There are a few things you will have to get used to when you switch from Windows to Mac. Once you master these differences, you won’t really miss the old way of doing things in Windows at all.
There Is No ‘Backspace’ Key On A Macbook
Windows users are used to using ‘Backspace’ and ‘Delete’ to delete items backwards or forwards. After you’ve switched to your Macbook, it will take you about 30 seconds to realize how dependent you were on two buttons for the same function. ‘Backspace’ deletes backwards and ‘Delete’ deletes forwards on Windows machines. There is no ‘Backspace’ key on a Macbook. ‘delete’ deletes backwards and not forwards. To forward delete on a Macbook, hold down the ‘fn’ key and ‘delete’ at the same time. There are alternate methods of mapping different keys to create a forward delete option, but the easiest thing to do is re-map your way of thinking. Its actually pretty easy to do since ‘fn’ and ‘delete’ are two keys on opposite points of the keyboard.
Estimated time to comfortably re-learn: Probably 5 days, but maybe never.
Window Control Buttons Are On The Left
Estimated time to comfortably re-learn: 1 week.
Split Window Feature Of Aqua Interface
Estimated time to comfortably re-learn: 2 weeks.
Closing A Window Does Not Quit An Application
Closing an application window in Windows will quit an application. Click the big ‘X’ in the upper right corner of any window and the application closes along with the window. Not so on a Mac. Clicking the red light in the stoplight bar of any window only closes the active window. To quit the application, you must choose ‘Quit’ from the applications top menu bar or choose ‘⌘’ and ‘Q’. I noted above that if you learn to properly use the Aqua interface, you won’t be closing many windows with the stoplight bar, that’s because the red light in the stoplight bar doesn’t quit applications. You will quickly become accustomed to using ‘⌘’ and ‘Q’ as the fastest way to quit an application on a Mac.
Estimated time to comfortably re-learn: 1 day.
Windows Resize By Dragging From Bottom Corner Only
Estimated time to re-learn comfortably: 5 minutes.
icebreaker wrote,
Your post is old but still usefull
thanx for the info, i was searching for the fact that their isn`t a backspace key. But i never use the delete key on my windows pc so why not have on key for backspace and delete?, logital if you aks me. And for closing the application with the st op light their must be a plugin for that 
because thats just stupid
Quote | Link | May 24th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Scooox wrote,
I have been a Mac user for many years because that is what I got as a xmas present, and I have recently ventured into Windows. There are many things I like better in Windows:
1. Mouse acceleration feels more natural (this one is my favourite)
2. Windows taskbar allows me to see what’s running at a glance, rather than a little dot under running apps, plus the name of running apps is shown on taskbar buttons.
3. Resize windows from any side or corner
4. Menus within active window better than single menu bar for multiple-display setups, plus I don’t need to give focus to a window to access its menus, I simple click the menu directly.
5. No need to give focus to a window or app in order to click a buttton (Mac: click window, then click button; Windows: click button directly)
That’s my two cents.
Quote | Link | April 10th, 2009 at 7:42 am
rick wrote,
using a windows machine at work -no choice- and my mac at home, i’m selling my mac.
Quote | Link | January 1st, 2010 at 3:51 pm
Paul Duca wrote,
The reason a macbook is a better computer is not because of things like how the mouse moves or something silly and insignificant like that its because its processing system can handle more works faster. It is also has better program’s for things like edditing photos or recording music. This is why a Mac is better. Because its impossible to get a virus litterly you cant get a virus unless u download one which you have to be mentally challenged to do. So sure a PC may have some cool stuf like resizing windows or something like that but a mac can do ALOT more for someone that actully uses there computer to its full abilltes and dosent just go on facebook and and check email. and yes i know what im talking about im a computer programer
Quote | Link | June 13th, 2010 at 6:57 am
Scoox wrote,
Paul Duca said
Sorry to point this out but “programmer” is spelt with two Ms. You surely work at Google! Computers are not only about editing photos and recording music. I happen to use my computer for recording music, and the software I use can run on both Mac and PC, yet I chose a PC (and I say this coming from a Mac). Even if Mac OS could be installed on a PC (which it can although it’s rather convoluted), I still wouldn’t bother with it now. Why? Because I have figured I can work much faster on my Windows machine than on my Mac. In fact, my system is tweaked to perfection and I can assure you I can work 20x faster than you on a Mac. Many of the tweaks are made possible by 3rd party apps but the point is these apps are not available for the Mac or Linux. All operating systems have weaknesses but on Windows I am able to overcome all of them by means of third party applications, and it may be a botch, but it works the way I want it to, so as far as I am concerned, Windows it is.
Quote | Link | June 13th, 2010 at 7:16 am