A Windows User's MacBook Diary - Day 2

Thursday

I needed help from an expert, which came in the shape of Nina - a MacBook specialist.

With Nina's help, I was able to set myself up as a user. Actually, with her help, I was able to remember Vlad's password.

As part of my 'journey' on the Mac, I have resolved not to look at the manual (such as it is). This means experimenting with keys, mouse-clicks and shortcuts. Admittedly, Nina has helped me with some, but I will need to learn others from the drop-down menus.

Whilst I can find most things I want, it sometimes takes several key presses to get there, e.g. opening up the Applications folder. The absence of a Home button (and indeed, many of the buttons normally found on a Windows-oriented keyboard) led me to intuitively hit the Up key, which took me to the beginning of the line.

However, I have not yet mastered deletion. I am reliably informed this is achieved using Fn+Backspace, but it doesn't seem to work. I am also used to using the Tab key in Windows to highlight the appropriate choice in a dialog window, whereas the most likely choice is already highlighted in Mac OS X and I just need to hit Return - that is taking some getting used to.

Minor observations for the day:

• The white glare from the keyboard takes some getting used to.
  
• When the lid is closed, it still looks lie a giant Nintendo DS. It's the colour, you see, and the styling. I am so used to black and grey slabs, it just doesn't look like a laptop (well, it was designed in California...).
• Restart is very quick - maybe because it's new and not loaded up with apps.
• My 4-year old son came up and said:, 'Oh, there's an apple," pointing to the logo on the lid. How's that for brand recognition? He then informed me it had lit up.
  
• Easy application installation - well, Skype was easy enough: drag this icon over to that icon and it inflated itself and installed itself. I have not quite got the hang of Devices yet. These can apparently be physical devices, e.g. USB stick; a user profile, e.g. Vlad; a programme; or an installation file. Some appear on the the 'desktop' whilst others are on the 'Macintosh HD'. I need to get to grips with this concept, because it irritates me not knowing where things should go or why they appear where they do.
  
• Built-in mic and speakers - useful if your own headset has just been chewed up by your wife's powerful new vacuum cleaner (it's a Dyson - the 'Mac' of the vacuum cleaner world funnily enough). And again, features reminiscent of the Nintendo DS.
• Nicely animated progress bars. This is a seemingly lame observation and would hardly seem to warrant comment, but I think it shows attention to detail and underscores the Mac's pedigree as a designer's computer. When you spend half your life staring at progress bars, it annoys me when they are badly animated or out of sync (I give you Microsoft's Windows Update site). Mac's 'initializing' progress bar, for instance, is easy on the eye and aesthetically pleasing. There is a sense of harmony about it, which adds to the enjoyment of using a computer.