Mail Bag: Switcher Tips?

I've considered switching for a long time. As of now, I'm just waiting for the $ to buy an apple and for an intel based apple to be released. I have a lot of games that are windows only, so that kinda sucks, but its cs, half life 1 and 2, the whole works, so its all good. maybe if somebody has a new apple laptop laying around that they don't need or want they could throw my way i'd switch now :) yokimbo, about the whole green button to maximize, i'm still in windows and i don't mess that up. i have windowblinds with an osx tiger skin. i even have the start menu up top.

As a recent switcher myself (six months) I've put together a website where I share some tips, as well as some quick looks at about 35 great apps (mostly freeware) that really enhance the Mac experience. It's at: http://andrewsmactips.cjb.cc/

Get a book for reference. I like the Missing Manual by David Pogue, but take a quick look at the bookstore first to decide for yourself. There are a lot of good books out there. Also, a feature I can't stand is that windows in Mac OSX can only be resized from the lower right corner. Occasionally, that corner will end up off the screen and unreachable in certain windows that are difficult to move or unmoveable (like Firefox's bookmarks manager). Just remember to press the click on the green '+' button to maximize the window. I don't know why, but that one has bitten me twice since switching and it takes me 10 minutes of frustration to figure it out. -Mac user since April '04

I am a "switcher" myself, it took me about 2 weeks to figure out how to do things I did on Windows and to adjust to the OS X interface. I've had only one unpleasant moment with copying a folder over an existing one. On Windows contents of the folder being copied to are "updated"; on Mac, the folder is replaced with the contents of a new one. Overall, Mac is much more intuitive and generally is a pleasure to use. p.s. Can't wait to see the Intel-based macs.

Best advise is to get a book and just explore. After a few days the only regrett you have is that you waited so long to move to the Mac. it is a breath of fresh air. Enjoy.

Oh -- and thanks for that tip, Jason. I was wondering how to get rid of the trial programs that were pre-installed.

I made the switch yesterday afternoon. This site, along with a couple of other Mac blogs, did a lot to persuade me.

Here's an extremely basic one that took me awhile to figure out. To delete an application (or program in windoze terms), there is no need to uninstall, just drag the applications icon from the applications folder to the trash. If you want to be extra thorough about it, do a spotlight search for the program name and delete the .plist files associated with it. And finally, as a recent mac switcher myself, enjoy the breath of fresh air!

This is an interesting post for me cause Ive been (obsesively) checking this site for weeks and I just made the switch from pc to powerbook 2 days ago. I love it. I cant believe i waited this long to switch. Im never going back. The advice above is good, also i got a reference book for reading for specific things (try the missing manual, or the Max OSX bible or one of those books). Now i understand what all the fuss is about.

Here are two things that switchers struggle with at first: 1. The application's menu is at the top of the screen, not attached to document windows. 2. Clicking the red 'x' button to close a window doesn't (usually) quit the application - it just closes the window.