Mac really so straight forward and simple?

[Bri in Mtl]

1 day after getting my unit and exploring the system I knew I needed help with the learning. Learning the system wasn't so "straight forward and simple" as I'd heard it was. Marched back to the Apple store and they let me sign up for the One to One. Best $99 I ever spent.
Every Personal or Group Training session so far has been great and I feel saved me a lot of frustration.

 

[leman]

How odd, my Windows 8 desktop does the exact same thing just by typing in my Microsoft ID.

True, Windows 8 has included much of the functionality of OS X like file versions, cloud storage etc. However, in my opinion it still lacks important features like quick look and automator, not to mention the extremely messy UI (IMO of course) and settings access.

 

[Ardmanz]

I've had to look up a load of things (switched about a month ago).

I don't think it's an issue with it not being straight forward enough, it's more when you've been used to doing something one way for 15 years any sort of change is going to be a struggle.

With that being said, if you put a first time user in front of both a MAC and a Windows machine I don't think they'd necessarily find one easier than the other.

 

[old-wiz]

For a windows user switching to osx, I recommend David Pogue's "Switching to the Mac" which explains osx from the point of view of someone who is used to windows.

 

[aristobrat]

Is there any only tutorial or advice that can be given to a 'switcher'?

Apple has a section on their website dedicated specifically to it.

Switching PC Habits

Whether you’re new to the Mac or switching from Windows, the topics below will help you get the most out of your Mac.

https://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/pctomac/

 

[Commy1]

How odd, my Windows 8 desktop does the exact same thing just by typing in my Microsoft ID.

Yay windows is finally catching on! Now tell me Windows 8 is as easy to navigate and straight forward.

 

[Merode]

Most of my problems were from Windows habits.

-Renaming with return
-Deleting with cmd+delete
-Delete text backwards with fn+delete
-alt + F4 is done by cmd+Q

and a lot more. This stuff is just different and you have to get used to.

Although most of the stuff is logical (command + Q stands for quit, but what does alt+F4 stand for?). I also find cmd+c and cmd+v easier than ctrl+c and ctrl+v (ctrl is further on PCs).

And can somebody explain to me what do I need ctrl for on my Mac? Except for going to end or beginning of line in text editors? It seems like a useless key..

 

[eneisch]

2. Still on the pictures: My friend wanted me to delete some of the not so good ones. In Windows the operation would be: browsing through them (as per 1.), when I don't like one, hit the delete button - done. In the mac, no luck with the delete button, only way to get rid of them is by dragging them into the bin.

Right click on the file you want to delete and select "Move to Trash" from the pop-up menu. Also works if you have multiple files selected.

 

[kelon111]

I am not saying that I only like the hardware (though I do like the design and quality feel to it - especially when I compare it with my terrible work PC - Lenovo X220).

Did you ever look at any of the Windows based alternatives?

Some of the following come to mind:
Zbook 14
Dell Precision M3800

 

[fratey]

True, Windows 8 has included much of the functionality of OS X like file versions, cloud storage etc. However, in my opinion it still lacks important features like quick look and automator, not to mention the extremely messy UI (IMO of course) and settings access.

Quick Look is amazing – I completely agree with you. It probably saves me 20-30 minutes a day alone.

Yay windows is finally catching on! Now tell me Windows 8 is as easy to navigate and straight forward.

Unlike Apples completely straight forward policy, with very informative error messages.

 

[simonsi]

(although delete not acting as delete is also rather unintuitive)

Its a far quicker to use implementation of "are you sure". OSX assumes you might have valuable images, hence makes accidental deletion that bit harder, but with a minimum overhead. Kinda sums up the ethos really.

 

[Intelligent]

Hi,

I am still fairly new to the Macworld (or back - I had my first Mac Classic experience some 20 years ago and absolutely hated the first iMac when I had to use it for one semester some 15 years ago...) and although there are many things I like, I stumble across some things I find less intuitive or even more complicated than on a Windows machine. Am I just missing a trick or are many things 'easier' after all in Win7?

Some examples:
1. I had some friends visiting who wanted to show me the pictures they had taken. So I put the SD card into my MBPro. The SD appears, no problem so far. I click on the first picture and then try with the arrow keys to go to the next one. Doesn't work. Try to find some icons to click to go back and forwards. Again nothing. Fortunately with a quick google search I found that you can only go back and forth if you first select all the pictures, than open one... is there really no more straight forward way?

2. Still on the pictures: My friend wanted me to delete some of the not so good ones. In Windows the operation would be: browsing through them (as per 1.), when I don't like one, hit the delete button - done. In the mac, no luck with the delete button, only way to get rid of them is by dragging them into the bin.

3. I wanted to format an SD card. Click on it, try to find some option menu to do so ... nothing. In the end I did it in my work Windows machine.

I could find quite some more examples, but these here just from the last 24 hours.

As said I admit that I am new to IOS and maybe after 25 years of DOS/Windows experience I might have adapted my way of thinking and working, but somehow I am struggling. Is there any only tutorial or advice that can be given to a 'switcher'?
I really like the hardware but I might end up putting Windows on my Macbook after all...

Go to the sd card and mark a file and click space, thats quick look and you can just browse with the arrow keys


to delete it press cmd + delete, its a good function because so you don't accidentally delete a files

To format an sd card just open disk utility and choose the card then click delete and format.

 

[NewbieCanada]

Cmd-backspace*

But yeah, pretty much this.

Keyboard is labelled Delete, not backspace. Why confuse someone with a key name he'll never be able to find?

----------

Google, baby!

I also just now setup a keyboard shortcut to my desktop (command D). Why is it that OSX seems to encourage keyboard shortcuts so much?

Because Mac Mice generally suck?

 

[leman]

although delete not acting as delete is also rather unintuitive

Well, OS X is usually quite particular about its conventions (which makes it more systematic IMO) - and by the convention the UI keyboard actions are usually invoked with the help of the command key. This way, 'CMD+delete' instead of just 'delete' actually makes a lot of sense.

 

[Crzyrio]

There is actually a painful obvious way to do what you wanted to do.

When you open a finder window with a lot of pictures there is this tab at the top. Just make sure you click the right option and you can scroll through pictures without even opening any program. You can adjust the size and everything

 

[leman]

I also just now setup a keyboard shortcut to my desktop (command D). Why is it that OSX seems to encourage keyboard shortcuts so much?

Because working with keyboard is much more productive and ergonomic than working with mouse. The UI paradigm in OS X states: mouse interactions utilise iconic (visual) cues (hence the prominence of drag-and-drop), keyboard is for productivity. And Terminal for ultimate productivity

 

[takeshi74]

I am still fairly new to the Macworld (or back - I had my first Mac Classic experience some 20 years ago and absolutely hated the first iMac when I had to use it for one semester some 15 years ago...) and although there are many things I like, I stumble across some things I find less intuitive or even more complicated than on a Windows machine. Am I just missing a trick or are many things 'easier' after all in Win7?

What's intuitive or not can vary from person to person. They both really do the same stuff. I've had no problems using either and I had a mostly Windows/PC background and only picked up my MBP 3 years ago. These discussions/arguments/debates over which is more intuitive are fairly meaningless IMO. It should be a given that what you're used to will seem easier. You seem to be confusing intuitive with what you're used to.

I had some friends visiting who wanted to show me the pictures they had taken. So I put the SD card into my MBPro. The SD appears, no problem so far. I click on the first picture and then try with the arrow keys to go to the next one. Doesn't work. Try to find some icons to click to go back and forwards. Again nothing. Fortunately with a quick google search I found that you can only go back and forth if you first select all the pictures, than open one... is there really no more straight forward way?

Select a photo. Hit the space bar. Use the arrows.

In the mac, no luck with the delete button, only way to get rid of them is by dragging them into the bin.

It's not a delete key. It's backspace key. Even in Windows backspace doesn't delete files.

 

[kristenp]

I think one thing I still haven't quite gotten used to is window management. I'm used to being able to just click on the taskbar to go back to the exact window I want in Windows.

But in OSX, I find myself having to launch Mission Control or actually search for one I was looking for. I guess another way is to use multi desktops? Idk Is there a better way?

 

[heisenberg123]

I think one thing I still haven't quite gotten used to is window management. I'm used to being able to just click on the taskbar to go back to the exact window I want in Windows.

But in OSX, I find myself having to launch Mission Control or actually search for one I was looking for. I guess another way is to use multi desktops? Idk Is there a better way?

3 finger slide up on the track pad should open mission control showing all your runnign windows, or it might be 4 fingers I cant recall off hand im at work on a PC

 

[zeemeerman2]

I would like to take the trackpad even further though - is there a good app for creating custom trackpad gestures?

BetterTouchTool is a wonderful app for this. You can customize everything with targeting a gesture to a keyboard shortcut, globally or application specific.
E.g.:
- Five finger swipe up --> Cmd-Q (Quits the active app)
- At Safari only, Four finger tap --> Cmd-T (Opens a new tab)
And so on.

 

[simon48]

There is actually a painful obvious way to do what you wanted to do.

When you open a finder window with a lot of pictures there is this tab at the top. Just make sure you click the right option and you can scroll through pictures without even opening any program. You can adjust the size and everything

Or you just select a picture, tap the spacebar to open QuickLook and use the arrow keys (this works best in list view).

 

[philxor]

I think one thing I still haven't quite gotten used to is window management. I'm used to being able to just click on the taskbar to go back to the exact window I want in Windows.

But in OSX, I find myself having to launch Mission Control or actually search for one I was looking for. I guess another way is to use multi desktops? Idk Is there a better way?

The best way is to use the trackpad gestures if you are using the trackpad.

Four finger swipe down will show all the open windows for the application you currently have selected.

Four finger swipe up (or F3) to view all of the open windows/programs on that specific desktop. You can swipe left and right to see the other desktops.

If you go to the Dock you can right click and see all of the open Windows.

I use the four finger swipe to get into mission control all the time, it's how I generally switch windows. I miss the old Spaces which let you view all desktops and all programs at one time, so you could select an open window on any desktop in one step. Mission control requires you scroll through the desktops.

 

[hallux]

I think one thing I still haven't quite gotten used to is window management. I'm used to being able to just click on the taskbar to go back to the exact window I want in Windows.

But in OSX, I find myself having to launch Mission Control or actually search for one I was looking for. I guess another way is to use multi desktops? Idk Is there a better way?

Once you have the app you're looking for, you can use CMD-` (next to the '1' key) to scroll between open windows for that app. You can use CMD-TAB just like ALT-TAB in Windows, except it scrolls between apps (but not windows of the same app) then the CMD-` combo to scroll between open windows of the same app.

 

[gj.george]

I click on the first picture and then try with the arrow keys to go to the next one. Doesn't work. Try to find some icons to click to go back and forwards. Again nothing. Fortunately with a quick google search I found that you can only go back and forth if you first select all the pictures, than open one... is there really no more straight forward way?

As several other people have already mentioned, Quick Look is the way to go for that. You select a picture in the Finder and hit the spacebar; then you can view all pictures in that folder using the arrow keys, or you can use the Tab key (instead of the arrow keys) to cycle through the entire folder. (Shift+Tab to go backwards)

 

[linkgx1]

They have their learning curves. But I love the hardware+software integration. For example, the multitouch track pads. I have generally avoided laptops because I HATE their trackpads, until I learned of the Mac's multitouch abilities. So intuitive. It's like once you learn it, it becomes easy.

Now I love windows, but a lot of the errors or inconsistencies are challenging (I like challenging things, but need to be productive most of the time). For example, right now my Windows 8 computer won't update its CPU drivers because it needs the 'admin' account, which is NOT easy to get to in Win8. So I'm dealing with older drivers because of this. Macs are usually either you can or can't. Not 'maybe'.