user interface.... advice for a pc user

[recoilfx]

Okay i just got my powerbook today(yayyy)... I am trying to get used to panther.. so far i am impressed, but there are couple things that is driving me insane...

1. I like to use keyboard shortcuts.. and i am just wondering if there is anyway to move/resize window using keyboard...

2. i found the windows equivelent of alt-tab, which is command-tab in osx, but how do i cycle thru the minimize windows too? the dock is driving me insane :-(

3. transfer rate of file sharing between my xp box and powerbook is really slow.. both are connected at 100mbs, but transfering at 700-900KB/S thru ftp, and even slower thru SMB, any way to fix this?

4. Is there a utility that can make the trackpad more like a synaptic one? (ie, coasting, side scrolling, acceleration tweaks)...

 

[vraxtus]

1. I like to use keyboard shortcuts.. and i am just wondering if there is anyway to move/resize window using keyboard...

2. i found the windows equivelent of alt-tab, which is command-tab in osx, but how do i cycle thru the minimize windows too? the dock is driving me insane :-(

3. transfer rate of file sharing between my xp box and powerbook is really slow.. both are connected at 100mbs, but transfering at 700-900KB/S thru ftp, and even slower thru SMB, any way to fix this?

4. Is there a utility that can make the trackpad more like a synaptic one? (ie, coasting, side scrolling, acceleration tweaks)...

1) Command + M = minimize, Command + W = close, other than that, that's about it!

2) Not really... because Mac OS works like this: OS -> Apps -> Windows, Command + Tab scrolls through Apps... not Windows.

3) If you're on a 4200 RPM drive probably not.

4) Check the system prefs for Mouse & Keyboard options.

 

[LeeTom]

1. I like to use keyboard shortcuts.. and i am just wondering if there is anyway to move/resize window using keyboard...

Command-M will minimize a window
Command-N will open a new window in Finder/Safari/others
Command-W will close a window
Command-Shift-W will close all windows

2. i found the windows equivelent of alt-tab, which is command-tab in osx, but how do i cycle thru the minimize windows too? the dock is driving me insane :-(

Command-~ will cycle through active windows in the current application.
For what it's worth, I don't minimize almost ever. I usually use Command-H to hide an application, then use Command-Tab to cycle back to it.
The greatest thing I've done lately is assign the scroll-wheel-click of my scrollmouse to activate the F9 function of Expose and see all my windows. Then I can click and flick to the window I want.

3. transfer rate of file sharing between my xp box and powerbook is really slow.. both are connected at 100mbs, but transfering at 700-900KB/S thru ftp, and even slower thru SMB, any way to fix this?

Make sure you have any firewall stuff set correctly. Closed ports can sometimes make FTP/SMB slow. also, try connecting with IP addresses and not any kind of names. Are you connected via Ethernet and not Airport?

4. Is there a utility that can make the trackpad more like a synaptic one? (ie, coasting, side scrolling, acceleration tweaks)...

Try SideTrack:
http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/sidetrack/

Lee Tom

 

[dotnina]

In case you haven't found out about Exposé yet ...

FN + F9 = Shrink all windows so they're non-overlapping and you can select the one you want

FN + F10 = Shrink all windows in the current application so they're non-overlapping and you can select the one you want

FN + F11 = Whisk all windows off your screen so that you can see the desktop; do it again to get the windows back (or, if you open an app, I think it brings the windows back for you ... I can't be sure since I'm away from my Mac right now)

 

[FightTheFuture]

In case you haven't found out about Exposé yet ...

i think by default you don't have to hold the fn key down while doing the F9-F11 keys. just hit them and expose should do its thing. if not, check what your expose settings are in system prefs.

you can also cycle back with the command+tab thing by holding command+shift and tab.

when your in a folder and you want to change the view without touching the mouse. use command+1,2, or 3 to change from icon,list, or column view. you can also navigate with shortcuts - check the go menu and it'll show you some keystrokes.

mouse + shortcuts:
if you want to close all finder windows, hold option+and click the close button or option+command+'w'. you can also minimize all windows that way too. some of this applies to safari tabs, etc.

if you want to open a folder in a new window, double click the folder whilst holding command. if you want to open the folder and close the window you were in. hold option and double click (kinda pointless)

if you can't remember where you are in the finder, hold the command button and click on the folders name to proxy your location.

some easter eggs:
if you want to see everything in slow motion hold the shift key and minimize/expose.

you can also play a quicktime movie, and then minimize it and it'll play in the dock.

all this finder stuff is supposed to be useless when we start using Tiger's spotlight though

 

[dotnina]

i think by default you don't have to hold the fn key down while doing the F9-F11 keys. just hit them and expose should do its thing. if not, check what your expose settings are in system prefs.

Oops, you're right -- I should note that I have a PB with a backlit keyboard. If I push F9 / F10 / F11 without the FN button, it just adjusts the keyboard's brightness.

 

[26139]

Nope

Oops, you're right -- I should note that I have a PB with a backlit keyboard. If I push F9 / F10 / F11 without the FN button, it just adjusts the keyboard's brightness.

You can change that in keyboard prefs. SOOOOO nice to use the fn button for the controls, and the F keys themselves for expose.

 

[Guntis]

Command-~

THanks for "Command-~ will cycle through active windows in the current application."
I couldn't find this keystroke on my PB15, it's equivalent to Ctrl+Tab in Windows. I thought I will get mad using Expose every time to switch between documents in the same application. It's ridiculous to move my mouse to the left screen corner to activate Expose so that it would move 2 windows side by side just to switch to another document... Now finally someone has pointed me to the very simple solution. THANK YOU!!!

 

[recoilfx]

thanks guys for the replies.... its getting a little better now that i am getting the usability down.... i already ordered a notebook cooler (this lappy runs HOT) and extra 512mb of ram...

however, one big problem remains and one more popped up.... the network is still really slow :-( Like i said before, both computers are connected at 100mpbs, and i have a 5400rpm drive on the powerbook, when i used a external usb2 hard drive, the transfer is fast, so it is the network.... anyone still have some advice?

another that popped up is finder crashing... okay i just got this powerbook today, i have to force shutdown(that is push and hold the powerbutton >5 secs) my powerbook 3 times already... it seems like finder got stucked at the beachball... now i tried to force quit/relaunch finder... but nothing happens, if i try to restart, it just kinda hangs there(probably because osx is waiting for finder.

Last time i tried to kill the process thru the terminal, finder wasn't killed completely it seems, the desktop was gone, but i couldn't open another instance of finder.... i couldnt restart either, so there went another hard power down....

it seems like this crashing is related to the network, because i remember 2 of the 3 times, finder got stucked at beachball because i was trying to copy files from my windows box...

help, a very frustrated new mac user...

 

[MisterMe]

thanks guys for the replies.... its getting a little better now that i am getting the usability down.... i already ordered a notebook cooler (this lappy runs HOT) and extra 512mb of ram...

however, one big problem remains and one more popped up.... the network is still really slow :-( Like i said before, both computers are connected at 100mpbs, and i have a 5400rpm drive on the powerbook, when i used a external usb2 hard drive, the transfer is fast, so it is the network.... anyone still have some advice?

another that popped up is finder crashing... okay i just got this powerbook today, i have to force shutdown(that is push and hold the powerbutton >5 secs) my powerbook 3 times already... it seems like finder got stucked at the beachball... now i tried to force quit/relaunch finder... but nothing happens, if i try to restart, it just kinda hangs there(probably because osx is waiting for finder.

Last time i tried to kill the process thru the terminal, finder wasn't killed completely it seems, the desktop was gone, but i couldn't open another instance of finder.... i couldnt restart either, so there went another hard power down....

it seems like this crashing is related to the network, because i remember 2 of the 3 times, finder got stucked at beachball because i was trying to copy files from my windows box...

help, a very frustrated new mac user...

You need to give yourself time to learn your new computer and its OS. Not only do you need to learn how to operate a Mac, but you also need to "unlearn" your previous computers.

Example: When the finder gets the permanent rotating beachball, you don't shutdown your computer. Just force the Finder to quit. Go to the Apple menu > Force Quit.... Select Finder from the list. You may also press [Apple]-[option]-[esc]. This will also bring up the list of running apps. Select Finder. The Finder will restart immediately after you force it to quit.

 

[Bluefusion]

MisterMe is very right; your new Mac is not an unstable, always tottering-on-the-brink-of-crashing Windows machine. When a program misbehaves, you simply drop it out of the list and relaunch it.

And unless you really enjoy using the Terminal to kill processes, a much easier and more friendly way to do so is to use Activty Monitor, in your Applications folder. Its Dock icon also doubles as a CPU monitor if you want it to, which is cool

As for Exposé, I've never quite understood using Hot Corners for that; since in OS X you can assign ANY KEYBOARD SHORTCUT to any command in any application (even ones not made by Apple) by going to the Keyboard system preference pane, it makes sense to pick an Exposé keyboard command that's easy and makes sense to you! Then again, I have a four-button Logitech Dual Optical (no longer made, sadly) which has the thumb button linked to Application Windows mode, and the scrollwheel button linked to All Windows mode... soooo cool.

 

[recoilfx]

guys..... i did mention that i tried to force quit/command-alt-esc.. it just didn't work at all... when even killall didnt work at the terminal, i gave up and shut down the laptop...

anyhow finder is pissing me off, whats a good(or better, permentant!) replacement for it?

 

[recoilfx]

woohoooo network problem solved!!!

i just needed to modify a few settings thru the terminal:

sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.mssdflt=1460
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.sendspace=65535
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.recvspace=65535
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.newreno=1

got it from macosxhints.com

yayyyyyy

 

[FightTheFuture]

didn't realize you were a unix guy till you started pointing out your terminal app killing. i would've pointed you to that site earlier. there's also a unix hack on that site that'll speed up the page loading in safari.

 

[ocellnuri]

I use Sidetrack to map Expose to a tap in the lower left corner of my trackpad. Made all the difference in the world.

 

[recoilfx]

wow the corner taps are really cool!! they got that in the synaptic driver but i never used it.. now i guess i shouldve/have to use it
anyhow, hehe i ask so many questions, does any one know if there is short cut key for contextual menu, like the contextual menu key on a windows keyboard? i dont mean ctrl+click.. it needs to be all keyboard based...

so far i find the preferenes files located at my ~/library to be extremely cool.. so many things to edit kinda like the windows registry i guess.... except a lot better organized and hopefully less corruption nightmares