Windows to Mac Migration Guide/Advice?

Harpa wonders: "Having spent more years than I care to count living and working with various Windows machines, I'm about to get my first Apple (an iBook). While eagerly waiting for the machine to be shipped, I'm starting to realize that changes I'm going to have to deal with may involve more than getting used to one less mouse button!I'm wondering if any Slashdot folk can help. What does an old-time Windows user have to learn/unlearn? To what extent can my Apple live happily with my existing PC's, my printer, my network? Everything I've found so far seems to be either geared for people who've never used a computer before or for existing Mac users. Is there any info available that supports us 'converts'?"

Comments

Remember to become an Apple zealot..

[Anonymous Coward]

Always say things such as "Apple leads by design.."
"I don't understand unix but with a mac I don't have to"
"Macs are cheaper and faster than a xeon cluster"

Re:Try Apple's Switch Page

[thecampbeln]

http://www.apple.com/switch/ [apple.com] talks about switching from Mac to PC

Uh... was hosting a Mac > PC switch page a condition of the investment money they got from Microsoft in the late 90's?

Re:Learning/Unlearning goes both ways!

[Anonymous Coward]

I have Expose set to activate when I flick the mouse into the lower left.

It feels really silly when I'm on KDE or Windows and I do the same thing .. and nothing happens .. and I think to myself "How the hell do Windows users get any work done?"

I love opening a bunch of SSH sessions, start a long program in each, then just flick the mouse and watch them all for activity. Throw in a quicktime movie for good measure too. :-)

Expose alone is worth the "price of admission" to the mac. If anybody comes up with a decent version for any Linux desktop, my life would be complete I think.

Anyway, soon after using your Mac, you will come to realize "hey those mac zealots aren't just elitist morons, working on a mac actually *is* like receiving a blowjob!"

Unlearning

[commodoresloat]

The biggest thing you have to unlearn is the notion that most Windows users have that using your computer should be as much of a hassle as humanly possible. It will be difficult but you will have to actually get used to using the computer being a pleasant experience. Be careful -- programs may work as you expect them to rather than you having to figure out the most counterintuitive possible way of doing things in order to get it right. The icons are actually on the right side of the desktop, where they won't be covered up by every window you open! "Shut Down" is not under "Start"! Windows don't automatically fill the entire screen unless you want them to! Error messages, though not always very informative, do not come with a horrible blue screen and do not tell you cryptic things that don't make any sense at all. There are very few crashes for normal users of Macs, and the ones that do occur generally affect only the program crashing rather than bringing down the whole machine.

Another thing that will be difficult to get used to is the lack of viruses. I've always envied Windows folks who get to come to work on the day a big virus is going on and basically sit around and do nothing until the virus is cleaned up.... So you'll have to get used to not having as many days off; then again, you'll be more productive, so you'll be able to leave work early.

In short, be prepared to smile a lot when you're using your computer. A lot of users find it difficult at first, but it gets easier.

Re:Google

[Anonymous Coward]

Also some macs do not have a shift key, as the parent demonstrates for us.

Be prepared to suffer

[b-baggins]

from a malady known as Windows-itis, a state of deep confusion and insecurity brought about by having things work too easily.

The main symptom is the continual vocalization of: That can't be right, it's too easy.

The cure is heavy exposure to OS X. Unfortunately, this has the side effect of producing Windows Intolerance. Symptoms of Windows Intolerance include a deep sense of dread when thinking of Windows, and physical illness when forced to actually interact with a Windows computer.

Re:Google

[Anonymous Coward]

give a 14 year old a break ;)

Re:There is no compatibility issue...

[nuggetman]

For the love of god man, use a line break or two or thirty