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iMacBoy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 24, 2009
363
0
Hey Guys, Im getting my first Mac for Christmas, So i registered up to this forum today as i thought it would come in handy for tips and any help/guides i would need.

I am i getting the 21.5" iMac with the new snow leopard OS.

How long do you guys think it will take me to get the hang of mac, moving from a windows to mac?

Thanks, :apple:
Ill see you around.
 
Mac OSX is not really that hard to understand, To fully understand it though I say it takes a few months. The imac is amazing I have a 27" model and it is simply the best computer i have ever had. I used to have a 20" model, and before that a 17" plastic core duo. iMacs are the best computers available, well for me they are.
 
As with most things that are worthwhile, there's definitely a learning curve. But it's a complete joy to learn and you will have numerous "Ah Ha" moments that make you realize why Mac is so much nicer than Windows. Both the hardware and software impress!
 
Welcome!

From what I've seen, it usually takes 2 or 3 quality days to get comfortable with the core Mac interface (if you're a Windows user). After that, the basic iLife/iWork applications are a snap!

If you wish to really get comfortable with the underlying architecture (i.e. you're a devoted Windows hobbiest or programmer), then it will take 3 or 4 weeks to get comfortable with the Unix way of doing things.

You've made a wonderful choice in hardware. In fact, I'm going to upgrade my old Powermac and iMac to a couple of the new iMacs this week.

You've also made a good choice in joining this forum--the most active Mac forum on the web, as best I can tell. Don't be afraid to ask questions (and just ignore the tiny handful of grumps who get their panties in a wad whenever their precious "rules of net etiquette" are violated). :)
 
Welcome to the addiction. Officially we'll not refer to you as imacboy until you actually get your imac! Until then, I'll think of you as imacboywannabe!!!

Have fun, it's a great addiction.
 
Grats on the mac i just got my first mac mini last month for my birthday and Christmas gift and i love it best computer ever.
 
I bought my 1st mac earlier this year and for me there was a significant learning curve. I am a big shortcut key guy and I still haven't gotten all the shortcut keys down. I am still looking for a minimize all button, why doesn't :apple:+M do this? However, after you get accustom to the difference you will appreciate the experience.

New User Tip: The red X on the app window doesn't close the app. Use :apple:+Q or the app file menu at the top. This still bothers me but I just use :apple:+Q
 
I was frustrated with Macs when I first started using 'em for real 3-4 years ago. I won't even tell you how long it took me to figure out how to eject the damn CD! :eek:

I definitely agree on the a-ha moments. A big one for me, especially working in a mixed OS environment is getting the finger memory down for CMD vs. CTRL keys on the two systems.

To the (occasionally amused) annoyance of my boss, I've since become a bit evangelical. May the same happen to you!

macosxhints.com/ is also a handy place for random tips. I subscribe to the RSS feed and find useful ones pretty often.
 
Welcome!

It usually takes a few days to get used to the basic features, and a few more to get used to the simple and more intricate ones. Over the next few days, you'll see why Mac is so much easier to use than Windows.
 
Thanks everyone!

Ill use some of these sites you have posted for me.

Thanks again,,
 
The best advice I can offer to you, honestly, is to immediately drop everything you know about Windows when you sit down to your new Mac. It's not that the experience will be so different since both Mac OS X and Windows are GUI based computers, but they are different and you will need to drop your Windows habits and Windows way of thinking otherwise everything on the Mac will "seem" complicated.
Here's some examples:

On the Mac the Finder is a more simplified version of Windows Explorer. Honestly it makes file browsing and file management much easier but some people coming from Windows want all the complicated Tree View file management and Cut N Paste features from Windows and those will not be in the Finder.

Apple's Safari browser is a awesome browser however one feature that people coming from Windows complain about it they can't click on the zoom button and expect the browser to zoom to full screen, it won't on Safari. Some 3rd party browsers like Firefox will.

Some applications on Mac will not "quit" when you press the close button. On Macs, the application runs in the background while the document shows on the screen so if you just close the document the application still runs, you have to quit it from the menu or a key command on the keyboard. It's much easier this way but people coming from Windows expect it to work the "Windows" way and it doesn't.

These are just some things to expect and if you sit down to your Mac with an open mind and not, "It's gotta work the way Windows does" mentality you will have a much better experience learning your Mac and you will greatly prefer the way it runs and in the end you'll understand that Windows doesn't make much sense the way it runs.
 
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