New to iMac - Windows User

[glenthompson]

I also used Windows for many years. XP was the last version I was very familiar with. After switching to the Mac I now find Win 10 to be obtuse. Too much of it has been dumbed down from prior versions.

For learning on the Mac I found David Pogue’s book _Switchingnto the Mac_ to be a great resource. Sort of a Rosetta Stone for he differences. Not sure how the current version is as I had the Snow Leopard version.

 

[alien3dx]

I also used Windows for many years. XP was the last version I was very familiar with. After switching to the Mac I now find Win 10 to be obtuse. Too much of it has been dumbed down from prior versions.

For learning on the Mac I found David Pogue’s book _Switchingnto the Mac_ to be a great resource. Sort of a Rosetta Stone for he differences. Not sure how the current version is as I had the Snow Leopard version.

windows changed a lot on windows 10.. Would said, it getting more worst each time i update and open my old laptop. For end user, office and windows their life.
** even all the people in the world never use 90% capability of office anyway.

 

[AppleMythos]

I can't believe (almost) everyone is taking the OP seriously. The OP has a woman's avatar, screen name, but repeatedly lets slip contradictory remarks along the lines of "I wish I was a Mac guy" and so forth. OP has no intention of listening to any of your points of view, no matter how well reasoned or thought out, he just wants to wind you up... like one of those professional wrestlers who comes out and deliberately insults the local sports teams of whichever city he is in.

It can't be that easy, can it?

 

[pat500000]

Quick! Go back to window.

 

[alien3dx]

Quick! Go back to window.

alt + f4

 

[Coloratura]

After using windows for 25 years I thought I would finally try and use a Mac and truly see if it’s a better platform.

1 month later I have to say it’s not nearly as user friendly as Windows with regards to managing the UI. I can’t turn off auto hide for the dock is one thing that bugs me. So easy with M$.

Managing browser windows is also terribly confusing. It took me like 5 minutes to figure out how to get out of full screen mode as I was trying to view video tutorials while using a new program. I just shook my head as Windows is so much easier.

For a power user the system doesn’t offer nearly as much customization options as Windows. Less easy to break, of course. But I guess this is their purpose with iOS and macOS.

Placing the Window controls on the left side is so unintuitive as well. The eyes are trained to manage on the right hand side. Having the controls on the left is just counter intuitive.

I feel like Apple does the same with Macs as they do with iOS. Make it as simple and non customizable as possible. Make it difficult to break.

Yes, Windows is way complex and can be broken with one or two wrong clicks by grandma or a child.

I will keep the Mac only for garage band. But I am glad to know that Windows is still such a better and more intuitive OS in the management of the UI and overall flexibility.

I will never understand why people can say mac is better than Windows. There is just no way. Things that are simple to do in Windows is a struggle on Mac.

Now I know why the biggest Mac freak in the world I know ditched them for Dell a few years ago. That was shocking to me since he ridiculed us for being Windows users.

This is not a flame thread. I’m just sharing that I spent $2500 on an iMac and it’s not the greatest user experience whatsoever. I’m not returning it and will continue to keep it around but now I know that Microsoft truly makes a superior OS by far. For me, anyway.

Sorry your experience wasn’t as positive as mine. I have been a Windows power user for about the same amount of time, and while there have been a few hangups, I associate that with 25+ years of doing things one specific way. I have only had my 2009 iMac (running El Capitan) for a few weeks, but it’s already as comfortable as an old shoe, while still being an exciting piece of hardware and software.

I want Mac OS to be different, not to where I am confused and lost, but definitely to where it’s clear the engineers had their own vision laid down. In fact, inside of the first day of use, I had changed the mouse settings to where scrolling was more like Windows (sorry, but 25 years of scrolling down to go down just doesn’t go away overnight), learned how to maximize, minimize, and close programs, how to switch between programs, how to change basic settings, and how to install and remove programs.

By the end of the first week I knew about a dozen Mac keyboard commands, which made things even easier. My experience has been quite pleasant.

I wanted to get away from Microsoft and Windows, and now I feel quite at home on OS X. My next computer will hopefully be newer, but I don’t want to go back to Windows, so I will keep learning.

I do wish you luck.

 

[kazmac]

I can kind of relate in my attempts to the OP in trying Windows 10 at home and I just couldn't deal with it. I'll use my W10 laptop as my sacrificial school computer after this semester, but I can clearly understand the frustration if you're used to one platform and are suddenly confronted with a different way of doing things and you have no idea how to fix it.

As I said in my initial post, I much prefer macOS when I am creating because I can just get on with it. Even after research and several months trying to learn W10 my brain just does not want to have babysit the OS so I went back to my Mac. I am trying to be a little bit more open because I'll need to use that W10 laptop for school. I was also trying to learn because I've been frustrated with Apple, but I honestly see no matter how hard I complain as long as Cupertino keep making Macs, I'll keep using them. 😎 I do also stand by asking nicely for help too. People have been awesome in the Alternatives to Mac Hardware forum (and I'll take the ribbings my indecision and sometimes uneducated blathering can summon).

 

[alien3dx]

I can kind of relate in my attempts to the OP in trying Windows 10 at home and I just couldn't deal with it. I'll use my W10 laptop as my sacrificial school computer after this semester, but I can clearly understand the frustration if you're used to one platform and are suddenly confronted with a different way of doing things and you have no idea how to fix it.

As I said in my initial post, I much prefer macOS when I am creating because I can just get on with it. Even after research and several months trying to learn W10 my brain just does not want to have babysit the OS so I went back to my Mac. I am trying to be a little bit more open because I'll need to use that W10 laptop for school. I was also trying to learn because I've been frustrated with Apple, but I honestly see no matter how hard I complain as long as Cupertino keep making Macs, I'll keep using them. 😎 I do also stand by asking nicely for help too. People have been awesome in the Alternatives to Mac Hardware forum (and I'll take the ribbings my indecision and sometimes uneducating blathering can summon).

Actually mac is a bit complicated even for normal user. Some user asking to do in terminal is bad way. Same as windows asking end user to open "power shell" or "command prompt".

Real life windows 10 is pretty bad nowdays, microsoft bitdefender is the worst enemy and p2p update is totally bad(force update).

 

[kazmac]

Actually mac is a bit complicated even for normal user. Some user asking to do in terminal is bad way. Same as windows asking end user to open "power shell" or "command prompt".

Real life windows 10 is pretty bad nowdays, microsoft bitdefender is the worst enemy and p2p update is totally bad(force update).

Politely saying: If you’re asked to do Terminal. The few times I have used Terminal for commands, including very recently, I had no problem. Directions were quite clear.

I imagine that would be the same for long time Windows users.

 

[alien3dx]

Politely saying: If you’re asked to do Terminal. The few times I have used Terminal for commands, including very recently, I had no problem. Directions were quite clear.

I imagine that would be the same for long time Windows users.

If windows 99 percent don't even need to touch it. Most of GUI allready have it.OSX a little bit behind. Even normal linux most can be done via gui no need to use terminal much

 

[kazmac]

If windows 99 percent don't even need to touch it. Most of GUI allready have it.OSX a little bit behind. Even normal linux most can be done via gui no need to use terminal much

That is fair. If you know Linux (not me 😛)

 

[Icy1007]

lol, claiming macOS is less powerful than Windows. That is a load of BS. Macs are infinitely more intuitive than Windows. Macs are also as simple or complicated as the user wishes. It seems like the OP isn't even trying and is just here to troll.
[doublepost=1531422939][/doublepost]

If windows 99 percent don't even need to touch it. Most of GUI allready have it.OSX a little bit behind. Even normal linux most can be done via gui no need to use terminal much

Everything can be done in macOS via the GUI. There isn't a need to use Terminal, but a lot of us prefer to use a CLI.

 

[mkelly]

I’m just sharing that this OS is just so dumbed down and so unintuitive.

Hardly. It's more that you've been trained to use one operating system paradigm and your brain is rebelling at having to switch gears and learn another. We're all like that.

You say that macOS is unintutive and dumbed down? The whole reason I switched to it is that it's a Unix-based operating system, which is the exact opposite of dumbed-down (however, I'll grant you that the Unix underpinnings are definitely unintuitive if you aren't into Unix). However if you *are* into Unix, then macOS is insanely powerful. Even Microsoft has learned to adopt unix by including their "Windows Services for Linux" feature in Windows 10.

Windows has it's own set of issues. Let's have a look at Windows 10 for instance. There are no less than 3 separate locations where you have to go to manage applications/services that automatically load on boot-up. I spent the better part of last weekend trying to track down why, after installing a VPN application, the network control panel opened on every boot/login. Turns out the VPN app installed a shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp, instead of putting it in Task Manager -> Startup or Task Manager -> Services. Oh of course. Why didn't I think to look in there (oh, and to get into task manager you must know to either right-click on the Start menu icon or hit Ctrl-Alt-Del - not exactly intuitive if you aren't already a Windows-savvy user.

Speaking of control panels: Where do you go in Windows 10 to manage your laptop's power settings? Windows Settings -> System -> Power & Sleep, obviously... right? But don't forget about Control Panel -> Power Options too, since there are settings in there that don't exist in Windows Settings.

These are all easy problems to fix if you are familiar with Windows. But none of them are intuitive in any way, shape or form. What's that saying? Don't throw stones in glass houses (or Windows?) ;-)

 

[davidmartindale]

Good lord. I looked at that screen 10 times yesterday and did not see that check box. Google searches also came up with so many “you can’t do that hits....”

Thanks.

I’m just sharing that this OS is just so dumbed down and so unintuitive.

The fact that I have to use a third party tool to manage files intuitively is lame as well.

Also, the mouse jitters when using the scroll wheel in any window I’m in. This is hideous. Is this a known issue when using a non Apple mouse? I hate the stock Apple mouse and KB so I bought a 3rd party one.

Yeah... I used Windows for the first 15 years of my life, then MacOS only for about 7 years and then mixed OS for the last 3 years. I can say that for me macOS is better in a lot of ways to Windows, especially in UI usability. And Mission Control! Holy cow is Mission Control great. Combine that with a 3rd party app like Magnet to have the "snap" like feature from Windows and window management is top notch.

The biggest thing to get used to when going from Windows to Mac is the menu bar IMO. The way that it shows the options for whatever the currently active window is rather than a system wide thing or having the menu bar integrated into the app.

Also if you're seriously going to only use that iMac for Garage Band, just return it and get a PC and use an audio program for Windows. Garage Band isn't even that great. Now Logic Pro X is another story.

 

[Coloratura]

Hardly. It's more that you've been trained to use one operating system paradigm and your brain is rebelling at having to switch gears and learn another. We're all like that.

You say that macOS is unintutive and dumbed down? The whole reason I switched to it is that it's a Unix-based operating system, which is the exact opposite of dumbed-down (however, I'll grant you that the Unix underpinnings are definitely unintuitive if you aren't into Unix). However if you *are* into Unix, then macOS is insanely powerful. Even Microsoft has learned to adopt unix by including their "Windows Services for Linux" feature in Windows 10.

Windows has it's own set of issues. Let's have a look at Windows 10 for instance. There are no less than 3 separate locations where you have to go to manage applications/services that automatically load on boot-up. I spent the better part of last weekend trying to track down why, after installing a VPN application, the network control panel opened on every boot/login. Turns out the VPN app installed a shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp, instead of putting it in Task Manager -> Startup or Task Manager -> Services. Oh of course. Why didn't I think to look in there (oh, and to get into task manager you must know to either right-click on the Start menu icon or hit Ctrl-Alt-Del - not exactly intuitive if you aren't already a Windows-savvy user.

Speaking of control panels: Where do you go in Windows 10 to manage your laptop's power settings? Windows Settings -> System -> Power & Sleep, obviously... right? But don't forget about Control Panel -> Power Options too, since there are settings in there that don't exist in Windows Settings.

These are all easy problems to fix if you are familiar with Windows. But none of them are intuitive in any way, shape or form. What's that saying? Don't throw stones in glass houses (or Windows?) ;-)

This may be the BEST thing about MacOS. installation and uninstalls are a breeze. No hidden registries, no weird application storage locations, just all up front and easy to find. Once someone showed me how to find my user library, I have no difficulty with files and folders. Again, decades of Windows usage, I was used to digging through obscure file paths for one weird config file holding up the rest of the system.

I love this OS. Once I save up, I hope to eventually get a newer Mac with High Sierra or Mojave, though that’s at least a year away. That’s how much I want to stay away from Windows.

 

[cynics]

I was the same way, LONG time windows user. However I switched in the XP days. It was a breath of fresh air.

I’ll be the first to admit something’s seemed very difficult however the problem was I was trying to make OS X operate like Windows. That is the wrong approach. You really need to reapproach the entire problem without trying to force the windows way of doing things.

Currently I use Win10, Linux (Ubuntu distro currently) and MacOS. I prefer MacOS above all especially for creation and photo/video editing. Win10 comes in handy for firmware updates on very specific things like tools I use for work that don’t have much software support at all. Linux is great for various computer hardware things like using gparted and such for problem (mostly because I’m used to it).

Windows is still a mess imo though and I don’t feel comfortable with my data’s security on it.

 

[alien3dx]

Hardly. It's more that you've been trained to use one operating system paradigm and your brain is rebelling at having to switch gears and learn another. We're all like that.

You say that macOS is unintutive and dumbed down? The whole reason I switched to it is that it's a Unix-based operating system, which is the exact opposite of dumbed-down (however, I'll grant you that the Unix underpinnings are definitely unintuitive if you aren't into Unix). However if you *are* into Unix, then macOS is insanely powerful. Even Microsoft has learned to adopt unix by including their "Windows Services for Linux" feature in Windows 10.

Windows has it's own set of issues. Let's have a look at Windows 10 for instance. There are no less than 3 separate locations where you have to go to manage applications/services that automatically load on boot-up. I spent the better part of last weekend trying to track down why, after installing a VPN application, the network control panel opened on every boot/login. Turns out the VPN app installed a shortcut in C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\StartUp, instead of putting it in Task Manager -> Startup or Task Manager -> Services. Oh of course. Why didn't I think to look in there (oh, and to get into task manager you must know to either right-click on the Start menu icon or hit Ctrl-Alt-Del - not exactly intuitive if you aren't already a Windows-savvy user.

Speaking of control panels: Where do you go in Windows 10 to manage your laptop's power settings? Windows Settings -> System -> Power & Sleep, obviously... right? But don't forget about Control Panel -> Power Options too, since there are settings in there that don't exist in Windows Settings.

These are all easy problems to fix if you are familiar with Windows. But none of them are intuitive in any way, shape or form. What's that saying? Don't throw stones in glass houses (or Windows?) ;-)

OS X also have startup and services sir . The only limitation is OS X you cannot set lvl services on OS X via GUI compare to Linux or Windows.OS X is build for end user not for power user. Windows 10 is a bit clumsy configuration because you have one place for tablet style and another old style control panel ( who do think server is need touch screen mode )