Learning curve to use Apple for Ubuntu users

[RSASKA]

Good Morning,

Several months ago I purchased Dell Inspiron 1545 with Ubuntu 9.04 pre-loaded, and I've been getting the hang of this OS ever since. For traveling, I am looking for a different OS, and have always wanted an Apple. My sites are set on the MacBook Air.

How different is an Apple from Ubuntu, i.e. is the learning curve steep? Is there anything one should be wary of?

[linuxopjemac]

It's very easy to use but you can't change anything within the OS.

[issih]

Its pretty similar actually...gnome and mac share a lot of similar design choices.

Main things to get used to...

1) Applications do not exit when you close all windows of that application. - the exception is any applciation that can only ever have onw window (I hate this exception, its one of macs most annoying quirks)

2) Spotlight (cmd key and space). Its an indexed search, a bit like tracker or bpeagle comined with deskbar, or google desktop on windows. Its the primary way of launching apps and finding documents for most modern mac users.

3) For everything else you want to try using the cmd ky where you'd tend to use ctrl or alt. (e.g copy is cmd-c, switch windows is cmd-tab, undo is cmd-z, find is cmd-f (or in some cases cmd-alt-f), etc etc etc.

There are exceptions and differenes though:
cmd-y = redo
alt-arrow keys = skip each word rather than character
and real annoyances, like how different applications seem to use either cmd-arrow keys or fn-arrow keys for home and end.

All in all, just go into it willing to learn and you'll be fine.

Oh and the poster above is entirely wrong...you can customise lots and lots of things...ranging from the keyboard shortcuts that trigger different actions - and you can do that for any menu item, in any application, through to individual scripted actions to run when different types of file are added to a folder.

Macs are very customiseable, in lots and lots of ways, just not in the same exact ways as linux boxes..you have to learn how to operate efficiently in the mac environment, and its not quite the same. Those who claim it isn't customisable are generally people who have never used it extensively.

The only area you are really limited is in the gui's appearance, where you can have the normal version, or a grey version called graphite...and thats about it.

All in all, macs are nice machines, if you can put aside any qualms you may have about apple's business practices.

[RSASKA]

This sounds encouraging and certainly hope to get a MacBook Air soon. I'd like to use it during my lunch-break to check personal emails, and perhaps use a wordprocessing program and USB drive to brainstorm ideas for the next great American novel

I have been reading that the hinges of MacBook Air can easily break - is there a way to circumvent this?

[audiomick]

I have been reading that the hinges of MacBook Air can easily break - is there a way to circumvent this?

Treat it nicely??