Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Switchers, Cult of Mac, Apple
Ten things all switchers should know
Judging
from the fact that this entry has 104 comments as I type this (more then you read it, no doubt) chances are that you
have read Scott Moschella's Ten things all switchers should know. If you
haven't, you really should because not only is it useful, it is entertaining.One thing I would like to point out is the issue of mouse speed in OS X. Scott is right, it is slow. Much, much slower than Windows, however, you need not have some icky Microsoft mouse panel on your Mac. Give MouseZoom a try.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Rich said 7:43AM on 2-14-2006
What's wrong with System Prefs./Mouse & Keyboard/Mouse tracking prefs. ? I set this to fast and the pointer was so nippy I had to slow it down again....
Reply
Mickey Herman said 8:04AM on 2-14-2006
Forgot to say that they don't have to turn their computer off every time they are done.
Reply
Keir said 8:25AM on 2-14-2006
I have both a Mac and a PC and the mouse situation is something I've had a problem with from day 1.
When turned up in system preferences the mouse still is too slow, and at any speed, it feels more "cushioned" than on Windows. On Windows, you move it where you want and it goes straight there. On a Mac it kinda glides to roughly the right area and a couple of minor adjustments later and your there.
I tried mousezoom ages ago, and sure, it increases the mouse speed, but it feels as though instead of increasing the mouse speed, it just tells it to jump the equivilant of say 10 pixels. It just feels too sharp and jumpy to me.
The mouse situation is something Apple really needs to sort out.
Reply
Goobimama said 8:41AM on 2-14-2006
What an excellent article. I love the last point...100% true...
Reply
Rich said 8:47AM on 2-14-2006
Clicking on the desktop by accident and thinking an application has quit because it 'hides' i.e. Photoshop
Reply
Rich said 8:52AM on 2-14-2006
While I'm at it: not grasping the idea of keyboard shortcuts and thinking one-button mice are primitive
Reply
Keir said 10:27AM on 2-14-2006
oh they do grasp keyboard shorcuts, but they are just overly complicated.
I can't use Photoshop on the Mac simply because I'm far slower using it than on a Windows Machine, purely because of the mouse situation and they shorcuts situation.
For example, on a Windows machine, to change the image size of an image in Photoshop, you press the following 3 keys consecutivly.
Alt, I and I
Can you do that on the mac? Sure you can.
You just have to first do the awkward combination to select the menu bar, work your way along to Image and down to Image Size (I know there's an actual shortcut for this specific function, but you get the idea).
When I first got my mac I thought the one button thing was cool and novel. Even these day's (I use a MightyMouse) when I'm not using a mouse, I find I get along with Ctrl + Click easily enough, but two buttons does obviously make it that bit easier.
And Rich, I've done that many times!
Click on the desktop, photoshop dissapears so then you have to switch back to it. It does get irritating!
Reply
Rich said 10:35AM on 2-14-2006
I must admit I'm using a Microsoft two-button scrollwheel mouse at the minute (mainly for Lightwave 3D) and find it useful. I've tried Mighty Mouse and it felt clumsy - left click can mis-click and become right click and Expose and the Dashboard kick in when you don't want them.... I still don't get this mouse tracking/speed thing though and I've got a Windows machine in the same office as me to test things out ?
Reply
Reg Muffet said 6:12PM on 2-14-2006
Out of the box, the mouse acceleration is slower, but it can easily be speeded up by dragging the slider in System Preferences. I think switchers should be encourage to explore what's in the system before installing 3rd party haxies.
#7, I find shortcuts in Photoshop under WINDOWS to be very difficult, because the focus is changing so often. Holding down space to quickly set the scroll cursor open doesn't work if you've just say, changed a layer. I guess it's what you get used to: I'm sure there are people who just love the GIMP's interface under Linux!
Reply
Tim O. said 8:33PM on 2-14-2006
I love the way the mouse tracks on Macs, and I hate using mice any other way. The tracking speed on windoze is too fast. I much prefer the accuracy and versatility of the default speed on Macs. If you notice, the speed on a Mac is proportional. If you move a set amount going slowly it moves very little, but if you move the same distance physically it goes much further on the computer. It gives you speed and accuracy in a way that doesn't exist on a windoze box.
Reply