by Juliana Murris

Created on: July 09, 2008

Taking in your Windows machine to the repairman seems like a monthly routine. Though this time he tells you that you're old computer box can't be fixed and it's time to get a new computer. He tells you to steer towards something different - the Apple Macintosh. Ah, smart man.

Apple computers can always be trusted. They won't get the viruses that Windows computers do. They don't get pop-ups or other junk that comes up after you've surfed the internet. You don't have to buy extra security like Norton Anti-Virus that doesn't do the job and bugs the heck out of people. Macs start up really fast and are ready to get the job done when you are. They even run Windows faster than a Windows-built machine does. Macs may look pricey, but once you discover the world of Mac, you'll realize that they come with about $600 worth of software that you would never be able to get on a Windows machine.

So you're new to Macs? Not a problem. Here are some tips to get you started up with you're new baby (er- I mean Mac).

1. Start small. You don't want to get the fanciest machine in the world only to find out that you don't like it. For starter Mac owners, just get what you need. As you find out that you're comfortable with the Mac, when it's time to get you're next computer you can get a bigger and better one. My first Mac ever was the iMac G5, just a refurbished 17-inch screen with 1 GB of RAM, 160 GB of memory and ATI graphics. This is just what I need and it works for me.

2. Chuck that manuel away. You don't need it. When you first fire your Mac up, it tells you what to do and how to get started. And another thing - don't let your friends set your computer up. My friend came over to help me get started and totally screwed up my iChat because she couldn't care less about what she was doing.

3. Understand what you're using. You need to know the basics of the computer. Here's some translating in a nutshell:

Safari = Internet Explorer
System Preferences = Control Panel
iCal = Calendar
iTunes = Windows Media Player
iPhoto = My Photos
iMovie HD = Windows Movie Maker
Documents = My Documents

4. Understand what "Front Row" is. Front Row is a nifty little "program" so to speak. Your Mac comes with an Apple Remote, which is used for Front Row and some other programs like iTunes. To access Front Row, press the menu button, which is just below the click wheel. Here you can see you're downloaded movies, music videos, music, etc.

5. Know the anatomy of your Mac. The "Mac Anatomy" is extremely different (in a good way) than the "Windows Anatomy" of your old computer. There is no giant box for you to use that you plug everything into to get the final result. The whole computer is in one machine. On most new Macs, the CD drive is on the right hand side. You pop your CD in, and to eject it, push the eject button on your keyboard or click and drag the picture of the CD on the desktop down to the Eject icon on your dock.

6. WHAT THE HECK IS A DOCK? Good question. You know those icons that you have on your desktop strewn all over your screen? All those icons are at the bottom of the screen easily seen when using ANY program. No more minimizing and maximizing programs to open or close another one. You can also place your dashboard on the side of the screen instead of the bottom by going to "dock" in System Preferences.

In conclusion, Macs are really simple to use and recommended for anybody. Anybody from a child doing his homework to an adult running a business can use a Mac at ease. You'll just wish that you bought one earlier.

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