“A couple of weeks after its unveiling, the budget-priced Mac mini has begun shipping. Targeted at would-be switchers and ‘adders,’ the mini is easily the lowest-priced Mac desktop ever. There are always Mac owners who are looking to upgrade older equipment or looking to own a small form factor Mac. Many of those have snapped up Mac minis,” Eric Bangeman and Kurt Hutchinson write for Ars Technica. “However, some of the new Mac mini owners are Windows or Linux users who have always wanted to fool around with Mac OS X, but have been turned off by the Apple’s price structure… Now that Apple has a stripped-down Mac desktop available, the curious have finally begun taking the plunge.”
“As anyone who has ever switched platforms will attest, there is always a bit of a learning curve involved. Differences in how applications and the user interface behave can be great, and even when there is similarity across platforms, the small differences can be just as maddening,” Bangeman and Kurt Hutchinson write. “One thing the Mac mini does not have is a comprehensive ‘welcome to OS X’ guide. Printed documentation included with the mini is scanty — primarily EULA and warranty information, and Apple has never been one for flashy tutorials. That’s why we at Ars have pulled together a short list of things every newcomer to Mac OS X needs to know.”
Full article, which should be required reading for Windows users who’ve just brought home their first Mac, here.
Now on topic – I think this type of guide is a great idea. I enjoy hand-holding my friends who switch, but it does get a little tiresome after a while… might have to look into it for suggested reading for the new switchers.
Article is exactly right. Newcomers to Mac OSX are going to be frustrated when they are trying to figure out how to open their applications that aren’t already on the dock. Windows Start button with expanding hierarchal menus is far easier navigation than the archaic Finder or Mac hard drive, which is about 1 step up from Windows Explorer or Windows 3.1 Program Manager. I hope Apple at least put the application folder on the dock for the Mini. One button mouses and the awkward way apps are navigated and launched in OSX must be changed if Apple is able to retain switchers. I switched 3 years ago and am still frustrated sometimes with Apple’s lag in certain areas, but not as nearly as frustrated as I was with Windows. Oh, and RUSH LIMBAUGH ROCKS!!!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
hey troll. put it in the rush thread
Rush for president in 2008!
I concur. Rush for President in 08.
He’ll legalize drugs!
It will also mean fun Presidential press conference where Rush is hopped up on painkillers. Uber-cool!
Can you imagine a drugged Rush giving the state of the union? How fun would that be?
Hey iMaki
Just drag your Applications folder to the dock, it makes an alias there!
i just read thru this.
woof. this is horrible as “your mom, the Windows user” guide. REPEAT – This is NOT a Casual Windows User switcher mini guide…. at all
This guide will only further confuse and befuddle the average Windows users with their new Mac mini.
This is for your registry editing, XP activation-gettin-around, autorun.ini writing geek Windows friend.
Which is why it is on ArsTechnica and not ArsMomica
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
Dont assume that PC owners are as blinded by the Apple logo as Mac users are–PC users will understand that any decent configuration of the Mini is 1000 dollars even after the price cuts –sshhhhh PC users wont notice there is no Monitor, Keyboard or Mouse for
the thousand bucks–Only sophisticated math people need a mouse. You know Ive read that the most costly item in a PC is Windows–that most of the price in the PC is going to Gateselbub–that the hardware is all really cheap. This suggests to me that maybe Apple could compromise a little on their take for the OSX in favor of luring PC owners to take a bite out of the Apple by offering a bit more in its Mini. Oh and by the way–why would Apple even buy hard drives for Powerbooks that spin at less than 5000 rpm only to charge people another 50 bucks to get a half way decent hard drive? This is being pennywise and pound foolish. What Apple gains in charging people that 50 bucks it loses in tens of thousands of sales.
I simply can’t tell you how annoying those ever expanding application menues in Windows are to me.
I mean, really, I can’t tell you.
I would just get too frustrated. They are so…oooo…
See now I’m frustrated. Stupid Windows.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”shut eye” style=”border:0;” />
Hey, phony Steve Jobs, and Lisa, you too.
You are cluless dolts. You don’t know why there are slower hard drives? POWER. The Mini in that story had a 5200 rpm drive. Really fast for that category of drive. OS X is so good it almost makes up for a slow hard drive.
As foryou, fack SJ, you must know so little about computers I’m surprised you know what a mouse is! That guide would be easy enough for my parents to use the computer. That there’s a lot more deatil is beside the point. That makes the article work for both complete newbies to computers and PC users (who obviously aren’t much more advanced it would seem from your commenet!).
lisa,
You’re right. I know that’s what you came here for, so there it is.
On the other hand, if the most costly thing in a PC is Windows, then people who buy PCs are getting ripped off, since Windows XP Home=MS-DOS with a fresh coat of paint.
One of the better tutorials is in the Mac Help on every OS X menu bar. Once there, click on “Browse Mac OS Help” (first item), then “Working with the Desktop” (first item).
There are other tutorials on the internet such as the QuickTime movies on http://www.atomiclearning.com/macosxpanther .
If a person is already rather computer savvy and is seeking to find particular differences, I’d suggest http://www.xvsxp.com . Although this site is more as a “who’s better” comparison, it is extraordinarily detailed and could provide some of the more subtle insights.
And, for those of you that have a good handle on OS X, it’s nice to keep an eye on http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/ . One of my favorites is the “Show Off Tip #2” (hold down the shift key while using Exposé).
One of the best programmes for a newbie is “namely”. (I am a user not the author)
*ANYWHERE* press APPLE-ESC and start typing the name of the programme.
The programme appears in a list and you can arrow to it or click on it.
I’ve pretty much thrown away all my other launchers
knock back a few shots of whisky before replying – it will take the sting off your posts.
the AVERAGE Windows user does not know anything about – and should NOT know anything about enabling root, setting up share points, hacking the smb.conf file you pissy prat.
in fact – the average Mac user does not need to know anything about this kind of geek knowledge either.
My comments were in regard to how this article was sold in the MDN which said…
“Full article, which should be required reading for Windows users who’ve just brought home their first Mac.”
No, it should not be required reading by (implied “all”) Windows users.
If “My Mom”(tm)read this Ars article, she’d be 100 times more confused than if i just jammed her in front of a mini and gave her a whack on the head with a hammer.
There are other very good “average” user switcher guides out there for average users. Such as the ones pointed out by Aryugaetu.
So, that you’re the product of two .NET ASP developers (apparently), and most people are not does not give you the advantage of being “average” or your mom as an average windows switcher.
This guide is NOT good mandatory reading for average everyday switchers. That said.. it is a great article. Neet. I will recommend it to many people i know.
I was more commenting on the MDN comment than on the Ars article that it was for (implied “all”) Windows switchers.
Want a “start” like application menu on OS X? Open up a finder window, find the Applications folder, drag it down to the dock to the right of the black separator, and drop it into the dock, now click and hold on the folder and POOF you have a menuing system to navigate through your applications. You can do the same for your Documents and even Desktop if you get a cluttered Desktop from time to time just click+hold on the Desktop alias you now have in the Dock and now wander through all of your files. First thing I do for friends/family, and very easy to let new MacOS users know about.
>>Dont assume that PC owners are as blinded by the Apple logo as >>Mac users are–PC users will understand that any decent >>configuration of the Mini is 1000 dollars even after the price cuts…
I don’t know about the rest of you folks, but I’m getting really sick of discussions based solely on the fact that Macs cost more than pc’s. Goodness gracious! How dare Apple make an entry-level computer that costs more than the piece of sh*t pc you can buy for $399 on the shopping channel?!
How did the computer market get to be the only one where the best product must cost no more than the worst in order to justify its existence? I don’t get it! I really don’t get it.
The run Exposé with the 3th mouseknob, I had not discovered yet….click on the wheel on my macally .
and Apple /tab : I did not know either! Thanks..
Note to iMaki and other switchers:
Why do people assume they can know everything about an operating system in a couple of days – even a year?
If you buy yourself a book on the OS and LEARN it properly, I’m sure a lot of your gripes will change as you realize just how stupid you’ve been.
Windows “Power Users” – (who uses that term seriously?!) – put aside your egos and approach the OS with an open mind.
It’s different.