Want to switch? I switched! Here’s some switching tips from a switcher!

Today, when I visited MacUser, I witnessed evidence that a computer can cause an intelligent man to lose his mind. Larry, a law firm marketing consultant, evidently went slightly off the deep end of frustation after switching to a Mac. The article he wrote, telling us not to sit under the Apple tree, has already been talked about and ridiculed, so I will spare you the dirty details.

Larry seemed distraught over the small tasks that didn’t seem to work the same in Mac OS X as they did in Windows. As a new Mac user myself, I know even the smallest differences can be a bit frustrating. However, with a few deep breaths and a little patience, you can easily avoid those raging, hair-pulling episodes.

Here are a few things I learned that might help you when you’re getting started:

1. Yes! You Can Right Click!
Not only can you right click, but there’s a few ways to do it!

1. Tap with two fingers on your trackpad! I know it sounds strange, but when you get used to it, you’ll love it!
• Go To System Preferences
• Choose Keyboard & Mouse
• Choose the trackpad tab
• Check “Tap trackpad using two fingers for secondary click”

2. Press Ctrl key and tap trackpad
3. If you’re using a mouse, press the Ctrl key and the click mouse button.

2. What About Keyboard Shortcuts?

The Command key, also know as the Apple key (the one with the Apple logo on each side of the spacebar) is one of the most important keys when mastering the Mac keyboard, as it is the source of a lot of the important menu options.
(Command + N = new window, Command + S = Save, etc).

3. Hey, I Thought I Closed That Window!

One of the first differences I noticed is that when you click the red x at the top of the window of an opened application, it closes the window, but doesn’t actually shut down the program. No problem! There are a few ways to quit the application:

1. Press Command Key + Q
2. Right click on the application icon in the dock and choose Quit from the pop up menu
3. Use the Application Menu at the top left of your screen and choose Quit
4. Hold down Command key, press Tab and you will see a horizontal menu of only open applications. You can tab through them all by continuously pressing the Tab key. To close one, stop on it (highlight), and press Q

4. I Miss The Windows Programs Menu

Anytime you want to add an application to the dock for quick access, you can do so by dragging it’s icon from the applications folder into the dock.
However, if you want to simulate the Windows way of finding all your programs from a pop up menu, you can create something similar:

1. Open up the finder window (square face icon in the dock) and highlight your hard drive icon from the top left
2. In the main (right) window, you will see all the folders on the drive. Find the Applications folder
3. Now drag the Applications folder down to the dock and put it to the left of the trash can, and to the right of the separator line (basically where it allows you to put it). This creates an alias (shortcut) to your Applications folder in your dock.
4. Now, if you right click (see number 1 above) on the Applications shortcut you created in the dock, a pop up menu of all your programs, similar to Windows, will appear.

5. Don’t Get Frustrated! There’s Help Available!

Mac OS X is easy to use, but it’s different than Windows, and you have to adjust a little and learn a few new things. That should be exciting though, not frustrating!
If you do get stuck on something, there are a few ways of finding a solution:

1. Check out the help menu/index at the top of your screen
2. Go to the Apple site, they have great tutorials, manuals, and tips
3. Search for help on Mac forums and blogs. There are a ton of friendly, knowledgeable Mac users willing to help.

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