With the “roaring” success of OS X Mountain Lion, more Windows users are contemplating making the switch from Windows to Mac. I made the switch about three months ago, and haven’t looked back. I’ve dabbled with Macs in the past, my number one gripe has always been keyboard shortcuts. “What the heck is this ⌘ (Command) key?!,” I would mutter. So decidedly, the number one thing I wanted to master when switching from Windows to Mac, was shortcuts.
1. Enter Cheatsheet (Free) – A dead simple application that allows you to instantly see all keyboard shortcuts for any Mac app. Not only does it show you the general shortcuts, but the shortcuts specific for that app! In other words, if I have a text editor open, it shows shortcuts pertinent for keyboard navigation. If I have Photoshop open, it shows shortcuts specific for Photoshop! Even on Windows I had a hard time remembering Photoshop’s many shortcuts, Cheatsheet makes my life sooo much easier and saves me a bunch of Google searches!
2. Cinch (Full Free Version w/ Occasional Popup, $7 to Unlock) – The best feature from Windows, now on a Mac. Cinch replicates the Windows “Snap” feature allowing you to have a quick overview of two windows on the same desktop. On your brand spankin’ new retina display you can almost play a 1080p video at its native resolution using half your screen.
3. Boom ($6) – How many times have you tried to watch a YouTube video, but you just couldn’t hear it?.. even with the volume maxed. Or on a Skype call, but it was hard to hear the other person. Enter Boom. A volume booster and system-wide equalizer. It isn’t free, but well worth it for anyone with a Mac. It’s especially useful to amp up the Macbook Air’s speakers. Here’s a video on how it works:
4. MPlayerX (Free) – I encountered a few problems with VLC Player, a popular media player for Windows. MPlayerX was built for OS X: it’s simple, beautiful and it features a timeless design. It’s played every file I’ve thrown at it thus far and features multi-touch controls for playback. MPlayerX gets my nod over VLC Player any day.
Bonus tips for new Mac Users:
- Still wondering where “right click” is? Don’t fret, go to System Preferences: Trackpad: Secondary Click. On my MacBook Air, I have right click set to the bottom right corner.
- Master the multi-touch gestures.
There you have it, the apps that have made my life transitioning to Mac a lot easier. Do you remember your glorious days of switching to Mac? What applications, tips and tricks helped you? Let me know in the comments below!
Guest Author: @Jay_Soriano is an Experimenter in Startups & Lifestyle, Founder of LaunchAStartup.com and a Proud Member of VegasTech.
