Two Mac Questions

[crockers]

I'm new to Apple and therefore going through a massive learning curve. I have two questions I hope someone can help me with.

1. My iMac can read the files on my external HD that were downloaded from my Windows 7 PC. But it can't write to it. Will it only write to an external HD that is formatted in a differing manner? For example I wanted to transfer some music file from iMac to it as back up. Would do this so I had to burn it to a CD and transfer it to laptop in that manner.

2. On the windows machine I find the right mouse button very useful. On iMac there isn't one. Is there a short cut keystroke that fulfills the same purpose?

Thanks

 

[HughJarse]

Its all to do with NTFS ( as you correclty said about seeing but not moving...however Im sure recently I noticed some sort of improvement with windows 7... just cant remember which. Best thing to do is use a backup drive formatted with linux. ie the Western Digital NAS storage device is linux and can therefore be seen and read / write by mac and windows.


As for right click, as long as you put the windows disk and loaded all the drivers after you installed windows, you simply put 2 fingers on the mighty mouse and click.
OR... use an ordinary mouse as right click also works on the mac side.


OR do you want to right click in mac?? Either way read the bottom of here
http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/

 

[johny5_uk]

Dont forget to have a look in "system prefs" to make sure that "right click" is enabled.

 

[spinaltap]

Go to the 'apple' symbol at the top of your screen. Chose 'system preferences' > 'mouse' > then change the right-had side drop down menu on the mouse to 'secondary button'. You will then have right-click functionality.

As for your files....

One option: I suggest transferring everything over to the Mac - then reconfigure your separate hard drive for Mac by going to to the menu at the top of your screen and choose 'Go' > 'Utilities' > 'Disk Utility' > select your external hard drive > choose 'Erase' > 'Format' (MacOS Journaled).

Then transfer all your Windows files back to your separate hard drive - it will then store and recognise all your Mac and Windows files.

Alternatively, download the freely available VirtualBox, and use your existing copy of WindowsOS to create a Windows machine on your Mac where all your old Windows files and applications reside.

 

[eGuru]

On my Powerbook I use 'ctrl' left click as a short cut.

 

[crockers]

All so simple when you know how ..

 

[momomo]

As you say, Mac is very easy to use once you know how, will take a bit of time getting the hang of it like most things and like the first time you started using Windows.

 

[crockers]

I run snow leopard on the Imac and Windows 7 on the laptop - finding myself using the laptop less and less now.

Observations are that the two OS are very similar in use - I like the "snap to" facililty on the MS7 - but with the Imac I don't really need that as I use the 27" screen and have now attached a second screen to the left.

The hardest thing is organising files - somehow the MS7 version seems slightly easier - that's maybe because I am so used to it.

On SL I like the stacks system and the dock along the bottom is better than the one used by MS7. I also like the button you press that shows all opened applications scattered around both screens.

SL boots up much quicker than MS7.

But IMHO MS has come a long way towards matching the Apple - just wish Outlook would work on it as I'm not over keen on Apple Mail - and entourage seems so cut down. Gather it's in the pipeline.

All the above is newbie's observations

 

[spinaltap]

Have you experimented with 'Spaces' and 'Expose' yet? (open system preferences).

Outlook will be available in Office Mac 2011.

 

[spinaltap]

BTW, did you not realise that when setting-up a new email account in Mail you can choose MS Exchange 2007 as the account type in the 'incoming server'. Once done, and you then open iCal, all your company's calendar/appointments will instantly appear.