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This is My Switch. (Guide)
This is My Switch
A brief explanation...
The computer industry is caught in a little bit of a shakeup. It's a word that means so much depending upon who its being said by, and to. I'm talking about the word "switch". To switch, in the technology industry, has grown its meaning as a transfer from a computing world of Windows, to Apple's Macintosh along with its OS X (ten). Some see it only as a fad, others as a reawakening of freedom, even some long-time Mac users are wary of it being the downfall of their precious way of computing. Despite reservations, the bicker of online debates, and at times steep comparable prices, more people are switching today than ever before. This is my switch story.
Chapter 1 : Months of preparation, with a hint of anticipation...
I highly doubt most switchers wake-up one morning and suddenly decide that todays the day, to buy a Mac. In fact, i'd bet, most are much like myself. They've planned a new computer purchase for months now, even it it meant as little as the passing thought that there was getting too old and they needed a new one. In this course, taking certain steps have made the actual switching process much easier :
1. Find your reasons. They can vary, but don't blindly switch without a good personal cause. Maybe you want to try something new, deal with less virus, or there's a particular piece of software you'd love to use but is Mac only. Whatever your cause is, find it and stick by it. This helps keep you from second thoughts both before and after purchasing. For example, my reasons was learning to handle a second operating system efficiently, and challenge myself to do so.
2. Look at what you need your computer to do, and what is involved. This task can vary greatly, but mostly pertains to looking at what software and peripherals you rely on and seeing if there are Mac equivalents (in case of software) and drivers for them (in case of hardware). If you find something crucial that you must have, but for some odd reason just won't work on a Mac, look into such options as Parallels Desktop for Mac or BootCamp options. These allow you to run a legit, full version of Windows on your Mac, removing those restraints. I will detail more on these later in the software and applications section.
3. Prepare a way to move your data. Its given that here will be some things, like pictures, movies, documents etc etc, that you will want on your new computer from your old. Finding a way to do this isn't a daunting task at all, even Apple offers a few suggestion on there site.
4. Pick your hardware. Apple doesn't have a massive range of models available, so narrowing down what you need is pretty simple. The core to there product line is two options, Professional and Consumer. In the desktop side you find two consumer options, the Mac Mini (a monitorless, compact, basic computer) and the iMac (a more powerful machine, integrated into the monitor). For the professionals desktop, the Mac Pro is available as a powerhouse customizable to your wildest dreams. In Laptops, the Macbook (consumer) and MacBook Pro are available. Delve around Apple.com's hardware section, and find out which suits your need.
5. Get hands on. Find your closest Mac retailer (CompUSA comes to mind), or even an Apple retail location and take the time to look around. This is by far the way to get used to OS X without spending a dime. One tactic I used was getting behind a Macintosh at my local CompUSA, and trying to make it my own. Investigate System Preferences, open things on the Dock, etc etc.
6. Ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. There are dozens of websites featuring message boards that talk about Apple products, most of which have a section dedicated to new users and general help. To recommend a few would be the great people at MacNN, Mac-Forums & NotebookReview.com's Apple & Mac OS X forum.
7. Read switch guides. A quick Google search of "Switch to Mac" reveals over 75 million results. There are alot of guides available on how-to switch, and the more you learn before hand will do nothing but make your life easier when the time comes. Apple even offers there own.
8. Expect a challenge sometimes. Despite all these recommendations for preparing to switch, at some point your going to run into a challenge on your Mac. This can be small or large, from not having a program to do what you like to not knowing how to rename a file. The key here is to know this will happen eventually, and not to let it frustrate you. I've yet to here of a problem arising that couldn't be solved.
Doing even just a few of those suggestions can make a huge difference in your switch, as they have mine. Knowing is half the battle i've found, being prepared to learn something new, make a few (or alot) of mistakes, and not let anything or anyone get you down.
Coming soon .... "Judgement Day : How to pass through the switch quickly & smoothly"
This is My Switch
A brief explanation...
The computer industry is caught in a little bit of a shakeup. It's a word that means so much depending upon who its being said by, and to. I'm talking about the word "switch". To switch, in the technology industry, has grown its meaning as a transfer from a computing world of Windows, to Apple's Macintosh along with its OS X (ten). Some see it only as a fad, others as a reawakening of freedom, even some long-time Mac users are wary of it being the downfall of their precious way of computing. Despite reservations, the bicker of online debates, and at times steep comparable prices, more people are switching today than ever before. This is my switch story.
Chapter 1 : Months of preparation, with a hint of anticipation...
I highly doubt most switchers wake-up one morning and suddenly decide that todays the day, to buy a Mac. In fact, i'd bet, most are much like myself. They've planned a new computer purchase for months now, even it it meant as little as the passing thought that there was getting too old and they needed a new one. In this course, taking certain steps have made the actual switching process much easier :
1. Find your reasons. They can vary, but don't blindly switch without a good personal cause. Maybe you want to try something new, deal with less virus, or there's a particular piece of software you'd love to use but is Mac only. Whatever your cause is, find it and stick by it. This helps keep you from second thoughts both before and after purchasing. For example, my reasons was learning to handle a second operating system efficiently, and challenge myself to do so.
2. Look at what you need your computer to do, and what is involved. This task can vary greatly, but mostly pertains to looking at what software and peripherals you rely on and seeing if there are Mac equivalents (in case of software) and drivers for them (in case of hardware). If you find something crucial that you must have, but for some odd reason just won't work on a Mac, look into such options as Parallels Desktop for Mac or BootCamp options. These allow you to run a legit, full version of Windows on your Mac, removing those restraints. I will detail more on these later in the software and applications section.
3. Prepare a way to move your data. Its given that here will be some things, like pictures, movies, documents etc etc, that you will want on your new computer from your old. Finding a way to do this isn't a daunting task at all, even Apple offers a few suggestion on there site.
4. Pick your hardware. Apple doesn't have a massive range of models available, so narrowing down what you need is pretty simple. The core to there product line is two options, Professional and Consumer. In the desktop side you find two consumer options, the Mac Mini (a monitorless, compact, basic computer) and the iMac (a more powerful machine, integrated into the monitor). For the professionals desktop, the Mac Pro is available as a powerhouse customizable to your wildest dreams. In Laptops, the Macbook (consumer) and MacBook Pro are available. Delve around Apple.com's hardware section, and find out which suits your need.
5. Get hands on. Find your closest Mac retailer (CompUSA comes to mind), or even an Apple retail location and take the time to look around. This is by far the way to get used to OS X without spending a dime. One tactic I used was getting behind a Macintosh at my local CompUSA, and trying to make it my own. Investigate System Preferences, open things on the Dock, etc etc.
6. Ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. There are dozens of websites featuring message boards that talk about Apple products, most of which have a section dedicated to new users and general help. To recommend a few would be the great people at MacNN, Mac-Forums & NotebookReview.com's Apple & Mac OS X forum.
7. Read switch guides. A quick Google search of "Switch to Mac" reveals over 75 million results. There are alot of guides available on how-to switch, and the more you learn before hand will do nothing but make your life easier when the time comes. Apple even offers there own.
8. Expect a challenge sometimes. Despite all these recommendations for preparing to switch, at some point your going to run into a challenge on your Mac. This can be small or large, from not having a program to do what you like to not knowing how to rename a file. The key here is to know this will happen eventually, and not to let it frustrate you. I've yet to here of a problem arising that couldn't be solved.
Doing even just a few of those suggestions can make a huge difference in your switch, as they have mine. Knowing is half the battle i've found, being prepared to learn something new, make a few (or alot) of mistakes, and not let anything or anyone get you down.
Coming soon .... "Judgement Day : How to pass through the switch quickly & smoothly"
