Jan 09, 2020 Microsoft Office is the most popular suite of productivity applications in the world, and it runs on Mac computers just as well as it does on Windows machines. The question on many Mac users’ lips seems to be, “Should I. Sep 30, 2014 It won’t come out until after Apple unveils OS X 10.11. In a lot of ways Windows 10 is trying to catch up to the appeals of OS X, but Microsoft isn’t even going to get this baby out until. 16 tips for Mac users who must use Windows I was forced to use a Windows PC the other day. It was a shock, particularly because search engines generally generate tips for switching from Windows to.
If you recently purchased a Mac or if you have been required to use a Mac for work, you might be frustrated trying to use OS X if you have been a long-time Windows user. This is completely understandable and Apple really doesn’t care to change their OS to match that of Windows anytime soon.
Apple loves OS X the way it is and it will probably remain the way it is for the remainder of its life. This means you’ll need to get used to some of the differences between Windows and Mac. In my view, OS X could still be made to be easier to use by default, but unfortunately, you have to manually make some changes to make things better.
In this article, I’m going to give you a couple of my favorite tips for Windows users who have to use a Mac and OS X. Once you get used to OS X, you may even like it more than Windows, which is what happened to me. There is a small learning curve, but it’s worth the effort. Also, be sure to check out my post on programs and features in OS X that are equivalent to Windows.
Tip #1 – How to Right Click
One of the most annoying things as a beginner Mac user is trying to figure out how to right click! There is no separate right-click button for Macs and this can be really annoying for some people. Luckily, the Apple method is actually kind of more intuitive and easier to use.
All you have to do to right-click is to use two fingers when you perform a normal click. When you click with two fingers, you get the right-click context menu. For me, this is way more convenient than having to move my finger all the way down to the correct button like on most Windows laptops.
You can change the settings for how right-click works by going to System Preferences – Trackpad and clicking on the Point & Click tab.
By default, the right-click option is called Secondary click in OS X. If checked, it is normally set to Click or tap with two fingers, but you can click on the small little arrow and choose from two other options also: Click in bottom right corner or Click in bottom left corner. If you just love the way you did it in Windows, you can tweak OS X to get the same behavior.
Also, another quick tip is to check the Tap to click option also. Most Windows laptops allow you to tap to click, but OS X does not have this enabled by default so you have to manually press down the button to click. If you go to Scroll & Zoom, you can also change the scroll direction to whichever is more natural for you.
Tip #2 – Add Applications to the Dock
The other major change that is most jarring for Windows users is the lack of a Start button. There simply isn’t any central button in OS X. You have the small Apple logo icon at the top left, which can do a few things like get you to System Preferences or let you restart/shutdown your computer.
The Dock is basically like the Windows taskbar, but only with shortcuts and nothing else. The other annoying thing is that it starts out completely full of default Apple apps. I almost never use more than one or two, so the first thing I do is get rid of them. You can do this by right-clicking on the icon in the dock, choosing Options and choosing Remove from Dock.
Once you have done that, you can add a kind of All Programs folder to your Dock that will let you see a list of all programs installed in OS X. To do this, you have to drag the Applications folder to your dock. In order to do that, you need to click on the icon of your hard drive that should be on the Desktop. If you don’t see it, click on Finder at the top left of your Mac and then click on Preferences. On the General tab, make sure to check the boxes for Hard disks, External disks and CDs, DVDs and iPods.
Click on the hard disk icon on your desktop and you should see the Applications folder listed along with other folders like Library, System, Users.
Go ahead and drag that folder down to your Dock. Now when click on the icon, you’ll get a full listing of all the programs installed on your Mac. It’s better than trying to add them all to your Dock or having to use Spotlight to find the program you want to run.
You can also use Launcher (the silver/grey rocket icon in the Dock), but I never find myself using that for some reason.
Tip #3 – Eject Drives using the Trash
This one has to be the best. For the longest time, Apple has confused people when it comes to ejecting devices from the system. In order to eject a flash drive or DVD, you either have to right-click and choose Eject or you have to drag the item into the Trash.
This would be like dragging your USB drive into the Recycle Bin in Windows, which basically means delete everything! So obviously, people don’t even like the idea of throwing anything that has important data on it into a trash can!
However, that’s how you have to do it in OS X and no, it won’t result in any lost data. You’ll notice, actually, that when you click and drag an external drive or disc in OS X, the icon for the trash can changes to an eject icon. I guess this is supposed to make us feel better somehow.
Tip #4 – Tweak Finder
Finder is basically like Windows Explorer. A much simpler version of Explorer in my view. However, I prefer the more detailed and cluttered view of Explorer than the streamlined Finder. It’s just too simple.
So to add more stuff into Finder, open a Finder window and then click on View and click on the Show Path Bar and Show Status Bar options. This will give Finder a more Explorer-like look.
While under View, click on Customize Toolbar to add a couple of useful icons to the default toolbar. Personally, I like to add the New Folder, Delete and Get Info buttons to my toolbar.
Lastly, click on Finder, then Preferences and then click on Sidebar. Here you can add other items to the Finder sidebar like Pictures, Music, etc. This is similar to the library folders in Windows.
On the General tab, you can also edit the New Finder window shows option and pick something other than All Files. I prefer to pick my home folder, which matches more to Windows explorer.
Tip #5 – Learn to Use Spotlight
If you’re used to the search box in the Start menu on Windows, you’ll be happy to know there is an equivalent search option in OS X called Spotlight. You can get to it in two ways: either by clicking on the magnifying glass at the top right of your screen or by pressing the Command + Spacebar keyboard shortcut.
Using Spotlight is the best way to find your files, change settings in OS X, find apps to install, find emails, find calendar events, etc. It also shows results from the web, so you could search for Apple and get suggested websites and even a map to the local Apple store.
Tip #6 – OS X Uses Spaces & Full Screen
Another thing you have to get used to is understanding how those three buttons at the top left of every window work. In Windows, you have three buttons: a minimize button, an expand button and a close button. In OS X, you have a red close button, a yellow minimize button and a green button that expands, but differently depending on the program.
If you click on the green button for Safari, for example, it will expand to full-screen and everything else will disappear. If you move your mouse to the top of the screen, you’ll get see the toolbar, but that’s about it. So where did all your other windows go and how do you get to them?
Well, in OS X, the app has basically gone into its own space. If you scroll up with three fingers, you’ll see something called Mission Control. Basically, it shows you a thumbnail of each desktop or program that is using its own space.
They are basically virtual desktops in OS X. Most built-in apps will use up their own space when expanded using the green button. You can either click on a space to activate it or you can use the three finger swipe to the right or left to browse through the spaces. I do like this feature a lot because it lets you work in one app fully, but still allows you to get around to other apps quickly.
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On some apps, however, the app will expand to full screen, but it will not go into its own space. It’ll basically remain on the original desktop, just taking up most of the screen. Most third-party apps like Microsoft Office now support the full-screen mode that go into their own space.
You can also click on the little plus icon to add a new desktop if you like. You can have specific programs open in specific desktops if you like and you can even change the background so that each desktop has a different one. It takes a bit of practice, but once you get used to it, you’ll be using it all the time. Just remember the three finger swipes.
Tip #7 – Install Programs from the Mac App Store
By default, Apple tries to protect you by only allowing you to install apps from the Mac App store and from identified developers. In one sense, it’s good because it keeps you a bit safer without having to do much on your part.
If you want to install a new program, the best place to go is the Mac App store. Whereas Windows software is usually downloaded from everywhere on the Internet, most programs you’ll ever need to install on your Mac will be available in the Mac App store. If you really need to install something from some other place, you can go to System Preferences – Security & Privacy and select Anywhere under Allow apps downloaded from.
So hopefully those are some good tips for beginner Mac users who pretty much used Windows for their entire lives. There are a lot of other differences, but if you can get through these major ones, you’ll enjoy using your Mac rather than wanting to beat it. Enjoy!
The Big 3¶
Common contemporary OSs include Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux.Microsoft Windows has a significant majority of market share in the desktop andnotebook computer markets, while the server and embedded device markets aresplit amongst several OSs.
Linux¶
Linux (also known as GNU/Linux) is one of the most prominent examples of freesoftware and open source development which means that typically all underlyingsource code can be freely modified, used, and redistributed by anyone. The name“Linux” comes from the Linux kernel, started in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Thesystem’s utilities and libraries usually come from the GNU operating system(which is why it is also known as GNU/Linux).
Linux is predominantly known for its use in servers. It is also used as anoperating system for a wide variety of computer hardware, including desktopcomputers, supercomputers, video game systems, and embedded devices such asmobile phones and routers.
Design¶
Linux is a modular Unix-like OS. It derives much of its basic design fromprinciples established in Unix during the 1970s and 1980s. Linux uses amonolithic kernel which handles process control, networking, and peripheral andfile system access. The device drivers are integrated directly with the kernel.Much of Linux’s higher-level functionality is provided by seperate projectswhich interface with the kernel. The GNU userland is an important part of mostLinux systems, providing the shell and Unix tools which carry out many basic OStasks. On top of the kernel, these tools form a Linux system with a GUI thatcan be used, usually running in the X Windows System (X).
Linux can be controlled by one or more of a text-based command line interface(CLI), GUI, or through controls on the device itself (like on embeddedmachines). Desktop machines have 3 popular user interfaces (UIs): KDE, GNOME,and Xfce. These UIs run on top of X, which provides network transparency,enabling a graphical application running on one machine to be displayed andcontrolled from another (that’s like running a game on your computer but yourfriend’s computer can control and see the game from his computer). The windowmanager provides a means to control the placement and appearance of individualapplication windows, and interacts with the X window system.
A Linux system usually provides a CLI of some sort through a shell. Linuxdistros for a server might only use a CLI and nothing else. Most low-levelLinux components use the CLI exclusively. The CLI is particularly suited forautomation of repetitive or delayed tasks, and provides very simpleinter-process communication. A graphical terminal is often used to access theCLI from a Linux desktop.
Bash Screenshot
Development¶
The primary difference between Linux and many other OSs is that the Linuxkernel and other components are free and open source software. Free softwareprojects, although developed in a collaborative fashion, are often producedindependently of each other. A Linux distribution, commonly called a “distro”,is a project that manages a remote collection of Linux-based software,and facilitates installation of a Linux OS. Distros include system software andapplication software in the form of packages. A distribution is responsible forthe default configuration of installed Linux systems, system security, and moregenerally integration of the different software packages into a coherentwhole.
Linux is largely driven by its developer and user communities. Some vendorsdevelop and fund their distros on a volunteer basis. Others maintain acommunity versionof their commercial distros. In many cities and regions, localassociations known as Linux Users Groups (LUGs) promote Linux and freesoftware. There are also many online communities that seek to provide supportto Linux users and developers. Most distros also have IRC chatrooms ornewsgroups for communication. Online forums are another means for support.Linux distros host mailing lists also.
Most Linux distros support dozens of programming languages. The most commoncollection of utilities for building both Linux applications and OS programs isfound within the GNU toolchain, which includes the GNU Compiler Collection(GCC) and the GNU build system. GCC provieds compilers for Ada, C, C++, Java,and Fortran. Most distros also include support for Perl, Ruby, Python andother dynamic languages. The two main frameworks for developing graphicalapplications are those of GNOME and KDE.
Uses¶
As well as those designed for general purpose use on desktops and servers,distros may be specialized for different purposes including: computerarchitecture support, embedded systems, stability, security, localization to aspecific region or language, targeting of specific user groups, support forreal-time applications, or commitment to a given desktop environment. Linuxruns on a more diverse range of computer architecture than any other OS.
Although there is a lack of Linux ports for some Mac OS X and Microsoft Windowsprograms in domains such as desktop publishing and professional audio,applications roughly equivalent to those available for OS X and Windows areavailable for Linux. Most Linux distros have some sort of program for browsingthrough a list of free software applications that have already been tested andconfigured for the specific distro. There are many free software titles popularon Windows that are available for Linux the same way there are a growing amountof proprietary software that is being supported for Linux.
Historically, Linux has been used as a server OS and been very successful inthat area due to its relative stability and long uptime. Linux is thecornerstone of the LAMP server-software combination (Linux, Apache, MySQL,Perl/PHP/Python) which has achieved popularity among developers, and which isone of the more common platforms for website hosting.
Windows¶
Windows (created by Microsoft) is the most dominant OS on the market today. Thetwo most popular versions of Windows for the desktop are XP and Vista (Vistabeing the latest version). There is also a mobile version of Windows as well asa server version of Windows (the latest being Windows Server 2008). Windows isall proprietary, closed-source which is much different than Linux licenses.Most of the popular manufacturers make all of their hardware compatible withWindows which makes Windows operate and almost all kinds of new hardware.
XP¶
The term “XP” stands for experience. Windows XP is the successor to bothWindows 2000 Professional and Windows ME. Within XP there are 2 main editions:Home and Professional. The Professional version has additional features and istargeted at power users and business clients. There is also a Media Centerversion that has additional multimedia features enhancing the ability torecord and watch TV shows, view DVD movies, and listen to music.
Windows XP features a task-based GUI. XP analyzes the performance impact ofvisual effects and uses this to determine whether to enable them, so as toprevent the new functionaility from consuming excessive additional processingoverhead. The different themes are controlled by the user changing theirpreferences.
Windows XP has released a set of service packs (currently there are 3) whichfix problems and add features. Each service pack is a superset of all previousservice packs and patches so that only the latest service pack needs to beinstalled, and also includes new revisions. Support for Windows XP Service Pack2 will end on July 13, 2010 (6 years after its general ability).
Vista¶
Windows Vista contains many changes and new features from XP, including anupdate GUI and visual style, improved searching features, new multimediacreation tools, and redesigned networking, audio, print, and displaysub-systems. Vista also aims to increase the level of communication betweenmachines on a home network, using peer-to-peer technology to simplify sharingfiles and digital media between computers and devices.
Windows vista is intended to be a technology-based release, to provide a baseto include advanced technologies, any of which are related to how the systemfunctions and thus not readily visible to the user. An example is the completerestructuring of the architecture of the audio, print, display, and networkingsubsystems; while the results of this work are visible to software developers,end-users will only see what appear to be evolutionary changes in the UI.
Vista includes technologies which employ fast flash memory to improve systemperformance by chaching commonly used programs and data. Other new technologyutilizes machine learning techniques to analyze usage patterns to allow WindowsVista to make intelligent decisions about what content should be present insystem meomry at any given time. As a part of the redesign of the networkingarchitecture, IPv6 has been fully incorporated into the OS and a number ofperformance improvements have been introduced, such as TCP window scaling. Forgraphics, it has a new Windows Display Driver Model and a major revision toDirect3D. At the core of the OS, many improvements have been made to the memorymanager, process scheduler and I/O scheduler.
Security¶
Windows is the most vulnerable OS to attacks. Security software is a must whenyou’re using Windows which is much different then Linux and OS X. It has beencriticized for its susceptibility to malware, viruses, trojan horses, andworms. Security issues are compounded by the fact that users of the Homeedition, by default, receive an administrator account that providesunrestricted access to the underpinnings of the system. If the administrator’saccount is broken into, there is no limit to the control that can be assertedover the compromised PC.
Windows has historically been a tempting target for virus creators because ofits world market dominance. Security holes are often invisible until they areexploited, making preemptive action difficult. Microsoft has stated that therelease of patches to fix security holes is often what causes the spread ofexploits against those very same holes, as crackers figured out what problemsthe patches fixed, and then launch attacks against unpatched systems. It isrecommended to have automatic updates turned on to prevent a system from beingattacked by an unpatched bug.
OS X¶
OS X is the major operating system that is created by Apple Inc. Unlikeits predecessor (referred to Classic or OS 9), OS X is a UNIX basedoperating system. Currently OS X is in version 10.5, with 10.5.3 being thelast major software update and plans for 10.6 having been announced. Applehas chosen to name each version of OS X after a large cat with 10.0 beingCheetah, 10.1 as Puma, 10.2 as Jaguar, 10.3 as Panther, 10.4 as Tiger,10.5 as Leopard, and the unreleased 10.6 named Snow Leopard.
Apple also develops a server OS X that is very similar to the normal OS X,but is designed to work on Apple’s X-Serve hardware. Some of the toolsincluded with the server OS X are workgroup management and administrationsoftware that provide simplified access to common network services,including a mail transfer agent, a Samba server, an LDAP server, a domainname server, a graphical interface for distributed computing (which Applecalls Xgrid Admin), and others.
Description¶
OS X is a UNIX based OS built on top of the XNU kernel, with standard Unixfacilities available from the CLI. Apple has layered a number ofcomponents over this base, including their own GUI. The most notablefeatures of their GUI are the Dock and the Finder.
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The Dock is the bar at the bottom of the screen. To the left of the dottedline you can place the applications that you use most frequently, and anyapplication that is currently running will appear there with a blue lightunderneath it. To the right you can place any documents that you accessmost frequently. In 10.5 Leopard they added a tool called Stacks to theright side of the dock. Stacks are folders that when you click on themspread upward to reveal the contents without actually opening a finderwindow.
The Finder does exactly what it says it does. It finds everything in yourmachine. This is how you find all of the documents, applications, movies,music, photos, and whatever else you have stored on your machine. Thereare four ways to view the contents of the directory you’re looking at thatare chosen from the four icons at the top left of the window: icons, list,column, or Cover Flow. The icon and list views are pretty standard, butthe column and Cover Flow views are fairly unique to OS X.
Os X For Windows
Compatibility¶
OS X is not backward compatible with earlier Mac OSs. It functions likeUnix-based Linux systems which mean that most BSD or Linux packages can berun on OS X. Due to earlier PowerPC processors, OS X has an image of notbeing compatible with Windows standards, documents, etc. However, with newIntel-based machines, dual booting and virtual machines have becomepossible.
Security and Usage¶
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OS X is a more secure OS than Windows just like Linux. Rather than Linux,however, OS X is a closed OS. The latest version of OS X (10.5 - Leopard)was designed to add a lot more features. The next version of OS X willfocus more on functionality than cool features.