My switch (partial) to Mac...update

Ernie recently posted on Switching to Mac makes you feel good, and it's good for you and I thought that I might give an update on my partial switch to a Mac laptop (I still use Windows XP computers at work and home and think that XP is a pretty decent OS (in comparison to its previous ancestors)).

I must say that I am starting to be a real fan of OS X (the Mac crowd points out that it is "OS ten" not "X" (as in X-Y-Z)).  A few things that I like:

• You can't install something without giving a password.  I suppose that makes it impossible for a program to install itself.
• I was reading that if you have a few Mac computers, that Apple allows you to install any new OS version you buy on multiple machines (you don't have to buy a copy of the OS for every computer).  If that is true...that's crazy.
• You can delete an installed program by deleting its folder...no messing around with "uninstall" programs, no more old dll files stacking up in your folders.  Don't want it, drag it to the trash can.
• No spyware, very few popup windows.
• It seems to be pretty stable...I haven't locked it up yet (but of course XP is pretty darn stable too...I rarely lock one of my XP boxes up).
• Battery life...this thing runs circles around my old ThinkPad when it comes to battery life.
• The Expose feature/program is an awesome concept...
• The laptop has a built in microphone...you can actually (although I haven't done it yet other than goofing off with their voice operated Chess game) speak commands (i.e., "open email", etc.).  That's pretty cool...even if you'd feel like a dork doing it.

There appear to be Mac OS versions of about every program I need...MS Word (I haven't sprung for it yet...but could), Skype (I'm "jurisnipper"), Capture Me (a program for grabbing screen shots...every blogger needs pics), Fire (the Mac rendition of "Trillian"), FireFox, etc.  One cool program (that I wish there was a Windows equivalent) is the open source virtual desktop program called Desktop Manager.

I've gotten over my initial annoyances (why only one mouse button, etc.).  It just took a little time to retrain my fingers.  Overall, the switch was pretty painless.  I was able to use the computer for e-mail and web surfing within minutes of booting, and keep learning new tricks.  If I had to do it over again...I would.  I'm very happy with it (although I'll always use Windows boxes at work due to the fact that the legal software packages we run are all Windows only...).

Comments

[John]

You can buy a logictech 3 button mouse and you won't have to be annoyed anymore. Shift command 3, shift command 4 will take shots of your windows. Shift command 4 is the most useful because you can select what you want to take a picture of including menus. Also in the utilities folder there is another application which also takes screen shots called grab.
Have fun!

John

[Herb Schulz]

Howdy,

While there is nothing to stop you from installing OS X on multiple machines there is a family pack that legally allows it for a very nominal price over the single machione version.

While deleting the application is relatively easy you should know that there might be some, usually small, preference files left in ~/Library/Preferences/ (~ is your HOME directory) and possibly some other ``personal customization'' files left in ~/Library/Application Support/ProgramName/. Nothing to worry about though.

Finally, there is no need to use a single button mouse under OS X, although that is what a mac comes with. A scroll wheel should work out of the box and a Right Click will bring up the Contextual Menu (the same as Ctl-Click with a single button mouse). If your mouse has even more buttons it will need a driver to use them properly. Kensington has nice 3+ button mice and a pretty nice driver that is kept up to date.

Glad to see that you're enjoying your OS X experience so far.

Good Luck,
Herb Schulz

[Randy Smith]

If you have not done it yet start playing with the unix underpinnings of OS X! With Apples X11 you have access to KDE, The Gimp, OpenOffice and tons of other Unix powered goodies. The power of the terminal can't be beat!

If you don't have one yet, get an iPod, you won't regret it!

[Cameron Walters]

If you like Fire, you're almost guaranteed to love Adium (www.adiumx.com). I think the level of customization is awesome, and it's light and fast. For me, this is the program I wish had a counterpart for XP.

[Stevie J]

A word about screen captures - One of my favourite features is the Mac OS has screen capturing built in to the OS - here's a quick how to:
hold down SHIFT-Apple Key-3 - this will take a full screen shot

hold down SHIFT-Apple Key-4 - your mouse will turn into a 'cross hair' which will let you select any portion of the screen

hold down SHIFT-Apple Key-4, then press Space Bar - your 'cross hair' cursor turns into a 'camera' icon which lets you take a complete picture of any open window on your screen

Every time you do this, a PDF file of your screen shot gets saved to the desktop! Once you get used to the key combos, it makes taking quick and multiple screen shots quick & easy-

[Frank J Sauer]

I second the notion of Kensington mice. Beside being reliable, their software, "mouseworks", has a very neat little feature. You can assign any type of mouse click to pop-up the "application menu" (eg, those apps currently open) right where the cursor is currently located! So you can switch to whatever open app. is desired with almost no effort. Personally, I assigned the right and left buttons together to do this.

Since I don't like a desktop cluttered with mutiple windows from multiple apps (I usually have 8-10 open at once), I use this feature in combination with either MenuStrip ($19.95) or ASM ($15) to hide all open apps and switch to my hearts content. Since Expose doesn't really appeal to me (altho it is really slick), this is perfect for my wants. That's what is so great about Mac; true ease of use.

Enjoy exploring your Mac and OS X and welcome to the world of the digital bi-lingual, who really know what is real and what is myth.

[AJ Alfieri-Crispin]

While you might not be able to "install" an app, there are many that will just run buy double clicking them no matter what folder they are in. (this is also true for simpler windows apps as well)

So, if you are not thinking you can still run some pretty destructive stuff. User protected system files are safe, however you can destroy / erase all that is in your own directories or that you have privledge to get to.

BTW, you can read and write MS .doc files using TextEdit. It isn't perfect at viewing fancy stuff, and you can't really compose anything terribly complex. But then IMHO, only about 2% of the people that use Word needs most of what it does. Won't open password protected Word Files. Also check out Appleworks for $80. Will read and write .doc and .xls files.

Fire is cool. Also check out Adium. They both have quite a fan base.

SnapzPro is an incredible desktop screen capture tool. Some macs come/came with it for free.

You can also just use cmd-shift-3 and cmd-shift-4, for screen grabs. Go to Keyboard preferences under system preferences, and check out the shortcuts.

Enjoy it!

[Nipper]

Wow...great comments. One reader replied via email that:

> "I was reading that if you have a few Mac computers,
> that Apple allows you to install any new OS version
> you buy on multiple machines (you don't have to buy a
> copy of the OS for every computer). If that is
> true...that's crazy."
>
> It's generally true but not always, and it certainly
> isn't legal.
>
> Explanation: Many times, but not always, OS
> installation CDs (or DVDs) are not machine-specific
> and can be used on previous-generation computers. For
> example, the OS 10.3 installation CDs that came with
> my mirrored door G4 could be used to install 10.3 on
> pretty much any G3 or G4-based Mac that came along
> before it (e.g., a clamshell iBook). Sometimes it
> doesn't work; the OS 10.3 install DVD that came with
> my G5 won't work with my mirrored door G4, for
> example. I recently bought an eMac and an iBook --
> current generation machines, both with combo drives,
> but their installation discs are not interchangeable.
> One disc won't work on the other machine. (This kinda
> blows because I was hoping to install the games that
> came with the iBook onto the eMac but the iBook's
> installer won't run on the eMac. Oh well.)
>
> Regardless of the technical possibilities, such a move
> is illegal. The OS is a one copy/one machine license.
> If you have three Macs, legally you need three copies.
> Apple offers "family packs" of OS X for just such a
> situation.
>
> PS: Instead of "Capture Me" try "SnapzPro" from
> Ambrosia Software (http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/).

Like I said...if true, that is crazy. Too crazy to be true.

[Peter]

"[...] the Mac crowd points out that it is 'OS ten' not 'X'"

Definitely. It's "Mac-oh-ess-ten version ten-point-three" It does tend to make it a little clumsy for writers, though. Is it "Mac OS X.3"? (No) Is it "Mac OS 10.3"? (No) Is it "Mac OS X v10.3"? (Yes) I think this is part of the reason that Apple uses the cat names in marketing. "I'm using Mac OS X Panther." Of course, this falls apart with updates... (Is it "Mac OS X Panther.6"?)

At WWDC back in 2000, that got beaten into everybody. "It's Oh-Ess-Ten", not "Oh-Ess-Ex". Of course, then some doofus from HP got on stage and started talking about how HP is really excited about "Oh-Ess-Ex" and the audience pretty much went, "Yeah. Right."

[Nitpicker]

"You can't install something without giving a password.  I suppose that makes it impossible for a program to install itself."

Not exactly correct. You can't install applications in the system's space without a password, but you still can install it in the user's space without a password. The difference is, the later has less priviledge than the former and thus, can't destroy anything belonging to the system or other users. It can wreck havoc in the user space, but you are protected from infecting other users and the system. It's one reason viruses and worms don't exist (yet, knock on wood) on Mac OS X. Another great thing is, the root access is disabled by default. An admin may do some stupid thing, but without root access, the damage is minimized.

[John Kubie]

For screen capture, add the control key to the above key combinations and the captured image goes to the clipboard rather than the desktop. I use command-control-shift-4 frequently to select portions of the current display and paste the image into Canvas9. Very quick and efficient.

[Paul Toennis]

I believe we have a few Mac using patent lawyers on the Maclaw listserve. You would be suprised to see how inovative Mac users can be in the windows world.

[Bill Kurtin]

Actually you do have two buttons. The one is obvious but the other is less so. You may use the trackpad itself as a button, but the trick is to activate both at once. This is most easily done using a program called Sidetrack (which also activates a built in scrole wheel in the trackpad.)

[Roger Wellesley-Smith]

I highly recommend the freeware application SnapClip from www.pixture.com as head and shoulders over all of the many screen capture tools which I have tried. It is simple, unobtrusive flexible and reliable.

www.pixture.com also offer a neat free little app called OtherTime, which is very useful if you need to know the time in up to 3 extra timezones in addition to your local time.

Finally, I want to give a strong, VERY strong recommendation for the app Pathfinder, which makes Apple's Finder positively antique. Pathfinder is a terrific program and worth twice what they are charging for it.

Best wishes, iLoveMac

[Daniel]

You do not need the third party software for the screenshots:
Command + Shift + 3 (entire window)
Command + Shift + 4 (drag mouse and release)

[Nipper]

Another patent attorney asked me: "if you put a mac in your home and network it with you XP, can you "remote desktop" the PC from your mac?"

I'd think that the answer is no (you can't use XP's 'remote desktop' software), but you could probably set up a VPN on the XP computer and access its hard drive that way...of course accessing a hard drive isn't the same thing as "remote desktop."

Thus...I'll pose the question back to the Mac gurus reading this post's comments.

Is there a Mac version of "GoToMyPC" or any other such "remote access" program that works between a Mac and a PC?

UPDATE: Actually, couldn't you use Virtual PC (with XP) to use XP's built in remote desktop program and thereby control your other XP computer...?

[Eddie]

Do you mean Microsoft's Remote Desktop Client for Mac that allows a Mac to run a windows machine?

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts/otherproducts.aspx?pid=remotedesktopclient

[boswellian]

"...Is there a Mac version of "GoToMyPC" or any other such "remote access" program that works between a Mac and a PC?..."

Actually, Microsoft makes a Macintosh client of Remote Desktop Connection.

[Nipper]

WOW!!! Looks like you shot that question right out of the water! MS actually makes a Mac program for letting you do it. Amazing. Thanks. /Nipper/

[Robert Jung]

About the "install MacOS X on multiple Macs" issue...

While it's true that the CDs which come with a computer are set to work for that specific hardware configuration, any (future) versions of MacOS X you buy will work with all Macs, regardless of hardware.

And yes, when you buy a boxed version of MacOS X, you can install it on a zillion Macs if you want -- Apple says you can install it on up to five Macs, but there are no serial numbers and other annoyances to limit the number of installations. So installing it on a hundred iMacs is technically illegal to do so, but Apple trusts you to do the right thing and not go crazy about it. Apple also sells a "Family pack" of their MacOS X boxes, if you want a guilt-free way to install MacOS X on an unlimited number of boxes.

That's one of the things I like about Apple -- they usually find a fair balance between their business needs and trusting their customers, so you seldom get the feeling that you're fighting the corporate lawyers tooth and nail over every little thing. Unlike a certain other software company in Redmond... ;-)

--R.J.

[Compudude]

Remote Control: Check out VNC. It's free and it works... although it's not always smooth or pretty. Also, Apple Remote Desktop works great for Macs controlling macs, or for Macs controlling PC's running VNC. Won't work PC to Mac, however. One thought for that is NetOp Remote Control. They have a Mac client that should work both directions (Mac>PC, PC>Mac) but I have not tried it personally.

MS Remote Desktop Connection works moderately well for connection from a Mac to a PC, but does nothing for you in the other direction, and is annoying in that it forces the PC to log out while the RDC connection is in session. Can't beat the price, though. :-) (except for VNC, perhaps)

For chat, there is no true comparision to Trillian on any platform. Fire, Adium and Proteus come closest on the Mac platform, but none are great as Trillian. I *really* wish they'd get on with porting Trillian to the Mac. Well, that, and WordPerfect. :-)

[Compudude]

Whoops, left one remote control package out: Timbuktu, by Netopia. Works Win<>Mac, both directions.

I don't care much for it, however. But it does the job, for the most part.

[gm]

First and foremost, welcome to the Mac community!

Now, just a few extra random thoughts for a "switcher"...

Be ready for a really cool ride. Mac-geeks have their eye on the upcoming Tiger ( http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/ ) due out in a few months. My money is on Jan 11th when Steve Jobs gives a major keynote speech.

All of the advice your readers have given you so far is very accurate. In general, don't over-think it. Mac still has a one-button mouse for a reason; most things can be accomplished with a drag-&-drop. Also, there is no "one way" of doing anything. Most functions have multiple ways of getting to them; in the menu, in a context menu, as a keyboard short-cut, and as a spoken command (spoken commands will be part of the core OS in Tiger, just as the mouse and keyboard are).

A very good website to check out is "X vs XP" at http://www.xvsxp.com/ . Although he compares the two OSs, he uses such detail that it makes for a very good and quick reference if you are trying to figure out how to do a particular thing on a Mac.

Don't underestmate iChat. The quality of it, simply as a free long distance speaker phone, has to be heard to be believed. The quality is great, and I have no idea what magic they use to overcome any echoing or delay. It is full duplex meaning that you can talk and hear at the same time, even sing a duet.

WARNING: DO NOT play with GarageBand. Regardless of your musical talents (or lack of) it will keep you from doing anything else for the next 4 hours; it's far too addicting. To start: click on the "eye". Grab and drag that middle area up, there's more hiding underneath. Just drag the music clip from the list on the right to the audio track on top. If you click on the right edge of the sample, you can drag it to make it fill more measures. That's it!

You mentioned "very few pop-ups". You can make that "No pop-ups" by clicking on "Block Pop-ups" in the Safari menu.

Fonts. Geez, where to start. Open something simple like TextEdit. Click on Format > Font > Show Fonts. Go play with the font Zapfino, and make it rather large to see the detail. Try typing things like "Mr.", "Dr.", "th", and most double letters. If that's not enough fun, at the bottom of the Font window, click on that gear-lookin' thing (options) and select "Typography". Highlight any word(s). At the bottom of the typography window, under Glyph Variants, you can select one of several variations for each letter. I use this for fancier letters that start a paragraph, a formal name or for the last letter in sentence (one with a sweeping stroke). No, we're not quite done, yet. With the text selected, select the middle button at the top of the Font window. This turns on shadowing. The controls to its right, make the adjustments. You can still go back to the document and make changes while the shadowing is on. VERY COOL! There is a sample of Zapfino at http://www.xvsxp.com/fonts/ . XP users have no idea what they are missing!

One last tid bit of Mac fun...
Go to http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/expo04/ and watch the presentation. Open it up to full screen (be sure to set your QuickTime prefs to the right connection speed), grab a few snacks and spend the next hour or so watching what the Mac can do, and will soon be able to do in a few months. It is very entertaining, and a great way to learn about your new computer and not have to read boring websites and books. Nothing beats QuickTime streaming!

Most of all, have fun!

[heavyboots]

One more screen shot shortcut. Add the control key to the command and shift keys to capture to your clipboard instead of to your desktop. Excellent for snagging a screenshot you want to email someone. Also quite useful if you're writing how-to's or manuals.

control-command-shift-3 - Capture entire screen to clipboard
control-command-shift-4 - Capture selected area to clipboard

As for mice, I still quite like the Microsoft Intellipoint 5-button mouse (not the Explorer!). I also have a Kensington Optical Elite at home because the Kensington Mouseworks software is quite nice for customizations.

One really cool trick if you have a 5-button mouse is to assign buttons 4 and 5 to the Expose Show All Windows and Show Desktop functions. It makes Expose ever so fun. Particularly useful for adding a file to an email that is burried under a ton of windows on your desktop.

[1] From Mail, click Button 5 to Reveal Desktop.
[2] Click and hold on file you want to attach with the left mouse button.
[3] Still holding left mouse button, tap button 5 again.
[4] Since you are still holding the file with your left mouse button, you can drag it over your mail message and drop it. Very nice!

[Josh]

If you're looking for programs, you should check out versiontracker.com. I know that CodeTek Virtual Desktop is a decent virtual desktop implementation, but it isn't free. I believe there is a free one for OS X, but it isn't as good.

Careful with that built in microphone! That feature has been around the mac for many years. When I first started playing with it, my roommate would periodically yell "RESTART!" which would have me cursing for the next few minutes 8)