using OSX/macs

[[Legoman]]

guys, can you enlighten me on what problems I'll encounter going from windows to Mac? how do they work differently?

Here's my situation, I'm going to start college doing audio stuff, and opted to miss out on the first part of the course(mainly some Flash, photoshop, dreamweaver, etc.). However, I know I'm going to be working on Macs when I start, which I haven't used much since the days of tiny black&white screens. I don't want to take too long to get to grips with the OS.

So therefore, please no opinions on OSX .v. windows, I just need to know practical differences I'll have to deal with. Cheers.

[senocular]

The biggest difference, in my eyes at least, is the common menu bar for all applications. That and closing application windows doesnt exit them.

First the menu bar. this is the menu bar at the top of the screen. This changes for whatever application currently has focus. In Windows, each application window has their own menu bar. OSX has one for all (hense the changing based on focus). This can be confusing especially when dealing with finder or desktop options and you think youre focused on the desktop but in actuallity you're still in the program which (#2) you thought you exited but didnt because you just closed its window and didn't actually quit. So the menu bar is still for Safari, but you only see the desktop (finder is the application that "runs" the desktop and folder views) and you want the finder menu. So you either have to quit the program completely or click on the desktop to bring it into focus.

Another difference is window control. There is no maximize as in Windows. The closest you have is the zoom button (green plus). This can act like a maximize but it doesnt necessarily maximize and it can be frustrating at times. On top of that, you can only resize a window from the lower right corner (or with the zoom button). This can be a pain when migrating from Windows were you can size a window from any edge on any side or corner. And if youre familiar with OS9 (which you may not be) you can also not move a window in OSX using its edges as you could in OS9. This was a nice feature I wish they didnt drop. (linux actually wins the windowing war in OSes since you have so much more control with the windowing systems available there - but thats besides the point).

Another thing to be weary of is that you can not only minimize windows, but also hide them. They are not the same thing, so to check to see if a program is running, you just need to keep an eye on the little black triangles in the dock. Even though there may not be any minimized windows shown in the right side of the dock (where they go), windows can still exist if they're hidden. You may also confuse this with an application thats open with no windows and one that has hidden windows. Select the application from the dock to see existing windows, but watch for programs like safari which actually open new windows if you select it from the dock and no windows exist for it.

I think that kind of UI interaction is probably the biggest thing to worry about. All other applications pretty much work the same for both OSes - photoshop for example. You may find some dragging and dropping difficult in Mac since there are rarely any application backgrounds as there are in Windows - so instead drag documents into application icons as opposed to applications them selves.

[[Legoman]]

thanks a lot sen, should prove useful. Does anyone have anything else to add?

I'll need to try to get a shot of one, but who knows where... Maybe I can go into a computer shop and pretend I'm interested in buying one(like I could afford that) and get a "test-drive"

[senocular]

yeah you should do that :) ... I was about to suggest a place but I doubt they have what I'm familiar with in scotland ;) Play around with one a bit, just to get the feel. Of course, once you start using one enough, you'll know it just fine. Just give yourself a few days to get familiar with the system you'll be using.

[mdipi]

your dock is your best buddy. Like the task bar it shows all open apps, unlike the taskbar it has sperate spaces to show what apps are open. Well open aps show up on the left, while open windows in the apps show up on the right. It takes a few minuets to get used to (1/2 hour for me). I dont miss anything from windows to be honest. You will be happy, you just have to have an open mind :D

[McGuffin]

My best advice: mess around with it. Don't let it sit there and wonder what it can do, try it. Theres tons to learn, its a very powerful OS.

[senocular]

oh, and another thing, get used to using the command or "apple" key. This especially for things like copy and paste. On Windows you'd use ctrl+C and ctrl+V but on Macs its apple+C and apple+V. Its a little awkward at first because the apple key is where alt is on windows so your whole copy-paste (and other similer key combinations) finger orientation will change a little. :)

[Mik3]

Yeah, what sen said is very important, that's my most common mistake.

[RelandR]

this is a little commercialy but it helps explain some stuff about each of the features on OSX.3

http://www.apple.com/macosx/

[mdipi]

yep, i always press alt on windows now tho :P

but yeah, the apple key is basicly everything that you use the Cntrl key for. and in OSX the cntrl key is for right clicking (if you are using a one buttoned mouse, or a notebook.)

[RelandR]

...and the alt key is now known as option but it may have both indications on it and is where the windows key is...er,was...erum- otherwise would-have-been

oh yeah - "force (apps) quit" is alt+cmnd+esc

[mdipi]

or to force quit (which doesnt happen a lot cause OSX is sooo stable) you can just click on the dock and hold it down, and it pops up with options, one of those is force quit.

Oh, and you shouldnt ever have to shut down, sleep does the trick :D

[Mik3]

force quit rocks, it's extra fast. :D

[mdipi]

Originally posted by t3h t3rminator
force quit rocks, it's extra fast. :D

after i lost my paper the first time...i realized it was too fast :-/

[McGuffin]

lol, I love force quit so much. Imagine if Windows had the equivalent (not the task manager, it sucks compared to force quit) there'd be almost no restarts due to software mess-ups. Then comes the instability of windows, and driver screw-ups...

[Mik3]

Originally posted by mdipi.com
after i lost my paper the first time...i realized it was too fast :-/

ahh, that sucks.

[mdipi]

yes...yes it does.

oh, and F9 and F10 and F11 are the expose keys in OSX.3

F9 - show all open windows
F10 - show all open docs in an app
F11 - Show desktop

[BadMagick]

I fall in love with Sen a little more each day! :love:

So much great information. I was going to post exactly what you said, but you were here first :)

I think the MOST important thing is to get used to the Apple key, like Sen mentioned already. Of all the times I use the macs in the computer labs up here, it still gives me problems sometimes cause I just forget stuff that easily.

If you're getting your own Mac, you might want to move your 2 button mouse over with it. I think it's worth it - but you can also use the apple click (that's right, isn't it?) for the right-click menu that you'd get in Windows.

[mdipi]

no its Ctrl click as i stated earlyer

[BadMagick]

OH! ... my bad.. :trout:

hehe

:(

[[Legoman]]

thanks for all the info guys. I doubt I'll be able to get one of my own(college fees will take all my money :( )unless I find a nice powerbook on ebay for £25...
anyway, forum to the rescue, cheers.