Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Windows to Mac conversion experience

C

cbougher

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 19, 2006
34
0
Atlanta, GA
I've recently switched from Windows to Mac. I've been using my macbook pro for about six months now. I wanted to post my thoughts on switchinf for those who are thinking about it and to possibly get advice on how to work around the issues I have.

Cons:
1. No applications menu. It gets old having to either search for the app I want to run or manually creating alias' to place on my cluttered desktop.
2. Single mouse button.
3. Having to "Quit" apps. After I've closed the last window I generally want to quit.
4. Uninstalling apps. I find that just dragging the app to the trash doesn't remove all the other files the program may create like settings and such.

Pros:
1. I love the interface. It is very intuitive.
2. It starts fast.
3. Multiple desktops. Very cool.

Bottom line is I'm having with the Mac and I think other Windows users would be too.
 
cbougher said:
1. No applications menu. It gets old having to either search for the app I want to run or manually creating alias' to place on my cluttered desktop.
Click to expand...
Just put the Applications folder down in your dock. Then you can right click it to get a pop-up menu of everything in there.
2. Single mouse button.
Click to expand...
You've turned on the two-finger right click in the Mouse preferences, right?
3. Having to "Quit" apps. After I've closed the last window I generally want to quit.
Click to expand...
That's just a Mac thing you'll have to get used to. Because the Mac has always had a document-focus, not an application-focus, that's just how it works. I actually prefer it to the Windows method.
4. Uninstalling apps. I find that just dragging the app to the trash doesn't remove all the other files the program may create like settings and such.
Click to expand...
No, it doesn't. But, then again, you really don't NEED to delete those other things. They're just text files, essentially. They do nothing on their own, so it's not really a big deal. And other "big" apps that do create lots of files elsewhere tend to come with uninstallers.
 
cbougher said:
2. Single mouse button.
Click to expand...

All I have to add to the post above me is... buy a multi-button mouse!:)

With the trackpad you can scroll, left click, right click. It's all very intuitive. But for long periods of work, there's nothing like a real mouse, on any laptop (provided you have your computer sitting on a desk or another surface where you have enough free space to place it on)
 
cbougher said:
I've recently switched from Windows to Mac. I've been using my macbook pro for about six months now. I wanted to post my thoughts on switchinf for those who are thinking about it and to possibly get advice on how to work around the issues I have.

Cons:
1. No applications menu. It gets old having to either search for the app I want to run or manually creating alias' to place on my cluttered desktop.
2. Single mouse button.
3. Having to "Quit" apps. After I've closed the last window I generally want to quit.
4. Uninstalling apps. I find that just dragging the app to the trash doesn't remove all the other files the program may create like settings and such.

Pros:
1. I love the interface. It is very intuitive.
2. It starts fast.
3. Multiple desktops. Very cool.

Bottom line is I'm having with the Mac and I think other Windows users would be too.
Click to expand...

1. That's what the dock's for. Drag the Applications folder to the right hand side of the dock. Drag commonly used apps to the other part of the dock. I only have my hard drive icon on my desktop - that's all you need.

2. So plug in a USB mouse or control-click.

3. For most apps (Safari etc.) I just close the windows and leave it running in the background using very little system resources and it's available for instant use when I need it. Just command-Q when you want to quit, you get used to it.

4. The preference files take up almost no space and have no underlying effect on the system unlike leftover dll's in Windows. Preference files remain so that if you ever re-install the app, it opens up exactly the way you left it. If you're really paranoid about preference files, use the program Appzapper to uninstall applications.
 
cbougher said:
I've recently switched from Windows to Mac. I've been using my macbook pro for about six months now. I wanted to post my thoughts on switchinf for those who are thinking about it and to possibly get advice on how to work around the issues I have.

Cons:
1. No applications menu. It gets old having to either search for the app I want to run or manually creating alias' to place on my cluttered desktop.
2. Single mouse button.
3. Having to "Quit" apps. After I've closed the last window I generally want to quit.
4. Uninstalling apps. I find that just dragging the app to the trash doesn't remove all the other files the program may create like settings and such.

Pros:
1. I love the interface. It is very intuitive.
2. It starts fast.
3. Multiple desktops. Very cool.

Bottom line is I'm having with the Mac and I think other Windows users would be too.
Click to expand...

Would love a clarification: what are you having with the Mac?

;)
 
If you dont want the entire App folder in your dock like others have suggested, just drag your more commonly used apps to the dock. Thats what its for. One click and you are into your app.

BTW I have NO icons on my desktop whatsoever, alias' are rarely needed at all.

EDIT: I am intrigued by the 'multiple desktops' you mentioned. Have I been missing something all these months or what? If its a hack I dont want to know. Im still waiting for virtual desktops in Leopard. ???
 
I use quicksilver to launch any app. Just 2-3 taps on the keyboard and my app opens up! I am getting addicted to QuickSilver and i highly recommend everyone to download it. Its FREE!
 
Thanks for the replies! You know I have an alias to the applications folder on my desktop. It never occurred to me to put that in the dock (duh).

I did get a 2 button mouse but since I have a laptop I still have to go back to one sometimes. I did turn on the two-finger click but I find it non-intuitive.

I have no clue what I meant on that final line. Must have been thinking something else.

Don't get me wrong I am happy with my purchase and I will continue to use Apple computers going forward. I just wanted to see if there were work arounds for these issues and to also give a heads up to potential switchers.

Thanks
 
cbougher said:
I did turn on the two-finger click but I find it non-intuitive.
Click to expand...

I found it weird at first too, but now I think it's the best thing ever, and I actually prefer it to a second physical button on a laptop. The number of situations in which I'd need to click both at once is VERY small, so...

And yeah, wasn't trying to jump on you. The "one button" thing just tends to get our hackles up. Mostly because that complaint strikes most of us as "so 1997." ;)
 
colocolo said:
All I have to add to the post above me is... buy a multi-button mouse!:)

With the trackpad you can scroll, left click, right click. It's all very intuitive. But for long periods of work, there's nothing like a real mouse, on any laptop (provided you have your computer sitting on a desk or another surface where you have enough free space to place it on)
Click to expand...

Hmm...I've never had strain issues with the trackpad. I think the best thing is actually to get used to the 2-finger right-clicking and scrolling. I find it to be much more natural feeling, actually. I mean, my fingers never have to leave the trackpad for anything I want to do. I think the only laptop pointing device that has it beat is still the IBM "eraserhead" pointing device, since for that one your fingers don't even have to leave the keyboard, and you can left click, right click, or scroll with the buttons that are right below the space bar on the keyboard. So that still takes the prize for intuitive, low-strain input device, but I would rank the MacBook/Pro's 2-finger enabled trackpad just below that.

FYI, I'm now to the point where I can play WoW for hours at a time with the trackpad as my only pointing device (granted WoW is much more keyboard-centric than mouse-centric). The only thing that's kind of hard to do is turning when swimming underwater, which in WoW is *right* click and drag. But almost no apps ever have a right click and drag. I love my lil' MacBook!!
 
lmalave said:
I think the only laptop pointing device that has it beat is still the IBM "eraserhead" pointing device, since for that one your fingers don't even have to leave the keyboard, and you can left click, right click, or scroll with the buttons that are right below the space bar on the keyboard.
Click to expand...

Ugh, you LIKE those things? I can't STAND them. Too joystick-like and inaccurate. Personally, I wish they still built trackballs into laptops, but I think those days are unfortunately long behind us. But I'll take a touchpad over the little nipple mouse any day.
 
for 4) download AppZapper - it gets rid of the app and all its config files. and even has a cool 'zap' effect :)
 
As stated, the detritus left behind by drag-and-trashed apps is typically incredibly small, and unlike Windows, there's no DLL conflicts and no Registry to cause problems with other apps. That being said, if you still feel like you need something to remove apps, take a look at AppZapper.
 
killmoms said:
Ugh, you LIKE those things? I can't STAND them. Too joystick-like and inaccurate. Personally, I wish they still built trackballs into laptops, but I think those days are unfortunately long behind us. But I'll take a touchpad over the little nipple mouse any day.
Click to expand...

Umm...have you used one lately? I have a Thinkpad T42 and I don't see how you can say the pointer is inaccurate - certainly not compared to a trackpad or trackball! The only major flaw with it is that sometimes it gets "stuck" in a certain direction and the pointer will drift for a few inches before coming to a complete stop. But it doesn't happen that often and overall I prefer this pointing device though...
 
lmalave said:
Umm...have you used one lately? I have a Thinkpad T42 and I don't see how you can say the pointer is inaccurate - certainly not compared to a trackpad or trackball! The only major flaw with it is that sometimes it gets "stuck" in a certain direction and the pointer will drift for a few inches before coming to a complete stop. But it doesn't happen that often and overall I prefer this pointing device though...
Click to expand...

I preferred the "eraserhead" mouse to the touchpad also, though it did make my finger a bit sore. Maybe I was pushing too hard. :rolleyes:
 
lmalave said:
Umm...have you used one lately? I have a Thinkpad T42 and I don't see how you can say the pointer is inaccurate - certainly not compared to a trackpad or trackball! The only major flaw with it is that sometimes it gets "stuck" in a certain direction and the pointer will drift for a few inches before coming to a complete stop. But it doesn't happen that often and overall I prefer this pointing device though...
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that's exactly the point, and the definition of inaccurate. I've never liked these either. It is too tricky to get the speed correct with such small play.

About #2 in the OP:
I must be in a small group, but I love the tapping feature of trackpads, and Apple's is the best. Turning that and the 2-finger-right-click on makes a one finger tap a click and a 2 finger tap a right click. Very intuitive to me. I barely use the actual button anymore.
 
MacboobsPro said:
EDIT: I am intrigued by the 'multiple desktops' you mentioned. Have I been missing something all these months or what? If its a hack I dont want to know. Im still waiting for virtual desktops in Leopard. ???
Click to expand...

Desktop Manager. It is free. Pretty sweet. I have 4 running right now. Very similar to "Spaces," but with less application integration.
 
JAT said:
About #2 in the OP:
I must be in a small group, but I love the tapping feature of trackpads, and Apple's is the best. Turning that and the 2-finger-right-click on makes a one finger tap a click and a 2 finger tap a right click. Very intuitive to me. I barely use the actual button anymore.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think one you get used to it things move faster. With 2 button track pads I remember having to do some weird reaching or use 2 hands to right click.
 
I agree with most of the cons you list, and some of the Pro's.... I think long time apple users see OS X as intuitive being as its what they are used to, I find some things to be and others not so much...lol.. the whole dragging an application somewhere sure isn't as easy as clicking yes a few times in an installer... I know I catch all kinds of flack, but I use 3 different OS's everyday all day and I give them all their plus's and minus's... having to command - delete to delete a file took me a month to figure out...lol.. why my imac has two delete keys that do two different things (forward and backward delete) still seems odd... just name one backspace like the rest of the world...lol.. I'll stop now to stop the flames, but enjoy all the cool applications that apple has, they sure are fun

DD
 
Yes Desktop Manager is what I was referring to. It is very nice.

And yes the two delete keys are weird also the lack of a numlock key.

Also on he two finger thing I will probably get used to it. But when I am home I attach a two button mouse. At work I use XP so the only time I use the trackpad is when I go mobile, usually at school.

One thing I've noticed is that Mac users seem to be more on the power user side. If they find a hole in the system they will find a way to work around it whereas Windows users just accept how Windows works at face value. There seem to be alot of shell enhancement type apps for the Mac and it appears as though many times their features get rolled into the system. It's actually pretty cool. Sort of like the OS can learn how we work and adapt to us rather than us adapt to it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back