New MacBook users...what I miss about the PC

So here let me start, the list I switched from a ThinkPad R50:

Forward and Back buttons, my thinkpad and forward and back buttons for web browsing. I know I can hit apple+left/right, but thats an extra click and hard to do with one hand. Same thing with HOME/END buttons

Delete button, the mac delete button is 'backspace' NOT delete which deletes text to the right of the courser.

clicking enter renames applications

NO DOUBLE CLICK button

Outlook 2003

DVD Shrink

I am sure I'll think of more later buy I have to get back to writing my paper

Delete and backspace seems to perform the same function on a Mac and a PC for me.

Good thing about Macs though is that it's easier to press apple-keystroke than control-keystroke on the PC.

* Forward and Back buttons, my thinkpad and forward and back buttons for web browsing.

That's a feature specific to your keyboard. It's not a 'mac vs pc' issue, but one that exists 'per manufacturer'.

* Delete button, the mac delete button is 'backspace' NOT delete which deletes text to the right of the courser.

The delete button is in the same location as backspace on a PC keyboard, and actually is backspace. On the macbook, press fn+delete to get a PC style delete key.

* clicking enter renames applications

This is a quirk of finder - press option+down to launch an app. There are other launchers available if you search around.

* NO DOUBLE CLICK button

I'm not sure what you mean here - why would you have an entire button to double click? If you mean right click, you can press ctrl+click, or go into system preferences/mouse&keyboard/trackpage and enable 'Place two fingers on trackpad and click button for secondary click'. This will enable right click by simply touching the trackpad with two fingers. I find that I use my right index finger for the trackpad, so I just touch my middle finger onto it and click for right click. It's actually very intuitive once you try it.

* Outlook 2003

That's a Windows only program. The nearest thing is Entourage, which comes with MS Office for Mac. It is, in fact, Outlook for Mac, or as close as possible.

* DVD Shrink

DVD2One


It sounds like most of your issues have been either due to unfamiliarity with the Mac environment, or specific software from Windows. Take the time to familiarise yourself with it, read the manual, search for software that does what you need. For many people who have only ever used a Windows machine the switch isn't instantaneous because familiarity with only one platform means that any change is a shock to the system. It'll be fine, in time.

The delete key was one of the very few and tiny things that niggled at me when i started using my MB. Thanks Cazabam now i know how to use fn+delete

Double click button? wasat? I dont have a double click button on my PC and no one else in my household (5 of them) knows what that is either. If you really did mean right click then the pads great for this.2 fingered tap and there it is.

I did miss scroll until someone pointed out the two finger thing and now i scroll and right click freely and find it very easy.

I dont miss outlook at all. The mail prog already on my MB is more than capable and i never feel its about to crash. Outlook always had the underlying feeling about it that it would hang or crash, and ive often found it hiding in system properties even after ive closed it/quit it.

As for dvdshrink, well i aint even go into the *backup* dvd thing. Its always a good laugh though when someone tries to justify making *backup* copies of their dvds lol.

climbguy said:

So here let me start, the list I switched from a ThinkPad R50:

Forward and Back buttons, my thinkpad and forward and back buttons for web browsing. I know I can hit apple+left/right, but thats an extra click and hard to do with one hand. Same thing with HOME/END buttons

Delete button, the mac delete button is 'backspace' NOT delete which deletes text to the right of the courser.

clicking enter renames applications

NO DOUBLE CLICK button

Outlook 2003

DVD Shrink

I am sure I'll think of more later buy I have to get back to writing my paper

Click to expand...

Go back to the PC if you don't like the Mac. Their is a big learning curve when you go from PC to Mac. When I switched i was overwhelmed but after a few weeks i got used to it.

You made the decision to switch yet it seems like you are trying to find ways to hate the Mac, especially by the last sentence of your post.

As for programs I have always been able to find a Mac equivelent. For DVD's you can use Mac the Ripper, Handbrake or FFMPEGX. The only program i haven't yet is for my slingbox but hopefully that will be resolved soon.

Give it some time and these little items will seem like nothing.

cazabam, you wrote: The delete button is in the same location as backspace on a PC keyboard, and actually is backspace. On the macbook, press fn+delete to get a PC style delete key.

What is the fn key, and do you have to press fn+delete everytime you want to delete something?

sunshine1686 said:

cazabam, you wrote: The delete button is in the same location as backspace on a PC keyboard, and actually is backspace. On the macbook, press fn+delete to get a PC style delete key.

What is the fn key, and do you have to press fn+delete everytime you want to delete something?

Click to expand...

No, you can just drag the item you want gone to the trash bin and it's gone. Not really much to it imo.

alucard said:

Go back to the PC if you don't like the Mac. Their is a big learning curve when you go from PC to Mac. When I switched i was overwhelmed but after a few weeks i got used to it.

You made the decision to switch yet it seems like you are trying to find ways to hate the Mac, especially by the last sentence of your post.

Click to expand...

Hmm...I dont think the original poster really hates his new Mac. I think hes just making some observations about how his new thousand dollar purchase compares to his old ThinkPad. I just bought a new MacBook also, yet its my second Mac and I am very much used to things. I wouldnt assume that he is trying to hate his investment. I know that I am guilty of being defensive about Macs sometimes too...

sunshine1686 said:

What is the fn key, and do you have to press fn+delete everytime you want to delete something?

Click to expand...

On the macbook, it's in the bottom left corner of the keyboard next to ctrl.

Greenredfield said:

Hmm...I dont think the original poster really hates his new Mac. I think hes just making some observations about how his new thousand dollar purchase compares to his old ThinkPad.

Click to expand...

If it's a list of "Ways in which this mac differs from a thinkpad running XP" then the list is going to go on for quite some time.

cazabam said:

If it's a list of "Ways in which this mac differs from a thinkpad running XP" then the list is going to go on for quite some time.

Click to expand...

Good point, and this is the esse of the issue. If one is constantly comparing the OS differences, instead of getting to know the ins and outs on their own terms, dissatisfaction will almost always follow.

alucard said:

Their is a big learning curve when you go from PC to Mac.

Click to expand...

I don't know about that, I think it depends on the person. The first few days were hard for me, but within two weeks I was forgetting XP shortcuts when I had to use my PC. Disciplined immersion helped, I think.

Sorry for the double click comment i meant right click. As for the keyboard issue i was talking about i am compairing the old win xp unit i had to my macbook. I am happy with my Mac and no no plans to go back to xp however there are a few things that i miss about my pc

i miss the home key...

Lot of people seem to be confusing the backspace with delete key lol. On a PC the big buttong you use to delete is backspace.The small one with delete on it is , well... delete. To *emulate* the small delete key its fn+backspace (the one with the left pointing arrow)

I still feel *dirty* when using bootcamp to run the odd pc prog on my MB lol. I like the solid feeling the whole MB and OSX has. As my wife said it feels like the MB +OSx is a singular item, where as WinXP + PC feels like its a mish mash of add ons.

keep learning

when i switched august 2005, i found it a massive change. but i realised 2 weeks later that it was the best move i have ever made.

macs just work.

keep at it. the more you use it now the better you will become quicker.

I don't miss a thing about Windows.

Of course, I never got rid of my Windows machine. Granted, I never use it very often... but I can't miss it if I never got rid of it in the first place.

:black:

Aslain said:

I don't know about that, I think it depends on the person. The first few days were hard for me, but within two weeks I was forgetting XP shortcuts when I had to use my PC. Disciplined immersion helped, I think.

Click to expand...

True. My biggest issues were installing/uninstalling (i didnt think it could be as easy as drag it to the folder you wanted or to the trash can.) and the fact that I had no drive letters. I got used to it after a couple weeks. then i was sittin' pretty

How do you empty the trash bin after deleting?

MontrealMitch said:

How do you empty the trash bin after deleting?

Click to expand...

Right-click (or left click and hold) in the dock and choose "empty trash." Alternatively, the keyboard shortcut from Finder is Shift-Cmd-Del

One of the main things i am annoyed about is that there are less torrents available for mac.

Also, backspace ("delete") doesn't actually delete anything in most situations. Nor is it a shortcut that lets you go back in finder (i hate the hotkey combo for the up directory action).
There's supposed to be a way to configure hotkeys for applications in system preferences, but i haven't gotten it to work for me.

Most of the mac hotkeys ive really taken to quickly, but there are some from windows i miss (like F2 to change a file name).

Also, my n52 speedpad is supposed to work on a mac but somehow it just doesn't see it when it's plugged in. It came with an install file for a mac, but i haven't been able to does anyone else have that problem?

However all the things that i absolutely love about OSX outweighs those annoyances.

cherry said:

One of the main things i am annoyed about is that there are less torrents available for mac.

Also, backspace ("delete") doesn't actually delete anything in most situations. Nor is it a shortcut that lets you go back in finder (i hate the hotkey combo for the up directory action).
There's supposed to be a way to configure hotkeys for applications in system preferences, but i haven't gotten it to work for me.

Most of the mac hotkeys ive really taken to quickly, but there are some from windows i miss (like F2 to change a file name).

Also, my n52 speedpad is supposed to work on a mac but somehow it just doesn't see it when it's plugged in. It came with an install file for a mac, but i haven't been able to does anyone else have that problem?

However all the things that i absolutely love about OSX outweighs those annoyances.

Click to expand...

You can just hit enter on a file and you will be able to rename it.

Do you just mean torrent clients?

Take a look at this if you have not already. :black:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75459