15 Questions When Moving from Windows to Mac

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Find out where to find My Computer, how to cut files, and whether macOS needs an antivirus.

To switch from Windows to macOS, you just need to buy an Apple computer and start using it. Sounds simple, but in reality, new Mac owners face many different challenges.

Lifehacker's editors learned about their experience, collected the most common questions and answers them.

1. How to install and uninstall applications

The most popular question among newbies is related to the installation and removal of programs. After the monstrous Windows installers with a bunch of agreements and treacherous checkboxes for additional software, it is simply hard to believe that applications can be installed just by dragging and dropping them into the Applications folder.

In macOS, applications are distributed in the form of DMG images - a kind of archives that contain application files. To install, you just need to open the image and drag the selected icon into the Applications folder. After a few seconds, the application appears in Launchpad and is ready to use.

Another option is to install apps from the Mac App Store. In this case, after clicking the Install button on the application page, it immediately appears in Launchpad.

Installers in the classic sense are sometimes found on the Mac. However, this happens quite rarely and mainly for some professional and / or specific software.

To uninstall, as you might guess, just drag the application from the Applications folder to the trash can or use special utilities like CleanMyMac or AppCleaner. But this is not at all necessary. Mac App Store apps are uninstalled directly from Launchpad. When you press the Option key, the corresponding crosses appear above the icons - just like on the iPhone.

2. Where to find "My Computer" and the "Start" menu

Another point that actually confuses novice macros is the absence of the familiar entities "My Computer" and the "Start" menu. macOS has a slightly different concept of work, and they are just superfluous here. You have to get used to it.

If you try to draw parallels, then Finder can be considered an analogue of "My Computer". Apple File Manager provides access to all data on internal and external drives, as well as remote servers.

The macOS Start function is partially handled by the  (Apple) menu in the upper left corner of the screen. From here, you can put your Mac to sleep, restart, or shut down.

Launchpad is responsible for launching applications - a menu with icons of all installed applications, where they can be opened, reordered, placed in folders or deleted. Launchpad opens with a four-finger pinch gesture or the F4 key.

3. Where are the files stored

In terms of the organization of the file system, macOS is much closer to various Linux distributions, and therefore the absence of the “My Documents” and Program files folders causes genuine bewilderment among former Windows users.

On macOS, user data is stored in the home folder, which contains the Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, Movies, Applications, and Desktop folders. From the titles it is immediately clear what content is where.

In addition to the user's home folder, there are others as well. The System directory contains OS files, while Libraries contain fonts, plugins, and other objects that are used by applications.

4. Where did the "Control Panel" go?

There is no Control Panel familiar to all Windows users in macOS. Instead of it, "Settings" are used, allowing you to change certain parameters of the system and the operation of the computer.

The "Settings" sections resemble the "Control Panel" items. They are divided into categories: "Keyboard", "Mouse", "Sound" and others. If you do not know in which section the required parameter is located, use the search at the top of the window.

5. What instead of the taskbar

Instead of the familiar taskbar in macOS, there is a menu bar and a dock, in which icons of frequently used applications, the Finder, the trash can and the necessary folders are pinned. The dock can be moved from the bottom of the screen to the right or left.

The menu bar contains the clock, various system information such as the battery charge, the layout indicator and the Wi-Fi signal strength, as well as the menu of the active application, which is tied to the window in Windows. The menu bar is always at the top, you cannot move it to another place.

6. How to work with windows

The window control buttons on the left, not the right, are a real nuisance. You just need to get used to it. Eventually you will realize that it is much more convenient this way than reaching for the right side of the window.

But the location of the buttons is not so bad, it is more discouraging for their behavior. The only one that works as expected is Minimize. At the same time, the red button does not close the applications, and the green one turns on full-screen mode instead of spreading to the entire display.

The explanation for this behavior is quite simple. Apps on macOS can have multiple windows at once, so the cross button only closes the current window, while the app continues to run in the background. To complete it, press Command + Q or select the appropriate item in the menu.

It is also possible to maximize windows to full screen instead of switching them to full screen mode. To do this, before clicking on the green button, you just need to press and hold the Option key or double-click on the window title.

If you miss the ability to maximize windows when dragging them to the edges of the screen, try installing the BetterTouchTool utility or use any other window manager.

7. What keyboard shortcuts to use

Option, Command - These strange keys are striking when you first look at a Mac keyboard. In fact, there is nothing strange about them: Option corresponds to the usual Alt, and Command corresponds to the Win key. Control looks familiar, but it is in a different place and works differently.

The combinations themselves are in most cases the same, so you just need to replace the modifier keys with the appropriate ones. The most commonly used Command: to copy Command + C, to paste - Command + V, to create a new file - yes, yes! - Command + N. Well, and so on.

You will have to deal with Option much less often: it serves as an additional modifier in keyboard shortcuts. Control is used even less often, but Shift works exactly the same as in Windows.

8. How to cut text in Finder

When working in text editors or other applications, the Command + X keyboard shortcut allows you to cut text and other content. In Finder, a similar shortcut doesn't work, which frustrates a lot of beginners and even some experienced Mac users.

In fact, the clipping feature is available in the Finder, but it works a little differently. To cut the text, you need to copy it as usual, but when pasting, press the Option + Command + V combination instead of the usual Command + V. You can also hold down Option and select the "Move Object Here" action from the "Edit" menu.

9. How to change the layout and use special characters

Another annoying difference is the Russian Typescript layout as standard. It is good for everyone, but it differs from the usual Windows in that the comma and period are on keys 6 and 7. This, in fact, is also easy to get used to, but if you want, you can change it by going to Settings → Keyboard → Sources input "and turning on the layout" Russian PC ".

To switch the layout, the Control + Space combination, which is not obvious to Windows users, is used. It can be replaced with the more convenient Command + Space by going to Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Input Sources and specifying a new combination. Moreover, if you wish, you can even assign the layout switch to the Caps lock key.

Everyone who uses herringbone quotes, em dashes and other special characters has also encountered the problem of entering them from the keyboard. On Windows, there are no special characters in the standard layout, so they are entered using Alt codes. On Mac, most of these characters are included in the layout and can be entered from the keyboard by pressing the appropriate shortcuts. For example:

• Shift + Option +- em dash (-);
• Option + -- minus (-);
• Shift + Option + =- open quotation mark-herringbone (");
• Option + = - closed quotation mark-herringbone (");
• Shift + Option + H - ruble sign (₽);
• Shift + Option + K - Apple logo ().

The character sets change depending on the layout. You can view all of them by clicking on the flag in the menu bar and choosing "Show keyboard panel". When you press the Option and Shift keys, the symbols on the panel will change, and you will see their location.

10. Why are there no Print Screen and Delete keys

Many newbies resent the lack of the Delete and Print Screen keys on the keyboard. The latter really does not exist, since for screenshots the keyboard shortcut is Shift + Command + 3 or one of the others. Starting with macOS Mojave, screenshots can also be taken using the Screenshot utility, which is invoked by pressing Shift + Command + 5.

Attacks on the Delete key are unfair, since only Apple laptops do not have it - it is still present on the full-size Magic Keyboard. However, if you press the standard Backspace together with the Fn key on the MacBook, it will work like Delete. Try it.

11. How to deal with the direction of scrolling

By default, macOS uses the normal scrolling direction: when content moves with your finger. In Windows, scrolling works the other way around, so at first it seems strange. We advise you to get used to it, it's still more convenient.

But if you suddenly can't or don't want to, it's easy to change. Go to Settings → Trackpad → Scroll or Zoom and uncheck the box next to Scroll Direction: Normal.

12. Why are there so few programs you need?

Almost all popular applications are now available on all platforms. Some exclusive software is available for one OS, but there is even more of this for Mac. The only thing missing is games. They are few and far between and appear on macOS much later.

The rest of the app problems on Mac are more far-fetched. If there is no program for macOS, then it almost always has a worthy analogue, which is easy to find through AlternativeTo. Well, for specific and old software, there are ways to run Windows programs in the macOS environment.

13. Why is there no task manager and Ctrl + Shift + Escape

In fact, there is, only it is called "System Monitoring". The application is located in the folder "Programs" → "Utilities" and shows in detail the consumption of system resources by running programs and processes. From here, any of them can be completed by clicking the corresponding icon.

Although it is more convenient to do this through a special menu for forced termination of programs, which is invoked by the combination Escape + Option + Command and is analogous to Ctrl + Shift + Escape in Windows.

14. How to write files to NTFS drives

Due to the proprietary NTFS format in macOS, by default, you can only view and copy files to such disks - the write function is not supported. For compatibility of external drives with Windows and Mac at the same time, you need to format the disk in FAT or ExFAT.

If you still can't write NTFS disks without writing, then you will have to install a paid NTFS driver from third-party developers. For example, Tuxera NTFS or Paragon. This will make NTFS-formatted drives available for writing in Finder and other applications.

15. Do I need an antivirus

And one more question that torments many novice macrow growers. Unlike Windows, macOS is more secure and virtually immune to viruses. And the viruses for Mac themselves are an order of magnitude less.

Despite this, antiviruses for macOS still exist, but it is not recommended to install them: it is a waste of money and system resources. Maintaining basic Internet hygiene and refusing to install questionable apps will be more than enough.