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Apple CEO Tim Cook says<\/a> The company had its “best launch week ever” for first-time Mac buyers when the MacBook Neo, M5 MacBook Air, and M5 Pro\/Max MacBook Pro went on sale. It seems like people are switching to Macs in droves, with the $599 MacBook Neo likely to be most impacted.<\/p>\n If you’re one of the people responsible for Apple’s record-breaking launch week for first-time customers, you may be wondering where to start with macOS \u2014 and how it differs (or doesn’t differ) from the Windows OS you’re already accustomed to. Windows is the operating system I grew up with, dating back to the early days of Windows 95, but as a tech journalist I’ve had to write a lot of articles on macOS. I use both operating systems almost every day, so here’s my guide to becoming familiar with Apple’s desktop operating system if you’ve only ever used Microsoft.<\/p>\n Perhaps the biggest interface change you need to adapt to in the beginning is the menu bar. If you only know Windows, you’ll be accustomed to having a taskbar at the bottom and app menus at the top, which contain the programs they’re associated with.<\/p>\n macOS has a menu bar that links these different elements together. It takes app shortcuts, time and date displays, and notification pop-ups from the bottom-right corner in Windows, and places them in the top-right corner. This same top bar also contains menus for any currently active apps.<\/p>\n So, whether you’re using Google Chrome, Adobe Photoshop, or Spotify, menus aren’t attached to the program window \u2013 they’re right at the top of the screen. It may take some getting used to, but the name of the currently active program is always shown in the upper-left corner, and to the left of that is the Apple menu \u2013 which I’ll explain further.<\/p>\n There’s no Start button and no Start menu on macOS \u2013 instead, different parts of the Start menu are spread out in other places. For example, if you’re looking for OS Settings or Shutdown and User Accounts options, these are in Apple<\/strong> Menu: This is the Apple logo that’s always located in the top-left corner of the screen.<\/p>\n Go here to search About this Mac<\/strong> (information about the computer you are using); substitute for Sleep<\/strong>, restart<\/strong>And shut down<\/strong>; And controls for locking or logging out of the Mac. comes in handy here too force quit<\/strong>Which can close misbehaving apps for you.<\/p>\n Apple<\/strong> The menu also gives you access to the macOS App Store and any app updates pending there. recent items<\/strong> The submenu, meanwhile, complements some of the uses of the Windows Start menu, giving you convenient access to recently launched apps and recently opened files.<\/p>\n \n You can access your apps through Spotlight.<\/span> Like Windows, you can install apps on macOS through the official App Store or by downloading them through your web browser. There are several ways to find and launch apps, which can be a little confusing at first: The method I use most is to launch Spotlight (via cmd+space<\/strong> or the magnifying glass on the menu bar), then type the name of the program.<\/p>\n Then there’s the Dock at the bottom of the screen, which is largely equivalent to the Windows taskbar. You can switch between apps and launch recent apps from here, as well as pin app shortcuts permanently (right-click an app icon and select Options > Dock<\/strong>). Open the Apple menu and select System Settings > Desktop & Dock<\/strong> To set dock position and behavior.<\/p>\n To find all installed apps on macOS, you can launch Spotlight (as above), then click the App Store icon to the right of the search box. You can also launch the Finder app and select > Go to Application<\/strong> From the menu (or select Application<\/strong> link in the left-hand navigation pane, if it is visible).<\/p>\n Finder is the place to manage everything saved locally on your system, and although it may feel different from File Explorer at first, it doesn’t take much time to get used to. Like any other app, you can launch it from Spotlight or the Dock.<\/p>\n By default, there’s a navigation pane on the left that lets you jump to key areas of your system, including the desktop and your Downloads folder (as well). Application<\/strong> folder). Normally, the main menus are at the top, but drop-down menus to control the layout of the Finder can be found at the top of the current window.<\/p>\n Many Finder operations work the same way they do in File Explorer \u2014 so for example, drag a file from one window to another to move it between folders. One nice feature in the Finder that you don’t get on Windows is Quick Look, which lets you press space<\/strong> Quickly preview a selected file without opening it. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n What do you think so far? There are plenty of ways to customize on macOS, and you can get started by opening the Apple menu and choosing system settings<\/strong>. From here you can manage everything from software updates and Siri access to WiFi connections and battery life (if you’re using a MacBook and not a desktop Mac).<\/p>\n go towards Wallpaper<\/strong> To set your desktop background (you’ll see dynamic backgrounds supported that change over time), Notifications<\/strong> To control how often you’re distracted by app alerts, and menu bar<\/strong> To change the elements and shortcuts that appear just above the screen. If you’re wondering how to change something in macOS, you’ll usually find it here.<\/p>\n Options for individual programs are typically controlled by clicking the program name on the menu bar (e.g. chrome<\/strong> Or spotify<\/strong>), then choose settings<\/strong> From the menu that appears.<\/p>\n \n System Settings on macOS.<\/span> Keyboard shortcuts are a vital part of working as efficiently as possible from both Windows and macOS, but you’ll have to retrain your muscle memory when you switch to an Apple computer. If you use both Windows and macOS simultaneously like me, it may take you a second to remember which key to press when.<\/p>\n In many cases, you can replace Ctrl<\/strong> on windows Chairman and Managing Director<\/strong> (command) on macOS: use cmd+c<\/strong> to copy (instead of Ctrl+C<\/strong>), cmd+v<\/strong> to stick (instead of Ctrl+V<\/strong>), And cmd+w<\/strong> To close browser tabs (instead of) cmd+w<\/strong>), For example.<\/p>\n Sometimes the combination is a little different. If you are accustomed to using Alt+Tab<\/strong> To move around your open apps in Windows, you need to use cmd+tab<\/strong> For this on macOS\u2014though you can install a utility to repeat Alt+Tab if you miss it. There are utilities available that can help you learn all the relevant shortcuts you need.<\/p>\n If you already have an iPhone or iPad to go with your new Mac, there are plenty of great features to explore. As long as your mobile device and your Mac are using the same Apple account and signed in to the same WiFi network, they’ll work together.<\/p>\n There’s a universal clipboard, so you can copy an image on macOS and paste it on iOS. You can also mirror your iPhone screen to the macOS desktop, control iPad with your Mac’s keyboard and mouse, use your iPhone as a webcam, and even use iPad as a second screen for your Mac.<\/p>\n If you favor Android, your phone won’t play as well with macOS\u2014though apple music<\/a> And Apple TV<\/a> Available on Google Play Store. The best ways I’ve found to use Android, macOS, and Windows together involve cross-platform tools, including Dropbox, everything Google makes, and web apps.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n![\"Apple](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/product\/03jJzeia0n72oWRVhINurFQ\/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1772661383.jpg\")
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\n Credit: Lifehacker<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nHow does the macOS app experience differ from Windows?<\/h2>\n
Mac’s “Finder” is your new “File Explorer”<\/h2>\n
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\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\nHow to control settings on your new Mac<\/h2>\n
![\"macOS](\"https:\/\/lifehacker.com\/imagery\/articles\/01KN74FPNQH8PWBNNNM6F9PKDP\/images-2.fill.size_2000x1125.v1775134825.jpg\")
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\n Credit: Lifehacker<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nIt takes a while to get used to keyboard shortcuts on macOS <\/h2>\n
Apple ecosystem integration is seamless<\/h2>\n