Want to switch to Mac? (First questions)
Several readers of our website are looking for information related to the use of Mac computers, as they are new users of the software Apple OS X. The reasons that led them to leave the Windows environment and enter the Apple world focus mainly on three points.
They have been disgusted by the various problems they have with Windows software, have acquired an iPhone or other device and are happy with it, or have friends or other family members whom they trust and have passed on their experience to them. But there are other questions that need answers.
It should be understood that more than half of the visitors to Apple product outlets, who wish to buy an Apple product, are Mac computer, including Apple Stores, are new users to the platform.
If you are one of them, you should know that you are not alone. Apple has spent a lot of time making this transfer as painless as possible for all of you.
Let's give our own answers to some of them. First of all, we should refer to costs.
Don't Mac computers cost a lot of money?
Actually no, they don't cost anything and we'll explain. You can certainly spend a lot of money on a Mac, but you have the option of starting with a Mac mini, which costs around €500. As strange as the Mac mini model may seem to you, it is ideal for most users.
Mac mini lets you make use of your existing screen from your PC, as well as the keyboard and mouse. You could certainly find a Windows PC for that money, but it would be an interesting challenge to find a computer as well equipped as the Mac mini at that price - including, the software which is the same as on the larger versions of the Mac.
In addition the Mac mini does not include a number of trial programs or other unnecessary files.
But how complex is their use?
Isn't using a Mac more complicated than using a Windows computer?
Just like all things take some time to get used to, the same applies to switching from PCs to Macs. There are differences between the two computer systems.
The Command key performs commands similar to the control key of a PC. The option key has been replaced by the alt key, and the absence of some keys on the mouse or trackpad confuses PC users (we'll come back to this part).
Apple knows this and has included instructions to help you make the transition to the system, correctly. If you click on the Help tab of the Finder menu you will find a "Get to know your Mac" option.
Selecting it will take you to a subsection on the official Apple website, which will show you how to manage a Mac. Again select "Help" from the menu, then "Mac Help" and under Mac Information select Your first Mac and you will find a wealth of useful information. Everything you want to know is there.
Yes, but won't we need additional peripherals specifically for Mac computers?
Do I need to use a special mouse/keyboard/storage tray/printer?
Categorically No. Apple confirms that any peripheral designed to work with a PC is equally compatible with a Mac.
External mice are recognised as soon as you plug them into the computer, and contrary to some people's belief, it recognises all their keys (many manufacturers give instructions for recognising a secondary key - right click - and customising it).
Keyboards also work normally - Mac computers prompt you to type in order to coordinate with them. As for external hard drives, they should be formatted for use on a Mac via the disk formatter utility found in the Utilities folder (disk utility).
If your Mac does not have driver software for a printer, it is possible to download the necessary program from Apple's servers without the need for any action on your part.
What about documents in Word, Excel and Power point?
Does the Office productivity suite work on Mac computers?
Yes, they work. Η Microsoft has been developing versions of Office for Mac computers for several years. You can buy them as a one-off or if you prefer you can subscribe to Microsoft's Office 365 program (for $ 10 per month) which you can install.
It's worth mentioning that Office is now available completely free of charge on iOS. For casual Office users, none of the above is necessary. Apple has developed its own productivity suite of useful apps, which mimic the Office apps.
For example, Apple developed the Pages application for word processing, the Numbers application as spreadsheets and the Keynote application for creating presentations (analogs of Word, Excel and Power Point). All of these applications have the ability to import and export Office files.
Apple, until September 2013, charged for all these applications but now they are provided free with every new Mac computer. Surely some users wish to make use of the Office suite, no problem, the alternative however exists.
Are there anti-viruses for Mac computers?
Mac computers are not affected by viruses?
Mac computers are not as susceptible as almost most computers to malware infections, such as viruses, trojans, keyloggers, etc. Most of these are aimed at the poor security of Windows software. Apple has its own countermeasures to deal with these kinds of issues.
Anti-malware software called Gatekeeper is included in the Security & Privacy settings section of a Mac's system preferences. In fact apps on the Mac are actually installed through the Mac App Store, so the company controls the software, avoiding these kinds of problems.
You have the option to override these preference settings if you don't have issues with adware software. We would not agree with such an action unless you are really very careful. Some companies have developed anti-malware programs for Mac. Normally they are not needed, but we mention that they exist if you want extra security.
I have a program that only runs on Windows what can I do?
Although there are applications that are only for Windows operating system, however there are similar applications in OS X software. By doing a search, you are most likely to find a similar one. Mac computers run a different operating system than Windows computers, and obviously the same application that is compatible on a PC cannot run on a Mac computer under normal circumstances.
But, Mac computers have a flexible operating system that can be configured to run Windows applications. In particular, Apple has created a program called Boot Camp that will allow you to create a separate partition on your disk to use as a Windows environment and manage it accordingly.
When your Mac computer is turned on in a Windows environment, it's considered a Windows PC, with all that implies for programs and management.
It should be mentioned here that one disadvantage of the Boot Camp program is the need to restart your Mac every time you want to change the operating system.
If there is a need for concurrent use, you will need to install a virtual machine application, which will allow you to switch between the two operating systems. Such applications are available for free, under the title VirtualBox, as well as the popular Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion.
The latter can be downloaded and tested in their trial version before you make a purchase. Keep in mind that you will need a copy of Windows (and the applications you wish to install) to use them on your Mac.
Can I transfer my data from my computer?
You can very easily. as long as you copy them to an external disk via USB, or any data transfer device, to connect it on a Mac computer and transfer your data. Apple has included app in the Utilities folder entitled 'Relocation Assistant', offering the ability to copy content from your PC to the same user directory, on your new computer, Mac.
This application works in conjunction with another Windows computer assistant application, which can be downloaded from the Apple website (Migration Assistant for Windows).
Here we will stop the analysis somewhere in order to put our advice into practice. If there are any unanswered questions regarding this topic (there certainly will be), we are happy to answer them in the comments.
from DINFUN
