It is hard to resist the allure of the sleek-looking MacBooks and their powerful yet refined hardware. If you have recently switched from being a long-time Windows user to a macOS user, adjustments will be made in your computing procedures and behaviors. For instance, there’s no Start menu on Macs, so where do you start for Windows Switchers?
It is not a huge paradigm shift, but some operations differ. The tips below are specifically for Windows switchers who have recently joined the Mac ecosystem. Take a look and get started on your journey to using and mastering macOS and Windows Switchers.
Make a folder on Mac
Learning how to create folders on a Mac is critical to staying organized and productive. If you’re wondering how to create new folder on Mac, there are three ways.
- You can make a folder in your Mac’s Finder utility. The folder appears wherever you currently are in the Finder file tree. In the Finder menu, go to File > click New Folder.
- Right-click or tap using two fingers on your desktop, and a menu will pop up where you can select the option ‘new folder.’
- You can create subfolders by selecting multiple files and using the trackpad or keyboard shortcut mentioned above to create a new folder.
Screenshotting
macOS has great screenshot tools that prompted Windows to finally catch up with Snip & Share.
On your Mac, press Command + Shift + 3 to capture the entire screen and Command + Shift + 4 to get a crosshair and capture a specific part of the screen. Press the Shift key after pressing Command + Shift + 4 to only screenshot the active window.
These keyboard shortcuts don’t capture the picture to the clipboard, and for that, you need to substitute Control for Command.
After you’ve taken the appropriate screenshots, you can share them using email, iMessage, AirDrop, etc. You can even highlight, crop, add text, or draw on the screenshot before sharing.
Run Windows
You’ll find Mac equivalents for most Windows applications and programs. But, if you miss Windows too much or you need to run Windows-specific apps on your Mac, you can create a virtual version of Windows inside your Mac using Parallels.
For the true Windows experience on your Mac, you can install Windows alongside macOS using the Boot Camp utility. It does not come with any of the translation or performance side effects of running a virtual machine. You need to create a partition on your hard drive for running Windows and macOS, and when you are running one OS, you cannot switch on the fly. So, when you start your computer, make your choice wisely.
Trackpad gestures
Macs come with a fabulously big trackpad, and it is a good idea to learn the trackpad gestures so you can easily get around your system. The number of fingers you use is important to Mac gestures. If you want, you can see video clips of the gestures by clicking Apple Menu > System Preferences > Trackpad. Hover the cursor over the gesture descriptions to see the video.
Most of the gestures resemble those used in iPhone and iPad, though there are differences. You can pinch two fingers to zoom out and separate your fingers to zoom in. to navigate forward and back on websites, you need to swipe two fingers. Swiping sideways using four fingers switches between full-screen applications, and swiping up with four fingers opens Mission Control.
Spotlight & Siri
The always-displaying search box found on Windows is missing on macOS. However, it does show two icons for searching. You’ll find them in the opposite corner of your screen at the top right. The two icons are Siri and Spotlight.
Spotlight allows you to start typing to find documents, run apps, and look up information on the web. You can even use Spotlight to carry out basic calculations and unit conversions. Siri does the same, but with your voice. You can set Siri to respond to ‘Hey Siri’ as you did with Cortana.
Sign documents digitally
Mac lets you digitally sign official documents and PDFs, so you don’t have to print, sign, and scan them. You need to open the document using the built-in Preview application and click the pen icon. Then, click the signature icon in the menu that appears.
You can use the trackpad to scribble your signature or use Mac’s webcam to capture the image of your signature. If you’re happy with your signature, click save. Then, to sign any document, click the signature icon and insert it into the document.
Hopefully, these tips will help you get familiar with macOS.
