3 months with my mac - time to change the blog, and say something about right click
So, now I am using my Macbook Pro for 3 months already, and very happy with the decision. It is time to change the mode of this blog, and add not only new Mac adventures, but also useful tips for new Mac users. On your right you will see a new category called tips. There you will be able to see simple to use Mac tips and tricks of features that cannot be found on PC.
Here is the first one:
PC users are used to one of the most important mouse buttons - the right click. Alas, Apple mouse and touch pad have only one button!
Actually it is not that complicated. You can right click an item with your laptop by pressing ctrl and clicking the trackpad/mouse button at the same time.
But if you want to be really cool, do the following:
1. Go to system preferences, and in the hardware section chose keyboard & mouse.
2. In the touchpad tab, check the option: "For secondary clicks press two fingers…. "
And now - you can right click with putting two fingers on the trackpad and clicking the trackpad button.
Cool isn’t it?
Mac - not just a pretty face.
A month after using my Mac I am still in love. It is a fact, not something to rationalize. It is a mystery for me in many aspects - as this is still a laptop that I use for work among other things.
Every feature you have on a Mac- you can find on a PC. You can install tons of applications that mimic a Mac behavior. there is no match for the amount of 3rd party development for Windows OS. Every Machead who is missing this point is fighting the wrong battle.
For me, the beauty of Mac is the overall package. Everything is working in the same convention, with an astonishing UI, great 3D effects, clean interface and consistent user experience. I know what I get when I install a Mac application. I know that it would be coherent with the overall Mac experience - slick, and easy to use when you get the hang of the Mac usability concepts.
Another key aspect of Mac is productivity. Yes, the UI features are cool, and it is a shiny machine that gets the attention in every coffee shop or meeting, BUT these features are more than just eye candy:
- Quicksilver is a real time saver, with its ability to launch and manipulate files and applications.
- The Automator is a simple way to create your own applications for repetitive activities. It took me 5 minutes to do a small application that when ever I copy text, with one click, a new mail is opened containing the copied text. Cool isn’t it?
These two application are possible due to the strong scripting API many Mac applications have, and is embedded in the OS itself.
Couple of other productivity features:
- Quick Look, that lets you see file content without opening them, saves a lot of time when receiving mail attachments or going through folders.
Spaces and Expose save time in finding, organizing, and working on specific tasks (I’d write about it more in a separate post).
So, as you can see, Mac is more than a pretty face.
Episode 9: Importing address book and Calendar - The Plaxo way
One of the key issues in moving to a new computer and OS is how to import contacts from Outlook information to Apple Mail and Address book. A simple neat way of doing that is to use Plaxo.
Plaxo had its share of bad reviews in the past, mainly due to their annoying update emails. However the ability to sync calendar and contacts is very appealing in my opinion.
I chose to do the following:
1. Install Plaxo plug-in on my Outlook.
2. Install Plaxo on my Mac
3. Sync my Outlook contacts with Plaxo
4. Sync my Mac using Plaxo
That’s it. all my contacts are in my Mac, without touching anything else. More to it - I know that all my application are always up to date. any change I am doing in any of the computers is synced to the other.
Tags: plaxo, outlook, address book, contacts, mac, apple, windows
Episode 8: Hey, I converted 2 people already!
This young blog has influenced two buying decisions, one of a friend and one of a complete stranger - who decided to buy a Mac instead of a new Windows laptop.
Episode 7: Applications for Mac Migrants
As a new Mac user, applications are a tricky thing. Which ones to install? Which ones are really needed? Where can I find them?
So, as a responsible Mac Migrant, here are the applications I’ve installed and found most useful in the first couple of weeks of using my Mac:
1. VLC player - had it on the PC, no need to leave it out after the switch. An amazing application, plays all video files you can imagine, and provides a good replacement for Quicktime, that doesn’t support AVI format.
2. Flip4Mac - Safari plug-in that plays WMV files, and solves online video issues.
3. Byte controller -a cool little application that adds iTunes controller to the top part of the screen. VERY useful.
4. Qumana - blog editor for Mac (thanks Nir!). Not as amazing as Windows Live Writer, but still very good. This post is written while using it.
5. Firefox - well, you have more sites that are working with Firefox than Safari…
6. Adium - multi protocol IM client, aggregating MSN, Gtalk, AOL, and other IM clients. Works great, and has a plug-in for Skype IM.
7. StuffIt - extractor software, just like WinZip. Small and cool.
Happy Holidays!
Tags: vlc, flip4mac, bytecontroller, qumana, firefox, adium, stuffit mac, macbook pro, apple
Episode 6: Is it worth the pain?
Ok, this post is written while I am extremely annoyed with my new computer. It is sexy, shiny, amazing. But the new keyboard layout is definitely my biggest issue as a Mac Migrant. How the hell do you minimize all open windows, reply to all recipients, create a new theme in Keynote, or create templates in Pages? These activities took me 5 nanoseconds on my windows and office computer. It is definitely slowing me down on my new computer. Not to mention all those annoying sites that think that Internet Explorer is the ONLY browser in the world.
But then again - was worth it?
I can tell you that though I am extremely annoyed now with the need to learn trivial actions like a baby with his first computer, I am having a lot of fun with this product. I create videos and podcasts in seconds, amazing presentations and the computer is responding very fast.
Does it get stuck? No. Do applications crash sometimes? Yes. It is an amazing computer, but still, it is a computer.
I hope to learn the shortcuts soon, and increase my productivity as much as possible.
BTW - I’ve opened a Facebook group for this blog, where people can ask questions and get some answers - all dedicated to new Mac Migrants like me. Feel free to join - we need all the help you can offer!
Stay tuned…
Tags: Mac, Apple, Macbook Pro, Windows, Pages, Keynote, Keyboard shortcuts
Episode 5: Staring at the Keyboard
One of the pains of moving to a new operation system is the keyboard and mouse behavior. It is a challenge, and I often find myself staring at my keyboard, trying to do a simple thing, and feeling helpless.
Here are couple of example from the first days with my Mac:
While working on one of the applications I wanted to open it to full screen. So like every Windows user - I’ve double clicked on the top end of the application window.
What immediately minimized it to the Mac equivalent of a task bar.
So I did it again. And got the same result.
Interesting. The truth is that there is no full screen in Mac. Unless they decide that you really need it. Mac has a nice + icon on top of every window, that when pressed, increases the window to the best viewable size. Cool, but needs getting used to.
The same goes to most keyboard shortcuts. Instead of Control, Mac has a funny apple button. And a ctrl one. and alt. and function. So, I am still pressing every combination possible to find what’s working.
In general the Apple button is the Mac equivalent of CTRL in windows. Besides the cases when it isn’t :).
The only way to really get along with all these changes, is to try and try again. nothing can beat that. I went through some online manuals, but I can tell you that for me, that made the whole difference.
Episode 4: The Macbook WOW effect
So after a lot of hardship I was at my house with my closed box of Macbook Pro.
You have to see it in order to understand the difference between buying a new laptop and buying a new Macbook Pro.
When I bought my LG laptop, things were simple. I got a box, with a computer in it. Buying a Macbook was nothing like it.
Really.
The black well designed box opened to reveal a well covered Silver laptop. When removing the laptop, one will find a small black box, with booklets and CDs. No plastic bags or anything like that, besides one for the Front Row remote controller. And on every piece of equipment, one can find the writing: Designed By Apple Inc.
What a great way to explain the difference between Macbook and a regular laptop. This is a designer products. other laptops are just for work. This one is for your living room as well.
But the real WOW started when I’ve opened the computer.
A short video clip started, welcoming me in different languages. Then I was asked for my name, chose a hotspot and that’s it.
Really. That’s it.
Less than 8 minutes from the time I’ve opened the box - I was already browsing. How cool is that?
More to it - I was already connected to my editing computer and could browse my media folders there. HOW COOL IS THAT?
Then I’ve realized that this product has one key differentiator - IT JUST WORKS. nothing more, nothing less. You know, like a light bulb. You just open it and starts to work, no long configuration process, no annoying wizards. Name, password, and hotspot.
I am in love.
Tags: Macbook pro, LG, migrant, PC, windows
Episode 3: To Switch or not to Switch
As you remember, my laptop was dying and many of my friend had a Mac. The idea to do the switch to a new operation system started to nest in my mind.
The thing is that all my life I’ve worked with DOS and Windows, excluding the Dragon 32 my brother bought in the early 80’s, and the Amiga my friend had. So moving to a new operation system wasn’t an easy decision. Also, I needed to consider how can I work with all my past documents.
So I did what every smart person would do - I’ve sent a question in Facebook, asking whether to switch to Mac.
Then the answers started to flow.
It is as if there is a cult of Apple lovers around the globe. They penetrate social networks and invade bodies of my friends, making them write amazing reviews on their products.
No one told me not to do that - the only difference between the responses was the level of enthusiasm from Apple’s product. Phil, a good friend from the UK, said that things just work on that platform. Bjorn from Sweden, emailed a long response, explaining how good is this platform and easy to use. Other’s left me comments such as - a life changing experience, once you go Mac you’ll never go back, and so on and so forth.
But the one that really caught my attention is a friend who said the following:" with Mac you suddenly remember that the computer supposed to work for you, not the other way around"
This was my biggest grief with my past laptops. annoying software, tons of updates, and an interface that is not intuitive to many are hallmarks of Windows for me.
After that it was just a matter of time before I bought my Macbook Pro.
And if you thought that was an easy task - read the next episode.
Episode 2: Feeling An Outsider
So, it was clear it was about time to lay my laptop to sleep, and let it slowly die and become an item in the history of computing museum collection. It was fun working with that nice little LG device, but at the end of the day, I just couldn’t afford waiting 30 minutes for an app to open.
I was thinking about that on my way to the airport, going to another convention about Video on the net. sitting in the room packed of enthusiastic bloggers, vloggers, and telecom reporters, it hit me.
I am different.
Just like all those American movies about nerds and cool guys.
Just like all those stories about the one person that wasn’t a part of the gang.
I was sitting there, surrounded by all those shiny happy people - and they were all using Macs.
They all opened their laptops - and they worked instantly.
They all had a little shiny apple logo on the back of their screen.
They all had a neat and cool desktop that did strange things when they clicked on icons.
One of my friends did what Mac addicts see as complete blasphemy- he took his Dell computer - and put an Apple sticker on its back.
The seed was sown.
