Apple computers for Windows users.

WHEN you’ re a Your windows program user, don’ t switch the page.
This isn’ t going to be one particular annoying “ Gee, isn’ big t the Mac great? ” or perhaps “ Why I chose the Mac over Windows” articles that Apple enthusiasts have inflicted on the rest of the world for years. I’ ve had my fill of the – and they don’ t get any better, even though I’ meters a Mac user currently.
I’ m writing this column for famous brands my colleagues Rome, any long-time Windows user exactly who recently bought an iBook, or perhaps Connie, who dreams to getting one free from the editor.
Windows users are very different from novices. Shaped simply by years of experience, they approach a pc expecting to do things within a certain way. Dissonance sets in if they find that the common tasks they employed to perform on Windows are not anymore available – or, as more inclined the case, accessible by way of a different set of statements. Here then, is several practical advice from people who’ s been inside the trenches.
Delete. The “ delete” key over a Mac doesn’ t perform like its Windows opposite number. Instead of deleting the character to the right in the cursor and closing in the space, the Mac delete works just like the backspace key. To pick up Windows-style delete, hold straight down the “ fn” important before hitting the erase key.
Of Mice and even Macs. Apple only recently discovered the benefit of a right mouse tab. Don’ t fret. Any old USB optical mouse will continue to work. I personally prefer an excellent wheel to the tiny button on Apple’ azines Mighty Mouse. Just such as Windows, you can right-click by using an icon to activate an important context-sensitive menu. On an important notebook touch pad, keep down the “ ctrl” key and click on an icon to obtain the same effect.
Windows Mass media Player. Forget Windows Media Player for your Mac. The reviews are already rather bad. In certainty, forget QuickTime, which won’ big t play AVI or WMV records, and won’ t go full screen if you don't upgrade to a paid off version. Download VLC Mass media Player (http: //www. videolan. org/), a free multi-platform technique that will do every one of the above and play Dvd videos, MP3 and MP4 files as well. For some reason, VCD playback will be choppy, so for which you can use MPlayer (also free) or maybe QuickTime.
iTunes, ShmyTunes. Many individuals swear by iTunes, but in the event you don’ t have a iPod, you’ re possibly better off using VLC Newspaper and tv Player to play a music. It’ s a smaller amount intrusive – it won’ t offer to scan your hard disk drive for songs, try to distribute you music, give you unnecessary information regarding licensing or eat all the way up more disk space by simply duplicating your songs in its very own directory. It will simply just play your sweet tracks. On an iBook, VLC may also play music louder.
Record associations. So how will you tell a Mac towards always use VLC that will play your AVI or perhaps MP3 files? Easy. Right select any MP3 file together with choose “ Get Info” from your context menu. In that “ Open with” part, choose VLC player. Then click the Change All button to utilize the same file connection everywhere else.
Finding products. Finding files on the Mac can be quite a challenge if you’ re utilized to Windows Explorer. Macs have got Finder, which has simple differences. The sidebar about Finder isn’ t exactly like the folders view relating to Explorer, which gives that you' hierarchical view of an individual's directory. The top half Finder shows you what precisely drives – including those over a network – that it is easy to access. The bottom half the sidebar contains techniques to folders and files you receive often. While you’ re still familiarizing yourself having Finder, try using Highlight, a powerful search utility which will help you find what you will want quickly. Just click on the particular blue and white icon at the top right portion of your screen and type. Spotlight will quickly guess what you would like.
Ways to skin a new Mac. With the doable exception of games, most Windows xp applications have Mac counterparts. As an example, there’ s no Mac version of my personal favorite BitTorrent client, uTorrent, but an application called Transmission does the identical job very well. You can find versions of MS Office for your Mac, of course, yet there’ s also an important freeware equivalent called NeoOffice. The FTP program I take advantage of on XP, WS FTP, isn’ t available around the Mac, but I’ ve received Cyberduck working just very good. Instant messaging? Forget Yahoo or MSN Messenger and acquire Adium.
Just about the thing I still can’ t access it the Mac these days is known as a free version of Freecell that’ s as slick as the one which comes with XP. Who says everything is better for the Mac?