What to know about switching to Mac?

I made a post a while ago about purchasing a Mac and everyone had some great tips and recommendations, thanks.

Now I’m thinking about ok what happens once I purchase my Mac Mini? What should I expect? How do I get my files on my Windows laptop onto my Mac? I have an Office 365 subscription so I have that 1TB of OneDrive back up and I could download everything that way? But will I want iCloud for photos, videos and documents since I’ll have an iPhone and Mac Mini? Would that be better as it was designed for Apple products? But I really like Microsoft services. Who knows I might just jump to all Apple services lol. What’s the quickest way to find out what software installed on my pc if it works on Mac or if there’s an alternative to it, any websites that have all that information? I just started looking all this up tonight. Just thought it’d be nice to pick the brain of this knowledgeable community as well.

A big question I have is how do I handle my pictures and videos I have about 210 GB of photos and about 50 GB of video. How does that “store” on Mac with iCloud. Does it just sit on the iCloud exclusively and not on my Mac? And I just view them on the cloud when I open Photos on my iPhone? And it iCloud as reliable as OneDrive?

For those are curious why I want to switch it’s several reasons: I want to dabble in making apps for iOS, I’m a tech geek, I like how Apple is more (not 100%) privacy focused, and I just want to try something new tech wise. I’ve been a Windows and Android person for years until I got my iPhone 8 Plus.

Thanks in advance!

Conversation 39 comments

  • ponsaelius

    18 September, 2020 - 8:42 am

    <p>I am not a switcher but I recently got a very cheap 2009 Macbook that I upgraded with an SSD and memory. It's a bit clunky because of its age but is perfectly usable. My aim was just to have a project of fixing up an old computer and understanding a bit more about the Mac. </p><p><br></p><p>You can install Office on the Mac from your Office (Microsoft) 365 subscription. I did that and it works fine. Onedrive syncs. </p><p><br></p><p>If you want to move to icloud then you need to buy the storage. A full Mac experience may gravitate you to the new Apple One consumer subscription. I pay 79p per month for 50gb of icloud to keep my photos from my iphone backed up. There are other plans. For me it's to keep my photos backed up quickly. I also sync with Onedrive and Google photos. </p><p><br></p><p>Unless you have a big need for transferring completely to the Mac environment the Microsoft 365 home offering is good value. </p><p><br></p><p>I think the Apple cloud is a less sophisticated offer than Microsoft. I tend to check out the offers on UK Hot Deals website and you often have Microsoft's 365 plan at just over £50 in the UK. I top up my sub with that when it's offer and normally have 18 months future subs paid up. At that price point it's less than £5 per month for Office + storage. My wife also uses it. </p><p><br></p><p>There is an Apple Support article specifically on photos; <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201302#:~:text=1%20On%20your%20iPhone%2C%20iPad%2C%20or%20iPod%20touch%2C,steps%20to%20set%20up%20iCloud%20…%20See%20More" target="_blank">https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201302#:~:text=1%20On%20your%20iPhone%2C%20iPad%2C%20or%20iPod%20touch%2C,steps%20to%20set%20up%20iCloud%20…%20See%20More</a></p><p><br></p><p>Depending on your feelings about Amazon there might also be an option to use Amazon Photos if you want to abandon the Microsoft ecosystem. Prime membership includes photo storage. </p><p><br></p><p>However, my own view is that now Microsoft have largely abandoned the consumer people should look at the Apple offer. Although Macs are more expensive the Surface range has pushed up PC prices and at certain "prosumer" price points they are very similar. Windows legacy user experiences such as a control panel versus settings (one example) leave Windows looking transitional. However, people don't know where Windows is going. Apple do produce finished products and have provided a clear roadmap to low power long battery life ARM based PCs. If you are not all-in to the Windows ecosystem then it's worth a look. Apple now seem to be expanding their subscription based service offer too. </p><p><br></p><p>I use Windows at work as an IT Pro and mostly at home too. So, I haven't made a jump to the Apple environment. I have an Iphone, ipad (for reading newspapers) and now an ancient Macbook. The thing about ecosystems, that Microsoft used to understand, is that they can draw you in. </p><p><br></p><p>Just my thoughts. </p>

    • lwetzel

      Premium Member
      18 September, 2020 - 6:23 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576360">In reply to ponsaelius:</a></em></blockquote><p>Don't know if you're aware there is a guy "DOSDUDE1" that had developed a way to get Catilina on that old Mac. I have a Mid 2009 Macbook and I upped the memory and put a SSD drive in and used his installer. It works pretty well for an old dog </p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576360">In reply to ponsaelius:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't think I'd use Amazon Photos as I'm not into their services other than using Amazon Prime Video, mostly the kids use it.</p><p><br></p><p>I think I'd want to try the Apple services since I'd be using a Mac and iPhone as my daily driver. </p>

  • christianwilson

    Premium Member
    18 September, 2020 - 9:37 am

    <p>It can be fun to get familiar with new computing platforms. Hopefully you enjoy the Mac if you take the plunge.</p><p><br></p><p>This can be an easy migration since you have Microsoft 365. You can install OneDrive on the Mac and everything stored out there is available to you to sync, download, move around, etc.</p><p><br></p><p>I would keep your documents in OneDrive, assuming you will be continuing to use Office. Office and OneDrive just work too well together and I recall there being benefits to using OneDrive with Office (file versioning, maybe?).</p><p><br></p><p>Photos and videos are a different story. iCloud doesn't give you much storage for free so you'll need to buy more. As an iPhone user, you may already be subscribing to a storage plan. In my opinion, it's worth keeping a copy of your photos in more than one service if you can afford it. If I were you, my plan would be to make iCloud my "source of truth" going forward and let OneDrive backup my photos so I've got them in both places. The thinking here is that you are going to be using y our iPhone to take photos, so just let the phone do its thing and have OneDrive come along and pick up a copy. Up to you if you want to migrate a copy of your existing OneDrive photo library to iCloud. The benefit is, again, a copy in multiple locations, but you'll also have access to all your photos right in Apple's Photos app on your phone and Mac. The Photos app stores everything in a database and you can choose to either keep full size copies on your devices or keep the full resolution in iCloud and keep a thumbnail sized version on the devices, automatically downloading the full size when you need it.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm not too sure about software. This is something you need to be sure of before you switch platforms and everyone's needs are different. I would look at the Windows applications you use today and see if the publisher has a Mac version. If they don't, you may be able to find a viable alternative, possibly something even better, but that's research you'll need to do yourself. I'd start with the websites of the applications you need and go from there. This is, unfortunately, far too broad of a topic for me to narrow down to a guide or site.</p><p><br></p><p>You'll understand what works best for you over time. I was a Windows user from the time dirt was invented until around 2006-2007. I switched to the Mac for several years, then used both, and now I'm back to Windows. Both are great but I needed to downsize the number of devices I use and Windows was the better choice for me. The one thing I learned through all of that was the importance of data accessibility and portability. I think iCloud is fine if you are all in with Apple but Microsoft 365/OneDrive makes it far easier to work on any device, anywhere. iCloud is kind of portable with a Windows sync tool or a web interface, but the experience outside of the Apple devices never feels quite right.</p><p><br></p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:43 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576393">In reply to christianwilson:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah I think it would be fun to try a new platform and see what the other side of the fence is like. And I want to dabble in iOS app development too. iCloud doesn't seem price wise as a good a deal as OneDrive with Office 365 subscription is. But having that convince of it being in the Apple ecosystem and how easy it is to use in it would be a big benefit in of it's self.</p>

  • rob_segal

    Premium Member
    18 September, 2020 - 9:50 am

    <p>You can use OneDrive on a Mac. I used iCloud before and like OneDrive and Google Photos more. I would investigate software on a case by case basis. Setapp is a cool Mac app subscription service you can check out. Starts at $10 a month. </p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:44 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576403">In reply to rob_segal:</a></em></blockquote><p>Thanks for the tip on Setapp, checking it out right now!</p>

  • simmonm

    18 September, 2020 - 9:59 am

    <p>Probably not the most helpful type post you are looking for…but I just switched back to Windows after being on a Mac exclusively since 2007 There's no magic bullet. One of my main reasons for switching is Apple's big push in the services arena. I am getting sick of being nickle and dimed. Secondly, a<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">ll tech companies are doing stuff that invades our privacy. </span>For instance, Apple tracks your location just like Google and Microsoft. Apple anonymizes it first, you may so oh that's nice. But I say, why do they need the data anyway. Honestly after reviewing the privacy settings for Google, Microsoft and Apple lately I think I prefer Google's. They get the worst rap but are the most upfront and make their dashboard easiest to manage. Sorry for the rant on a Friday. :)</p><p><br></p><p>To answer your one question. Apple Photos has a smart setting like OneDrive and will store all your videos and photos in iCloud and give you access to them on demand, so they don't take up all the space on your devices/HD. It's on by default, you need to go to your settings for Photos on iOS/MacOS to disable it and get all of your data to come down.</p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:49 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576404">In reply to simmonm:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm not looking for a magic bullet, nothing like that at all. It's about trying a Mac and a few other reasons. But this isn't a Windows vs Mac thing, that whole thing is stupid in my opinion. But I do think as far as Apple, Amazon, Google and Microsoft are concerned on how they use their user's data for profit Apple does a better job in that aspect.</p><p><br></p><p>Ok, that's good to know about Apple Photos, thanks!</p>

  • bhofer

    18 September, 2020 - 12:41 pm

    <p>You may already know this, but if you want to share files between both systems locally via an external hard drive or thumb drive – Macs can read NTFS, but cannot write to it. Windows cannot read from HFS or APFS. You can find drivers to support some of these, but I don't really trust them. One option is to use exFAT, since both systems can read and write using this format.</p><p><br></p><p>For me personally, I have a lot of GoPro videos and <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">didn't want to lug a hard drive between both systems every time I needed something. I also </span>didn't want to upload them to the cloud as they can consume a lot of space and takes time, so I got a NAS. This allows me to access the files from both systems, or even from my iPhone and iPad via SMB. This also works great for my Time Machine backups.</p><p><br></p><p>As others have mentioned, you could use OneDrive to move your files over. Apple also has a <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204087&quot; target="_blank">Migration Assistant</a> tool that could help out with this as well. </p>

    • simont

      Premium Member
      19 September, 2020 - 5:40 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576455">In reply to bhofer:</a></em></blockquote><p>There are applications that allow you to read/write NTFS partitions on a Mac. I used Paragon NTFS which allows read/read without any issues.</p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576455">In reply to bhofer:</a></em></blockquote><p>Hm, I didn't think about using an external drive. I have USB thumb drive that might work in transferring my photos and videos. Downloading them via OneDrive would take forever. Thanks!</p>

  • navarac

    18 September, 2020 - 12:55 pm

    <p>Looking at your last paragraph. I don't think ANY Company is very Privacy Focused. That includes Companies in all countries, including USA or China as well! They are all out to make money after all. Personally I've always been a Windows guy but am now down to one machine for gaming, others are now Linux, including a SP3.</p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:51 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576458">In reply to navarac:</a></em></blockquote><p>Hm, I don't think that true at all. </p>

  • bkkcanuck

    18 September, 2020 - 5:32 pm

    <p>I won't go into detail on everything but the list of apps I use (good software) can act as a key to searching and watching youtube reviews about the software. </p><p><br></p><p>One of the most power features of macOS is learning how to use 'Automator' to automate workflows</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Applications that are available for both Windows and macOS</strong></p><p>Affinity Designer – Vector graphic design [alt. Adobe Illustrator] (All Affinity apps are first rate and relatively inexpensive)</p><p>Affinity Photo – Raster graphics editor [alt. Photoshop]</p><p>Affinity Publisher – Desktop Publishing program for print products such as books, flyers, or leaflets [alt. Adobe Indesign]</p><p>Beyond Compare – File compare which is not as pretty as Kaleidoscope, but probably better supported</p><p>Firefox – Web Browser (favourite)</p><p>Google Chrome – Web Browser</p><p>JetBrains (subscription to all) – CLion (C, C++, Rust); Intellij IDEA (Java, Scala)</p><p>Microsoft Remote Desktop – used to remote into work PC (PC I think has to run Windows Pro or greater]</p><p>Microsoft Teams – Collaboration tool</p><p>Navicat Data Modeler Essentials – Database design (only option added is to export SQL)</p><p>SQLDeveloper – Oracle SQL Developer</p><p>Skype – Microsoft Skype for video calls etc.</p><p>Sourcetree – Git GUI Client</p><p>Sublime Text – Editor (I use for editing text files and SQL etc.)</p><p>Typora – Markdown editor</p><p>VMware Fusion / VMware Workstation – VM for running Linux (and Windows) / alt. Parallels </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Apple Apps included with Mac Mini (or free in the store)</strong></p><p>Garageband – Free Music creation studio</p><p>iMovie – Video editing software (lightweight – what you learn here will also help if you go pro with Final Cut Pro)</p><p>Keynote – Presentation software IMHO better alternative to Powerpoint</p><p>Mail – App to handle mail / also new app written by former Apple employee just for Google mail below (Mimestream)</p><p>Numbers – Spreadsheet (lighter alternative to Excel; good but I think Excel works on larger spreadsheets and is more standard]</p><p>Pages – Word alternative – also good… </p><p>Safari – Apple Web Browser</p><p>Xcode – Xcode for iOS and macOS development</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Apple Apps paid (Good functionality for the price – and never seem to have pay for upgrades – for a decade)</strong></p><p>Final Cut Pro – Professional Video editing software</p><p>Logic Pro X – Digital audio production software</p><p>MainStage 3 – Similar to Logic Pro X but for live performances</p><p><br></p><p><strong>3rd Party Apps that are exclusive to macOS</strong></p><p>Alfred 4 – Productivity app for macos – big cousin to 'Spotlight' [learn to use the force cmd-space and type application name]</p><p>Audio Hijack – hijack audio from any app etc. run it through transformations and save or redirect output</p><p>Bartender 3 – The menu bar is a place which is handy for apps to put quick icons for use – but this handles it when you get too many</p><p>Carbon Copy Cloner – Image backup of drives to other drives (backup) or to 'img' files (macOS can boot drive can be copied and booted from – so you can backup completely then if something fails boot of an external drive – macOS is friendlier for doing things like that)</p><p>CodeKit – Great App for Web development</p><p>Cyberduck – ftp/sftp/webdav/S3/Google Cloud storage/Azure etc. file transfer etc.</p><p>Fantastical – Excellent calendaring software</p><p>IINA – Media Player (works with all video files including mkv; clean interface)</p><p>iStat Menus – Menu for CPU, network, disk, memory, temperatures etc.</p><p>iStatistica Pro – System monitoring software</p><p>iTerm – Better alternative to internal 'terminal' (UNIX command line)</p><p>Keyboard Maestro – Keyboard macro and automation software (powerful, but takes time setting up and learning what it can do)</p><p>Loopback – Used for routing audio data streams </p><p>Macs Fan Control – Used to override the fans (I use it to bump up the default fan control for lower temps)</p><p>Mactracker – Curiosity app with specifications of all Macs</p><p>MacUpdater – Good app to keep track of what updates are available (including non-app store apps) and install those updates</p><p>Magnet – Window management for organizing windows and snaps / etc – useful if you don't like macOS window management</p><p>Mimestream – Mail app for Google mail only – lightweight – looks like Apple Mail.</p><p>Mountain Duck – mounts external cloud storage ftp/sftp/webdav etc. to look like internal directory (for finder; pathfinder)</p><p>OmniGraffle – Great diagramming and digital illustration application (alternative to Visio which is not available for macOS)</p><p>Paprika Recipe Manager 3 – Recipe manager :o</p><p>Path Finder – More powerful alternative to internal Finder app (file manager)</p><p>Quiver – Programmers Notebook for saving notes (Happenapps)</p><p>ScreenFlow – Very good screen recording software and video editing – useful for creating tutorials etc.</p><p>SnippetsLab – Code Snippet Manager</p><p>Studies – powerful flashcard software for learning (in my case language)</p><p>Textual 7 – probably the best IRC software for macOS</p><p><br></p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:58 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576619">In reply to bkkcanuck:</a></em></blockquote><p>Wow this is a great list, thanks!</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        20 September, 2020 - 8:00 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#577282">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>Macs Fan Control is great. Apple's fan settings are not… optimal. They tune for sound rather than temp.</p>

        • j5

          Premium Member
          01 October, 2020 - 1:52 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#577289">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p>Does that go for all Mac products? </p>

          • waethorn

            01 October, 2020 - 2:52 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#581349">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>In MacBooks and at least the new 27" iMac, yes. However, don't be surprised by 100 degrees Celsius (boiling point of water for you yanks). Intel processors are designed to run that hot, and other thin-and-light laptops run just as hot with similar designs – some fanless, some not. Intel's own reference designs provide guidance to manufacturers that want to build with a thin-and-light laptop and this is what Apple does with most of their machines because fan noise does suck. These types of systems have limited space for heatsinks and cooling fans. The types of processors Apple uses in MacBook Air's have options for running fanless. Apple still provides a cooling fan to exhaust hot air to keep speeds up, but the chip will throttle speeds when it hits 100C. On a 2020 MacBook Air Core i3, you'd be hard up to get the fan to spin up under basic home productivity loads using Apple's included applications. If you use iMovie however, you'll get the fan to spin up once it starts rendering your video output.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm curious to see how Apple SoC's are going to handle the performance vs. heat tradeoff, and where Apple is going to position the threshold for fan noise. I've heard that the iPad Pro's can get pretty toasty under heavy load, but they are completely fanless devices, and I haven't heard of too many users that are burning out iPad Pro's because of processor load, so if I'd have to guess, Apple will be able to design their systems with tighter controls on engineering over using Intel chips.</p><p><br></p><p>In a perfect world, I'd prefer an SoC that's fanless but still keeps cool. OEM's don't build according to those expectations though, and instead try to push processors to the maximum performance attainable without having the chip burn out. And then have to deal with cooling as an add-on requirement. I mean, take a look at GPU's – heatsinks haven't shrunk at all.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

            • j5

              Premium Member
              01 October, 2020 - 10:27 pm

              <blockquote><em><a href="#581391">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>Hm, ok I'll keep that in mind. But I want to get a Mac Mini; I already have a 34" widescreen and accessories I use with my Windows laptops (personal one &amp; work one). If I want to go mobile with Mac I have my iPhone or maybe I'll get an iPad.</p>

          • bkkcanuck

            01 October, 2020 - 10:01 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#581349">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>Typical design period for a release is 2 years. The models that preceded this generation (laptops) started the design process based on what Intel said was the roadmap they committed to – so the enclosures pushed in that direction. In the end that generation of laptops were two thin for the chips that were put in them and Intels TDP rating over time have changed from top thermal envelope to more of pre-boost target…. anyway all that came together with a generation where at the top end the processors (especially the i9 MacBook Pro) had less than ideal performance at the top end. The latest generation they increased the size of the MacBook Pro thickness a little and it does not seem to be an issue. </p><p><br></p><p>On design of the computers, the CPU/silicon in a computer is rated to work fine at up to 100 degrees Celsius. Apple prioritizes low noise over heat. I usually have my mac mini on effectively a rack a good 7 ft away from here (and the noise of my 3 UPS and air conditioning would drown out the noise) that I prefer setting the fans to spin up earlier and have a lower threshold… Lower is generally better temperature-wise IMHO, so I figure I would rather wear out the fans rather higher temperatures. I doubt my configuration has much of an effect longevity-wise — but I am still more comfortable cooling it more. Besides it is not going to create as much racket as a computer in a computer room (server room) – which you are well advised to wear hearing protection because of the noise of the fans :o</p><p><br></p><p>The iPad Pro does not come close to that situation, and it is more performant on that chip than most of the CPUs from Intel in all of the current laptop range — and much more efficient when it comes to performance vs TDP. Heat will not be an issue with the Apple silicon chips.</p>

            • j5

              Premium Member
              02 October, 2020 - 9:53 am

              <blockquote><em><a href="#581508">In reply to bkkcanuck:</a></em></blockquote><p>That's good to know about the 2 year design cycle. But I'd have to guess that the over heating also comes from computer games or high processor activities as well no?</p><p><br></p><p>I just browse the web, check out YouTube and want to dabble in iOS apps I can't imagine any of those would be tax the processor; even compiling code?</p>

              • bkkcanuck

                02 October, 2020 - 10:35 am

                <blockquote><em><a href="#581594">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes, it would be only at the top end of the processing cycle – if you did run into the situation it would drop the performance down something like 10% to keep the processors under maximum temperatures. Typically these thermal issues were demonstrating something like cine-bench and monitoring temperatures and CPU activity (or GPU activity)… actually quite a number of manufacturers also had issues if they focused on thin and light. I actually have an appreciation for thin and light devices though — since I think my current damage to C1-C5 vertebrae have a lot to do with regularly carrying two laptops for work (neither of them was thin and light at the time) — one for the consulting company, and one for the customer of that consulting company. </p><p><br></p><p>[I think I did manage to shorten one computers lifetime (a 2008 Xeon based computer retired in 2018) – but running it at 100% CPU for 6 months 7/24 😮 ]</p>

            • waethorn

              02 October, 2020 - 8:58 pm

              <blockquote><em><a href="#581508">In reply to bkkcanuck:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote>Heat will not be an issue with the Apple silicon chips.</blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><p>So do you actually know something that nobody else knows yet, or are you talking out your ass? Nobody has seen these chips or systems yet. Until they do, nobody really knows how Apple is going to set these up in their full computers. The 2018 iPad Pro already runs really hot and it has no active cooling, but also shows signs of thermal throttling under benchmarks. The A12Z-based 2020 iPad Pro has a marketing quote that says that it performs at peak performance for longer (translation: it'll still throttle) than the A12X in the iPad Pro from 2018, but full-sized computers are a different beast from a tablet.</p><p><br></p><p>My guess is that if Apple is okay with having a laptop literally get up to the boiling point of water, they'll also push temperatures on the ARM-based units to where their laptops are as similarly uncomfortable to use on your lap under heavy productive loads as the Intel models. I wouldn't want to see that happen, but I'm too often disappointed by what PC manufacturers do, almost to the point of where I have to lower my expectations.</p>

        • matapillar

          03 October, 2020 - 7:08 am

          <blockquote><em><a href="#577289">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>You're right, this is a great software tool. Especially for older Macs.</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • lwetzel

    Premium Member
    19 September, 2020 - 10:17 am

    <p>One thing to keep in mind. What ever software you run on Windows that was paid for will most likely be a new purchase if you move to the Mac.</p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 5:59 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576828">In reply to lwetzel:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah that will suck. I've been a paying customer of Revo Uninstaller for years. I'll have to find something equivalent for Mac.</p>

      • jimchamplin

        Premium Member
        20 September, 2020 - 7:54 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#577283">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>You don't need anything equivalent. Software doesn't install the same way on macOS. Unless something requires a driver, nothing goes in /System.</p><p><br></p><p>App packages are folder trees that are recognized by Finder as "Application Bundles" and portrayed as a single icon. To move the ENTIRE installation, you move that icon. Say, if you add an external hard disk and you want for example, Word to run from it, you just move Word from /Applications to that drive. </p><p><br></p><p>When you're done with something, you drop it in the trash. If it has a helper (Like a systray icon or TSR if you remember that) it's automatically unloaded.</p><p><br></p><p>You have further options available to you. Using Macports, you can install a package manager very similar to pkg on FreeBSD, or apt on Debian Linux and run some good old *nix console software!</p>

        • j5

          Premium Member
          01 October, 2020 - 1:51 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#577287">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p>OK cool, thanks for that information!</p>

  • arnstarr

    19 September, 2020 - 5:52 pm

    <p>Onedrive works well on Mac, including the Files in Demand feature. The only advantage of ICloud file sync is it can automatically sync the desktop. </p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      20 September, 2020 - 6:00 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#576913">In reply to arnstarr:</a></em></blockquote><p>I'm pretty sure OneDrive has the Desktop picked along with Documents and Downloads as default folders to back up.</p>

      • arnstarr

        20 September, 2020 - 11:00 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#577284">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>Only on Windows </p>

      • waethorn

        29 September, 2020 - 12:27 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#577284">In reply to j5:</a></em></blockquote><p>Pictures, not Downloads.</p>

  • yuanyasmine

    29 September, 2020 - 3:15 am

    <p><span style="background-color: initial;">1. Make sure the software you need to use is available on macOS. You don't want to make the switch only to find that something critical still requires Windows – and having you use VMware/Parallels or BootCamp.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: initial;">2. If you buy a Mac from Apple directly, you can book in time at an Apple store for some 1-on-1 training. This won’t be incredibly in-depth training, but if you don’t know anyone else who uses a Mac, it can help get you up and running.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: initial;">Make sure you’re not using a legacy POP account for email. This will make switching more difficult. If you’re using IMAP, Gmail or Exchange then your email will all come over when you configure your account.</span></p><p>3. There are chances that this external hard drive shows read-only on Mac. This is because the external hard drive is formatted into Windows NTFS file system. By default, Macs can only read NTFS drives but not to write to NTFS drives. If you want to copy or drag files on the NTFS external hard drive on Mac, you need to install an NTFS for Mac tool, such as <a href="1. Make sure the software you need to use is available on macOS. You don't want to make the switch only to find that something critical still requires Windows – and having you use VMware/Parallels or BootCamp. 2. If you buy a Mac from Apple directly, you can book in time at an Apple store for some 1-on-1 training. This won’t be incredibly in-depth training, but if you don’t know anyone else who uses a Mac, it can help get you up and running. Make sure you’re not using a legacy POP account for email. This will make switching more difficult. If you’re using IMAP, Gmail or Exchange then your email will all come over when you configure your account. 3. There are chances that this external hard drive shows read-only on Mac. This is because the external hard drive is formatted into Windows NTFS file system. By default, Macs can only read NTFS drives but not to write to NTFS drives. If you want to copy or drag files on the NTFS external hard drive on Mac, you need to install an NTFS for Mac tool, such as iBoysoft NTFS for Mac. 4. Learn the keyboard shortcuts, and use them. Each menu item in macOS has the corresponding keyboard shortcut listed to the right of the menu item. Wherever applicable, keyboard shortcuts are the same across applications. Cmd+P prints, Cmd+N gives you a New document/window. Cmd+W closes the window. Cmd+Q quits etc. 5. On a new Mac, scrolling on the mouse is set up back-to-front. Give it a go for a week before changing it back to the Windows and old Mac OS X way. it’s more like scrolling on a device and makes more sense if you think about the action you’re performing. 6. Don’t try to force macOS to behave like Windows. Learn the Apple way and it will make your journey smoother in the long run." target="_blank">iBoysoft NTFS for Mac</a>. </p><p><span style="background-color: initial;">4. Learn the keyboard shortcuts, and use them. Each menu item in macOS has the corresponding keyboard shortcut listed to the right of the menu item. Wherever applicable, keyboard shortcuts are the same across applications. Cmd+P prints, Cmd+N gives you a New document/window. Cmd+W closes the window. Cmd+Q quits etc.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: initial;">5. On a new Mac, scrolling on the mouse is set up back-to-front. Give it a go for a week before changing it back to the Windows and old Mac OS X way. it’s more like scrolling on a device and makes more sense if you think about the action you’re performing.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: initial;">6. Don’t try to force macOS to behave like Windows. Learn the Apple way and it will make your journey smoother in the long run.</span></p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2020 - 1:50 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#580396">In reply to yuanyasmine:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yeah I've been checking at what I use and what would be the comparison on Mac, like 7Zip and Archive Utility.</p><p><br></p><p>I read about that benefit of purchasing from an Apple store. However I think I could get comparable how tos on sites like this and YouTube.</p><p><br></p><p>The external HD of files is what I haven't had time to sit down and research yet. This is what I'm worried about. I don't want to get into a situation where I'm sitting with my Windows laptop and my Mac Mini and can't figure out how to get my large files like pictures and videos quickly to my Mac. Thanks for that tip on iBoysoft NTFS for Mac!</p><p><br></p><p>I'm in no rush to switch so yeah I'm taking my time. I remember years (a couple decades lol) ago I just jumped into Linux one weekend without talking to anyone about it, a disaster! Of course this was pre YouTube and the tech tutorials and information we have available on the internet today.</p>

  • waethorn

    29 September, 2020 - 10:03 am

    <p>If you're planning on running Windows software, thus requiring Windows, Parallels Desktop in Coherence Mode is a good tool.</p><p><br></p><p>You don't need to worry about NTFS support being read-only on Mac with this setup since you can just use NTFS drives in a floating Windows File Manager window, and drag-and-drop into other Mac Finder windows. Parallels will let you choose which system an external drive can be used with when it's inserted. Use NTFS drives in the Windows VM, knowing that you can move stuff around between the Windows VM and the host macOS system with ease.</p><p><br></p><p>Parallels Desktop is top-notch. I wish virtualization systems for Windows were as good as it. Don't forget my suggestion on how to get Parallels Desktop on subscription for extremely cheap your first year – instructions were in the previous forum post.</p>

    • j5

      Premium Member
      01 October, 2020 - 1:40 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#580498">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>I don't think I will be trying to run Windows on it. I'll still have my current Windows laptop. And I don't really play PC games either. So I can't see a future need for that, right now.</p>

  • dell5050

    01 October, 2020 - 11:31 am

    <p>Try walking into an actual Apple store with these questions? You are a "tech geek".</p>

  • waethorn

    02 October, 2020 - 8:31 pm

    <blockquote><em><a href="#581484">In reply to Bob_Shutts:</a></em></blockquote><p>It's not just that. The current 10th-gen ULV notebook processors have something like a 10W TDP for fanless and 15W for active cooling. Translated into Mac terms, it runs for quite a while on fanless mode until you really start hammering the processor. They'll hit upwards of 80C and then the fan kicks on low, then once the processor hits that 100C wall, the fan will kick on hard and loud and then it'll throttle down. I've looked at the thermals on all of the processors and it's proven that the i5 and i7 processors in the MacBook Air don't really run hotter per se, but they get hotter faster. They still have the 100C thermal wall, and will throttle, but they do so at a faster rate than the Core i3. Doing the same kinds of low-end tasks like any of the bundled apps (aside from rendering in iMovie) will keep the temps about the same, meaning the fan doesn't rev up, but temperature ramping is quicker on the i5 and i7 when you start to push it. The MacBook Air's use a hybrid cooling solution that includes only a fanless heatsink, but also an exhaust fan, but no direct heat pipes for the CPU because MacBook Air's meet Intel's expectations for fanless CPU support, but also allow for supplemental cooling via exhaust help with the blower fan. Apple gets grief for this type of design by not using heat pipes, but it's an Apple compromise between fan noise and thermal efficiency. Some other OEM's use only fanless CPU setups which result on lower performance but better design options for thin-and-light, but many use active heat pipe setups with connected radiator heatsinks so as to allow for less thermal throttling.</p><p><br></p><p>Your desktop has a desktop Core i7 10700K in it if it's the model I'm thinking it is. It's a desktop processor with a AppleInsider has a whole article and video on the thermal capabilities of it:</p><p><br></p><p>appleinsider.com/articles/20/08/19/video-putting-the-27-inch-i9-imac-thermal-performance-to-the-test</p>

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