MacStuff- Comments on OS X from a Die Hard 15 + Year Intel Guy

Comments on OSX and an iBook from the Perspective of a

control key versus command key

Die Hard Windows and Unix User

There is no question that I would be the hardest type

of user for Apple to convince to switch

(www.apple.com/switch/) and yet even I am considering

it. Seriously considering it. I just bought

Gretchen, my business partner, a brand new iBook and

have spent the past few days monopolizing it (thanks

Gretchen for letting me!). This document lays out my

thoughts and experiences.

My Background

Im a fairly technical guy. I program in multiple

languages, know how to administer NT, Exchange and

Linux boxes. Ive also run software companies, served

as VP of Engineering in an Internet company, sold a

software company and am currently finishing

development of a new software product. All of that,

except for the *nix stuff, was done on Intel hardware

running Microsoft DOS => Windows 3.x => Windows 95 =>

Windows NT => Windows 2000.

Why Im Considering the Switch

Comments from a PC Users Perspective

Please note that I suspect that each and every one of

these things is fixable at some level of hacking. I

also suspect that I will get a number of emails

telling me how silly I am to not know this already.

Thats ok -- just writing this document is helping me

make the switch decision (and I think my next laptop

will be an OS X box).

Keyboard Movement and Keyboard Functions

Id say the first thing that is currently driving me

NUTS is how keyboard movement works on OS X (I have no

idea on OS 9 and nor do I care to). Here are my

expectations as a PC user on how keyboard movement and

keyboard functions should work:

The delete key isnt delete -- its backspace (at

least in AppleWorks). Delete pulls text forward, not

backward. Yes I know that this is how a Mac works --

and I dont care.

Keyboard movement such as jump by word is HIGHLY

inconsistent. For example, in DreamWeaver,

Command+Right Arrow moves by word. In AppleWorks it

jumps to the end of the line or beginning of the line.

This drives me freaking nuts!

No keyboard access to menus.

Recommendation

If I was Apple, I would implement a keyboard option

Make Keyboard Work like Windows that implemented the

suggestions above.

Miscellaneous

Its really inappropriate for Apple to give me an

advertisement for buying an enhanced version of

QuickTime when its installed by default on the Dock.

That just feels wrong.

hwo do i minimize every single window with 1 click.

On windows its the > < icon

How do I have the equivalent of ALT+TAB which goes

between windows not processes