The Apple Files

Written on June 26, 2006 – 9:50 am | by iSwitch |

Finding the software on Mac OS 10 to do what I used to do on Windows XP has not been too difficult for me. My every day applications back on the PC included Firefox, Microsoft Outlook, GAIM/MSN Messenger, Flickr Uploadr and Nokia PC suite.

More after the jump.

Firefox

Getting a good internet browser for the MacBook was very easy. The browser I was used to, Firefox was also available for Mac, and so was the extensions I used for it: Google Toolbar, FasterFox and Google Notebook. However, since I switched to Mac OS 10, I found myself using Safari (the internet browser built into Mac OS 10) alongside Firefox because Safari’s starts up a lot quicker than Firefox. However, I cannot do all my browsing the way I’d like to without the help of the Google Toolbar and the Google Notebook extension. So, I will probably continue to use Firefox for my most of my internet browsing needs and use Safari on the side, when I need to look up someting fast.

Microsoft Outlook vs iCal and Address Book

Thanks to iSync and my Nokia N70, moving from Microsoft Outlook to iCal and Address Book has been a breeze. Back on the PC, I needed Nokia’s PC Suite installed so I could synchronise my Contacts (Address Book) and Calendar with Outlook. But on the Mac, it only took a couple of minutes to configure iSync to import the Contacts and Calendar entries from my Nokia N70 mobile phone to Address Book and iCal. And iSync even worked over Bluetooth which comes built in with the MacBook. I was very much pleased with this because I was expecting to have to import all my Calendar data from Outlook manually. It just worked out of the box, without having to install any Nokia Software or bluetooth drivers!

MSN Messenger/GAIM vs Adium

Back on the PC I was using GAIM for all my instant messaging (IM) needs. At the time I thought GAIM was way better than MSN messenger which by the way is plastered everywhere with ads and consumes a lot of unnessary screen space. I liked GAIM for its chat with tabs feature and its ability to connect to a wide variety of IM networks: AIM, MSN, Yahoo, etc. However, after using Adium, I found it not only had the same (if not greater) level of functionality as GAIM but also Adium also had a very slick user interface. One thing I particularly like about Adium is the way it shows extended information about your contacts and their display picture when you hover over their screen name. This helps save a lot of screen space and that way, you only see the extended information when you need it.

Flickr Uploadr

Just like Firefox, Flickr Uploadr was available for Mac OS 10. However, the switch to the Mac version of the uploader wasn’t as smooth as I was expecting. I experienced a general sluggishness with the system while Flickr Uploadr was at work. I suspect this may be due to the fact that I only have 512MB of RAM on my MacBook and I have been used to 1GB back on my Inspiron laptop.

Overall, the switch has gone smoothly for me as far as the main applications are concerned. And I really enjoy the Mac way of installing a new program by simply dragging and dropping a file to the Applications folder. Quick and simple:

I would also like to point out that I have found Apple’s Switch 101 page to be a very useful resource to help me understand how things work on the Mac compared to the PC. So, if you are also in the process of switching or are considering it, don’t forget to visit the Switch 101 page.