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.
If you’re a Windows user who has to use a Mac, here are a few tips to help you get started: 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
There is no separate right-click button on a Mac, which can be confusing for some people. The Apple way of doing things is actually more intuitive and easier to use. ..
To get the right-click context menu on most Windows laptops, you have to move your finger all the way down to the correct button. But with two fingers, you can right-click with just a little bit of extra movement. This is much more convenient for me since I don’t have to move my finger all the way down. ..
You can change the settings for how right-click works by going to System Preferences – Trackpad and clicking on the Point & Click tab.
If you have a mouse with a right-click button, the default behavior in OS X is to click the right-click button. If you have a mouse with a secondary click button, the default behavior is to use the secondary click button. You can change this behavior by clicking on the small little arrow next to “Click or tap with two fingers” and selecting one of two other options: Click in bottom right corner or Click in bottom left corner. ..
Another quick tip is to check the “Tap to click” option on your computer. Most 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
OS X Yosemite is a radical departure from the traditional Windows operating system. Gone are the Start button and icons for programs and files. Instead, you have a small Apple logo at the top left corner of your screen, which can do a few things like get you to System Preferences or let you restart/shutdown your computer. OS X Yosemite is radically different from Windows in that there is no Start button and icons for programs and files. Instead, you have a small Apple logo at the top left corner of your screen, which can do a few things like getting you to System Preferences or letting you restart/shutdown your computer. ..
The Dock is a shortcut bar that only has Apple apps. 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 Dock to your Mac 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.
To see all the files and folders on your hard drive, open the File Explorer by clicking on the hard disk icon and then clicking on the “File Explorer” tab. ..
You can drag the folder down to your Dock to get a list of all the programs installed on your Mac. This is better than trying to add them all to your Dock or having to use Spotlight to find the program you want to run.
I never find myself using Launcher, but it’s a great option if you want to use the Dock.
Tip #3 – Eject Drives using the Trash
Apple has been confusing people for years 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 deleting everything on your USB drive, which basically means you can’t access the data. So obviously, people don’t want to do this because it’s really inconvenient!
OS X doesn’t actually delete files when you drag and drop them into the system. Instead, it changes the icon for the trash can to an eject icon so that we feel better about it.
Tip #4 – Tweak Finder
Finder is a Windows Explorer clone that’s much simpler than the more detailed and cluttered view of Explorer. I prefer the more detailed and cluttered view of Explorer over the streamlined Finder. It’s just too simple.
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 with added functionality for managing files and folders. ..
Customize your toolbar to include useful icons to help you manage your files and folders more effectively. By clicking on Customize Toolbar, you can add these buttons to your toolbar.
To add an item to the sidebar, open Finder, click on 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. ..
You can choose to show the New Finder window with all files or only the files in your home folder. I prefer to show the New Finder window with my home folder so that I can see what files are in my computer’s current directory and where I left off working on a project.
Tip #5 – Learn to Use Spotlight
Spotlight is a great way to find information quickly on your Mac. You can use it to search for things like files, folders, and even people.
The Spotlight feature in OS X is the best way to find and change settings in your computer, 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
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, depending on the program. ..
Safari expands to full-screen when you click on the green button. If you move your mouse to the top of the screen, you’ll see the toolbar but that’s about it. So how do you get to your other windows?
OS X now features a “Mission Control” feature that shows you thumbnails of each program or desktop that is using its own space. ..
OS X’s built-in apps are virtual desktops that can be 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 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.
Some apps, like Microsoft Office, will expand to full screen but won’t go into their own space. Most third-party apps like Google Chrome now support the full-screen mode that go into their own space.
You can add new desktops by clicking on the plus icon in the top left corner of your screen. You can have different programs open in different desktops if you like. You can also change the background so that each desktop has a different one. It takes some practice, but once you get used to it, you’ll be using it all the time. Just remember three finger swipes to move between desktops.
Tip #7 – Install Programs from the Mac App Store
However, this protection can also be a bit limiting. For example, if you want to install an app from a website that you don’t know the developer of, or if you want to install an app from a friend’s computer, you may not be able to do so. Apple’s default security settings can be limiting. For example, if you want to install an app from a website that you don’t know the developer of, or if you want to install an app from a friend’s computer, you may not be able to do so. ..
The Mac App store is the best place to find new programs. Most programs you’ll need to use on your Mac are available in the Mac App store. If you need to install something from some other location, you can go to System Preferences - Security & Privacy and select “Anywhere” under “Allow apps downloaded from.” ..
If you’re a Windows user who’s looking to switch to a Mac, these tips should help get you started. There are many other differences between the two platforms, but if you can get through these key points, you’ll be well on your way to enjoying using your Mac instead. So have fun! ..
