MAC trials and tribulations

[inkman996]

I am starting this more for the entertainment value, i thought it would be cool for others to see what a long long time PC user goes through when drastically switching to a MAC. I will add to this occasionally.

Today i spent about one half an hour trying to figure out how to kill a program that hung up. You know alt/ctrl/dele. Yes i found it eventually.

I am mildly surprised (no this is not a knock on MAC at all) that it is not as fast as windows in a lot of aspects. Simple things like opening a folder to view contents is kind slow IMHO. Maybe there is just a touch to much glitz and glamor with the MAC GUI behaviors.

I repeatedly over and over and over and over hit FN key instead of ctrl, the FN resides right on the corner where on a PC board the ctrl is, this is going to take me for ever to get used to.

More to come. Hope all you MAC users get a laugh

[Dottonedan]

I can relate a good deal. When switching from Mac to PC, it didn't take me long to remember things or to switch over but it was frustrating as all get out. Thing like color coding folders and files. Can't do it unless you get a 3rd party plugin or something.

Strange tho that you have issues with the folders and info. PC to me is very tedious versus Mac.

[balloonguy]

I have never used anything other than a mac. I can not relate.
Good luck and enjoy.
Matt

[Sbrem]

Command-option-esc for force quitting, I didn't even know there was a key combination for Windows to force quit, I'll have to tuck that one away. Thanks Mike

Steve

[Gilligan]

Actually for Windows and even faster short cut is CTRL+SHIFT+Escape... this will go straight to the task manager.

I use it at least daily, granted that is because my job is to repair computers... I only say that because I truly think it is my favorite short cut key combo.

Mike, I don't know the proper way to do it but I know via the CLI (Terminal) you have the ability to use `ps` which is a text based task manager (processes tab).  I live in the CLI with linux so it's all I know.  If I need to kill something in a *nix program that is hanging up that is where I go.  then `kill <pid>` granted, not often that you have programs hang up in Linux and when they do it's usually because I messed up a config file before launching it.

[Denis Kolar]

Patience........
You'll be happy after you learn the small differences. Obviously, the biggest one for all users is a CTRL VS. Apple (Command) Key.

BTW, I do not know did you see my post few days ago in ShoutBox, I should be getting new 27" iMac sometimes in next 10 days. I ordered one from MacMall but it is back-ordered for a few days. They had a pretty good deal, and I think that I saved about $280 because I went with MacMall vs. Apple directly.

[StuJohnston]

I can't imagine having the command keys where the ctrl keys are on a pc. I sometimes use my parents computer and keep hitting whatever button is next to the spacebar. I think if I ever owned another windows machine, I would figure out how to turn the alt keys into ctrl keys.

The only super weird thing that I came across when I switched was the fact that I had to use the menubar or cmd+Q to quit a program. Simply closing the window does nothing.

I'm kind of curious what you mean by slow to open a folder. I have a three year old MBP and it pretty much reacts instantly to looking at folders. It may be due to the way that I have the view set in columns rather than thumbnails.

[Gilligan]

The only super weird thing that I came across when I switched was the fact that I had to use the menubar or cmd+Q to quit a program. Simply closing the window does nothing.

That's another pet peeve of mine.  It should be optional or custom for each program... because I understand why it's done that way but some programs the big red X should = QUIT.

[Denis Kolar]

The only super weird thing that I came across when I switched was the fact that I had to use the menubar or cmd+Q to quit a program. Simply closing the window does nothing.

That's another pet peeve of mine.  It should be optional or custom for each program... because I understand why it's done that way but some programs the big red X should = QUIT.

Man, you you've got a lot of peeves...

[Gilligan]

Two?  That's a lot?

You are a pretty sensitive guy.

Now can we not muck up this thread with petty back and forth BS.

[Evo]

Command-option-esc for force quitting, I didn't even know there was a key combination for Windows to force quit, I'll have to tuck that one away. Thanks Mike

Steve

Ctrl+Alt+Del and you can call up the task manager and blitz out as many running process as you dare.

[Gilligan]

Command-option-esc for force quitting, I didn't even know there was a key combination for Windows to force quit, I'll have to tuck that one away. Thanks Mike

Steve

Ctrl+Alt+Del and you can call up the task manager and blitz out as many running process as you dare.

CTR+Shift+Escape damnit!  Everyone will learn that one!

Another little known short cut is WINDOWS KEY+Pause/Break this brings up system properties (like right clicking on my computer and hitting properties)... not as useful these days as it was in the Win2k days and device manager was in that box.

In fact WINDOWS KEY + <lots of keys> does a bunch of useful tricks.  The D key added will get you to your desktop immediately, the R key will bring up the Run dialog box, I use that MANY times a day... pull up cmd, calc, mspaint, mstsc (remote desktop), notepad, even browse through to my units converter app on every pc that I have so that I can cursor up or down and find it quickly through the run dialog box.  That is my best friend right there (run dialog box).  Especially post Vista/Win7 when the default is to not have the "Run" command on the start menu any more.

That's the lesson for today boys... test tomorrow!

[Sbrem]

The only super weird thing that I came across when I switched was the fact that I had to use the menubar or cmd+Q to quit a program. Simply closing the window does nothing.

That's another pet peeve of mine.  It should be optional or custom for each program... because I understand why it's done that way but some programs the big red X should = QUIT.

Command Q quits every program, so if you want to quit a program, use command Q, it's faster than using a mouse, or trackball as we like. To close a window and leave the program running, it's command W. No moving the cursor at all.

Steve

[inkman996]

I like that command+q I used it today very helpful and glad to know it actually kills the program.

Gilligan are you saying alt+carl+escape goes directly to task manager since I think XP they implemented that stupid screen with extra options if you hit the age old alt+Ctrl+dele.

Today I had to pull my hair out of my head trying to find a way to back space apparently there is not one what's up with that?

[Gilligan]

Gilligan are you saying alt+carl+escape goes directly to task manager since I think XP they implemented that stupid screen with extra options if you hit the age old alt+Ctrl+dele.

That is correct (not sure how it will work in the virtual environment though), it is awesome compared to CTRL+ALT+Delete.

I only use that in DIRE needs, maybe to check which user is logged on (if it has the users tab) or to possibly evoke a shut down command if all else fails (I'll usually do that from task manager as well).  Of course to log on to a computer on a domain with that group policy option enabled of course as well or to lock a computer.  There used to be a CTR+ALT+K that would lock the system on Win2k, I LOVED that as well, but it's gone the way of the Dodo as well.