How to Switch from a Windows PC to a Mac

How to Switch from a Windows PC to a Mac


Switching from a Windows-based computer to a Mac is easy. The platforms aren't as different as you might think. Just follow our handy guide and you'll be up and running in no time!

Choose a Mac

If you haven't yet purchased your Mac (or you're still contemplating it), you should decide which computer is right for you. The Apple product line is divided into three categories: laptops, consumer home computers, and high-end behemoths.

Laptops

The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are Apple's portable laptops. The 13-inch MacBook Air (starting at $1,099, at time of writing) is a great all-rounder, with its Retina (high-DPI) display, energy-efficient performance, and classic wedge shape. It's perfect for browsing the web, typing essays, watching Netflix, and even light video editing.


The MacBook Pro is the next logical choice if you need more power on the go, especially in the graphics department. The mobile powerhouse is available in 13-inch and 15-inch versions (at the time of this writing, starting at $1,299 and $2,399, respectively). The heavier, fatter brother packs a lot more punch than the lighter one. It is also significantly more expensive. Both models can be customized at checkout, but the Pro offers more options.

Consumer Home Computers

iMacs are a great choice for home and office users. At this writing, it starts at $1,099 or $1,799 and has a built-in 21.5-inch 4K or 27-inch 5K display. When compared to building your own computer, it offers great value for the money. When you choose a desktop model, you get a lot more performance for your money. Additionally, you get expansion ports to add more RAM, a proper array of ports on the back, Apple's decent keyboard, and its passable mouse.


It's worth considering the Mac mini (starting at $799 at this time), if you already have a monitor and peripherals. As a result of the somewhat limited hardware, it's the most affordable computer Apple makes. While you won't get the performance of an iMac, nor will these machines be equipped with powerful GPUs, you can upgrade the RAM and processor options at checkout if you wish.

High-End Professional Systems

Professional users are left with the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro. In general, you don't need either of these devices unless you have to ask. They're loaded with high-end components like Intel Xeon servers, Radeon Pro Vega graphics cards, and more RAM than you can handle. Currently, the iMac Pro starts at $4,999, and the Mac Pro won't ship until late 2019 (price to be announced).


A MacBook Air or an iMac is the obvious choice for most people. Apple's MacBook Pro should be on your radar if you're willing to compromise performance for portability. You should avoid buying the smallest SSD if you are purchasing your primary computer.

Currently, the MacBook Air's 128 GB SSD can be upgraded to 256 GB for $200 or 512 GB for $400. You'll need that extra space a few years down the road if you plan to store your main photo library on the machine, along with Office and Photoshop. It is sometimes possible to expand your MacBook's storage later, but solutions can be expensive and inconvenient.

The Basics

You configure your account username and set up (or sign in with) an Apple ID when you first boot up your new Mac. Once done, you have a desktop that looks familiar, yet slightly alien.

Using a Trackpad or Mouse

As you make your way around macOS, it's a good idea to become familiar with some common actions:

Scrolling: On a trackpad, you use two fingers to scroll, just like on a smartphone.

Clicking: The trackpad has one large button that you can click anywhere.

Right-click or two-finger click: Place two fingers on the trackpad and "click" with one to open the right-click context menu. The control key can also be pressed while right-clicking on a regular mouse.

The Dock

You will find the macOS Dock on the bottom of your screen. Similar to the taskbar on Windows, this is the Mac's equivalent. Accessing your applications couldn't be easier. A partition separates the Dock into two areas. You'll find your applications on the left, and folders, the Trash, and any minimized windows on the right.


Right-click the item (or use two fingers on the trackpad) and choose Options > Keep in Dock. Drag an item until "Remove" appears, and then release it. Dock can be configured to appear at the bottom, left or right side of your screen. It can also be configured to hide automatically. Launch System Preferences and choose Dock.

The Menu Bar

You can see the Mac menu bar (shown below) at the top of the screen. MacOS places all drop-down menus, such as File and Edit, at the top of the screen at all times, unlike Windows. The name of the application is displayed next to the Apple logo in the top-left corner when an application is in use.


Apple's equivalent of the Windows system tray appears to the right of the menu bar. Here you can connect to Wi-Fi networks or check the battery level. Apps like Evernote and Google Drive place their icons here for easy access. Menu bar apps make up a large part of macOS.


As shown above, the menu bar can become cluttered and unwieldy over time. You can fix this with Bartender if you find this to be the case.

Spotlight

Even though the Dock is one of the easiest ways to access applications, it's not the most efficient. The command + spacebar launches Spotlight search. It's Mac's all-encompassing search engine, and it's the best way to launch applications: just type the application's name and press Enter.


Using Spotlight is really easy. Under System Preferences, you can access the options panels, search for files, and even perform simple sums or currency conversions. You can also use natural language in your search, like, “PDF files I opened last week,” to further refine your results. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of using Spotlight, particularly to launch applications.

System Preferences

The Mac equivalent to the Control Panel on Windows is System Preferences. This is where you go to add new users to your machine, change security settings, or customize your desktop (just to name a few of its useful functions). Third-party applications might also install their own options panels here. It’s worth it to poke around System Preferences, so you can familiarize yourself with its various options.


The Notification Center & Today

In the top-right corner of the menu bar is an icon you can click to open the Notification Center or Today screen. You can also swipe inward from the right-most edge of the trackpad. macOS has a robust notifications system, and this is where they all appear. Scroll up on this screen to enable Do Not Disturb mode or Night Shift.


The Today screen (shown above) also lives here. This functions just like the Today screen on iPhone and iPad. It’s comprised entirely of widgets. Scroll to the bottom of the Today screen and click “Edit” to reorganize, and enable or disable widgets. Many third-party apps also install widgets you can access in this panel. You can add weather forecasts, a Reminders widget, or even a calculator.

Siri

Siri is a personal assistant that helps you find files or information on the internet. To access Siri, hold Command + Spacebar or click the Siri icon in the menu bar. You can change this setting (and others, like Siri’s voice or language) under System Preferences > Siri.


You can also pin some of Siri’s responses to your Today screen. For example, if you ask Siri to show you the premiership table, you can click the small plus sign (+) to pin this query (see above). It will update automatically when new information is available. Siri can do all sorts of things on a Mac, including composing tweets or emails and, of course, searching the internet.

How to Install and Remove Software

It takes a little longer to install software on a Mac than on a Windows machine, but it is still straightforward. Generally, you can install software in one of three ways:

  • Install manually: After downloading a disk image with the DMG extension, double-click it to mount it. The app icon appears (and perhaps a README file). Drag the app icon to the "Applications" folder in the Finder. You can often find instructions and a shortcut to the Applications folder in DMG installers.
  • Package installers are like Windows' install wizards. To run them, double click the PKG file. You usually just need to click "Next" a few times until your software is installed.
  • To install an app from the Mac App Store, launch the Mac App Store. Tap "Get" (or "Buy" if it's a paid app) and enter your Apple ID password. Installation occurs automatically.

 

Another option involves Homebrew, a free app you can download. As with many Linux distributions, it works via the command line.

You can remove software the following ways:

  • Delete manually: Locate the application in the Applications folder and click and drag it to the Trash. Uninstalling an application completely might require you to enter your Admin password. You can restore the free space by emptying the Trash.
  • Uninstallers: Some apps include uninstallers that work like those on Windows, so check the Applications folder first. If you find an uninstaller for an app, double-click it and follow the instructions on screen.

You can try a free application called AppCleaner if you're having trouble removing an app. You might need to remove a stubborn software package occasionally with AppCleaner, as it scrubs your system for any signs of an app.

How to Manage macOS

In general, Macs are easier to maintain than Windows systems. Apple automatically updates all drivers and firmware for you, so you don't have to do it yourself. On a Mac, there's also no registry, and most OS housekeeping takes care of itself.

Activity Monitor

Launch Activity Monitor (or pin it to the Dock for easy access) to see exactly what's going on with your Mac. Think of it as the Mac equivalent of Windows Task Manager. CPU, Memory, Energy, Disk, and Network usage can be monitored. To kill a process, highlight it and click the top-left "X" to end it.


Apps that have crashed (no longer respond) are highlighted in red. If you want to search for individual processes, you can use the top-right box. In order to diagnose performance issues, you can launch Activity Monitor first.

How to Update Software and macOS

On the "Updates" tab of the Mac App Store, you can update any software you install from the Mac App Store. You can automate this process by going to System Preferences > Software Update, and then enabling automatic updates. Apps that you install manually should run their own checks, notify you when new versions are available, and then prompt you to install the update and restart the app.

The developer's website may be the only place where you can download an update for an app. Small free tools and older apps are less likely to automatically update.

You can manually update macOS using the Software Update panel (shown above). If you enable automatic downloads, you can also automate the update process. MacOS releases a new version every October. You will be asked to update your Mac when the new update is available. Visit the Mac App Store to do so.

Before you update macOS, you might want to wait if you're using any software that's not compatible with the new version.

Find out how to keep your Mac and its software updated.

Use Time Machine to backup your data.

macOS includes Time Machine. Using Time Machine is easiest if you buy an external drive that is at least as big as your Mac's internal storage. Launch Time Machine after inserting the drive (use Spotlight or the Time Machine icon in the menu bar).

Select the backup method. If you connect this drive in the future, MacOS will automatically back up your system. It will be easy to restore the system in case of a problem. By connecting the drive, you can easily restore any files you've backed up with Time Machine.

It is also possible to restore your entire Mac with Time Machine backups. When switching Macs or experiencing a catastrophic hardware failure, this is ideal.

File Management in macOS

resembles Windows Explorer. Anyone who has used Windows before should be familiar with the basic functions of the operating system. Highlighting files and creating context menus can be done by right-clicking (or by using two fingers).


In Windows, copy and paste work just like they do on Mac, but you use Command + C (copy) and Command + V (paste) instead of Ctrl. Mac users use a function called "Move" for cutting. After copying, move the file using Command + Option + V. When you right-click and press the option key, "Paste" changes to "Cut.".

UNIX-like filesystems are used in macOS, such as HFS+ or APFS. On your "Macintosh HD" macOS installation drive, you will find the following important folders:

  • /Applications: This contains your applications.
  • /System: Files related to Mac OS.
  • /Libraries: Shared libraries used by software and the operating system.
  • /Users: Where users store their data.
  • /Volumes: Where you mount mountable volumes (such as .DMG files) and external drives.
  • /Network: Where you mount network volumes.

UNIX file systems do not have a separate C: drive. For those new to Mac, this may be confusing. Spotlight can help you quickly locate a file or folder. You can find a specific folder in Finder by choosing Go > Go to Folder and then typing the location. Enter /Users/username/Documents to access your Documents folder.

NTFS-formatted volumes, such as external drives and USB devices, may cause compatibility issues when transferring from Windows to Mac OS X. It's Microsoft's format, and you can probably use it with an old Windows PC or external storage device. NTFS volumes may be read by macOS, but they cannot be written to natively.

macOS Security

Apple is often criticized for overreaching when it comes to protecting Mac users from threats. Microsoft added similar protections to Windows 10 as well, so macOS isn't a radical departure. The major difference between Macs and PCs is that Macs do not require an always-running virus scanner.

GateKeeper

prevents unsigned software from being installed. As soon as you launch an app for the first time in GateKeeper, you will see a message similar to the one you see in Windows 10 (see below). If you try to open an app you didn't download from the Mac App Store or the developer hasn't signed up with Apple, you won't be able to. It's possible to work around this issue.

Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy if you can't open the app. There is a notice at the bottom of the screen informing you that an app has been blocked from launching. If you click "Launch Anyway," your app will open (you won't have to do this in the future).

System Integrity Protection

  • As part of System Integrity Protection, Apple aims to protect certain parts of the operating system. These include:
  • It protects core system files and directories.
  • Prevents code from being injected into pre-installed applications, such as Finder and Safari, that could pose a security threat.

This prevents the installation of unsigned kernel extensions (such as drivers and options panels in System Preferences).

App Sandboxing

Applications installed through Apple's Mac App Store are sandboxed according to Apple's guidelines. This greatly limits the damage a rogue application can cause. A sandboxed app only has access to the resources it needs to operate.

Applications installed outside the Mac App Store are not sandboxed. There are some developers who maintain two versions of their apps: a Mac App Store version and a fully functional standalone version.

How to Guard Against Malware

It is naive to think otherwise, but Mac malware exists. When it comes to protecting your system from malware, you should choose Mac App Store apps, avoid unsigned apps, and avoid pirated software.

You don't need an antivirus because your Mac already has one built-in called XProtect (click here to learn more). However, you might want to scan your Mac periodically with an anti-malware tool, such as Malwarebytes, and a persistent installer checker, such as KnockKnock. Your Mac's antivirus should be used to prevent infection from spreading between your Windows machines.

Command is Mac's equivalent to Windows' Ctrl key. You use it for common shortcuts, such as copying (Command + C), saving (Command + S), and switching between apps (Command + Tab). Physical placement is the main issue with this key, being closest to the spacebar. It will become second nature eventually.

Options are modifiers. This changes what common shortcuts do (such as Command + Option + V for Move instead of Paste). It also changes how the options menu is displayed and how keys are pressed.

Here are some things you can do with the Option key:

  • Press the Option key when you right-click an active application in the Dock. “Close” becomes “Force Quit.”
  • You can see more information about your network adapter by holding Option as you click the Wi-Fi icon in the menu bar.
  • When you type, hold Option to access special characters and accents, like Option + P for π.

Control is a contextual key. Often used for app-specific shortcuts, such as switching between tabs in Safari or Chrome by pressing Control + Tab. Control can also be used for global macOS shortcuts. To switch between desktops, press Control + Arrow Keys.

The Keyboard, Trackpad, and Mouse

It only takes a few hours of real-world use to adjust to most of the differences between Windows and macOS. Physically, there are a few differences in the keyboard layout, most notably three keys: Control, Option, and Command.


An additional difference that can be confusing to newcomers is that instead of a Backspace key, you see a Delete key. On Windows, the Delete key works like Backspace (you can hold Function + Backspace to replicate its Windows behavior).

Common Windows Keyboard Shortcuts on a Mac

There are many shortcuts similar to those in Windows. To get you started, here is a cheat sheet.

  • Copy: Command + C
  • Paste: Command + V
  • Move (Cut): Command + Option + V
  • Undo: Command + Z
  • Select All: Command + A
  • Switch app/window: Command + Tab
  • Minimize app/window: Command + M
  • Quit an app: Command + Q
  • Close window/tab: Command + W
  • Take a screenshot (whole screen): Shift + Command + 3

If you have a trackpad, it works best. If you've had some bad Windows laptops in the past, you might be surprised by how responsive the trackpad on your MacBook is. You can use gestures on the trackpad to speed up navigation, and you can customize them according to your preferences. To see which gestures are available, go to System Preferences > Trackpad. Video tutorials are also available.

A Magic Trackpad 2 (shown below) can be used with an iMac or another desktop system if you don't have a MacBook.


Even USB mice and keyboards designed for Windows work with your Mac. To configure the device properly, you may need to install the manufacturer's software. With a free app called Karabiner-Elements, you can also rebind any key on a keyboard (including the Windows key). This is an excellent way to extend the life of old Windows peripherals.

It Just Takes Time

As Apple makes it difficult to "break" macOS on your own, feel free to explore the operating system at your own pace. Users are drawn to the Apple ecosystem because they want a better user experience. Apple's ability to design both hardware and software simultaneously gives it an edge over Windows OEMs when it comes to controlling its machines.