Part 1: Tips for Windows User When using an  Mac

OK, it has happened;  You are stranded in a foreign land (city) or or house, and with no PC in sight, you find you need to use your friends Mac. Here are some tips to help you get started. If you have never used an  Mac before it will seem quite foreign at first, but once you dive in and get a few basics under your belt, you will find that most of your Windows skills will translate, and you will be able to use the basic functions of the Mac in a relatively short period of time.

Basic Differences

Mac OS X doesn’t have a Start menu, but instead uses a dock that by default runs along the bottom edge of the screen. Applications that are frequently used will be found there. You will find the applications on the on the left side with folders and minimized windows on the right. Applications that are already running have a dot or line next to them. You launch the application by clicking on it.

Hot PC Tips - Mac Tips for Windows Users (3)

You will find the familiar File, Edit, View options in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Many of the control panel system indicators can be found at the top-right corner of the screen, such as the battery meter, clock and network connection indicators.

Search For EverythingHot PC Tips - Spotlight

Similar to the windows search function, Mac OS X has this functionality implemented in the Spotlight utility. This can be found in the top-right corner of the screen. Mac calls this function Spotlight. You can press command+spacebar to reveal Spotlight or click the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner.

You can search for an application, a document name, system settings etc. Once you have found what you are looking for, you can show it’s location in Finder by holding the command key while selecting it.

Knowing how to use finder is essential. We will cover that in tomorrow: “Apple Mac Tips for Windows Users: Part 2”.

 Keyboard & Mouse

The command key performs much of the tasks the Windows key does on the Windows PC keyboards. The option key is  is equivalent to the Alt key. There is no backspace key, just the delete key. This will take some getting used to. Instead of using alt+tab to cycle applications, Mac OS X uses command+tab.

You can still right-click on a Mac, and if you’re using one of the newer Apple mice, that is exactly where you’ll find it. Those of you on a laptop or Trackpad can use a two-finger click . Just place both fingers on the pad and click with one or hold the control keyboard button while clicking.

Hot PC Tips - Mac Tips for Windows Users (1)

If you’re using touch-based input, there are a number of gestures to master – like scrolling using a two-finger swipe, or revealing installed applications by pinching with four fingers. A detail explanation on how to use your Mac Trackpad can be found here. If you don’t like the default behavior, you can change it by clicking Options in Trackpad preferences.

Tracking

The speed the mouse pointer moves depends on how quickly you move your finger across the Trackpad. To fine-tune the tracking speed and set other Trackpad options, choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then Trackpad from the View menu.

You can check out Part 2 of the Apple Mac Tips for Windows Users here!

Relax things will be better when you get back home!