• FAQ on switching from Windows to Mac - hot buttons, analogue programs, external drive. My transition from Windows to Mac

    Updated: 03/04/2017 Oleg Lazhechnikov

    32

    Just recently I voiced mine and now, as promised, I am publishing a mini-faq on the topic of switching from Windows to Mac. If anyone remembers, at the very beginning I asked several questions about the use of poppy. Then I asked if there was a manual for beginners on the Internet. I was advised a lot of things in the comments, but no one gave me a link to the summary post, apparently everyone figured it out themselves without any problems. In principle, this is really true, it’s not difficult to figure it out, much easier than it seems. But nevertheless, I still wrote this article, which will contain what I needed then. Someone might find this useful during the transition.

    The touchpad has taps and clicks (it presses quite hard), as well as various gestures. Therefore, first of all, you need to go to Programs/System Settings/Trackpad and look at everything that is there, some of the questions will end there. The touchpad here is excellent, and I don’t really use a mouse yet, I hope to get used to it without it, since when traveling it’s not always convenient due to the need for an additional surface.

    I will list the most basic actions on the touchpad.

    Double click: double tap or single click.

    Middle click: cmd + tap.

    Selecting text: Click on the touchpad and, without releasing it, select the text. But you can’t do it through a double tap, as you can on Windows.

    Moving a browser window or tab: Click on the touchpad and, without letting go, drag it where you need it. But it’s easier to do it with two fingers, click with one in the lower left corner (the cursor should be on the window title), and drag with the second. The second method allows you to drag to any distance, while the first is limited by the size of the touchpad.

    Scroll down or up: Move up or down with two fingers at the same time (very convenient).

    Three fingers up gesture: we get into mission control, or if, in Russian, then all windows are reduced and we see all running applications on the desktop at once. By clicking on the reduced window it is now very easy to go to the desired application.

    Three finger left/right gesture: We move between desktops.

    The last two gestures are just mega-convenient! Now I can’t imagine how you can work without them.

    Multiple desktops

    Desktops can be created while in Mission Control mode. You can run the required number of applications on any desktop or move existing ones there. Someone, for example, divides them by topic: work, communication, entertainment. Also, any application switched to “full screen” mode (usually shift+cmd+F) itself creates a new desktop. True, in this case, only one can be located on this desktop. Thus, we have the required number of desktops, each of which contains, or one full-screen
    application, or several application windows.

    Hot buttons on mac

    What’s convenient is that the basic shortcuts are valid for any program, such as “open settings.” This will work everywhere. No less convenient is that you can create hotkeys for yourself for almost any action in any program. This is done in System Settings/Keyboard/Keyboard Shortcuts.

    To the end of the page: cmd + down arrow
    To the top of the page: cmd + up arrow

    At the end of the phrase: cmd + right arrow
    To the beginning of the phrase: cmd + left arrow

    Close a frozen application: option + cmd + escape. Or open System Monitor (located in Programs), this is an analogue of the task manager, and there we select the process to close.

    Hide the Dock: option + cmd + D. Frees up space on the screen, and appears only when you hover the cursor.

    Copy: cmd+C
    Insert: cmd + V
    Cut in Finder: first just copy and then paste via option + cmd + V
    Regular cutting: cmd + X. Works in all programs, and in particular in Pathfinder.
    Delete: cmd+delete

    Switch layout: cmd + space
    Cancel switching layouts punto switcher: option

    Launch the spotlight window: control + space. Spotlight is a global search for poppies.

    Exit the application: cmd + Q. Not exactly the same as the red cross, because some applications remain hanging in the background when you click on the cross. And here is a complete exit.
    Close application window: cmd + W. It is convenient to close browser tabs or the Finder window (it always opens as a window).

    Expand the window to full screen: control + command + F (less often shift+cmd+F)

    Dot: cmd+7
    Comma: cmd+6

    Open program settings: cmd + ,

    External hard drive on mac

    I discovered the unpleasant news that Windows and Mac have different file systems, which means the external hard drive can be used by default either with a MacBook or with a Windows laptop. That is, my hard drive, formatted in NTFS, is visible on the Mac, but you can only copy files from it to the laptop, and you cannot write it back. To be fair, I can say that if the hard disk is reformatted to HFS+ (Mac file system), then Windows will not see such a disk at all, neither for copying nor for writing.

    There are more or less ways out of this situation:

    • Format hard drive to FAT32. But there will be a file size limit of 4 GB.
    • Leave the hard drive in NTFS and install the NTFS Tools, NTFS-3G, Paragon NTFS, Tuxera NTFS and the like drivers on the Mac. The solution is bad because you can lose all the data on the external drive if you use it frequently with a Mac. Also, not all Mac programs will be able to work with the disk directly (I read about this, but did not check).
    • Format the disk in HFS+ and install Mac Browser on Windows. The same thing, you can lose data if you use it frequently on Windows.
    • Format in exFAT is seen by both operating systems, but the file system itself is not very suitable for storing important files, because it is not very reliable.

    I did it differently. Since the files on the hard drive are very important to me, sometimes I only have them in a single copy, and this disk is also working and I work with it every day, the choice is obvious to me - HFS+! This is the most stable and safe solution, and there is no need to install anything additional anywhere. But since sometimes I have to transfer files with a Windows laptop, I also created an exFAT partition on the disk with a size of 50 GB, this is quite enough to transfer files to Windows or work with this disk on it. As an option, set up a network between laptops and use network drives.

    Applications and analogues

    You can find all the programs with pills on all sorts of trackers. You can buy or download free ones on the App Store or official websites. In fact, there are quite a lot of free programs.

    Lightroom remains the same, there is a version for Mac with a tablet or for money. Instead, they still recommend a cheaper, but not worse analogue - Aperture, but I haven’t installed it yet because it’s unnecessary. And the analogue of Photoshop is Pixelmator, although Photoshop can also be installed.

    The built-in image viewers (there are two of them) by default do not allow you to scroll through photos from one folder; to do this, you need to select a group of files and press enter or spacebar, depending on which viewer you like best. One could get used to this additional action, but they scroll through Raw on Retina with a delay, and besides, small pictures are too small, the resolution is high.

    And I set myself free viewer XnviewMP. It scrolls through everything quickly, and scales the photo to fit the retina (multiplies the photo resolution by two), and in it you can change the image format, crop the photo, etc. The only bad thing is that it glitches a little for me, this is due to not remembering some settings. I also installed Xee and Sequential viewers, but they also scroll through RAW very slowly. Xee is still there and is used for scrolling through jpegs, perhaps I’ll just leave it, because I started watching Raw only in Lightroom. There is also a Viewer from the App Store for 169 rubles, which is simple and scrolls through everything in the folder, but also scrolls through RAW with a delay.

    Clipboard history - Clipmenu, free.

    Punto switcher has a version for Mac, it’s a pity it doesn’t have a diary, it’s free.

    Microsoft Office - available for Mac with tablet or for money.

    Life hack 2 - how to find a hotel 20% cheaper

    Thanks for reading

    4,00 out of 5 (ratings: 1)

    Comments (32)

      Oleg Lazhechnikov

      Oleg

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      Artem

      Vladimir Lapshin

      Pitfalls when switching from Windows to OS X. Impressions of using an iMac after a long time working on computers with Windows on board.

      Introduction and purchase background

      I've been thinking about changing my computer for a long time. The first thoughts began to appear after testing the budget nettop 3Q Sign. I immediately noticed that the room became suspiciously quiet. It turned out that my old “system unit” was very noisy, the noise of the coolers was just so familiar that I stopped paying attention to it. However, you quickly get used to good things, and after returning the nettop the difference in noise level was audible to the “naked ear.” Then thoughts about an “upgrade” began to appear. My “system unit” is about four years old; at one time it was bought as a gaming PC, but a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, and now I hardly play on the computer.

      After testing the nettop, it became clear: small, quiet boxes that don’t take up much space and are productive enough for everyday tasks are what I need.

      As luck would have it, various information about OS X appeared on Twitter and on the website; at about the same time, Alexander Zubkov published his huge “Experience in operating the Mac Mini”. I trust Sasha’s opinion; in many ways, our use cases from this article were similar, so I turned my attention to Apple technology.

      It was clear that if we were to take a Mac Mini, it would have to have an SSD, so as not to worry about the speed of operation. But I didn’t see such models available on any website (by the way, they have now appeared). It became clear that most likely I would have to install the disk myself. I adequately assessed my technical knowledge and decided that although I could install the SSD myself, it was better to turn to specialists.

      Among my friends there was only one person working in this field - Alexey, known to some of you on Twitter as @androidioswp. Lesha and I had a long conversation about customizing the Mac Mini: initially I planned to take the cheapest version and simply install a 128GB SSD + 1 or 2 TB hard drive into it. But it turned out that such an “upgrade” would be very expensive, and it was more profitable to take Mac version Mini is older (with Core i5 Quad-Core+1 TB HDD) and it’s easy to install a solid-state drive in it. Thus, the price tag for the Mac Mini gradually increased to 35 thousand for the configuration I needed.

      In addition to the nettop, I also wanted to replace the monitor. Artem Lutfullin rightly noted that this is the main tool for work, so there is no need to save on your eyes. He even recommended that I pay attention to the same monitor as his, we are talking about the Samsung SyncMaster S27A850D model. Its main features are a PLS matrix with soft colors and high resolution (2560x1440 pixels), as well as support for MiniDisplayPort (and the Mac Mini has a compatible Thunderbolt connector).

      Thus, the total cost of the computer was close to 60 thousand rubles. Continuing the discussion, Alexey mentioned that from conversations about custom Mac Minis, people often come to iMac. And then it dawned on me: the iMac really is the best option, but I didn't consider it, assuming it was crazy expensive. However, it turned out that the configuration I needed would not be more expensive than a combination Mac Mini + monitor from Samsung.

      In addition, the iMac has a number of significant advantages over this combination. Firstly, this is the only cable for connecting your computer and monitor. Secondly, built-in speakers, which again has a positive effect on the number of wires. And thirdly, of course, cool appearance and materials. The only problem was the hard drive; there were no SSD versions available.

      Alexey said that they can pre-order the version with Fusion Drive, and as soon as it arrives at the warehouse, I will be notified immediately. It is important to note here that almost no one is engaged in custom deliveries of iMacs (they were not at the time of writing this article, now the Apple online store has already appeared): for example, I went to “MVideo” and “White Wind”, and they had not even heard of them there . I didn’t contact Re:store because of high prices. In general, Lyosha advised me in quite some detail, so I purchased an iMac from www.max-up.ru.

      It’s important to note here that I pre-ordered it in mid-February, but the iMac only arrived at the end of April. This is due to delays in deliveries official dealer. As far as I know, now custom iMacs are delivered much faster. In addition, with the opening of the official Apple online store, ordering custom configurations has become even easier.

      I apologize to the reader for such a long introduction, I wanted to describe my background purchase and note that I came to the iMac through much thought, that is, it was not an impulsive purchase.

      Appearance, materials

      The monoblock comes in a large “trapezoidal” package. It’s interesting that Apple’s new shipments use a double box: cheap cardboard on top and high-quality packaging underneath. I will not describe the unpacking in detail, since there is nothing special to say about it.

      When you take the computer out of the package, you immediately notice how light the iMac is, especially if you have dealt with other all-in-one PCs (its weight is just over five kilograms, while the weight of analogues starts from 8-9 kg).

      Looking at a newly purchased computer, you can’t help but notice that after all, at Apple, designers don’t eat their bread in vain. The iMac looks very beautiful: stylish appearance, aluminum case, strict black frame around the screen. It is immediately clear that this is a computer that was made so that, among other things, it was simply pleasant to look at. I had experience working with other all-in-one PCs; in terms of design and materials, Apple leaves them far behind. After purchasing an iMac, you understand what “overpaying for design and materials” is and why it is justified.

      In his review of the iMac 2012, Sergei Kuzmin noted that reducing the thickness of the candy bar does not bring any functional advantages, but from the point of view of appearance, this solution looks very impressive.


      Thanks to the light weight for all-in-one PCs and the good coating of the iMac support leg, it is very convenient to turn right/left, but you will have to do this, because all the connectors are located on the back of the device.

      If you need to move your iMac all the way to rotate left/right, you only need to tilt the monitor slightly to adjust its tilt. I note that initially the screen tilted very easily, but as the device became overgrown with various cables, it became a little harder to raise/lower it.

      The design of the iMac is something amazing, even after six months of use it is still pleasing, the candy bar is simply pleasant to look at. Among the functional features, I liked the back leg, on which you can put some frequently used item, such as a notepad or phone.


      Screen

      Before describing the screen, I would like to note that before this I used an old ViewSonic with a resolution of 1280x1024 pixels as my main monitor. Its characteristics seemed to me sufficient for comfortable work, and thanks to the convenient aspect ratio, I could manage my workspace as productively as possible (primarily, we are talking about Word and web surfing).

      I had experience using a couple of Windows all-in-one PCs, so I assumed I knew what quality monitors were like. As it turns out, I was deeply mistaken.

      When you turn on the iMac, you immediately notice how big the difference in picture quality is between it and everything that you had to test before. The image seems to float out of the screen, the picture is amazingly bright and clear. It’s not for nothing that I mentioned the computers and monitors that I used and tested before; an experienced reader will notice that among them there is neither MBP Pro Retina 13/15 nor iPad 3/4. In fairness, I note that I dealt with both devices, albeit for a very short time. And the fleeting memory of “what amazing screens they have” quickly faded from my mind.

      Why all this long introduction? The fact is that to me, as a person who has not previously used Apple technology with Retina displays, the iMac screen seems wonderful: bright, clear, with rich colors, however, for example, Sergey Kuzmin no longer seems good enough, using an iPad 4 and MBP Pro Retina 15 makes a significant difference to the experience.



      As you remember, the previous generation had two significant problems with the screen: dust got under it and it glared a lot. This, by the way, was one of the reasons why I did not consider the iMac initially: my workplace located near the window, and the sun often hits the screen. The iMac 2012 has undergone significant work on the display; the absence of an air gap eliminates the problem of dust under the glass, and a special anti-reflective coating eliminates almost all glare and reflections. Even in strong sunlight, you can work comfortably at the computer (of course, the barely noticeable outlines of your face will be visible on the screen, but this is not at all the same as in the same monoblock from Acer, where in sunny weather the monitor turned into a mirror).

      The screen brightness is conveniently adjusted using the F1/F2 keyboard buttons. Interestingly, this combination does not work on third-party keyboards, but more on that below. During everyday work, I used about 30% brightness, in sunny weather I increased it to 60-70%. To be honest, I have never had a situation where I needed 100% of the screen brightness, it is excessive.

      I really liked the screen in the iMac, I would gladly buy a separate monitor from Apple with the same characteristics. Before, I never understood why buy expensive monitors for 30-40 thousand, and even more so for 90 and above. However, after using the iMac, I can see the validity of such decisions even for the average user.

      Operating system and firmware

      In absentia, I was very loyal to OS X: a lot of positive reviews on the Internet, some of which were from very authoritative people. Mentally, I was ready for changes, a different OS logic, since I assumed that this would be associated with some functions that would improve the usability of the computer. It is important to note here that I have never considered myself a conservative user: new things are always interesting, especially if this new thing will ultimately be more convenient.

      Before moving on to describing my impressions of OS X, I would like to briefly talk about my scenarios for using the computer:

      First of all, this is a tool for work - a typewriter and a simple photo editor (quickly rename files, correct something, nothing more). Of course, all this is combined with web surfing, Twitter, checking email and other routine activities. In addition, I use the computer as a video player along with a TV connected to it.

      It would seem that OS X should cope with such simple actions without unnecessary problems, but that was not the case. Working at the Mac for the first couple of weeks, I directly felt how it did not want to fit into my usual environment. It all started with the fact that I didn’t want to get used to switching the language via Command+Space; Twitter immediately suggested a solution in the form of the KeyRemapforMacBook program, but as luck would have it, the Alt+Shift combination couldn’t be properly configured there. The same thing happened with Alt+Tab. It’s amazing how difficult it is to retrain for other combinations: imagine that for ten years, in response to your mental command to raise your right hand, your right hand rose, and now with the same command, your left hand rises. These are approximately the impressions I experienced from changing the usual “hotkeys”. But my misadventures did not end there. In addition to changing the language, I'm used to Enter opening a folder, Backspace taking you back a section, and F2 being responsible for renaming a file. On OS X, Enter is responsible for renaming, Cmd+down opens a folder, Cmd+up takes you up a section, and Backspace has no specified actions at all. And yes, I could do everything through KeyRemap4Macbook in the same way as on Windows, but I liked the quick actions assigned to the default actions so much that I didn’t do it. In addition, some users on Twitter logically noted that one should try to adapt to the system, and not try to “make a second Windows out of it.”

      But what caused me the most problems was the built-in photo viewer and iPhoto. I need very little from such programs: open a picture, rename it (in the same window), move on to the next one. However, when you open a photo in this viewer, you can't quickly rename it or move on to the next one. It's the same with iPhoto: you can only rename a photo if you click on its name. In general, there are a lot of unnecessary actions, and I could not find any key combinations that cause quick renaming (similar to F2 in Windows).


      I’ll say in advance that I successfully solved both problems, but the first two weeks with the iMac were just a nightmare. I seriously thought about either giving it back, selling it, or installing Windows as my main OS.

      The main message of such a long introduction is that you need to get used to OS X, and even if you are mentally prepared for the changes, it is far from a fact that in your individual case the transition to Apple technology will be easy and painless (although there are many such cases) .

      I have already mentioned the disadvantages of OS X above, now it’s time to move on to the advantages.

      Desktops

      In OS X, you can create multiple desktops. In addition, each of them can host specific programs. That is, let’s say for work I need Finder, Pages and CyberDuck, and for entertainment I need a browser and a video player. I can configure desktops so that when I open Pages, a second desktop will open immediately. Thumbnails of all tables are called up by pressing F3 or swiping up with four fingers (if you are using a touchpad).


      In addition, there is a separate desktop with widgets. To access it, you need to swipe four fingers across the touchpad from left to right. I use this table to post sticky notes and sometimes to view the weather.


      Screenshots

      I really liked how this feature is implemented in OS X. You can take a screenshot of the screen (Command+Shift+3), a screenshot of part of the screen (Command+Shift+4) and a screenshot of the active window (Command+Shift+4 and then spacebar). By default, all pictures are on the desktop.


      Active angles

      A favorite feature of many OS X users. Its essence boils down to the fact that when you point at a corner, some action is performed (for example, windows are minimized). Personally, I was never able to start using it, since any chaotic movement of the cursor towards a corner results in an unnecessary action.


      Installing and uninstalling applications

      There are three installation methods in OS X third party programs. The first one is the simplest. You install the application from the App Store. After downloading, it automatically appears in the list of programs. Long-pressing the left button on an icon allows you to easily remove it (similar to iOS).



      The second is installation using a pkg file. This method is somewhat reminiscent of installation using executable files in Windows.


      The third method is to copy the program's app file directly to the application folder. As a rule, such files are packed into a dmg archive, and you just need to drag the file icon into the folder. If you copy the file to another folder, the settings and permissions for the application may not be registered.


      Finder

      Already at the file manager level, you begin to understand that in OS X the logic is completely different. There is no hard drive that you are used to; files are sorted by category. I really like this approach, I sorted them the same way on Windows (separate folders for videos, music, photos).


      The Finder (as well as all of OS X) has a handy preview option. You click on the file you need and press the space bar, after which a preview of the selected picture appears in front of you, text (if we are talking about text file), or the video starts playing. Using the navigation arrows you can quickly move to the next/previous files, the preview will also be updated in real time. For me it was simply a salvation. It was possible to easily view pictures using previews and immediately rename them by pressing Enter. However, there was one more problem: when renaming, the file I needed “went” to the beginning of the list, and I had to scroll through the entire list from the beginning. I tried to set the settings to sort by creation date, but this sorting only applied to a specific folder, and I had to set it manually each time. I suspect there is a simple solution to this problem, however I haven't been able to find one.

      iTunes

      It's amazing how different the experience of the same program can be on different operating systems. For example, using iTunes on Windows is not very convenient: the program sometimes slows down, sometimes freezes, sometimes crashes, in general, it’s not very pleasant.


      But on OS X there are none of these problems. The application “flies”, fits perfectly into the OS interface and does not cause any complaints. I happily use iTunes as my main music media player. However, it is important to note that the logic of iTunes is different, and you most likely will not be able to use your usual sorting by folders. Here they are replaced by playlists. Of course, it’s inconvenient to re-make playlists of your favorite tracks, but having done them once, you can then easily synchronize them with both another Mac and an iPod/iPhone.


      The purchase of audio and video content deserves special attention. I fully and completely support the purchase of licensed music, another thing is that most of the tracks I need are most likely sold only in the Japanese section of iTunes (where you can’t figure it out without knowing the language). However, if we talk about Western or Russian performers, the range here is quite extensive. I liked the ease with which you can buy tracks on iTunes. In my opinion, this is what a good music store should be: ease of purchase and ease of listening.


      In addition to music, you can also purchase films. I was pleased that among the available resolutions there are HD/FullHD, as well as subtitles and audio tracks in several languages.


      I was almost ready to call the movie purchasing service ideal, if not for a number of “buts”. Firstly, all movies are DRM protected, and you can't just copy a movie to your Android smartphone. Secondly, when watching via iTunes, you cannot select the size of the subtitles; for me, this disadvantage turned out to be decisive, since I like to watch films with the original track and Russian subtitles. Thirdly, these same films cannot be played by a third-party player (MPlayerX could not), in which I could adjust the size of the subtitles. Fourthly, I would really like to see film premieres released on iTunes simultaneously with cinemas or with a two-week delay. I think that many, like me, would prefer to watch a movie at home for the same money instead of going to the cinema.

      Update: In Mavericks you can now customize the size of subtitles.

      Pages

      In Pages, I immediately liked the synchronization with iCloud. Every time I create a document in Pages and make any changes to it, a copy of it is automatically saved to the cloud. It's very convenient. For example, I can turn off the computer, and the system itself will save latest changes in a copy. Or here’s another example: one day I was finishing another review, and our power suddenly went out. To say that I was upset would be an understatement. Five minutes later the light was turned on again, I started the iMac without much hope... And what do you think? All my documents were there, and the iMac even kindly opened the programs it was using before shutting down. What would happen on Windows? He would most likely restore the last saved copy, and 2-3 hours could have gone down the drain.


      But I didn’t like the spell checking in Pages at all. She doesn't correct even the simplest mistakes, and this, of course, is frustrating. Out of grief, I installed MS Office for Mac 2011. However, I could not use it, since I experienced noticeable delays when entering text. That is, I enter “check”, and the word appears only after a couple of seconds.

      And one more thing: the cost of Pages is 600 rubles. You pay for the program once and receive all subsequent updates for free. The $20 price tag compares Pages favorably with MS Office, which is constantly updated and asks some wild sums (5 thousand rubles) for its license.

      By the way, I still left MS Office, since it works much better with tablets than Numbers from Apple.

      Safari

      Before installation Google Chrome I decided to give Apple's built-in browser a chance. At first glance, everything was great - well-drawn fonts, a nice interface, a convenient reading mode and much more. I configured the zoom for myself and started using Safari. After some time, it became clear that the browser does not save the scaling settings, which means that each time you need to scale the site manually. A partial solution could be to set the font size in the settings, but in this situation the formatting would get lost, that is, you would see large letters with tiny pictures. Frustrated, I went to download Google Chrome.

      Some time later, I finally forced myself to switch to Safari, and all because the rendering of fonts in it is much better than in Chrome.

      iPhoto

      At the beginning of the section, I noted that iPhoto did not suit my needs, but, nevertheless, I cannot help but talk about the capabilities of this program. If you are a complete novice in photography, but want to tweak this or that image a little, then iPhoto is perfect for you. Using a simple interface and clear settings, you can easily change the brightness or other parameters of a photo.



      Notification Center

      Just like in iOS, in OS X all notifications come through the notification center. In the settings you can change their appearance; I liked the notifications in the form of pop-up windows the most. Unfortunately for me, the font used in these bubbles is very small, so I was not able to fully enjoy the Twitter client that all Apple users praise without exception.


      Mail & Sparrow

      Two wonderful email client for OS X, one built-in, the second third-party. I won’t describe their functionality in detail, I’ll just note that this is exactly what a “mailer” should be: beautiful, convenient, functional. Personally, I went with Sparrow because Mail doesn't allow you to adjust the font size in the Inbox column.




      iMessage

      Own messenger for Apple devices. Very simple, but no less convenient. You can also connect the same Google Talk to it. For me, its main advantage is the ability to immediately add pictures to the chat. It's very convenient

      Original accessories

      Apple Wireless Keyboard. One of the most beautiful wireless keyboards and one of the few that works using Bluetooth. Before that, I worked on a simple Genius SlimStar i220 White keyboard and got very used to it. Initially, I assumed that switching to Apple's solution would not cause any problems; the keyboard seemed beautiful and comfortable. But that was not the case. My fingers literally ached from how unusually the keys on the Apple Wireless Keyboard are arranged after the solution from Genius. I got used to this keyboard for almost three weeks, and the only argument in its favor was: “Well, it’s so beautiful and matches the look of the iMac.” Now all I need is full-fledged navigation arrows and a separate digital panel. And of course, it’s a shame that the keyboard, which has both arrows and a separate panel... is wired!


      Apple Magic Mouse. I was biased towards the Apple mouse even before I met it. While I fully supported people criticizing its flat appearance, it was immediately clear that such a mouse would be uncomfortable to hold and use.


      However, at first glance, everything was in order. Yes, the mouse is flatter, but this did not cause any particular inconvenience. However, after half an hour I realized that this was not so. Due to the fact that the index and middle fingers are suspended and not supported by the mouse, after a while they become fatigued, which was not the case when using a regular mouse.

      However, Magic Mouse also has undeniable advantages. For example, horizontal gestures, with their help it is convenient to flip through the same photos or scroll through some big picture in the browser. In addition, the mouse also supports two-finger gestures; horizontal swipes allow you to switch between desktops.

      Magic Trackpad. At one of the presentations, I complained to my colleague about the uncomfortable Magic Mouse, as well as the lack of comfortable mice that match the design of the iMac. He suggested that I pay attention to the Magic Trackpad and spoke very flatteringly about it. In addition to this recommendation, I also had my own interest in getting to know this accessory. To be honest, I haven't used Apple laptops for a long time and have long wanted to understand why their touchpads are praised.


      Its main advantage is, of course, multi-touch gestures.

      Swiping up and down with two fingers allows you to scroll through a web page or any other page.

      Swiping with three fingers emulates selecting an area on the screen.

      A four-finger swipe lets you switch between desktops.




      And yet, despite the amazing convenience and functionality of touchpads, we should not forget that these devices act as a replacement for a mouse, so even the simplest mouse can be more convenient than the most sophisticated touchpad. Personally, I find it easier to scroll through articles in a browser using a touchpad, but I find it more convenient to select objects with a mouse. As a result, I still have Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad lying next to me.

      Time Capsule. One of my friends once told me that any OS X device can also act as a router. I became curious and decided to test this feature by first taking speed measurements on my previous router. The difference between the performance of my router and the performance of the iMac as an access point simply amazed me. It turned out that the router cut the speed by almost half, while the iMac reduced it by no more than 10%.

      After such sad (for my router) tests, it was decided to replace it with an AirPort Time Capsule. A regular router from Apple costs about 5-6 thousand rubles, but the “capsule” is only five thousand more expensive, but at the same time has a built-in 2 TB hard drive (there are also modifications with 3 TB). An additional payment of five thousand seemed appropriate to me, and I took the recently announced updated Time Capsule model.


      According to many Apple users, the entire process of setting up the capsule boiled down to connecting an ethernet cable to it and two or three clicks “Next” in the settings menu. In the worst case, you will have to enter the IP address and DNS server manually. I, of course, was the luckiest one. Neither automatic nor manual settings helped. Perhaps this was the only call from a technician to my home during the entire time I worked with my provider. By the way, he was able to easily set up the capsule, although he clarified something and asked the adjusters from the office to change it.

      Once you've connected and configured your capsule, a separate icon for it appears in Finder, and you can easily copy and open files stored on it. They just open with some delay, apparently due to the fact that the capsule works according to wireless connection. I end up storing almost nothing on the Time Capsule, other than backups.

      Windows installation

      You have two ways to use Windows on your iMac. The first is using Bootcamp, this utility allows you to install Windows on a separate part of your hard drive and run it as a full-fledged OS on your computer. However, there are two nuances here. First, if you use Windows, it will install on your hard drive and you will lose the benefits of Fusion Drive. Secondly, the integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics will not work on Windows, that is, the monoblock will make more noise.



      Second option using Windows– using the Parallels program. Parallels allows you to run Windows in two modes:

      1. Full emulator, that is, you have a separate window with Windows in it.
      2. "Windowed mode". Each program has its own separate window; in fact, you can work on OS X, and if you wish, switch to the window with the desired program. This is an ideal option for those who are satisfied with everything in OS X, but lack a couple of programs from Windows.



      Important note: If you plan to use Parallels frequently, it's best to get a 16GB iMac RAM.


      Interestingly, when installing Parallels, the program automatically downloads a clean system image itself, this is very convenient. Parallels can also “pick up” your Windows installed via BootCamp.

      Performance

      I intentionally ordered the simplest configuration available. I don't need a powerful graphics card, so I didn't see the point in paying extra for one, but I knew for sure that Fusion Drive was something worth paying extra for. So my iMac has the following configuration:

      1. Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 640M
      2. Internal storage: Fusion Drive (128GB SSD+1TB HDD)
      3. RAM: 8 GB
      4. CPU: Intel Core i5 Quad-Core Ivy Bridge

      The first thing I immediately liked: the iMac turned on very quickly, as if I turned on the TV, not the computer. A little later, I noticed that Apple uses a clever trick: as soon as you turn on the device, a gray apple appears on a white background with the sound “Ta-dam”, and you subconsciously think that the computer is already turned on. However, this bullseye hangs for about three to four seconds, during which the system is still loading, but the user is sure that it has already loaded.

      Second: Apple computers do not need to be turned off, they do not load with “garbage” and do not start to work slower without long reboots. In the case of the iMac, this, of course, is not so impressive, but I am sure that all MacBook owners really love this feature.

      Third: the almost complete absence of noise, if you switch to the iMac from a regular desktop computer, this will be immediately noticeable.

      Now I propose to talk about the features of Fusion Drive. Ideally, the iMac would automatically move frequently used files to the SSD and less frequently used files to the HDD. In fact, all new files are first written to the SSD by default, and then, when the threshold of 4 GB is reached for a one-time transfer, they are transferred to the HDD. To be honest, I don’t really like this approach; I prefer that the HDD and SSD be two separate drives, and I could independently define the folders that will definitely be on the SSD.

      As for performance, there are no complaints when performing my daily tasks (video, browser, Twitter, email, browsing and minimal photo processing). The only thing is that sometimes when quickly scrolling through the “previews” of photos, the iMac can think for a second or two. As other Mac owners told me, if the photos were on an SSD, there would be no such problems.

      I'm not afraid that the hardware of my iMac will become outdated, given that new versions of OS X work stably even on devices with the previous generation of processors and Intel video cards HD 3000.

      Webcam, microphone, speakers

      As I already said at the beginning of the article, the indisputable advantage of monoblocks is the minimum number of cables. So, you do not need to specifically connect the same webcam or external microphone. However, the convenience and quality of built-in components do not always meet user requirements.

      In my opinion, the iMac has excellent stereo speakers; they can perfectly replace speakers for a couple of thousand rubles. The sound in them is clear and without wheezing, even at maximum volume.

      I was very pleased with the built-in microphone, it has excellent sensitivity, you can be heard perfectly, even if you are sitting at a distance of two meters from the monoblock.

      The quality of the webcam is also beyond praise; I would separately note the fact that it works better in FaceTime than in Skype.

      Conclusion

      I paid 67 thousand rubles for the iMac configuration I needed. Now it costs 62 thousand. Perhaps the key question I wanted to answer is: “How convenient is the iMac and OS X for simple user?. If we talk about the iMac itself, then there are no complaints about it: stunning design, high-quality display, pleasant body materials and fast operation. But I can’t say so unequivocally about OS X. Each user will have an individual impression of it, it all depends on how well it suits your needs. It took me about a month to get used to it, and I can’t say that the transition was “smooth and painless.” Now I am happy to use OS X, because all the necessary programs have been found, and I have become accustomed to all the features of the OS. OS X certainly has a lot strengths: this is an excellent synchronization of your documents with iCloud, and fast speed works, and a nice interface, and easy system backup. But some functions seem simply illogical, for example, why you need to use a two-key combination to open folders, although this is a frequently used operation, why couldn’t there be a separate hotkey for cutting, etc. Of course, I really don’t like Apple’s “we know what’s best, do as we say” approach. On the other hand, they use a clever trick: they make 80% of the actions in their OS very convenient, and the user is forced to put up with the remaining 20%, because in general he is satisfied with almost everything.

      I found OS X more convenient in many ways than Windows, but at the same time, I understand that both operating systems have their pros and cons. Another question is that I don’t like the direction in which Windows is now developing (we are talking about the “tiled eight”), but in OS X so far everything seems to be stable (and I really hope that the colorful trends from iOS7 will not affect "Poppy")

      Now I would like to talk about the possible configurations of Apple home computers and which one I think is the best.

      In my opinion, it makes sense to take the iMac 2013 Late with a 256 GB SSD, and then buy an additional one for it external hard disk of the size you need. Now there are many models (from LaCie to 3Q) that look perfect for Apple technology. A model with an SSD will work faster than a Fusion Drive, and all rarely used data can be stored on an external drive.

      Also an interesting option is a combination of a Mac Mini and any external monitor. Ideal option is Apple Thunderbolt Display, but it makes sense to wait for an update built on the current iMac line.

      A little more about price: Apple computers are expensive, on average 30% more expensive than their Windows counterparts. Yes, in some respects (appearance, materials) they win, but for everyday work the capabilities of a Windows laptop/all-in-one are enough. And the last piece of advice I would like to give to prospective Switchers: don't jump right off the bat, if you decide to switch to OS X, you don't need to start with an expensive iMac or MacBook Pro Retina, choose something simpler, the same Mac Mini or Air of the previous generation. No one can tell in advance whether you will like this operating system or not.

      Evgeniy Vildyaev (

      Apple computers are considered to be much better than their Windows counterparts. In many ways, this is true, which is why many users are looking to change their Windows PC to a Mac. Switching from a Microsoft operating system to macOS is not that difficult, but there are a few things to keep in mind. These tips are intended for those new to the world of Apple and for users who have previously only used Windows.

      Desk

      Among the workers Windows tables and macOS there are a number of differences. On Apple devices it's often cleaner, so the first time you set it up you'll have to spend more time getting it just the way you like it. Keep in mind that there is no Refresh option on the Mac desktop.


      Finder

      Finder is similar to File Explorer on macOS, but it's actually much more powerful. On Windows, you can get to Explorer by clicking on the corresponding icon or by pressing the Win+E keys; on Mac, Finder is always open, and by default you can’t even close it.


      Create new folder in Windows you can use the combination Ctrl + Shift + N, but on Mac Cmd + Shift + N is responsible for the same action. If you prefer to use the mouse, then in Windows you need to right-click, “Create” and select “Folder”; on Mac you need right click and select “New Folder”.


      In order to rename a file in a Microsoft system, you need to right-click and select the appropriate item in context menu or select a file and press F2. On a Mac, you can also rename the file through the pop-up menu, or select the document and press Enter on your keyboard. Please note that on Windows file opens by pressing the Enter button, on a Mac the combination Command + O or Command + the arrow at the bottom is responsible for this function.

      Finder supports tabs, which can be created by pressing Command + T.


      In addition, the Mac has a different file system organization. Windows users are used to seeing disk partitions (C, D, E), but you won’t see this on Apple devices, since all data is stored on one partition.


      If you connect an external USB device, then on a Mac, to safely remove them, you need to click on the “Eject” button in the file manager.

      To get to the properties of a file or folder in Windows, you right-click and select “Properties”. On a Mac, you can also right-click and go to Properties, or select the file and press Command + I.


      Hotkeys

      To copy on Windows, use Ctrl + C, but on Mac it is Command + C, and for pasting, use Ctrl + V and Command + V, respectively.

      To cut and paste a file into Microsoft system, you need to press Ctrl + X and then Ctrl + V, on macOS everything is a little more complicated - Command + C to copy and Command + Option + V to move.


      Ctrl + A in Windows is responsible for selecting all files, the same operation on Mac is performed with the combination Command + A. Useful feature on devices running Windows is to select files and press Delete to move them to the trash or Shift + Delete to permanently delete them. If you want to do the same on a Mac, you need to press Command + Delete to move it to the trash or Command + Option + Delete to permanently delete it.

      Speaking of the Delete button, it is worth noting that its functionality on a Mac is somewhat different, since it acts as a regular Backspace. To delete subsequent text, use fn+ Delete.

      Alt + Tab on Windows PC moves users around open applications, on Mac, use Command + Tab. To close the application you need to press Alt + F4 and Command + Q respectively.


      Trackpad Gestures

      At first glance, it seems that the trackpad on a MacBook is no different from that on a Windows PC. In fact, it supports a huge number of gestures.


      On Windows computers The trackpad's functionality is often limited to page scrolling and zooming, but on the Mac there is much more of these functions. Swiping up with three fingers opens Mission Control, where you can see all your running apps. If you have several tabs open in some program, swiping down with three fingers will open a similar menu, but instead running applications active tabs will be displayed. It often happens that while working with an application you need quick access to the desktop to, for example, move a file. In this case, you can make a gesture with three fingers. To access Launchpad, you need to perform a four-finger pinch-out gesture.

      Spotlight

      Spotlight is a lot like Windows Search. To launch the search in Windows, use the keyboard shortcut Win + S; on Mac, the search is opened using Command + Space or the icon in the menu bar.


      Just like on Windows, Spotlight on macOS lets you find word meanings, perform web searches, launch apps, and do simple calculations.

      Because of Spotlight, many people forget about Launchpad altogether, since the search is very fast and saves a lot of time.

      Exit the application

      Clicking the red X in an app on a Mac doesn't exit it. In order to close the program, you need to use the Command + Q combination or click on the name in the menu bar and select “Exit”. You can also right-click an application in the Dock and select Exit.


      Multitasking

      As noted earlier, you can switch to multitasking mode using trackpad gestures. macOS supports multiple desktops; in Windows, this feature appeared only with the release of “tens”.


      If you want to use multiple desktops in Windows, click the Task View button in the taskbar and a preview of your existing desktops will appear at the bottom. On macOS, you need to go to Mission Control, and desktop previews will appear in the same way, but at the top of the display. Microsoft encourages users to use shortcuts. For example, to create a new table you can simply press Win + Ctrl + B, to switch between them - Win + Ctrl + left or right arrow, to close - Win + Ctrl + F.

      Mac unfortunately doesn't support keyboard shortcuts in this case, but you can use triple swipe left or right to switch between desktops.

      Installing and uninstalling applications

      Installing and uninstalling applications is one of the most common actions performed on a laptop. To install the program on Windows, use an installation file with the extension .exe. On Mac, the installation file has a .dmg extension. after opening it, a window will appear in which you just need to move the application icon to the folder with all programs, which is much simpler than the installation process in Windows.


      Removing programs on a Mac looks as simple as installing them - go to the applications folder through the Finder and press Command + Delete, after which the system will ask you to enter your username and password.

      Working with Windows

      Both systems support displaying two applications on one screen, but Windows slightly outperforms macOS in this regard. You can open 4 applications at once and work with them simultaneously. By default, there is nothing like this on Apple computers, so you will have to use third party software, such as Better Touch Tool or Better Snap Tool.


      Voice assistants

      Microsoft has introduced its own voice assistant in Windows 10 – Cortana. Apple followed suit and ported Siri to the Mac in macOS Sierra. In the background Cortana Siri It looks more functional because, in addition to basic tasks, it can also display information about the computer and change settings.

      The only problem is that Apple's assistant can't handle written commands, while Cortana can handle both voice and text commands.

      Formatting disks

      If you used Windows, most likely the file system of all your external media is NTFS, but Mac does not support writing to NTFS devices. The problem is solved by formatting external storage to a compatible FAT32 or exFAT format, or by installing a third-party driver, such as Paragon NTFS for Mac.

      Screenshots

      If you find yourself taking screenshots often, you'll definitely love macOS. Screenshots in Windows are performed using the Win + combination Print Screen or the Snipping Tool utility. The Mac has several hotkeys: Command + Shift + 3 to take a screenshot of the entire screen, Command + Shift + 4 to take a screenshot of a specific area, Command + Shift + 4 + Space to take a screenshot of an application window.

      Backup

      Backing up your data is never a bad idea and should be done on a regular basis. Both macOS and Windows offer quick backup methods. All you need is an external hard drive. Creating a backup and restoring on a Mac is very simple - just connect external device, go to settings and select Time Machine. If you need to restore data, connect your hard drive, click on the Time Machine icon in the menu bar and select “Enter Time Machine.” Next, you can select which files need to be restored.


      Freezing apps

      On macOS, you will rarely encounter the “Application is not responding” error, but if this happens, press Command + Option + Esc to open the Windows version of the Task Manager, and close the unresponsive application.

      I missed this text on the day I bought my first MacBook.

      I decided to buy my first MacBook Air when I came to work at the editorial office of Hacker magazine, where many of my colleagues had Macs and I didn’t want to be different from others. At first new MacBook seemed to me a terribly inconvenient thing, which is impossible to work with and can only be looked at.

      But, watching colleagues who work on a Mac 100% of the time and sincerely enjoy comfortable and productive work, I decided that I also need to completely switch to OS X.

      After many months of inconvenience (and the first days with a Mac were just hell), I finally stopped using Windows computers. My eyes no longer get tired, 100% of the time in front of the monitor is spent efficiently (I don’t spend 10-15 minutes every day turning on the computer and contemplating freezing), there are fewer reasons for negative emotions, working with code/text goes many times faster.

      And now I only need one computer that is always with me. Before buying a Mac and completely getting used to it, I used a powerful home PC, a Windows laptop that was lying in the office, and on the iPad 2 I had a whole gentleman’s web development kit installed in case of urgent edits. Now this entire mountain of hardware is brilliantly replaced by the MacBook Air.

      But before it came happy time Getting to enjoy working on a Mac involved a long period of painful adjustment. Years later, I would like to turn to my past self and give some advice that would shorten the time of this period. But this is impossible, so I’ll just share them with the readers.

      1. Make it difficult to turn on your Windows computer

      In the first days of working with a Mac, many people experience, along with wild delight, severe discomfort: it is not clear how to type characters on the keyboard, keyboard shortcuts do not work, the Start button is missing, etc. Everything is very beautiful, it works quickly, but it’s wildly inconvenient. But this is just out of habit. When, after a few months of working on a Mac, you sit down at a computer running Windows, you again experience discomfort and think: “Wow, what the hell, what the hell…”.

      The more you work on your Mac, the easier it becomes. At first, work tasks are solved more slowly than on a computer running Windows, but the OS X operating system works faster and advanced user achieves maximum productivity precisely on it.

      In my opinion, you should strive as quickly as possible to gain that critical mass of working time, after which you feel free on your Mac and no longer waste your life contemplating the hourglass and endlessly rebooting the computer.

      In the first weeks, when I worked at home on a MacBook Air, it seemed to me that the Windows computer was looking at me and mentally saying: “Traitor! Give up this little freak now! I'm twice as powerful and three times more convenient! You will never learn to work behind him anyway!” And sometimes I quit and sat down at a Windows computer, because everything turned out much faster with it. With such actions I was simply harming myself, delaying the happy moment of completely switching to a Mac.

      I advise you to take the power cord/battery from the laptop and put it in a place where the removal process will take at least five minutes. And put it there every time you turn off the computer. So, gradually, you will learn to solve all your computer problems exclusively using a Mac.

      2. Transfer your data using iCloud for Windows

      It is worth making sure that files, mail, calendar events, bookmarks are immediately on the new computer. Otherwise, you can sit down at Windows for a minute, get carried away and lose an invaluable day of getting used to OS X.

      8. Learn to use Spotlight

      Spotlight is a global search across the entire Mac, that is, immediately across files, contacts, notes, mail, etc. It can be launched from any program by pressing Command + space or Alt + space(if it doesn’t work, look in the settings to see how it works for you). For starters, just knowing that it exists is enough. Then you can master search operators and filters, a currency converter and a calculator.

      9. Take your time buying Microsoft Office

      A full-fledged desktop Microsoft Office for Mac costs almost 15 thousand rubles. But it’s better to subscribe to Office 365 from Microsoft for 400 rubles per month. Free 1TB of One Drive and 60 minutes of Skype calls. One license can be used on 5 computers (Windows and Mac) and 5 mobile devices.

      I myself manage without Microsoft Office and use Google services. People who have worked on a Mac since childhood can get by just fine with Pages, Numbers and Keynote. You can also try the open-source office suite Libre Office (successor to Open Office). I have it installed (for the needs of IT journalism), but I have no desire to use it:

      • Brakes;
      • Shuts down suddenly;
      • The default settings in Libre Office Calc are terrible;
      • To run macros you need to perform a whole shamanic ritual.

      But this package has more features than Google Docs and iWork. And some people like it. Therefore, I advise you to try it and make a choice based on personal impressions.

      10. Discover the world of automation for OS X

      Every time you do something that an automation script could do for you, you are wasting valuable life time. If to create automations on Windows you have to fool around: write code/or install paid software, then in OS X everything is simple: open Automator, select necessary actions mouse and at the end you get ready-made automation.

      07.11.2013 | 10:33 Analytics

      Changing your work Windows computer to a Mac? The following recommendations will help make the transition painless.

      Do you always wonder when you see Mac laptops in cafes? Perhaps you're about to buy a new work machine and don't want it to run Windows 8?

      Either way, the good news is that switching from Windows to Mac isn't as difficult as you might think. This is especially true for small businesses that don't rely on enterprise-centric management tools and don't require running only native Windows applications.

      With some preparation, transition to new platform can be relatively painless, even for users who have used Windows for a lifetime.

      Here are six tips to help you.

      1. Make sure Mac OS X supports the applications you need

      The first step to ensuring your business can safely switch from PC to Mac is to make sure the applications you need are available on your MAC. This methodical process includes a listing of all business-critical software installed on your Windows computer. Don't forget about the productivity apps you use regularly.

      Once you're done, check for Mac OS X versions of these important applications. Considering that it's been over a decade since OS X was originally released, the number of apps that currently exist may surprise you. For example, browsers such as Firefox and Chrome are available for OS X, as are popular online services: Dropbox, SugarSync, EverNote and Skype. In fact, even Microsoft offers Office 2011 for Mac, which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, but without apps like Access, OneNote and Publisher.

      Be careful, though: OS X versions of apps don't always have the same capabilities as Windows versions. It can also get confusing if the Windows product line is different from the Mac product line. Nuance offers Dragon Premium 12 and Dragon Professional 12 for PC, for example, and Dragon Dictate 3 and MacSpeech Scribe for Mac.

      In case the software manufacturer does not have an application for OS X, the next step is to find an application that provides equivalent functionality. In general, the maturity of OS X means there's a good chance you'll find what you need. Be prepared to do some research, although don't force the process. Read reviews online and search Mac forums. All this will allow users to find what they need.

      But what happens if important business applications are simply not available on OS X? Luckily, you can boot Windows on your Mac. There are two main ways to do this: with Boot Camp or with virtual machine.

      Boot Camp is an OS X system utility designed to help you dedicate a separate partition for installation Microsoft Windows. Once set up, users can choose between booting into Windows or OS X. Of course, installing Windows on a MacBook ensures you can continue to use your Windows apps, but booting Windows on a regular basis defeats the purpose of switching to a Mac.

      In most cases, creating a Windows virtual machine on an OS X laptop may be a more viable alternative. Virtualization software options for OS X include: Oracle VirtualBox, Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion. VirtualBox is reliable free product, although its OS X-centric integration and overall capabilities lag significantly behind commercial products Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion.

      Newly released Parallels Desktop 9 and VMware Fusion 6 offer improved performance, improved support peripheral devices and the best Windows support 8. Both products offer advanced features, although Parallels 9 may be more user-friendly for new users. It's important to note that both programs have the ability to extract Windows applications from the Windows virtual environment so that they appear alongside OS X applications on the Mac desktop. This mode is called Coherence in Parallels and Unity in Fusion.

      This is what Microsoft Outlook 2013 looks like when running in Coherence mode next to the Mac version of Evernote.

      3. Explore the MacBook lineup (luckily it's small)

      If you have the required applications, then the next step is to buy a MacBook laptop. Luckily, Apple's streamlined lineup of devices makes purchasing a MacBook relatively simple.

      Laptops are divided into lightweight MacBook Air, more powerful MacBook Pro with Retina displays and the older MacBook Pro family with non-Retina displays. MacBook Air laptops are available in 11- and 13-inch models, while MacBook Pros are available in 13- and 15-inch models. Users who prefer portability will find the 11-inch MacBook Air or the 13-inch MacBook Air and MacBook Pro more attractive. Who needs power - look at the MacBook Pro models.

      It's worth noting that the memory on new MacBook laptops cannot be increased in a standard way. However, additional RAM can be soldered. Some manufacturers offer aftermarket upgrades solid state drive(SSD), complete with the necessary proprietary connectors, although these are usually too expensive. In the end, it is best to choose required volume RAM and data storage when ordering a MacBook.

      4. Switch to OS X; Don't rush, but hurry up

      While a gradual transition to OS X may be tempting, it's best to speed up the process of moving to a new platform. Avoid crossing on the eve of important events (for obvious reasons), or on the day before an overseas business trip.

      Spend a few days installing apps and becoming familiar with OS X. In the meantime, sync work documents from your old computer to your new Mac using a cloud storage service such as Dropbox or SugarSync. Even savvy users should expect an adjustment period when making the transition—a different user interface, different steps for common actions like starting and shutting down.

      Users who type a lot can save a list of common OS X keyboard shortcuts, while those who prefer to use a mouse more should download and install Scroll Reverser. As the name suggests, this free utility reverses the direction of an external mouse's physical scroll wheel without disrupting the direction of the new "natural scrolling" that works well with the built-in trackpad.

      5. Choose the right accessories for your MacBook: a case, a screen protector, or an external battery

      The small number of model and form factor options in the MacBook line has another benefit: It provides ample incentive for peripheral device makers to develop and produce protective cases and other accessories for these laptops.

      This means that there is a wide selection of accessories designed specifically for the MacBook. Here are some worth considering:

      • An external battery from HyperShop HyperJuice 2 will be enough to virtually triple the runtime of an 11-inch MacBook Air.
      • Moshi makes screen protectors and protective film for keyboards specifically for MacBooks, as well as ultra-thin hard cases that fit laptops exactly.
      • Twelve South, which makes accessories only for Apple products, sells BookArc vertical laptop stands and smart USB PlugBug chargers that attach to a standard Apple power adapter.

      6. Become an advanced Mac user, regardless of your current experience

      Once you've gotten over the initial discomfort of switching between operating systems, take the time to explore (and use) the various features of the Mac platform.

      One particularly important benefit for business travelers is the MacBook's excellent battery life, a byproduct of the tight integration of the hardware and operating system. Frequently absent employees will also appreciate Spaces, which allows users to create multiple virtual desktops and helps users organize applications without having to more monitors.

      Ultimately, switching to a Mac doesn't have to be permanent. In fact, if you do it right, switching between Windows and Mac OS X occasionally, you will achieve platform ambidexterity in no time at all.

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