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Great job Simon, this is much needed as the transition has been slow and frustrating for some switchers. We need more - keep em coming!
I agree, great article Simon can't wait for the rest.
I bought my first PC in 1987 and have been a big user ever since but got more and more disillusioned with Windows so took the giant step in July last year and bought a new MacBook Pro. Loved it so much I've just taken delivery of a new 27" i7, which is absolutely stunning. The transition has been relatively easy but I'm always looking for help and it sounds like your series may provide many of the answers I'll need.
I bought my first PC in 1987 and have been a big user ever since but got more and more disillusioned with Windows so took the giant step in July last year and bought a new MacBook Pro. Loved it so much I've just taken delivery of a new 27" i7, which is absolutely stunning. The transition has been relatively easy but I'm always looking for help and it sounds like your series may provide many of the answers I'll need.
It's useful to have Apps on the dock because you can open files intelligently by dropping them on the icon. Fo instance, if you drop a photo onto Mail a new message will open with the photo attached, by default a double click will open it in Preview but if you need Photoshop to make fancy edits drop it on that. For text files you might want the icons for Text Edit, Word, Dashcode, Text Wrangler. Much quicker than doing a right click and Open with...
Thanks John. Agreed.. open-with type apps need app icons. My next article will have details on my personal recommendation for drag-and-drop type apps: the Finder window toolbar, since it's located nearest to documents.
I hate to be picky, but you seem to have two "Fresh Mac" series - this one, which has a Part 2 at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/fresh-mac-part-2-power-tips-for-using-finder/2544?tag=nl.e008&s_cid=e008&ttag=e008, and another at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/fresh-mac-for-business-users-power-fundamentals-series/2514. Will this other series also have a part 2, or is there some unintended duplication of "Fresh Mac" series?
Sorry about that. I was being indecisive about the titles in this new series, so it got a little confused. You are correct that the series is Power Fundamentals, so I've tweaked the first one and also this one to make it more clear. However, even thought it's a series, we want all of them to have self-contained, actionable tips that can be read on their own as well as part of a series. I'll try to make future titles reflect that as well. Thanks for pointing it out.
Thanks for your reply. It clears up some confusion, but unfortunately now creates a further one 
And once more I apologise for being picky!
There are now two articles with the same title "Power Fundamentals Part 1: Fresh Mac for business users", both dated and timed as February 12, 2013, 12:17 PM PST. One can be found at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514, and the second (with different text) at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514?pg=2 ie the same as the first url with "?pg=2" (without quotes) tagged onto the end. Only the first of these is listed on your home page http://www.techrepublic.com/search?a=simon+barnett
All three of your articles so far are excellent, and will help me no end to convert to the Mac. I look forward to more of your series.
One request, please. It would be very useful if there was a link to a downloadable pdf for each article, so that I can save them for future reference.
And once more I apologise for being picky!There are now two articles with the same title "Power Fundamentals Part 1: Fresh Mac for business users", both dated and timed as February 12, 2013, 12:17 PM PST. One can be found at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514, and the second (with different text) at http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514?pg=2 ie the same as the first url with "?pg=2" (without quotes) tagged onto the end. Only the first of these is listed on your home page http://www.techrepublic.com/search?a=simon+barnett
All three of your articles so far are excellent, and will help me no end to convert to the Mac. I look forward to more of your series.
One request, please. It would be very useful if there was a link to a downloadable pdf for each article, so that I can save them for future reference.
Part 1 (1st page)
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514
Part 1 (2nd page)
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514?pg=2
Part 2 (only 1 page)
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-2-tips-for-using-finder/2544
To make a pdf:
- Open the page in your browser
- Type command p (to print)
- In Firefox or Safari: go to [pdf ] in the bottom left of the dialog box. In Google Chrome: Destination -
- Save as pdf..
- Click Save
The Tech Republic site does a good job of automatically reformatting the page for printing or making a pdf.
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514
Part 1 (2nd page)
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-1-fresh-mac-for-business-users/2514?pg=2
Part 2 (only 1 page)
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mac/power-fundamentals-part-2-tips-for-using-finder/2544
To make a pdf:
- Open the page in your browser
- Type command p (to print)
- In Firefox or Safari: go to [pdf ] in the bottom left of the dialog box. In Google Chrome: Destination -
- Save as pdf..
- Click Save
The Tech Republic site does a good job of automatically reformatting the page for printing or making a pdf.
Hey Simon -
I have been in the process of switching since the new MBAs came out in June of last year, and have been doing relatively decently at it.
The biggest problems I have come across are how to browse the Finder using the keyboard (in Windows Explorer, a quick Alt+D, and typing a few letters, tab, a few letters, tab, etc... got you right where you needed to go) I finally worked around this in Finder by learning Command+Shift+G and typing, tabbing, etc...
The other one that I still find troublesome is the inability to right-click and select New File.
I am a bit of a file freak, and I REALLY relied on this in Windows.
Browse to the directory where you will store a new file, right click, new (Text, Excel, Word, what have you) file, name it, open it and get cracking.
In OS X I have found a few script ways of doing this but nothing very intuitive or simple to use.
Can you use any of your resources to find a better option for us?
Good luck - and thanks!
JN
I have been in the process of switching since the new MBAs came out in June of last year, and have been doing relatively decently at it.
The biggest problems I have come across are how to browse the Finder using the keyboard (in Windows Explorer, a quick Alt+D, and typing a few letters, tab, a few letters, tab, etc... got you right where you needed to go) I finally worked around this in Finder by learning Command+Shift+G and typing, tabbing, etc...
The other one that I still find troublesome is the inability to right-click and select New File.
I am a bit of a file freak, and I REALLY relied on this in Windows.
Browse to the directory where you will store a new file, right click, new (Text, Excel, Word, what have you) file, name it, open it and get cracking.
In OS X I have found a few script ways of doing this but nothing very intuitive or simple to use.
Can you use any of your resources to find a better option for us?
Good luck - and thanks!
JN
Hi JN,
I'm covering some shortcuts in the next article, but since I'm taking baby steps with this series, nothing as advanced as enabling the functionality you require with your second question. I will only get to that sort of usage much later on (good question, though - keep 'em coming).
Here's a link to the steps for your second question. As solutions go, it's a little bit geeky / fiddly to set up initially, but I tried it - took me 5 minutes to do, and creates the right-click functionality you require: http://www.macworld.com/article/1151236/createnewfileservice.html
Your solution to the first one is correct, by the way - that is the best way to navigate to a folder, which I'll get to earlier in the series. Some other less-targeted methods will be outlined in the next article.
As a general comparative list of Windows / Mac / Linux shortcuts, look no further than http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_keyboard_shortcuts
Good luck!
Simon
I'm covering some shortcuts in the next article, but since I'm taking baby steps with this series, nothing as advanced as enabling the functionality you require with your second question. I will only get to that sort of usage much later on (good question, though - keep 'em coming).
Here's a link to the steps for your second question. As solutions go, it's a little bit geeky / fiddly to set up initially, but I tried it - took me 5 minutes to do, and creates the right-click functionality you require: http://www.macworld.com/article/1151236/createnewfileservice.html
Your solution to the first one is correct, by the way - that is the best way to navigate to a folder, which I'll get to earlier in the series. Some other less-targeted methods will be outlined in the next article.
As a general comparative list of Windows / Mac / Linux shortcuts, look no further than http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_keyboard_shortcuts
Good luck!
Simon
- Keyboard Shortcuts:
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