It’s been some years since the Mac computer finally out-sold PCs and became the dominant computing force across the United States. That being said there are many hold-outs to this switch and up until this very moment, you might’ve been one of them.
However, perhaps the time has finally come where you’re considering switching from PC to Mac. There’s a lot of good reasons to make this swap and you likely have your own. The only thing holding you back might be one nagging worry: will you have to re-learn everything all over again?
Not necessarily, though preparing yourself for a few differences might not be a bad idea. How can you help ease this transition? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.
1. Look Into Program Compatability
If you’ve been using your PC system for a long time, you might have grown accustomed to using certain programs in your daily life. When you make the switch to an Apple computer, will you be able to keep using all of these programs?
The answer you need will probably only apply on a case-by-case basis. You will need to look into each program you are curious about and see if it will be compatible with a Mac system. In this day and age, many mainstream programs will be able to be used on both systems.
However, if there are programs that you use that are more industry-focused, it may be more difficult to see this program ported over to the Mac system. It’s certainly worth doing this kind of research ahead of time so you can know what will and will not be able to be run on your new system.
There’s a good chance that if a program you use isn’t available on the Mac, a company likely has created a similar program that is compatible. Looking into these programs will you to decide if you’re ready to make this switch.
2. Transferring Data from PC to Mac
Unless you plan on starting completely fresh on your new computer, you’ll likely want to be able to send over your data and files from your old computer. This won’t be too difficult, but it will take a little bit of time and energy.
You’ll want to make sure that both your PC and your new Mac are connected to the same network. In most situations, this will be the Wi-Fi network within your own home. You also have the option of connecting the two computers physically using an ethernet cable, though this is less common.
Once connected, you can launch the Windows Migration Assistant on your PC and it should be able to walk you step through step. The program should help ensure both computers are connected and then will allow you to create an organized list of files you want to be transferred over.
You’ll be able to watch the transfer process occur and will be given an up to date ETA of how long the entire process will take.
You should be able to move over just about any kind of file to your new Mac, including emails, photos, calendars, and even some system pre-sets.
3. Learn New Mac Keyboard Shortcuts
You’re likely used to doing a lot on your PC using handy shortcuts. Whether your CTRL+ALT+DEL your way out of trouble or simply scrolling through videos using certain keys, you’ve developed certain habits.
These habits will need to adjust as the shortcut settings on your Mac computer will be a little different. It can actually be helpful to study up a little bit before switching to your new computer. Get familiar with the new shortcuts you’ll be using.
You’ll need to learn how to force quit on mac in a brand new way among other essential skills. Often, the shortcuts on Mac are not all too different from those found on a standard PC. However, as Macs have a few different keys, you might just need to learn a few new keystrokes.
Printing out a short cut chart and keeping it hung by your computer can help ease the transition for you into this new system.
4. Get To Know New Mac Programs
One of the reasons many people love Apple computers is all the free programming that comes within the system. Mac products are often complimented on their ease of use and are very friendly to new users.
You may feel a desire to immediately shell out money to get Microsoft Office and other familiar programs back on your system. However, before you drop all that cash, you might want to see if the built-in Mac programs provide the kind of assistance you need.
By clicking around in Pages, Safari, and other programs, you might find that it isn’t all too difficult to get familiar. You may even discover that you enjoy these new programs and the benefits they provide.
Most Microsoft programs have some sort of Apple equivalent. Microsoft has Excel, Apple has Numbers. Microsoft has Word, Apple has Pages. Microsoft has PowerPoint, and Apple has Keynote. So on and so forth.
If you can get comfortable in these new programs they can help to save you a lot of time and money in the long run.
Switching from PC to Mac
If you’re considering changing your home computer system this year, it might be time to finally consider switching from PC to Mac. If you do make the switch, the above tips and tricks can help to ease this big transition.
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