I am a new user to MacBook Pro, but this has made me nervous

I am really not new to the computer. I have used PC for years. But now I got a MBP as the work computer. I have no experience for Mac OS X or Unix. Any good tips for the new Mac user? I do not need games or other fancy things. I just want this Mac can run stably and not mess my work. I tried to learn something from this article Tips to Keep Mac at Peak Performance, but got more confusion. I am a PC user for years. I know junk files can make the Windows system ugly. But is this the same to the Mac? I asked my colleague, he could not give me the clear answer either.
Any tips will be appreciated. Thanks.

You can stop being afraid. Macs aren't Windows machines.

Have a look at the essay linked in my signature.

Hello Skyrim,

The OS used on macs is alot cleaner and alot more stable than the Windows platform. But saying this there are a few things to keep your MBP in good working order.

1: If you install a program or app that comes with an un-installer and you want to get rid of that program, then always use the uninstaller that comes with it.

2: You can use Disk Utility once a month to repair permissions on files, this will help keep your mac running smoothly. This can be found in Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Just go to the First Aid tab and click Repair Disk Permissions.

3: A program called Onyx is very helpful for checking you hdd for errors, fixing them and other useful features. It's free and helps with optimisation and maintenance of your system. This can be found here

4: Keep your system updated. Click the Apple symbol in the top left of your screen then click the "Software Update..." option, this will check for any OS and other updates that are available.

Hope this helps
And remember if you need any more help or you have any questions, that's what we are here for

- Simon

Thank you guys. You both are very helpful. I will check those things. I have a lot to learn about this Mac.

Another bit of advice that I have found useful is that to really due your due diligence before downloading programs. There is a lot of poorly written software out there many of which purports to "Fix your Mac". Be careful many of these are nothing more than junk software.

The programs mentioned above are good programs. If you don't load your Mac up with a lot of crap programs you minimize your chance of messing it up. Even then with the Mac sandboxing a lot of problems can still be avoided compared to a Windows machine. I have had my MBP for about 10 months now and I have only used ONYX one time as a tuneup and really have had no problems. My computer has dual operating systems on it, Mac and Windows, Windows because of work and I have had zero problems. The system is very robust. Again be very cognizant of what you are downloading and adding to your machine and you really won't have any problems. I try to stick with Apple applications but do run the Microsoft Office Suite for Mac.

Have fun with your new experience.

Regards,

Pat

Thanks for the advice. I will not install many applications, only the programs needed for works. Mac OS X is indeed better than Windows. I already can feel that after just used it for a few hours.

My main piece of advice to people trying to get used to the Mac GUI is usually, "If it seems like clicking and dragging something onto something else would make some degree of sense for doing a task, it probably actually does that task in OS X."

Relearning the keyboard shortcuts took me the longest. I still miss my Delete, Insert, Page Up, Page Down, Home and End keys... Yes, there are shortcuts, but I do miss the actual keys.

There is a fair number of apps out there keeping your mac running smothly. I have not use any so far and after 2 years I am still running at peak performance despite having a fair amount of data on my mac.
So you should not be to worried after all.

Buzzard2010 said:

2: You can use Disk Utility once a month to repair permissions on files, this will help keep your mac running smoothly. This can be found in Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. Just go to the First Aid tab and click Repair Disk Permissions.

Click to expand...

Being a relative noob to Mac, I did not know this. Just opened Disk Utility and went to the First Aid tab, hilited Macintosh HD and clicked Repair Disk Permissions. It found and repaired 18 errors. Really appreciate the advice!

Buzzard2010 said:

3: A program called Onyx is very helpful for checking you hdd for errors, fixing them and other useful features. It's free and helps with optimisation and maintenance of your system. This can be found here

Click to expand...

I heard this can be a somewhat intimidating program for those who don't already fully understand the ins and outs of Macs. Is this true, or can a "newish" Mac user (iMac user for 5 months) safely use Onyx?

I use Onyx to clear out my cache and log files. I don't do a lot of other things with it, though it will do a lot. I clear the files about once a month, and I do not reboot until I am completely done clearing the files.

Just read the help if you have questions about what something does, and if in doubt, take a screenshot and come here and ask.

Spellbinder said:

Being a relative noob to Mac, I did not know this. Just opened Disk Utility and went to the First Aid tab, hilited Macintosh HD and clicked Repair Disk Permissions. It found and repaired 18 errors. Really appreciate the advice!

Click to expand...

Not a problem, its a nice simple tool to use and can be extremely helpful if anything doesn't seem right or if you have a problem with your computer.

I heard this can be a somewhat intimidating program for those who don't already fully understand the ins and outs of Macs. Is this true, or can a "newish" Mac user (iMac user for 5 months) safely use Onyx?

Click to expand...

Onyx can seem a little intimidating at first. My advice is download it and explore it features. Read up on what they do using the help files and/or google search.
And as always if you're still unsure about anything then we're always here to help.

HTH,

- Simon

Thanks Simon.

Thanks. I have found a so useful keyboard shortcut. Press “shift + command + 4”, then press space bar. It is much easier to take the screenshots than under Windows.

Or just press Shift+Command+3 and don't worry about the space bar at all.

That command that you're typing brings up a cursor to take a precise screen shot. You can use that cursor to highlight an area and then take a shot of just the area which you highlighted.

Command +shift + 3 takes a shot of the entire screen. Command + shift + 4 brings up a cursor for you to select a certain area for a screen shot, pressing the spacebar give you a little camera in place of the cursor so you can take a shot of a particular window.

HTH,

- Simon

Very helpful. I have had my Mac since April. Never had a need for that yet but wow I can see how that will be helpful.

Filed under Keyboard shortcuts. Is there somewhere I and others can go to get a complete and concise list of Mac Keyboard shortcuts?

I am new as well and there is a lot of good info here, Thanks all

PatM said:

Very helpful. I have had my Mac since April. Never had a need for that yet but wow I can see how that will be helpful.

Filed under Keyboard shortcuts. Is there somewhere I and others can go to get a complete and concise list of Mac Keyboard shortcuts?

Click to expand...

I have managed to find the list of Mac OS X key shortcuts on Apple official site. I do not know if the list is complete. But they are already too many for me. I cannot remember them all.