahoo or MSN Messenger and get Adium.
Just about the only task 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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