First time Apple/Mac User Needs Help

[FirstMacNoob]

Hello. I've been Windows user for 30 some year and just got my first Mac (Macbook Air M2), or anything Apple for that matters. So far I like it very much but there are some basic little things that I struggle with. I'd appreciate your help.

1. How do I quickly screenshot and share or paste? I found shift+command+4 but then it saves the screenshot to jpg. In Windows, I could windows+shift+s and it saves the screen to clipboard so I can just ctrl+v.
2. Mouse and trackpad scroll. I was going crazy over this. Mouse scroll and trackpad scroll is opposite (trackpad pushing upward motion will scroll down, but mouse scrolling downward will move screen up) and there's no way to set the scroll direction independently in settings. The setting toggles both mouse and trackpad at the same time. I found a work around using third party app, Scroll Reverser, but can this be set natively?
3. When using external monitor, the screen resolution/scaling reverts to default setting after screen goes to sleep. I want the setting to be 4k at 125%.
4. Picture/video preview: What is the best way to view pictures and videos that I saved? If I go to finder and go to folder that I saved pictures, double click to open picture, the arrow doesn't work to navigate between pictures. I found another way - hitting space bar but then the arrow will navigate the files in finder - meaning.. once I go to the file on far right, I have to hit down arrow, instead of just hitting right arrow to go through all the pictures in same folder.
5. I'm a photographer but do some light videos as well. This may be more of a question for Davinci Resolve specific forum, but I am not able to import files from GoPro. Resolve already supports H.264 codec and it works fine on PC Resolve. Adobe Premiere Element for Mac can import those files, but then the performance is not any better, if not worse than my PC Premiere Element (I don't think Premiere Element supports Apple Silicon).

 

[TorbenIbsen]

1. In the Dock at the bottom you find an icon which will lead you to all the utility apps. Likely nr. 2 icon from left. One of those utility apps is a screen shot app. Drag that to the Dock and your problem is solved.
2. I got used to it after a similar amount of years in the Windows world. There is a ton of such small things. That is (also) what you buy when you get a Mac.
3. Have no idea. I use an iMac 24" which is big enough for me.
4. You are supposed to drag/import all photos and videos into the Apple Photos app. It is a database app where you then "organize" things in several ways. What you organize is really just links. There is only one photo no matter how many links you make to that photo.
5. For video and photo editing you should look up "Elaine Giles" on youtube. This is free world class education.

Don't try to make your Mac into an "Apple PC". It can be done. People do it. But then you have wasted money buying a Mac in the first place. - Go to setapp.com and have a look at very good apps. Read manuals. You really cannot use your old experience to anything on a Mac. Make osxdaily.com your startpage in Safari. Do not use a "PC browser". Get this if you want more customizing and more features than Safari: www.icab.de. This browser can also work as Chrome and Firefox and much more.

 

[chabig]

1) Add the control key to your combo, so cmd-shift-4-control. The control keys puts your screenshot on the clipboard. Here are all of the keyboard shortcuts for screenshots. I only use two routinely, cmd-shift-4 for a region of the screen and cmd-shift-4 then space bar to capture a window. And adding the control key puts it on the clipboard rather than generating a file.

Take a screenshot on Mac - Apple Support

You can capture the entire screen, a window, or just a portion of the screen.

support.apple.com

4) Select the pictures first, then hit the spacebar to enter QuickLook. Now you can use the left/right arrows at the top to move between pictures.

 

[Fishrrman]

"Mouse and trackpad scroll. I was going crazy over this. Mouse scroll and trackpad scroll is opposite (trackpad pushing upward motion will scroll down, but mouse scrolling downward will move screen up) and there's no way to set the scroll direction independently in settings. The setting toggles both mouse and trackpad at the same time. I found a work around using third party app, Scroll Reverser, but can this be set natively?"

System Preferences --> Trackpad --> UNCHECK Scroll direction: natural

 

[B.A.T]

Cmd-Shift-5 will give you all options for screenshots as well as recording your screen. You also have the option to move it to your clipboard. I'm really surprised the link Chabig posted does not mention it.

 

[MisterSavage]

1. You've received some good answers already. Something that blew my mind after taking screenshots for years is that before you let go of the mouse button you can hold the spacebar and move where the area on the top left starts.

4. I think this is a PITA because I just want to double-click on a file and be able to scroll between them. I have my default image viewer set to Xee and use page up/down to move between photos.