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Switching from a PC to an iMac
- Thread starter sinclac57
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iMacs are designed to be exceedingly simple to use. Yo can figure it out just by using it.
Depends on how much Windows-thinking is in your head.
For a good start via video:
For a good start via text and other resources:
For a good start via video:
For a good start via text and other resources:
I got a lot of help on both here and on the Apple support forums and also on some of the sub sections on Apple's website.
http://www.apple.com/support/mac/
I had been a Windows user for 10 years when I got my first Mac in January 2013.
For a few months previous I had asked various questions, researched what programs I used on Windows and looked for a Mac alternative (which I was able to).
The move from Windows to Mac for me was very smooth.
After 18 months of using Mac, I wouldn't go back to Windows now. This is something I hear time and time again
I'll list a few websites that were recommended to me, when I was researching and asking questions prior to getting my Mac.
http://www.apple.com/support/macbasics/
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1343
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2518
https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/9848667/
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4527?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
I have both, but mostly use the Apple Magic trackpad.
I use the Apple Magic Mouse when I am doing photo editing, video editing. I find you can get more delicate/precise control with the mouse.
The trackpad is excellent for all the multi touch gestures, but it lacks the precision of a mouse in my opinion.
As someone who uses both on a regular basis, OSX and Windows are rather similar in basic functions, just a few differences that may trip you up. The change from command + whatever got me for a bit. Some applications use control still, so you'll need to watch out.
Both are rather good to have around, keep that in mind. Though I guess this ultimately depends on your computer usage. If you're just going to browse the web, only having one is okay, but having both gives a bit more flexibility in how you can use a computer, since you're not limited to mac only or windows only.
The dock is similar to Windows 7's start bar, or really that should be the other way around. But one thing you'll find rather useful (That I do personally) is expose and desktop switching. I never really need to minimize windows due to this. Also explore the OS, don't just read guides. Throw yourself into it, one thing that's good about OSX is that you can't really break it unless you start messing with the terminal. In which case you need to be trying to do something wrong.
Also, go with a mouse first, then pick up a trackpad at some other point.
Both are rather good to have around, keep that in mind. Though I guess this ultimately depends on your computer usage. If you're just going to browse the web, only having one is okay, but having both gives a bit more flexibility in how you can use a computer, since you're not limited to mac only or windows only.
The dock is similar to Windows 7's start bar, or really that should be the other way around. But one thing you'll find rather useful (That I do personally) is expose and desktop switching. I never really need to minimize windows due to this. Also explore the OS, don't just read guides. Throw yourself into it, one thing that's good about OSX is that you can't really break it unless you start messing with the terminal. In which case you need to be trying to do something wrong.
Also, go with a mouse first, then pick up a trackpad at some other point.
After well over 20 years of using a PC (circa 1982) I switched to Macs in 2007 and have never looked back. Switching is very easy and the learning curve assuming you are an average PC user is pretty quick. Millions and millions have gone before you and have done so very successfully, frankly you probably are not all that different.
Take the step, and if you are like many you will asking yourself within a month or two, "Geeze, why didn't I do this years ago?"
i just switched btw 3 weeks now,not looking back the only hit i took was the gaming factor but i rarely game on the pc other than the sims,overall happy with the switch and love how everything works together with other apple products ,now deciding to buy an apple tv to go with the setup
If you're starting fresh (i.e. have never used Windows before), perhaps.
Personally, as someone that's pretty proficient with Windows, the first two weeks with my Mac involved a fair amount of Googling around.
I don't think that most people would ever figure out the proper way to manually install apps on their Mac "by just using it". To me, it's not intuitive that you should mount a DMG that contains the app you downloaded, drag 'n drop the app into your Applications folder, and oh-by-the-way, you should "EJECT" the DMG when you're done with it. Thankfully the folks that put that cute like "Copy to your Applications folder" reminder in their DMG and the App Store both make installing apps a lot simpler. (Not that I find the DMG method particularly difficult once you know how to do it, .. I just don't find it intuitive.)
I regularly use Windows and OS X, and I personally prefer OS X, but I think it definitely has somewhat of a learning curve.
If that's true, they failed that design.
Mac had a lot of things that could have just been easier as does windows but overall they are both just as easy to use.
It's one helluva learning curve with osX, it took googling to find out how to do a freaking screenshot!
Just have fun with it. If you've been on a PC for a long time, enjoy OS X. That's the best advice I can offer. In a years time when you master it, it will be just as bland as Windows and you'll be looking forward to the new release
It will be tough if you're very good at Windows, but it will be a piece of cake if you're not too good. It'll helps if you don't think a Mac is a PC and accept it as it is. For a start, Don't do everything through a file manager (Finder in the case of Mac) like you usually did on Windows. Embrace basic Mac apps like iTunes, Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Messages and you'll have a good start.
Trackpad is great and especially the gesture controls are awesome : something I really miss in Windows.
Also note that the Apple trackpad is far superior to any Windows trackpad that you may have come across.
For stuff like excel, you still need a mouse.
So i use the Apple trackpad and bought a separate mouse : personally, I didn't like the Apple magic mouse, it was too sensitive for me !
Have fun with your Mac. You will enjoy it !!!
I highly suggest you rethink swapping a PC for an iMac. Want to game, add an extra SSD, upgrade anything besides RAM without hassle in the near future? Go PC custom desktop and get a macbook for everyday use. Switching to an iMac simply doesn't make sense unless you want an expensive paperweight to check email/use some nice Apple software but nowhere near to the extent of what a custom Windows/Hackintosh/Linux PC is capable of. If you just want a functioning affordable computer to do most everyday tasks and some editing on a non 4k monitor by all means get a mac mini- those are nice for the price
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***Warning: The account and all posts (like the quoted one bellow) from it are spam to why iMac's are just a "paperweight", you have been warned ***
***I play X-Plane 10 on my iMac (21.5 inch with the 750m GPU, 1Gb of GDDR5 VRAM) and play at 1080p, 4X AA, 4X AF, texture detail set to very high, and everything maxed apart from HDR. I also play other games and it handles 1080p gaming just fine.
Not interested in any of that, As i eluded to in the other thread i have probably forgotten more about PCs then you know.
learning the os is easy and if you can't figure something out just google it which is what i did,now im pretty good with osx myself
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obvious troll/bored,needs to be banned if you have a thing for people against buying macs why on a mac forum?go to overclockers forum and post there that suits you more since you're a custom pc guy
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obvious troll/bored,needs to be banned if you have a thing for people against buying macs why on a mac forum?go to overclockers forum and post there that suits you more since you're a custom pc guy
I feel at this point in my life I don't see myself owning another Windows PC. As stated by others you will probably be thrown by a few things at first like how do I put application icons on my desktop? Short answer, you don't. Folders work just like windows though. One thing that was unusual was "explorer" or "finder" as its called in OSX displays all files and folders in alphabetical order instead of folders first then files (you'll see). The thing I think that's missed most coming from the PC is the maintenance. On the Windows PC I sometimes would run my Anti Virus software, and CCleaner maybe a defrag well on the Mac you don't need to do any of that stuff. Probably the biggest thing thing that you will miss is the Windows Update you wont have those every time you go to use your Mac. Oh ya and the way apps are installed is way different. The "installer" is a .dmg and you just double click it like windows but it just opens a window. So your like Okay.. Then you drag the application icon to your application folder in finder, and that's it. You don't double click then click, next, next, next like windows. What you will find is that most apps that you used in Windows are also available for OSX. If a application isn't available chances are there is something similar. An example would be in windows I use Notepad++ all the time well its not available in OSX. The alternative that I use is TextWrangler. One final thing before you decide I'm not reading this guys book is this: Macs by default don't have the "right click" turned on so you will probably want to find out how to turn that on right away. While you changing that you might want to change some other things like the way the scroll works. Have fun and take some time to learn it and in the end you will be much happier (I hope).
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I dont understand why you would just stop using PCs? Are you going 100% tablet or what? There is no non PC that runs OS X so i don't understand what you are talking about.
No, no no. Definitely don't use that, theres no need. It can "Clean" things that you want to keep and it can "Clean" app preferences and other useful information.
Not sure if you're trying to make a point about the usage of the term "PC", or you genuinely misunderstood, but they obviously mean not buying another Windows PC.
Out of the entire internet my use of the term "PC" in reference to a Windows computer is what caught your attention? Nice..