A Practical Guide to:

Buddy Steele Assistant Director, Media & Communications Summer 2013

Overview

Your workstation will switch from using a Dell PC to a Mac Mini computer. All employees in the student services department will be part of this change. You will have access to all the same tools, programs, etc. that you currently have with your Dell PC.

Training Process
Brief training via group presentation 2) Question and Answer session with instructor 3) Time for hands-on, independent practice on a Mac Mini 4) Assessment
1)

Key Areas of Change

Operating System
Probably the most noticeable change. You will complete

job-related tasks through a different set of steps.

Hardware Changes
CPU- smaller, faster Keyboard- minor layout changes Mouse- aesthetic changes, but very little changes in use

Software Changes
All of the programs you used were the same, but their

layout will change slightly.

Pre-set Items
Since this is a mass change, each new Mac Mini will be setup to be as similar to your current computer as possible (mouse layout, shortcut keys, etc.) If you are more familiar with Mac OS, feel free to customize your computers user settings.

First Alleviate your Fears!

Did you know that Apple specifically designs their products to be intuitive to use and super easy to learn? Mac computers are considered to be much more stable than PCs. In fact, the likelihood of getting a virus on a Mac is much less than that of a PC. The majority of people who switch from a PC to a Mac dont return to a PC for their computer needs.

Discussing the Changes

Operating System
Mac OS X is a very powerful and user friendly operating system. There are quite a few changes in the layout when comparing Mac and Windows, but they serve the same purpose.

As you gain experience with Mac OS, you

will notice the foundational similarities between the two.

Operating System- Basic Layout

Menu Bar- The menu bar contains all of the menu items for whatever application you are currently using. The items shown are specific to the desktop.

Dock- The dock is where all of the programs you use will be stored. Think of this like the Start Menu in Windows. In this area, notice the: Mac Mail icon, MS Word, MS Excel, Firefox, Trash Bin, Finder, etc.

Operating System- Files

You can also search for files in the Finder search bar, or by clicking the Magnifying Glass at the top right of your desktop menu bar.

Clicking the Finder icon will open this window. The column on the left of the Finder displays the different storage areas. Your individual files and/or folders will be displayed at the right.

Video Examples- Operating System

Accessing Files

Operating System- Preferences

Your Mac will be setup with the preferences preset. But, the System Preferences menu will allow you to change things like:

Location or Size of the Dock

Desktop Background Color Palette

Video Examples- Operating System

Accessing System Preferences

Operating System- Preferences

General Color Theme Appearance Scrolling Preferences Desktop & Screen Saver Desktop Preferences Screen Saver Preferences Dock Dock Size Dock Location Dock Actions Mission Control Dashboard Preferences Shortcuts Settings

Questions?
Take this opportunity to ask questions related to Mac operating system, etc.

Hardware

Keyboard
Mac keyboards have some different button

names than current Dell PC keyboards.

These are the most commonly used:

Hardware

Keyboard
They also have a few different locations-

mostly the function (F) keys.

Mac F keys

Hardware

Keyboard
Ultimately, using the Mac keyboard is very

straightforward and you probably wont even notice the difference unless you use a lot of keyboard shortcuts.
Note: A full list of keyboard shortcuts is

available on your support website.

Keyboard Layout

PC Keyboard

In this comparison, the most commonly used keys which hold different names or actions between Mac and PC are highlighted in Green.

Mac Keyboard

PC Mouse

Hardware

Mouse
The Mac mouse will function

exactly like your current Dell mouse. These are the only differences:
Mac mouse has a touch sensor

Mac Mouse

instead of a wheel for scrolling. Mac mouse is wireless

Questions?
As the keyboards and mice are passed around, take this opportunity to ask questions related to Mac Hardware.

Software

Your Mac Mini will have all of the same software programs you currently use for your job duties.
Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel
Web Browser (Safari, Firefox, and Chrome)

Office for Mac does everything that Office for Windows does.

MS Word on a PC

Software
Notice the similarities between the two programs. The layout is very similar except for a few minor differences. o Note: View the videos on the support website for more on how to create, edit, and save documents.
MS Word on a Mac

Video Examples- MS Word

Open MS Word and Create a Document

Video Examples- MS Word

Save an MS Word Document

Video Examples- MS Word

Open a Saved MS Word Document

Firefox on a PC

Software
Using a web browser is very easy on a Mac. Since Ennova prefers the use of Firefox, you should notice no difference in the user experience.

Firefox on a Mac

Questions?
Take this opportunity to ask questions related to Mac Software.

Email

The mail client we will now use is Mac Mail.

Because of the switch, you will notice some

differences between the previous system (MS Outlook) and the new system (Mac Mail)

Mac Mail is very simple to use and offers all of the tools necessary to complete your job duties.

Email

Mac Mail
Your Mac Mail application will be pre-setup

with your email address, your previously sent / received / saved emails, and other ITrelated preferences in place.

Email
Inbox

Tools and Action Buttons

Drafts Sent

Trash

Video Examples- Email

Opening Mac Mail

Video Examples- Email

Creating and Sending an Email

Video Examples- Email

Categorizing Emails

Video Examples- Email

Searching for Emails

Questions?
Take this opportunity to ask questions related to Mac Mail.

Final Review
Macs are intuitive, dont be afraid to do what feels natural to you as a seasoned computer user. There are multiple ways to complete any task on a Mac. If you are familiar with Mac interface already, feel free to use the shortcuts or steps you are used to.

Practice
You will have access to a fully functional Mac Mini workstation for practice before the assessment. The assessment must be taken today, but you are allowed as much time to practice as is needed. Alert the instructor when you are ready to complete the assessment.

Assessment

You will be asked to complete the following tasks on your Mac Mini Workstation:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Log into your account and search the web. Use mouse shortcuts to navigate web pages. Create, save, and re-open a Word document and an Excel document. Access the local shared drive. Compose and send an email using Mac Mail. Search your email inbox and access previous emails. Access the system preferences viewing window. In the System Preferences menu, explain the general purpose of the first three categories in the Personal section.

Final Questions

Are there any remaining questions?

Good Luck!