If you grew up using Microsoft Windows, switching to Mac can be confusing at first. Although the designers designed Mac to be simple, user-friendly, and efficient, there are differences compared to Windows that might take some time to get used to. Switching from Windows to Mac can feel like when you first learned how to use a computer. However, once you get used to it, you’ll appreciate your decision on why you choose Mac over Windows.

Mar 22, 2016  Install from the Mac App Store. Click on the price located beneath the app's star rating. If an app is free, the button will read Get. Click on the green Install App button that appears. Running Windows software on a Mac To run your app once installation has completed, open Crossover Office if it isn’t already open, and ensure the All Bottles link at the top left is selected.

It is easy to learn on how to use Mac, but you might still get tripped by some of the quirks of OS X. Aside from learning new shortcuts, you also need to get used to the different Mac features. To help you become acquainted with your new device here is an easy to follow user guide for long-time Windows user.

How to Close an App

In Windows, all you have to do is click the x button to close an app. However, in Mac, clicking the red x button doesn’t totally close the window. It doesn’t totally quit until you specifically tell it to stop. Clicking the x button merely closes the window, not the app. This means that it is still running in the background.

You have two ways to totally close an app. You can either tap the Command + Q keys or you can choose quit from the program’s drop-down menu.

From Right to Left

If you’ve been a Windows user for a long time, you have the tendency to look for the close, minimize and maximize buttons in the upper right of the window. However, you’ll find that all these buttons are instead found in the upper left corner of the window in Mac. It is a bit confusing at first, but you’ll get used to it in the long run.

The Command key is Equivalent to Control

Growing up with Windows means being familiar with the various Control shortcuts like Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V, and Ctrl+Z for copy, cut, paste, and undo tasks respectively.

In Mac, the Control key is mostly used for shuffling between browser tabs and switching between desktops. Most of the commands are under the Cmd key.

So instead of Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V, and Ctrl+Z, you need to use Cmd+C, Cmd+X, Cmd+V, and Cmd+Z. Alt+Tab becomes Cmd+Tab. Any shortcut on Windows involving Control probably has an equivalent OS X shortcut.

Copying Files

Copying files is a lot more complicated in Mac because there is no Cmd+X shortcut to copy the files or a ‘cut’ option in the right-click menu. In Windows, all you have to do is press Ctrl+X to cut and Ctrl+V to paste the file in another location. To cut and paste files on Mac, follow these steps:

1. Select the files you want to copy and tap Command + C.
2. To paste the files, tap Command + Option + V. This will also delete the files from the original folder.

Virtual Desktops

If your work involves a lot of multi-tasking or you just want to do things on a limited amount of time, then you’re going to love the virtual desktops on Mac. Virtual desktop opens when you activate Mission Control. When you open Mission Control, you’ll see a set of rectangles at the top. These are all the running apps, widgets, and desktop on your computer.

You can add another ‘virtual desktop’ by clicking the plus icon that appears when you hover the mouse to the upper right corner. This lets you create another home screen where you can run a separate set of apps from the ones you are currently running on your desktop. This is very useful when you’re working on multiple projects that need their own sets of windows.

Searching Through Spotlight

One of the useful features of Windows is its search function. You can find whatever files, applications, emails, or folders by typing in the name of what you want to find in the search box. OS X has that feature in the form of Spotlight. To activate Spotlight, just hit Command + Space or click the magnifying glass icon in the top bar. Just type in whatever you want to find and it will pull up all relevant results. Aside from finding files, Spotlight is also an easy way of launching apps, searching Google and Wikipedia, and doing basic computations.

Deleting Files

If you want to delete a file, you have to drag the file to the Trash (Recycle Bin in Windows) which you can find in the Dock. You can also press Cmd+Delete to make deleting easier. You can also clean up old files from your Mac by running Tweakbit MacRepair, a 3rd party cleaning tool. It empties all your trash and deletes unwanted files, unneeded log files, broken downloads, old iOS updates, and temporary files from your entire Mac system.

The Dock is Your Friend

Windows users are familiar with the Taskbar located at the bottom of the screen. This is where you can access commonly used applications, the Start menu, and the Windows System Tray. OS X’s Dock works the same way. It provides a customizable menu where you can access common files and folders, Launchpad, Trash, Finder, and System Preferences.

You can auto-hide the Dock if you don’t want it getting in the way of your screen. Just go to System Preferences, choose Dock, and select Automatically Hide And Show The Dock. You can also adjust the size, magnification, and animated windows minimization settings in System Preferences.

Installing Applications

Installing new programs in Mac is very different from Windows. Installing new applications in Windows means being involved all throughout the installation process. Your installation won’t proceed unless you click the Continue or Next button. Installing new apps on Mac is a lot easier. All you have to do is download the software and drag the downloaded icon to the Applications folder and that’s it!

Switching from Windows to Mac requires a learning curve. But with this user guide for Windows user, we hope it will help make things easy to explore and get familiar with your Mac.

As Mac users, it’s easy to turn our noses up at running Windows, but the truth is that it sometimes can’t be avoided. Be it for work or for playing video games, running Microsoft’s operating system on Apple hardware isn’t nearly as hard as it seems like it would be.

There are two main ways to go about this: virtualization and Boot Camp. The former involves running a macOS application that allows you to run Windows within, while the latter equips you to reboot your Mac fully into Windows.

There are several factors involved in picking the correct path, including price, ease of use, and flexibility. It’s also important to consider what sorts of tasks you need to achieve with your Windows installation, as that may make the right decision more clear.

If you need access to a couple of Windows apps while you’re running macOS, it’s best to virtualize. Running Windows in a virtual machine (dubbed a “VM”) also allows you to store it all on something like an external SSD, as Boot Camp requires a chunk of your boot drive.

For that trade, Boot Camp offers direct, native access to your Mac’s hardware. If you want to game in Windows on your Mac, it’s the way to go.

Bonus! One more thing…

The Complete Guide to Managing Tasks in Things (Video)

If you struggle to keep up with all your tasks, we can show you some organization tips that may help you.

We put together a video that shows you everything you need to know about a task in Things:

• The difference between start dates and due dates and how to use them effectively.
• How to set up reminders so you never forget an important task again.
• How to use checklists for tasks that require more than one step.
• How to configure daily, weekly, monthly, or even annual repeating tasks.
• And more…

You don’t have to use any of these things in your tasks if you don’t want to. But knowing what they are and how they all work will help you be more organized, save time, and ensure you are using Things in the way that suits you best.

This video is something we have made available for free to our email subscriber community. You can get it right now. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more.

Virtualization Apps

There are three virtualization apps worth considering.

Parallels Desktop and VMware Fusion are very similar options. Neither are free, but they come with great customer support if you need help:

• Parallels runs anywhere from $79.99/yr to $99.99/yr, depending on your needs. That subscription means your software is always up to date, ready for new versions of both macOS and Windows.
• Fusion follows a more traditional model. The current version is $79.99 for a new license, while an upgrade license will set you back just $49.99.

The third option is VirtualBox, an open-source (and free) option. While there is a vibrant online community around this application, if you are virtualizing Windows for work, I think it’s more than worth the price of admission to pick up Parallels or Fusion.

Parallels

Parallels Desktop is the best way to run Windows on your Mac. It offers lots of flexibility when it comes to which operating systems it can run and it offers a customizable experience to make it your own.

Set-up & Settings

Installing Windows 10 from an .iso downloaded directly from Microsoft’s store took just a few minutes. While most people will probably be installing Windows, Parallels can host all sorts of operating systems:

You can install Windows from an ISO, as I did, or even download a trial of Windows from Microsoft within the application. Additionally, Parallels can download a bunch of Linux distros and even download Modern.IE virtual machines, which are helpful when you need to test websites in old versions of Internet Explorer.

Parallels can transfer information from an existing PC, including that computer’s operating system. You can boot your Boot Camp partition as if it were a VM.

For my purposes, I installed the 64-bit version of Windows 10. After installation, I was prompted to create a Parallels account. This ties the app to Parallels’ website, keeping your license keys and subscriptions updated. After logging in, I was greeted with my Windows 10 VM:

There are a whole bunch of settings that can be tweaked. Things like how much RAM is allocated to the VM and what sort of network access it has can be adjusted. You can grant access to hardware like your Mac’s SD card slot, USB ports, and more as needed.

Parallels comes with a bunch of creature comforts too, though.

It can automatically share the contents of your Mac with the VM and vice versa. This means if you create a text file and save it to your Desktop, it will appear on the desktop of your macOS virtual machine:

It can open Mail.app on your Mac if you click an email link within the VM itself, and even automatically pause the VM when you aren’t using it, giving macOS more resources when possible. Parallels can even sync your clipboard across your Mac and its VMs and add your printer to your VM’s operating system automatically.

/digital-picture-frame-software-mac.html. For those of us with macOS shortcuts engrained into our hands and brains, Parallels can pass those to your VM so you don’t have to hit Ctrl + C to copy when you are used to Cmd + C.

If you want your VM to be completely isolated from its host Mac, you can enable that, too.

Coherence Mode

The integration between host is even visual with Parallels. Running Windows apps can appear in your macOS dock, for example:

By default, Parallels VMs are in their own windows, but in Coherence mode, the lines are blurred. Here’s Finder and File Explorer, side by side, for example:

There’s no Windows background anymore. My Windows apps still look like Windows, but they operate like macOS apps. They appear in the Dock and even the Cmd + Tab switcher. Task bar items are even added to the Mac’s menu bar:

Create Mac Partition On Windows

The clever features don’t end there. The Windows start menu can be opened via the VM’s Dock icon or the Parallels menu bar item when in Coherence mode.

In this mode, Parallels truly blends the VM into the macOS experience. If you need access to a single Windows app and don’t want the visual clutter of actually seeing Windows, this mode is for you.

Personally, I like to think about VMs as being contained islands. I don’t mind some limited sharing, but I want there to be a clear separation.

Performance & Utility

It’s hard to measure the speed of virtual machines. Your mileage will vary based on what computer you have, how much RAM it is equipped with, and more.

In measurable aspects, like VM boot time, Parallels was faster than VMware Fusion across the board on my iMac Pro.

Parallels comes with a bunch of virtual machine management tools. You can create snapshots of your VM to restore to at a later time if a software update goes poorly.

The application comes with Parallels Toolbox, a collection of utilities. I’m not sold on the value of these tools, but they come with a subscription to Parallels.

VMware Fusion

Fusion is the big competitor to Parallels, and while it does not require an annual subscription, it lacks some of the polish of its rival. That said, comparing the two applications side by side, there is very little difference in terms of features.

For some users, it may come down to price. Some users simply don’t want an annual subscription. I understand that, but I have more faith in Parallels’ future. VMware is a huge company, owned by Dell. Fusion is just one product in their catalogue, and a few years ago, it was rumored that Fusion may not be long for this world. VMware denied the report, but I can’t shake the feeling that Parallels is a better long-term bet.

Fusion includes a feature named Unity, which is very much like Parallels’ Coherence mode. The Windows backdrop goes away, and Windows apps show up directly in the macOS interface, including the Dock and App Switcher. However, not all of the resources used are Retina quality, leading to blurry icons in places. Worse, the entire system feels slower than Parallels. Even on an iMac Pro, Unity mode will stutter and have to redraw windows instead of smoothly animating them.

Run Mac Apps On Windows

Boot Camp

As virtualization — running Windows inside a macOS app — lets you use both macOS and Windows at the same time, it’s probably the best option for most people. The convenience of having your one or two must-have Windows apps right next to the data and apps on your Mac is hard to beat.

However, virtualization comes with a price: computational overhead. You’ll be sharing your Mac’s CPU, GPU, and RAM across what is effectively two computers. Most modern Macs have more than enough horsepower for this, but if you want to run Windows on your Mac for gaming, Boot Camp is your best bet.

Boot Camp is built into macOS, and supports Windows 10, Windows 8.1 and Windows 7, depending on the age of the host Mac. If you’re running a Mac built in 2012 or later, you should be set for Windows 10.

Be sure to visit Apple’s support pages to verify which version of Windows your machine will support via Boot Camp before you run out and buy something. There’s a lot of fine print here.

Installing Windows via Boot Camp is pretty straight forward. There’s an app in your Mac’s Utilities folder named Boot Camp Assistant. You’ll need it, as well as a disk image file (.iso) of the Windows installer. If you purchase Windows online from Microsoft, you can download an ISO directly from the company’s store.

Boot Camp Assistant will walk you through selecting how much disk space you want to allocate to Windows. This will become a new partition on your Mac’s SSD; the space will be removed from the free space you can access in macOS.

Once the partition is created, you may be prompted to insert a USB drive for Boot Camp Assistant to download the necessary Windows drivers and the OS will install.

Once everything is complete, you can select which OS you’d like to boot into via the Startup Disk preference pane in macOS or the Boot Camp system tray item in Windows.

Boot Camp gives Windows direct access to your Mac’s hardware, meaning it’s a great option for things like gaming or heavy rendering, but for most users who may need access to one or two Windows-only apps, it’s simply too much trouble to reboot between operating systems.

Bonus! One more thing…

Download Mac Apps On Windows

The Complete Guide to Managing Tasks in Things (Video)

If you struggle to keep up with all your tasks, we can show you some organization tips that may help you.

We put together a video that shows you everything you need to know about a task in Things:

• The difference between start dates and due dates and how to use them effectively.
• How to set up reminders so you never forget an important task again.
• How to use checklists for tasks that require more than one step.
• How to configure daily, weekly, monthly, or even annual repeating tasks.
• And more…

You don’t have to use any of these things in your tasks if you don’t want to. But knowing what they are and how they all work will help you be more organized, save time, and ensure you are using Things in the way that suits you best.

This video is something we have made available for free to our email subscriber community. You can get it right now. By joining the Sweet Setup community you’ll also get access to other guides, early previews to big new reviews and workflow articles we are working on, weekly roundups of our best content, and more.

In Closing

To wrap this up, Boot Camp is great if you need the full hardware capabilities of your Mac to be funneled into your virtual machine. If not, Parallels is an excellent choice. It’s fast, easy to use, and comes with a lot of features that make living in two operating systems easier than ever.