Dear Reader Column 08-18-09

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Dear Reader,

Today's column was slow going because I'm using my new Apple laptop and every time I touch a button, it takes me five minutes to find out what happened to the copy. This is my first Apple experience. In the past I've been a PC user, so now nothing is where it used to be, not that I don't appreciate change, but every single thing I do takes four steps when it used to take one, because I don't know what I'm doing. Type, clip, zip, save, my fingers used to fly across the keys. My fingers are still lightning fast on the keys, but if I want to do anything with the copy I just finished typing, that's when the problems begin. Last night when I was typing an email to a friend, I was interrupted, so I clicked a button to pull the email off the screen and that email and I have been playing a game of Hide-and-Seek ever since.

'What have I done? What have I done?' was becoming my mantra over the weekend, but then I remembered the words of a stranger, who I'm beginning to think must have been an angel on computer duty.

"I couldn't help but overhear your conversation with the salesperson," my computer angel with an English accent said. "I used to be a PC user and switched to Apple. I absolutely love my computer now, couldn't imagine using anything else, but I remember my first couple of weeks. You're going to have several days where you're going to be frustrated and you'll do a bit of yelling at the computer, but don't worry, it won't last long. Soon you'll fall in love with your new computer."

I sure hope the stranger was right.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
[email protected]
http://www.DearReader.com

 

Comments

[Gwendolyn]

Hello ~
I'm new to your post but I work for Apple & prior to working here I was a PC only user. While I do now love the mac I can recommend "never replacing" your two button mouse ... I must have mine to function for work and travel. The new trackpad on the macbook, no buttons I can not use at all & anytime I touch it I lose all or damage something. Keep your mouse and all should go well.

[June]

Whatever you do, don't NEVER EVER go near anything with the Vista program. It's evil!

[Cynthia]

Suzanne,

I'm a new member of the email book club, science fiction part: especially love those classic sf authors.

Congratulations on switching to a Mac!

I wanted to let you know that there are online resources to help you through the changeover--apple has one, at http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
and
there's another that looks good at
http://www.switchingtomac.com/

[I just googled "switching to a mac" and found quite a few]

I never really "switched"---I couldn't stand the command line interface, yes that was a long time ago, and was put off computers entirely until I discovered what I could do with a Mac, even back in 1988: make posters for a lecture series, keep a mailing list, and so on, all in what seemed a much more natural way.

My latest Mac was a MacBook Pro last year; I thought I'd dislike the trackpad, as did another person posting here, but very soon I grew to love it. So, you never know; keep your mouse, but give that trackpad a good try. Moving the cursor, or a webpage, with just the movement of a finger so close to the keys is really a winner for me.

Enjoy your Mac, that's part of it (and why we mac users tend to be such enthusiasts!)