Keyboard shortcuts for a newbie

[d1jussi]

I was going to buy a new computer anyway so I ended up with a brand new Mac Mini. I have been - and still am - a heavy Windows user, so I'm struggling to get as productive in this new environment.

My first impression is of course the look and feel. The Mac looks nicer on the outside than all PCs I've ever had. OS X is really sweet too...

But, having used the system for a few weeks I realize that I need to learn stuff from the beginning again, and I get annoyed when I can´t do what I'm used to.

Having suffered from RSI since a long time I have basically minimized my use of the mouse in WIndows (XP is actually very keyboard friendly) and I keep having to use the mouse a lot in OSX, which I don't want to.

Here are a few problems:
* How do I reach the address bar in Firefox/Safari? Alt-D works in IE.
* How do I reach the Google searchbar field in firefox+ Alt-G works in IE.
* How do I traverse a web page by keyboard in Firefox/Safari. Tab works in IE (and Enter to follow a link)

Even more basic questions
* How do I open the apple menu
* How do I start programs from the keyboard (corresponding to the Windows button followed by the arrows or the first letter of the programs)

My last annoyance is that my canon printer doesn't have mac drivers so I won't be able to toss my old Windows box away after all. Grr.
I tried to connect the printer virtually to a Windows session in VMWAre fusion but it is not detected :-( A better solution anyone?

Thanks in advance,
Oscar abrahamsson

PS. I will be back with more questions as I go deeper into the Mac world...

 

[WildCowboy]

For Safari:
*Address field = Command-L.
*Google search field = Command-L, then tab. (There's probably a direct shortcut...I know some third-party add-ons have that feature...but I can't think of it right now.)
*Navigating through fields a web page = tab (You may need to go to System Preferences --> Keyboard & Mouse --> Keyboard Shortcuts and enable Full Keyboard Access for All Controls if you want access to more items.)

Apple menu = Control-F2
Launch apps from Dock = Control-F3

Navigate to Applications folder in Finder = Use Command-Tab to switch to Finder, then Shift-Command-A.

Have a look at the Keyboard Shortcuts list in System Preferences...a lot of helpful ones in there.