http://www.videoprofessor.com

I know .. it was part of my first account login under mac after switching from Windows, which I set on my Windows machine before the switch

(NB. The hash key # is also known as the pound key by those in the US)

2. To turn off your computer, you can go to the Apple menu (top left) and click shut-down, or Control-Eject. (More important for desktops)

3. Programs are now called applications, accessible from the Applications folder. (Located in the Applications folder on your operating system hard drive.)

4. Many shortcuts use the command (apple) key instead of Cntl.

5. Apple Finder was there before Windows, and many shortcuts have not changed. Apple was not simply just trying to be different. (what does Alt-F4 have to do with closing a program anyway?)

Any help would be MUCH appreciated. I loved my MAC in college, and my main problem (and my husband’s) is probably more just learning basic computer info - what is what, where is it, then how do you best use it, etc., than necessarily adjusting to the IMAC, but one way or the other we could use some help.

Thanks,
V Jacobson

Fogive me if someone already mentioned this but it’s very easy to hide all open applications. If go to the finder (click on it in the dock or hold down the apple command key and tab to it) you can hide all open apps by using the key command ‘option + apple + H’. This works for all applications, it stand for hide others. You can also use ‘apple + H’ to hide the application your currently in.

Example: Say you have safari or explorer open as well as many other programs and all the windows are gettin annoying. Well while your in the program you want just hit ‘option + apple + H’ and all other applications will ‘hide’. It’s three keys I know but it’s really easy to hit ‘option + apple’ at the same time with your thumb. You can also go to the menu bar of the app and hit ‘hide others’ or ‘hide (app name)’.

The Mac OS is much more intuitive, if it works on this it will probably work on that too.

I think the switch to Mac for me was a bit easier, having come over from Linux, than it might be for a Windows user. I got very comfortable with the OS pretty quickly, including the Unix underpinnings. It took me a few weeks to even hear about Quicksilver. By that time, I was already familiar and comfortable with many of the other key aspects of OSX.

I don’t see Quicksilver as a crutch any more than I might see using a GUI tool to avoid learning the command line as a crutch. Both really are system enhancements. But, I do understand and appreciate the spirit of your point.

Actually, this is a painful process on Every computer platform I’ve ever used. Windows, HP-UX, Linux variants, Palm.

Uninstallers on Windows don’t remove everything (registry keys, temp files, additional directories, etc)
*nix variants… if you “install” something new, you run into dependency clashes, same goes when you want to “uninstall” something.
Palm - I remember installing something, deleting it and noticing that there was about a 1MB data file that went with it that I couldn’t remove.
OS X - more than likely something is in “Library/Prefrences” or “Library/Application Support”. Usually it’s documented somewhere.

Pick your poison. (Agreed - they all need work)

No, no, no, no, NO. Learn how to use the OS BEFORE you install crutches like Quicksilver.

The first four questions I had:
1. Why doesn’t alt-tab work right? Well, Alt-tilda does what I was missing, so I’m happy. I’m not going to download Witch, although that is nice to know about.

2. Why doesn’t a file open when I highlight it and hit enter? cmd-o works for me now.

3. how do you show the desktop? I turned expose on and now I just hit fn-F11. And it isn’t a temporary view, like a someone said above.

4. Why can’t I use the keyboard in the popup dialogs?..just have to change a preference and use tab to move the light-blue outline to your selection and then hit to select…enter will always select the default dark-blue selection. This is actually really nice.

I do think it would be a good idea for a switcher to just run OSX with no 3rd-party apps for awhile to see how much more OSX can do natively compared to windows. Windows users are used to needing another app to do something they want but OSX has much of what you already need. That being said, the first thing I did was install Quicksilver…this is the best app EVER! Macheist happened right when I bought so I dove in and now I really recommend the following:

1.Quicksilver (launcher at its simplest and an interface to almost everything else on your computer…I still only know a fraction of it’s powers)
2. Rapidweaver-(simple way to make web pages)
3. TextMate
4. Pathfinder (if you think Finder is lacking)
5. Daylite (CRM-if you run a business)

Quicksilver is so powerfull if you just take a look under the surface…

2. No, the red button does not quit the application, switching is app-based, and applications aren’t big windows with smaller windows inside.

3. Yes, it is, in fact, much better that way.

4. Use Spotlight and smart folders.

5. Download Quicksilver.

2. “The Apple Key” is also called the Command key and many people (and documents) refer to it as such.

3. Your brand new Mac will seem obsolete in about 6 months. It won’t be, but you will probably want to buy a new one in a year because the new ones are “so cool.”

4. You don’t NEED anti-spyware or anti-virus for OS X (yet) but you SHOULD get anti-virus software that will keep you from passing on viruses to your PC friends or your Boot Camp/Parallels version of Windows. (Try ClamXav it’s free)

5. When you first started using Windows you had to get used to it, things weren’t intuitive. OS X is more intuitive but since you have adapted your thinking to the way Windows works you will have to get used to even the intuitive features OS X offers. Don’t worry it won’t take as long.

P.S. R. Llyod that still doesn’t stick for all new windows. I have had it set that way since I got my Mac but once in a while my windows start opening in icon view.

http://www.realsoftware.com/

In the Finder, go to Finder > Preferences and check “Open new windows in column view”
Open a new window, close it, open it again..

1. Get EasyFind (free from the DevonThink website)

2. Type in the name of the app you want to uninstall and let it search right across your drive

3. Within a few seconds it will return all mentions of the app (from Applications, preference panes, data folders, Library subfolders, etc., etc.

4. Double check that these are indeed the files you want to blow away (if you use too generic an entry, it will find a bunch of other stuff as well!)

5 Mark off the files to be deleted or (in most cases) just check Select All

6. Hit Move to Trash… voila! All gone.

B. Learn to maximize the usefulness of the Services menu (one of the most criminally underrated features of OS X)

C. When you’re ready to use some third party apps check out the extraordinary array of freeware available (high on the list are the utilities from DevonThink, e.g., Word Service, also Voodoo Pad lite, and many others)

D. While the Mac community can be gratingly fanboyish at times, it’s also extraordinarily helpful–the answer(s) really is out there.

E. Forget about Microsoft…!

App Zapper isn’t free, SteerMouse isn’t free, Witch is really really slow and not a taskbar, Finders prefs still don’t stop windows opening in list and icon view, expose is like a temporary show desktop.

I remember going through all these options when moving to mac. I guess it’s in the details.

I still think one of the worst things for new switchers is installing and uninstalling apps. Windows users have no clue what a .dmg is, I recall trying to run my apps from the .dmg mount first time then wondering where they’d gone when I rebooted. Uninstalling is far worse, some have can be deleted, some have an uninstaller, some require you to run the installer in order to uninstall, some have an uninstall option in a menu item

A total mess.

I also didn’t like the feeling of the OS X mouse movement, as I’m pretty used to the “windows way”. But there’s help: just install a small mousedriver-app called “Steermouse”, which enables you to customize sens and accel of your bluetooth/usb mouse of choice.

I’m really glad I found that small tool.

and btw. when it comes to Finder’s limitations: take a look at PathFinder, which is essentially a good looking and functional Finder replacement. This app brings Windows Explorer goodness to OS X, and even more.

Make sure the application in focus is the Finder
Go to the menu bar and click on “Finder” and choose Preferences (or CMD , if you’re sure you’re on the Finder)
Making sure you’re on the General tab, click the box 2/3 of the way down, which reads, “Open new windows in column view”

2. Quicksilver, learn to use it first by just opening applications, then read Nick Santilli’s guides to this fantastic app and you will be amazed on the things you can do.

3. Read the application menus and try to learn the keyboard shortcuts for example, command q to quit a program instead of the red x.

4. Spotlight on command space is a great tool to search for documents. Basically same as locate in linux, but you don’t need to use updatedb here. And I think, but I’m not sure that it also searches inside documents on the fly.
I think quicksilver can do these things too, but that’s not why I use QS.

5. If you’re a linux user, you will know the terminal already. If you are a windows user, try to stay away from terminal unless you want to know how to do certain stuff using a command console.

Also, I’ve been reading a blog that does very good quicksilver tutorials–they were immensely helpful to me, and they are at Dan Dickinson’s blog (vjarmy.com) here: http://vjarmy.com/archives/2004/03/quicksilver_a_b.php. He’s also done some intermediate and advanced tutorials, and best of all–he has no affiliation with quicksilver, he just really enjoys it enough to write a tutorial about it.

Have fun!

The other ones… I’ve nver had a problem with the acceleration curves of my mouse, and I find Exposé works just fine for showing me the desktop, letting me do what I need, letting me switch between apps, etc.

1. How do I switch to document 3 of AppX in one action? It’s just not possible, in windows every document is on the task bar, click it and it appears. In OS X you have to do a couple actions. Activate expose > look > click. Or Command-Tab then Command-~.

2. Hows do I hide all apps(aka. Show Desktop). Yes, I know expose has a reveal desktop but it merely slides apps off to the side and they come back. Windows has a real hide all apps, show desktop. I remember I spend ages looking for an app, apple script to do this correctly.

3. Does deleting an app remove it’s all associated files? Nope. The whole installation, uninstallation process in OS X is untidy, sure for some apps it’s easy as ABC but for some it’s a pain.

4. How the hell do I get Finder to remember to stay in column view? still to this day nearly 3 years after I switched this issue remains a big annoyance.

5. How can adjust the mouse accelartion curve? in comparison to Windows the OS X mouse drivers are horrible. The speed is so slow an the curve is weird.