Notes & tips
Bite-sized answers to the everyday Mac questions for people coming from Windows.
AltTab brings the Windows Alt+Tab back to your Mac
macOS Cmd+Tab switches apps, not windows. AltTab brings the real Windows Alt+Tab back: a thumbnail of every window, minimized ones included. Free and open source.
ReadRaycast is the Spotlight replacement worth installing on any Mac
Raycast is a free launcher that replaces Spotlight and a few other apps too: window management, clipboard history, snippets, and thousands of extensions, all from one shortcut.
ReadI asked what to install on a new Mac. Here is what people said.
I asked what to install first on my new Mac, and X and LinkedIn delivered. Here is the community list, sorted by how often each app came up, with credit to everyone who suggested one.
ReadOn a Mac, dragging an app to the Trash does not really uninstall it
Dragging a Mac app to the Trash leaves files behind. How to fully uninstall it and reclaim the space with the free AppCleaner.
ReadDaisyDisk: how I free up space on my Mac fast
DaisyDisk is the app I use to free up space on my Mac fast. Here is how I scan the drive, find the big files, and clear them in minutes.
ReadIf you already have an iPhone, switching to a Mac is easier than you think.
If you already carry an iPhone, the Mac is not a new world to learn. It joins the one your phone already runs, and a surprising amount just works the moment you sign in.
ReadThe apps I actually use on my Mac every day
The apps I actually open on a normal day, not a wish list. If you just switched and you are wondering what to put on a fresh Mac, start here.
ReadHow to do the everyday things on a Mac
The actions that don't map to a single key: right-clicking, recording your screen, finding where a download went. Searchable, with the Windows way next to the Mac way.
ReadI lost fifteen years of muscle memory in one afternoon.
I switched from Windows to a Mac after fifteen years, and lost every shortcut my hands knew. Here is what actually made it hard, and what I would tell my past self.
ReadFinder is the Mac's File Explorer. Here's where it's different.
Finder is the Mac's File Explorer. Here is where it maps cleanly, the couple of things Apple hides, and the features that beat Explorer.
ReadMost computers still run Windows. Here's where your Mac fits in.
When you switch from Windows to a Mac it can feel like everyone else is on Windows. The data says you're half right, and where you live changes the picture a lot.
ReadHow to migrate your data to your new Mac
Step by step, how to use Apple's free Migration Assistant to copy your files, email, contacts, calendars, photos, and bookmarks from a Windows PC to a new Mac.
ReadOn a Mac, your notifications live behind the clock
On a Mac there is no notification tray in the corner. Missed alerts collect behind the clock, and the real win is turning the noisy ones off.
ReadA new MacBook sat unused for two months.
A brand-new MacBook can sit unused for months, and it is almost never the machine's fault. Here is what is really going on, and how to get past it.
ReadSet up a backup on day one. It takes one cable and one click.
Coming from Windows, you may have never had a real backup. On a Mac it takes one external drive and one switch, and then it runs itself.
ReadThe Mac trackpad is the best one I have ever used.
The Mac trackpad is the most polished one I have ever used, far better than any Windows laptop's. The gestures are what make it that good. Here are the ten worth learning first.
ReadIf you plug a Windows keyboard into your Mac, change this one setting.
Your external Windows keyboard works fine on a Mac, except the key next to the spacebar does the wrong job. One setting puts Command back under your thumb.
ReadThe three keys that do 90% of the work
Mac and Windows keyboards have the same modifier keys; they just wear different names. Learn these three swaps and most shortcuts fall into place.
ReadScreenshots on a Mac: better than Print Screen
There's no Print Screen key on a Mac, and you won't miss it. The built-in tools are quick, precise, and better than what you're used to.
ReadStart here: the one idea that makes a Mac click
If you've used Windows for years, the move to a MacBook is mostly about retraining your hands, not relearning everything. Here's the mental model.
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