(I'm tired. That's why not.)
I feel like this.
I have just ... ah...acquired a new computer. A Mac. My first, and I'm afraid of it.
It is sitting here on the hotel desk next to my regular computer and I'm afraid to touch it. I pushed its button once, and it started to make strange sounds, so I tried to turn it off. It wouldn't go off, so I closed its lid and now I am afraid of what will happen when I open the lid again.
I suppose I will have to start using it some time.
But I'm scared.
Let's see ... Mac gives you simple trendy symbols and a veneer of easy participation laid over a hard-as-steel, mommy-knows-best operating system.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking it may not work for you.
The Mac physically checks the CD drive when it boots up, which sounds scary if you're not used to it (it's harmless).
ReplyDeleteOnce you get logged in, try the "Help -> Mac Help -> Learn the Basics About Your Mac". It's a big culture shock from Windows.
Try not to worry.
Most of the stuff you used to do with CTRL is done with the command key on a Mac.
ReplyDeleteHold down ctrl and the button for a right-click.
To delete in the other direction, hold down "fn" when you press delete.
page down = fn + down arrow
page up = fn + up arrow
home = command + up arrow
end = command + down arrow
line home = command + left arrow
line end = command + right arrow
show desktop = command + F3 (on the newer keyboards, it's just F11 on the older ones)
F3 is your friend. (This is F9 on the older keyboards.)
Scroll with the arrow keys or with two fingers.
"ctrl+alt+del" is "command+option+esc" on a Mac. And it actually works on a Mac.
The very top right button on your keyboard that kinda sorta looks like an arrow pointing up will eject the CD if you hold it. Or you can drag the CD icon on the desktop to the trash. Drag your USB keys to the trash to dismount them before you pull them out. This will not delete your files.
Don't trust your Mac to go to sleep on its own. Shut the lid if you want to be sure.
Please, please, please keep the original disks that came with your Mac in a safe place that you'll remember so that when something goes wrong with your computer your friend who knows something about computers and who everyone asks to fix their computer problems can fix your computer problems.
Oh and one last thing. If you're coming back from a trip to Thailand with all sorts of incriminating files on your hard drive that if found by the authorities will cause untold damage to your church and to millions of souls as a result of the scandal...click on the big button that says "Turn on FileVault."
ReplyDeleteEmbrace the mac. Smartest move I ever made, after two dud PCs in a row.
ReplyDeleteLove the mac. It doesn't love you because it's a machine. But if it weren't a machine, it would love you *lots* more than a PC would.
Or something.