Editor of PC Mag switched to Mac!

Making the Switch from PC to Mac
12.20.06 Total posts: 6

By Robyn Peterson When Apple switched to Intel processors, I switched to a Mac. It was that simple. And judging by Apple's latest financial report, millions of you are coming with me: Mac sales have increased 30 percent since last year. But Apple is more than just the Coca-Cola of computing: The company builds solid machines that are capable of handling office work and, in my opinion, are vastly superior to Windows machines when it comes to multimedia editing.
For example, by using the iLife suite on my new MacBook, I transformed my raw wedding video into something that scored major points with my in-laws. First, I edited it down from 2 hours of boring footage into 30 minutes of highlights using iMovie. Then I dubbed in music from iTunes whenever the audio went south. Finally, I burned it all to a multichapter DVD with a flashy welcome screen, using iDVD. Whenever I've tried to edit video on a PC, I've faced system crash after system crash. And don't get me started on the lack of integration between video-editing software and music- and photomanagement software on Microsoft Windows. Yuck. Apple just makes it simple, and that's refreshing.

A Mac can do more than just multimedia. I have Microsoft Office installed so that I can work on Word and Excel documents, and I use a Cisco VPN to connect with my office network. In fact, I use my MacBook as my sole PC at home, whether it's work or play.
Though it's fairly easy to find your way around a Mac, I've answered the five questions most frequently asked by recent Mac converts or those folks simply pondering a potential switch.
Where's The Start Menu?
You don't need no stinkin' Start menu. On a Mac, you browse through your documents or navigate to your applications via a Finder window. And you can place frequently used apps in the system Dock, which you can place at the side or bottom of the screen. (Find preferences for the Dock in the Apple menu at the top left). You can set it to emerge when your cursor approaches it.
Where's My Right Mouse Button?
In Windows, the right mouse button brings up what's called a context menu. To bring it up on a Mac, hold down the control key and click the mouse button. Or just attach a mouse with a right-click button. It will work the same way as in Windows.
How Do I Install Apps?
File installation feels a bit strange at first since some apps, such as Firefox, mount as a drive when you double-click on the setup file. But then you simply drag the icon to your Applications folder, and it's installed.
How Do I Search For Files Or Apps?
Searching on a Mac couldn't get any easier, using Spotlight. Click on the blue icon in the top right of your screen and type in any phrase. You can search filenames, file contents, e-mail, contacts, even metadata.
Where's The C: Drive?
Forget about delving into the depths of the Windows C: drive. On a Mac, you can find all of your files by simply using the Finder. And if you're hard-core, drop into the Terminal app and get your Unix groove on.