29 Jan 2009
As I am a technology journalist I perhaps should not admit this, but until
recently,
I had been using the same beaten-up old laptop since my university years. It was
perfectly capable of running the few simple applications I needed it to.
I did, however, realise that I looked something of an oddball as I sat in conference rooms full of reporters and delegates tapping away on the latest flashy devices.
Among that throng of laptop-wielding business users and journalists I had spotted a discernable shift in hardware use - more of them were turning up to industry events with MacBooks.
To me, Apple's sleek line of gadgets exudes a sense of the trendy and cool, but are they serious business machines?
I have always had a few doubts about buying a Mac. They seemed overpriced, some software applications are not Mac compatible, and from my limited use of Macs, I know that they take a bit of getting used to after a PC.
But I have overcome these quibbles, thanks to a recent visit to a duty free shop when suddenly price became less of an issue.
The compatibility problem has been more or less put to bed too, with utilities such as Parallels desktop for Mac and VMware's Fusion for Mac, which allow Windows applications to be used on the Mac desktop.
My first reactions to using my Mac should resonate well with those who have also made a relatively abrupt switch from using a PC. It is fair to say that my learning curve was rather steep.
The lack of a Start button, an inability to right-click using the trackpad, even maximising windows all threw me at first.
I was similarly flummoxed when it came to programs freezing. The trusty Ctrl-Alt-Del short cut has no effect. Instead, I had to learn about the marvels of the Force Quit function.
None of these quirks is a fundamental flaw and I have quickly grown accustomed to the new user interface.
But I was also lucky enough to have a bit of holiday time to get used to the system. I certainly would not advise any large group of business users to make the switch without undertaking proper familiarisation training first.
More comment at From The Newsdesk
I think this commentary raises some very important points about transitioning. Perhaps the most important is that the majority of people believe Windows is just the "way computers work" because it is so prevalent.
Having recently been through this transition myself, I found the most important thing was the virtual machine support for Windows (Parallels, Fusion et al.) This allowed me to continue my work using my familiar Windows apps (even booting into Windows when I needed to) and then use the Mac applications when I had the opportunity. After the initial issues of right-click and Ctrl+Alt+Del and so on, I found this a great way to work as I had the best of both worlds.
Posted by: aFj 26 Feb 2009
Hi,
It's great to have so much feedback!
I thought I should clarify that I had actually managed to find the start button and the right-click on the trackpad before I started the column, hence why I wrote "...all threw me at first", but it's nice to know help is at hand from the Mac community if I need it!
Also, Steve, the article was simply a short comment piece, it was not meant to be an in depth analysis. If this is what you want, you can probably find it elsewhere on the site :)
Posted by: Rosalie 03 Feb 2009
Control click will do a contextual menu too.
Also the gear found in some windows such as in the Finder windows, will give you frequently used commands.
Being a long time mac user, I tend to use right click (I use control click, btw) very infrequently. This maybe due to me knowing the command shortcuts (ie: command-f for find, command-g for ind again) for many operations. One will notice that F# buttons are not used for command shortcuts for programs typically which makes remembering commands easier.
Keep plugging away, one day your brain will just get it and you will not look back.
Hope you will enjoy your Macs as much as I do.
Posted by: mojo 30 Jan 2009
Welcome Rosalie to the family of Mac users. As a writer myself, ("Dealing With People You Can't Stand", McGraw-Hill 1994, 2003, originally written on a Mac IIci & IIsi, vintage 1992), and as an owner of 32 Macs lifetime, I have never found it to be an obstacle to my success by being in the Mac-world and having to interact with Windows-world. The only time I felt left out was when I was in Canterbury at the turn of the century and I bought the game "Birth of the Federation" (because yes, I will admit it I am a StarTrek fan), and the game was Windows only. But I was such a fan that I bought the game even though I knew I probably couldn't run it in the sloooow Virtual PC.
However, as you pointed out, when you need Windows there is always Parallels or VM fusion (and Codeweavers Crossover which runs Windows apps without Windows). I am happy to report that 8 years after purchasing the game I successfully ran it in the Parallels environment. I am now complete. ;-)
Good article and I look forward to hearing your continuing Mac adventures.
Dr. Rick Brinkman
http://rickbrinkman.com/blog
Posted by: Dr. Rick Brinkman 30 Jan 2009
it's your UNlearning curve that's steep. Anyone who approaches something new expecting it to be just like something they already know is making things more difficult right at the off.
No Start button? Why did you switch if you just wanted Windows?
No right clicking? Why do you assume that a two-button mouse is just as important to Mac OS X as it is to Windows? Mac OS (and Mac OS X) was designed as a single-button UI, with a secondary (and additional) button being available as convenience and not necessity, unlike it is in Windows.
Is command-option-escape any more complex than control-alt-delete?
Why was your switch "abrupt"? You chose to make the switch; it wasn't forced upon you.
I don't mean to sound brusque or strident, but what is the point of this other than to take a potshot or two at Mac OS X usability?
Posted by: God of Biscuits 30 Jan 2009
I was looking through the comments and was surprised that no one mentioned it's possible to do a "right-click" using the trackpad by changing a setting in the trackpad preferences (in system preferences).
I would have thought SOMEONE would have mentioned this by now.
Bot
Redundant Mac Fanbot
Posted by: ex2bot 30 Jan 2009
Rosalie, I look forward to your follow-up article to this. I'm sure, by now, you're aware of right-clicking, thanks to the 75 messages before mine that tell you how to turn it on. I also look forward to when people complain that PC laptops only allow for one-finger swipe gestures, where as Macs use up to 4. Interesting times, we live in. Windows may still be the majority, but hey, there are still more cockroaches than humans. :P
Posted by: Smacky 29 Jan 2009
First, welcome to the Mac.
You may have found this out by now but you can "right-click" on the Apple trackpad by putting two fingers on the pad then clicking with a third finger. If you're a thumb-clicker using the index and middle fingers for this makes it a breeze. Do check out the Trackpad system preference. It contains several video clips demonstrating just how powerful and flexible Apple's implementation of the Trackpad really is.
Next, your pining for the Start Menu. Mac OS X's Dock is highly configurable. You can drag any application to it for fast, universal access. You can also drag any folder -- like your Applications folder (voila: a Start Menu!), Documents folder etc. The Dock has a "highway divider line" in it. Apps go left, folders -- and even files -- go right. Know also that you can set the Dock to auto-hide if you like.
There are several other ways to quickly access items: an open Finder window (similar to a Windows Explorer window) has a sidebar for quick access. But perhaps even better is using Spotlight (the magnifying glass icon, top-right). Hit the Command+Spacebar key combi, Spotlight's text field drops down, type "safari" (for instance, hit return and you've just booted Safari. You can also place "aliases" of apps, files and folders on your desktop (aliases are analogous to Windows shortcuts).
Lots of fast ways to get at things, and you can configure and approach your workflow the way you want. It sure beats deleting crapware shortcuts off your Windows desktop!
One last thing: you HAVE TO check out Expose. It is ALT-TAB on total steroids!
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=2XFMSSrpTqg
Most awesome? DRAG-AND-DROP via Expose:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=cI2yT7dBOzg
Posted by: Macaholic 29 Jan 2009
Quick tip:
Select System Preferences from the "Apple Menu" in the upper left corner of your screen.
Select the Trackpad preference.
On that page you will see a checkbox for "Tap trackpad using two fingers for secondary click".
Selecting that option give you a right-click by either tapping the pad with 2 fingers or by clicking the button with 2 fingers on the pad.
If you don't have trackpad tapping enabled then the box says "For secondary clicks, place two fingers on the trackpad then click the button."
I've been on 10.5 for so long that I don't know if this selection is default or not, but either way a trip to System Preferences solves the issue instantly.
BTW: As a new user you may just want to look at all the System Preferences individually. It'll give you a good peak into a lot of the ways you can get your Mac to function as you like, and it may show you some defaults that would be useful to know.
Cheers!
Macadam
Posted by: Macadam 29 Jan 2009
"an inability to right-click using the trackpad"
I hope you found the solution to this with time - you can turn this option on in the trackpad System Preferences. Simply use two fingers instead of one to get a right click. Once you discover this, you'll never want to go back to dual physical buttons on a PC laptop. I hate using the 4 buttons on my HP work laptop. I'd much rather have the multi-finger functionality of my MacBook at home
Posted by: Quix 29 Jan 2009
Congrats on your switch to Mac! FYI, some of your problems with the OS X UI have quick and easy solutions. In place of the start button, you can place a stack for the Applications folder in your dock. This stack can be configured with a right mouse click to display in list view. Voila! Programs Menu! To enable right mouse clicks, launch system preferences and select either mouse or trackpad, depending upon your system. To easily kill stall apps, type "command-option-esc", similar to "ctrl-alt-del" in Windows. I hope these tips are helpful.
Posted by: Patrick 29 Jan 2009
There is a way to set up your MacBook to enable the right click on the trackpad...from the Finder screen, I went to help. Then put in ...right click....
The following came out to show you how to enable it....hope this helps...
Changing the way your trackpad responds
If you use a portable computer, you can change how fast the onscreen pointer moves when you move your finger on the trackpad, and how fast you must click the trackpad button for the computer to recognize a double-click. You can also select to use the trackpad to click, double-click, and drag. On some portables, you can also use the trackpad to scroll in windows that have scroll bars, secondary click (right-click), and zoom to make items on your screen appear larger.
To adjust the trackpad behavior:
Choose Apple menu > System Preferences, and then click Keyboard & Mouse.
Click Trackpad.
Drag the Tracking Speed slider to set how fast the pointer moves.
Drag the Double-Click Speed slider to set how fast you have to double-click.
Double-click the words in the field below the slider to see if the setting is working the way you want it to.
You can also choose other trackpad behavior options:
Select the Clicking checkbox to click by tapping the trackpad.
Select the Dragging checkbox to drag by tapping an item twice and dragging without holding the trackpad button down.
Select the Drag Lock checkbox to lock the item to the pointer after you tap it twice for dragging. After you reposition the item, tap the trackpad again to release it.
Select ?Use two fingers to scroll? and adjust the scrolling speed from the slider.
Select the "Allow horizontal scrolling" checkbox to use two fingers on the trackpad to scroll horizontally.
Select ?Zoom while holding? and enter a modifier key or keys to turn on zooming. (To use multiple modifier keys, press them at the same time.) Click Options to set additional zoom options. When zoom is turned on, hold down the modifier key and scroll using the trackpad to enlarge and reduce the screen image.
Select ?Place two fingers on trackpad and click button for secondary click? to display an item's shortcut (contextual) menu. This feature is only supported on MacBook and MacBook Pro computers.
See also
Keyboard & Mouse preferences
Open this for me
Keyboard & Mouse preferences
Posted by: Bob McGreevy 29 Jan 2009
Those "quirks" are simply differences. It's like moving into a new house. You get up at night and you are disoriented because the bathroom is in a different place than in the old house.
The learning curve for switchers is steep at first, but only for a little while. The Mac is much more consistent than Windows, so things will get very easy very quickly. Before long, you'll grow to appreciate those "quirks" as improvements.
Posted by: Ken 29 Jan 2009
It's good to hear that a die-hard managed to overcome the conventional "wisdom" about Macs, though it took some peer pressure to do so.
Of course there's a learning curve, yet I doubt it's anything like a Windows learning curve! Not to mention the fact that Macs don't require 3 convoluted steps when one simple one will do the job.
Why not wait a month, go back to using your Windows machine for a couple of days, _then_ tell us how you like the Mac? Chances are pretty good you'll wonder what took you so long.
Posted by: Mac User 29 Jan 2009
Glad you made the switch. I use OS X, Windows and Ubuntu daily - OS X is my main OS and I use Windows and Ubuntu via VirtualBox, a free Virtualization App that allows you to run pretty much any OS on the planet.
But I still think OS X is the best, bar none. Try going back to Windoze after using OS X for a month and you will kick yourself for not switching sooner.
Anyway, welcome to OS X!
Posted by: Jim Smith 29 Jan 2009
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