Newbie (Switcher) Questions...

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
Just got my PowerBook 15" yesterday. I've done my best to search the forums for answers, but a few questions remain:



[1] Is there any way (natively or with some shareware program) to convert a "double-tap" on the trackpad to a "click"? I am sooooo used to doing that on my Win***s notebook.



[2] In Safari, I've noticed that occassionally I'll open a new bookmark or click on a URL and the page will load in a new window, even though I've got the "open links from application" set to open in "same window" and I've enabled tabbed browsing. I'm used to Firefox which never allowed multiple windows to open.



[3] Since I am used to Firefox, I am curious if there are any disadvantages (i.e. loss of functionality, etc) of using it over Safari on the Mac. I'll probably just download it and give it a try in any event, but it might take me a while to figure out what I might be missing.



[4] I'm dying to get a Bluetooth trackball. From what I've been able to determine, there aren't any except for one by DVForge which is to become available in July (http://www.dvforge.com/theball.shtml).



[5] If I get an external keyboard that isn't Apple-specific, does the "Windows" key just become the "Apple" key? Is there any problem using a non-Apple keyboard?



[6] Are the terms "Apple" and "Mac" interchangable when referring to computers? Need to learn the correct lingo.





That's about it for now....

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    I can't really help you with the first 5 questions, but I can with number 6:



    They are not interchangeable, though you will see some use it that way. 'Apple' refers to the company, and Mac refers to the computers themselves, and Mac OS refers to the system running on a Mac. For examples:



    Apple has released a new Mac.

    iTunes is made by Apple and runs on both Mac OS and Windows.

    Macs are prettier computers and the Mac OS is superior to Windows and Linux.

    We have a whole lab of Macs in the other building.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    argeliusargelius Posts: 309member
    Thanks for the lingo examples. I think I'm finally getting it! Now if I can just learn the secret Mac handshake...
  • Reply 3 of 8
    You know those apple stickers that came with your computer? (I assume they still give those out with systems), just put one of those on your car or your possessions you wear in public, and you'll be a recognized member of the Mac elite!
  • Reply 4 of 8
    toweltowel Posts: 1,479member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Argelius

    Just got my PowerBook 15" yesterday. I've done my best to search the forums for answers, but a few questions remain:



    Let's see...
    Quote:

    [1] Is there any way (natively or with some shareware program) to convert a "double-tap" on the trackpad to a "click"? I am sooooo used to doing that on my Win***s notebook.



    There are several settings in the "Trackpad" panel of the "Keyboard and Mouse" Preference Pane that let you decide how the trackpad treats taps. "Clicking" treats taps as clicks. A double-tap would be a double-click. "Dragging" means that two taps is treated as a click-and-hold, until you lift your finger. "Drag-Lock" means it won't release until you tap again.
    Quote:

    [2] In Safari, I've noticed that occassionally I'll open a new bookmark or click on a URL and the page will load in a new window, even though I've got the "open links from application" set to open in "same window" and I've enabled tabbed browsing. I'm used to Firefox which never allowed multiple windows to open.



    Hrm. Some links are coded to open in a new window. You can force them to open in a tab instead, but if you just click them, they'll go into a new window. I don't think Firefox can universally remove this behavior (I use FF on Linux), although I'd love to know about it if it can.
    Quote:

    [3] Since I am used to Firefox, I am curious if there are any disadvantages (i.e. loss of functionality, etc) of using it over Safari on the Mac. I'll probably just download it and give it a try in any event, but it might take me a while to figure out what I might be missing.



    It's pretty much a personal preference. Safari seems to fit better into OSX. FF looks great on Win/Linux, but just seems out-of-place, to me, on OSX. Feature-wise, it's a toss-up, I think. FF has extensions, Safari has PithHelmet. Google seems to be better these days at supporting both. I keep both around, just in case. It's entirely up to you what you use. One thing to note is that you don't have to use Safari for anything, like you have to keep IE around for WinUpdate.



    Edit: One thing you might miss is FF's find-as-you-type. Safari uses a standard, old-fashioned find window.
    Quote:

    [5] If I get an external keyboard that isn't Apple-specific, does the "Windows" key just become the "Apple" key? Is there any problem using a non-Apple keyboard?



    There's no problem at all using a generic KB. And yeah, usually the Windows key maps to Apple/Command, and the ALT key to Option. Well, obviously the special keys won't work - Apple KB's have volume, brightness, eject keys, etc. Aside from that, any USB KB should work just fine.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    ic1maleic1male Posts: 121member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Argelius



    [3] Since I am used to Firefox, I am curious if there are any disadvantages (i.e. loss of functionality, etc) of using it over Safari on the Mac. I'll probably just download it and give it a try in any event, but it might take me a while to figure out what I might be missing.





    I use Firefox anyway. It has neat little features which Safari doesn't, such as gestures, more information about webpages and the items on it, the zoom in/out when viewing an image too big for your window. The only gripe is that Firefox doesn't use Apple's keychain :-(
  • Reply 6 of 8
    cosmonutcosmonut Posts: 4,872member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Argelius

    I am curious if there are any disadvantages (i.e. loss of functionality, etc) of using it over Safari on the Mac.



    *If* you end up getting .Mac, Apple's online storage/e-mail/web hosting service, you would have the capability to sync your Safari bookmarks. This makes them accessible on the .Mac Web site, and they can also be synced to another Mac.



    But that's *if* you get .Mac.
  • Reply 7 of 8
    jabohnjabohn Posts: 582member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Argelius

    [5] If I get an external keyboard that isn't Apple-specific, does the "Windows" key just become the "Apple" key? Is there any problem using a non-Apple keyboard?



    Tiger seems to be better with non-Apple keyboards than Apple's previous OS's. For instance, I have a Logitech Elite Keyboard, and when I first booted into Tiger, a Keyboard Assistant came up to help to configure the keyboard. Of course, it didn't recognize the keyboard, but that didn't matter since Logitech has drivers for this particular keyboard. But the point is that the Keyboard Setup Assistant might help you with your keyboard of choice.



    Should that not work, there are 2 other options that help in remapping non-Apple keyboards, and both are free:



    uControl - http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/12106



    DoubleCommand - http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/12295
  • Reply 8 of 8
    chromoschromos Posts: 191member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Argelius

    Just got my PowerBook 15" yesterday. I've done my best to search the forums for answers, but a few questions remain:



    [1] Is there any way (natively or with some shareware program) to convert a "double-tap" on the trackpad to a "click"? I am sooooo used to doing that on my Win***s notebook.







    Howdy, congrats on your new PowerBook!



    Wrt #1 above, I also have set my Windows machine at work to double-click with a single click. However, I find this unnecessary on my TiBook at home since I usually navigate by keyboard. Using column view in the Finder (Command-3), it's really easy to get to where you want by just typing the first few letters of the folder/file/app, then right arrow to descend into a folder, etc. When you get to where you want, Command-O will always open the file or app. (Mac keyboard shortcuts are easier than Windows because they are so consistent). Give it a try. Also, Apple's use of the Command key instead of Control is easier since there's less reach involved.
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