First, I apologize for the long post. I am really reaching out to anyone who might be willing to "take my hand" just a bit because I am really trying to become a "Mac Switcher" but am finding it harder than I expected.
I'm prepared to get flamed like crazy for this post, but after talking to my best Mac-buddies I am still left with an uncomfortable feeling.
First, my background: have been using computers since before there were PCs of any kind. My first "microcomputer" was an Apple II, in 1980! Switched to DOS then Windows and have been living on "that side of the fence" ever since - 28 years!!!
Have always admired Mac hdwe and the sh-t eating grins (not to mention look of superiority
on Mac users. Still, whenever I used Macs occasionally over the past 20 years, I found it less than intuitive to get around - except of course on programs that run the same on both.
For the last year, I have been chomping at the bit to get a Mac, and the release of the new MBA finally did it because one of my real passions is awesome industrial design along with my latent desire to own a Mac. I got the MBA 13 Ultimate. I love the hardware beyond anything I have ever used - not just computers!! - and I can't get over the instant-on. I am purposely not installing Windows on this, at least not for now, so I can really learn OSX without the easy fall back to the familiar. But all is not smiles...
I have read the many tutorials found in Mac Rumors and elsewhere and have learned some things fairly well. But to my disappointment, after a week of ownership, I am struggling with:
1) a slow learning curve
2) an experience that OSX, while amazing, is just not as intuitive as I had hoped; that it does just about everything different than Windows surely does not help
3) I am only 56, and I spend my life using and tinkering with computers, but I feel for the first time that my brain may not be malleable enought to learn all over again
All I'm looking for is:
1) Words of wisdom from Mac veterans and former Switchers as to how long it takes and the best way to get there reasonably quickly
2) Some encouragement that the effort will be worth it. Frankly, the ability to make the MBA my main, er, second computer is a good bit of motivation, as there is nothing like it on the Windows side. I just love this machine, but it makes no sense to own it to use as a Windows machine, as many of the benefits (espec. use of the magical touch pad and battery life) don't exist when using Windows. I can get an ultra-powerful Windows machine - eg, 3lb SONY VPC-Z for about the same price as the MBA 13 Ultimate, and it will run much faster (Core i7 cpu) have a better display (13" 1600X900) and just run circles around this ancient cpu - if that was what I wanted to do, but it isn't!!
I am not an idiot (my own assessment) but I feel like one trying to get things done on this wonderful piece of equipment. I almost feel like I just bought a Porsche but I can't get the knack of a stick shift .
Finally, can you tell me where, if anywhere, on Mac Rumors can I post a simple how-to question that, while it is likely covered somewhere on the many tutorials listed, I can't readily find, and I just want to know - NOW!
(For example, I like to fine tune the audio and video for each app, particularly when playing vids. On a windows machine with a decent video card and sound card, you can find an equalizer for sound adjustment and, at a minimum, and video controls for brightness, contrast, hue, color saturation, white balance. On System preferences, I find no audio adjustments at all and under Display, I only find choices of different display programs, none of which are to my liking and, again, none of which allow me to fine tune the color display properties. I would really like to know how to do these things - like, NOW - but this also serves as a great example of how frustrated (and dumb) I feel like trying to do simple things on my new Mac.)
Any and all suggestions would be gratefully received. Again, my apologies for such a long post.
I'm prepared to get flamed like crazy for this post, but after talking to my best Mac-buddies I am still left with an uncomfortable feeling.
First, my background: have been using computers since before there were PCs of any kind. My first "microcomputer" was an Apple II, in 1980! Switched to DOS then Windows and have been living on "that side of the fence" ever since - 28 years!!!
Have always admired Mac hdwe and the sh-t eating grins (not to mention look of superiority
on Mac users. Still, whenever I used Macs occasionally over the past 20 years, I found it less than intuitive to get around - except of course on programs that run the same on both.For the last year, I have been chomping at the bit to get a Mac, and the release of the new MBA finally did it because one of my real passions is awesome industrial design along with my latent desire to own a Mac. I got the MBA 13 Ultimate. I love the hardware beyond anything I have ever used - not just computers!! - and I can't get over the instant-on. I am purposely not installing Windows on this, at least not for now, so I can really learn OSX without the easy fall back to the familiar. But all is not smiles...
I have read the many tutorials found in Mac Rumors and elsewhere and have learned some things fairly well. But to my disappointment, after a week of ownership, I am struggling with:
1) a slow learning curve
2) an experience that OSX, while amazing, is just not as intuitive as I had hoped; that it does just about everything different than Windows surely does not help
3) I am only 56, and I spend my life using and tinkering with computers, but I feel for the first time that my brain may not be malleable enought to learn all over again
All I'm looking for is:
1) Words of wisdom from Mac veterans and former Switchers as to how long it takes and the best way to get there reasonably quickly
2) Some encouragement that the effort will be worth it. Frankly, the ability to make the MBA my main, er, second computer is a good bit of motivation, as there is nothing like it on the Windows side. I just love this machine, but it makes no sense to own it to use as a Windows machine, as many of the benefits (espec. use of the magical touch pad and battery life) don't exist when using Windows. I can get an ultra-powerful Windows machine - eg, 3lb SONY VPC-Z for about the same price as the MBA 13 Ultimate, and it will run much faster (Core i7 cpu) have a better display (13" 1600X900) and just run circles around this ancient cpu - if that was what I wanted to do, but it isn't!!
I am not an idiot (my own assessment
) but I feel like one trying to get things done on this wonderful piece of equipment. I almost feel like I just bought a Porsche but I can't get the knack of a stick shift .Finally, can you tell me where, if anywhere, on Mac Rumors can I post a simple how-to question that, while it is likely covered somewhere on the many tutorials listed, I can't readily find, and I just want to know - NOW!
(For example, I like to fine tune the audio and video for each app, particularly when playing vids. On a windows machine with a decent video card and sound card, you can find an equalizer for sound adjustment and, at a minimum, and video controls for brightness, contrast, hue, color saturation, white balance. On System preferences, I find no audio adjustments at all and under Display, I only find choices of different display programs, none of which are to my liking and, again, none of which allow me to fine tune the color display properties. I would really like to know how to do these things - like, NOW - but this also serves as a great example of how frustrated (and dumb
) I feel like trying to do simple things on my new Mac.)Any and all suggestions would be gratefully received. Again, my apologies for such a long post.
