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Switching From Windows To A Mac? Here's A Basic Guide

Switching From A PC To A Mac? Here's A Basic Guide
HARD, THAILAND - SEP 11, 2015 Close up of the typical Mac Keyboard of an Apple wireless Computer
dourleak via Getty Images
HARD, THAILAND - SEP 11, 2015 Close up of the typical Mac Keyboard of an Apple wireless Computer

Despite their aesthetic value, Macbooks can be pretty complicated at times. But as any user would know, it doesn’t take much before you’re owning that trackboard and hitting Command + Spacebar like a pro.

“One of the biggest concerns users have when switching from a PC to a Mac is learning an entirely new operating system,” Gizmodo editor Campbell Simpson told The Huffington Post Australia.

This includes locating the power button, figuring out where your photos are kept and whether you can bring existing programs like Google Chrome across.

“Another concern is whether they need to purchase anti-virus software -- given viruses are less likely to be targeted on Macs,” Campbell said.

Letting go of programs like Microsoft Word is also confronting.

“But you can use Apple's free Pages app, which can read Microsoft Word documents, or you can use Google Docs and online storage if you already have a Google account,” Campbell said.

Here, we go over the basics so you can enjoy your new toy, confusion-free.

Learn how to right-click

By pressing the Control (or Ctrl) key when you tap the mouse button or trackpad.

Take screenshots of the entire screen or part of it

To take a screenshot of your entire screen, hit Command-Shift-3. If it’s just a portion of the screen, hit Command-Shift-4. From there, the mouse pointer will turn into a crosshair. Simply click and drag the mouse over the area you want to capture, then release the mouse button.

Use Spotlight to easily find any program or file

Spotlight AKA the little magnifying glass on the top right corner of your screen can be used to search your hard drive for any file, folder, or email based on its title or contents.

Delete characters to the right of the cursor

Simply hit Function and Delete and the characters to your right will be cleared.

Make and receive calls and messages via your iPhone or iPad with your Mac

With Continuity, you can make and receive mobile phone calls from your iPad, iPod touch, or Mac when your iPhone is on the same Wi-Fi network. You'll need iOS 8 or later on your iOS devices and OS X Yosemite or later on your Mac. Check you're signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID on all of your devices and that you’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network on them too. Sign in to FaceTime with the same Apple ID on all of your devices and start dialing!

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