I’ve been fiddling with my MacBook for the better part of a week and, for the most part, I really like what I see. I’m still wondering about discarding certain applications; notably OutLook (with the X1 search capability) and OneNote. Eventually, I may install Windows on the machine, but to keep things interesting, I’m determined to to push the Mac as far as I can before caving. Below are some web sites that I’ve found that help with the transition. Maybe we need an organization for Windows Users Anonymous for those of us attempting to kick the habit.

General Hints and Overview

The Tao of Mac has a good page with of hints for switchers.

Another similar essay is located at Apple Matters.

Listings of keyboard equivalents

The Mac keyboard has additional modifier keys, including the “Apple” key, and the “Option” key. David Pogue posed the question of how to get a right-click from the Mac one-button mouse or trackpad when you are running Windows on a Mac via Boot Camp. The short answer seems to be..”spend $20.00 and get a two-button mouse” but there are also odd combinations of keystrokes that appear to work. This has been an issue so far when attempting to switch from Windows to the Mac OS… I feel like I’ve lost a hand, not being able to right-click. And it isn’t as if there aren’t things that pop up on the Mac side when you right click… Both the Finder and Safari, for example have right-click menus just like a Windows application.

Loose Ends and Unsolved Mysteries:

• I can’t print to networked printers, or at least to any printer that isn’t connected directly via a USB port.
• While I know there is a “dashboard”… a combination of applets like clocks and so on, I don’t know how to switch between the dashboard and regular applications.