No, I’m not going to give up now. I’m going to find out how this thing works and how I can make it do what I want it to do. And I’m going to learn how to set it up so that I feel comfortable using it. I’m going to learn how to make screenshots, screencasts, how to read my mail, how to check RSS-feeds, share files with my other laptop, use my printer etc.
This has now become a mission!
OK, I’ve had enough. Working with a Macbook is nothing like working with a laptop with Windows XP. Nothing works the way that I got used to over the years.
Who said this was such an easy operating system to learn to use?
Like take for example the way that I can close a window. In Windows XP that button is located on the right hand side of the window. In OS X on the left hand side. Small detail, but just wait until you have to learn to do it differently.
Another thing: in Windows XP if I close a window, I also close the application. Not so in OS X. There it just closes the window while the application keeps on running. Now don’t tell me that makes more sense because it doesn’t to me.
A small arrow below the application is the indicator of the fact that it is still running. I need to close it by using its menu or using a right mouse click.
Those menus are also something that takes a lot of getting used to. In Windows XP a menu is located at the top of window. In OS X they are all located at the top of the screen.
And of course, the right mouse click. The most important key to use in Windows XP doesn’t work. (update: yes, I later found out how to enable it and how to use the Ctrl key, but just go ahead and try to find that info in the help file)
Other things that you just need to “know”. On Windows you use Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V voor copy and paste. Even though the Macbook has a Ctrl – key, the combination is different. It is Command + C and Command + V.
And I really miss the “show desktop” option that Windows XP has.
All in all, a really bad start of our relationship.
Today marks the day that we met: me and my Macbook. Technically it isn’t mine. The department that I work for bought one to enable us to support users that use our VLE on Mac OS X.
But I really liked the chance to finally find out what all those Apple users were always talking about. After using Windows since the first 1.0 version on my first PC that my dad bought for me when I was 15 years old, I would now be able to actually use a Macbook for a while.
It felt like a first date, a lot of expectations, a bit nervous about whether I would know how to act.
I created this blog to post my thought about using a Macbook and to have a place to store tips, screencasts, links etc. related to the Macbook. I decided to not do that as part of my regular blog, which is in Dutch and mainly discusses PC and Windows related stuff as far as hands on experience goes.
I don’t know how long I’ll be posting here. Like I said, the Macbook isn’t mine and I’ll probably will have to return it in a while so that someone else can use it for a while and get to know it. But until then I’ll try to tell you about our journey on a daily basis.
