10 things the Apple novice must know

1. OS X is like OS X

The days of laborious decorating the operating system are over. The moment you start your Mac, you may go straight to the system to see how you can manipulate it. Perhaps you will try to adjust the interface style. But no matter how hard you try, you can't make Mac OS X look like a spaceship console. I'm not saying absolutely no, I just say it's not easy.

You find that under Mac OS X, you can't use WindowBlinds for Mac OS X for skins like Windows XP. In a sense, yes. Because most Mac OS X users do not have this requirement. The normal Mac OS X look is already pleasing. Take a look at the people who are flocking to Windows to dress up as Mac OS X. Now, do you think how many users would like to dress up Mac OS X as Windows XP?

But what if, just in case, you want Mac OS X to look like a spaceship? So, try shapeshifter this software.

2. You do not need antivirus software

You do not need anti-virus software or spyware/Adware removal tool ... At least so far. For now, those programs still make no sense to Mac users.

The reality is that today's Mac users still live in a world without spyware, adware, and viruses. This is really a great liberation. If you're using a Mac, be brave enough to surf the web (even those dark corners) without an intruder knocking on your machine ... At least so far.

Wil Shipley brilliantly summed up this point: "I'm tired of hearing people say Mac OS X ' is almost ' no virus." It turns out that Mac OS X is completely free of viruses. Mac is not magical, and one day it will be infected with the virus. But at least I don't think it's a reality, and I think now we can still proudly say, ' Yes, we don't have a virus '. ”

3. Different mouse feel

The mouse is the fundamental way you interact with your Mac. Mouse positioning, that is, how the mouse movement affects the position of the cursor on the screen, does not just become slow under Mac OS x. This is amazing for Windows users-it's like sliding a mouse in the mud. Most Mac users refuse to acknowledge that Mac OS X has a different mouse location than Windows XP. But as a person who once used windows, I felt the difference. If you are a long-term user of Windows, you may also notice this.

I've spent one months trying to get used to my apple Pro Mouse. Unfortunately, I finally sold my pro Mouse on ebay and bought a Microsoft Optical mouse instead. But the new mouse didn't solve the problem. The key to the problem is not the mouse but how Mac OS X interprets the movement of the mouse. It's not a mistake, it's just a difference, but it does make it uncomfortable for users who switch to Mac OS X to design or play games.

The workaround is to rely on Microsoft's Mouse Preferences, the software available for download on the Microsoft Web site, which allows you to turn off Mac OS X mouse targeting. It not only changes the speed of the mouse pointer, but also improves the touch of the mouse pointing. If you can't get used to the mouse positioning of Mac OS X like me, that's what you want.

Speaking of mouse, Mac OS X is born with support for right-click and scroll wheel. I still don't understand why Apple didn't make a single-button mouse until last year. They have their reasons.

4. Most of us use safari

If you are a net worm, you may be using Firefox (you are no longer using IE, are you?) But if you use a Mac, I'm sure you're using Safari. Why use Safari? Honestly, I don't know. Perhaps the same reason most Windows users use IE, Safari is preinstalled.

Safari blocks pop-ups, built-in RSS reader, to quickly and accurately display most Web pages. Also, I guess Mac users don't like Firefox's ugly forms and buttons.

Of course, Firefox is fast and has good extensibility (I like Firefox plugins like Greasemonkey and platypus, etc.), but Safari is also one of the best browsers for standard compatibility. And, there are beautiful buttons.

5. Install, move, and uninstall applications

To install most applications, you just drag them down where you want them.

Want to move apps after installation? Move it. No problem.

Uninstalling the application also simply drags them into the trash. For PC users, this seems like a scary idea. What does the deleted program leave behind under Mac OS X? It's usually just one or two harmless configuration files.

Why uninstall an application just throw the executable file to the trash? MAC OS X Applications look refreshing because the ugly parts are packaged and hidden. MAC OS X applications are actually a special kind of folder. To view the contents of the application, right-click and select Show Package Contents.

6. OS x does not have a defrag tool

Mac OS X automatically organizes every file you visit that is less than 20MB from 10.3 onwards. As a result of these hidden built-in processes, defragmenting the disk is no longer necessary. Of course you can not believe me.

7. Does the system look abnormal? Repair Disk Permissions

Can't open the file? Does the program not work? Is the system slowing down? It's time to fix the power. Repairing disk permissions is harmless and non-destructive and should be carried out on a regular basis to keep the system functioning properly.

Mac OS X is UNIX-based, so it relies heavily on file permissions. Sometimes file permissions become chaotic because the location of the file changes or the wrong permissions are set during installation. A file that you should be able to read and write is no longer allowed access. A program that you could have run no longer works. In these cases, file permissions may need to be reset to the default value-a simple and fast process. Open the disk utility under Applications > utilities, select your hard disk or partition, then click Repair Disk Permissions.

8. OS x is not perfect

The application crashes as it does under Mac OS x. In fact, it's almost as easy to crash as a Windows application. Fortunately, in rare cases, the program crashes and the system goes down. If a program is unresponsive, you'll see a ball that's been spinning all the time, called the Spinning Beach ball of death.

If you are unfortunate enough to see SBBOD, you need to force the program to exit. You have three options: wait. Right-click this program on the dock to select Force quit. If it doesn't work, you'll need to press the Mac version of Ctrl-alt-del:command-option-escape. Don't be mistaken.

Note: Sbbod actually means that the main thread of your current program is busy and there is no way to respond to the user's keyboard or mouse events. I personally think that this situation is usually caused by poor program structure.

9. You'll make a mistake.

Dan Warne the response to a recent article in TUAW that lists the errors that new Mac users often make. Like what:

* Try to combine shortcut keys with Ctrl instead of CMD

* The Green "+" button will maximize the window to full screen

* Turn off the application window and think it's off

* Double-click the window to maximize the results and find it minimized on the dock

10. Yes, Mac is a kind of faith. Welcome to join Macworld