Most people chronicle the shift from PCs to Macs and the pros and cons of such a conversion. Recently Range went into detail describing his reasons for switching. But, as a new generation of workers enter the job market, they are moving from Macs back to PC's. Many complain of the difficulty of the shift when it really isn't that horrible.
Windows is not a bad operating system in its modern incarnation. In reality, even firm Apple users such as us can still understand the virtues of Windows.
While you can use all sorts of utilities to replicate some of the functionality of OS X, it is really not worth it. Learning to work natively in Windows is very important because one never knows when their next employer will not allow the usage of a Mac. Below are some of our tips to stemming the gap and transitioning back into the world of Windows.
- If you're not particularly computer savvy, tell your employer and take the training they offer. Nothing is worse than trying to fake Windows knowledge when you have been using a Mac since the OS 3 days.
- While many employers expect you to be able to use Office, there are many similarities between the versions. Knowledge is transferrable and hence Windows Office knowledge is not required.
- Be a realist. While many companies might use PCs due to price, others are locked in due to specific software suites. No matter how awful it might be to use Windows, you too can adapt. Besides, being able to move fluidly between the two is a useful skill in a sluggish job market.
- Make friends with the IT people. Take them sandwiches, Pringles, whatever! Some might think of IT people as nerds in an office with servers... Well who cares if they are. Much like personnel, they hold the keys to a happy work place free of computer frustration. Making friends with IT means you might get favors and better treatment. Beside,s you do not want to suffer the wrath of an IT guy who hates you because you bash his love of Battlestar Galactica. You deserve what IT hell befalls you if you act like that.
Most of all, remember that what computer you use is a highly personal decision that many companies do not give back to users. Remember to take it in stride and to get quality time in with the MacBook when you get home each night.
(Top image: flickr member scalleja licensed under Creative Commons)
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Comments (9)
are there a lot of people that really haven't used a PC enough in the past few years for this to go easily? PCs have been everywhere. Yes i enjoy my mac more and the switch it is was a little harder at first, but it seems like that would be the norm and that very very few people would have not used a PC and find the reverse difficult?
Really. there isn't THAT much difference between sitting on Facebook all day at work on a Mac and on a PC :)
(by which, this article actually means between OSX and Windows, as I can run Windows on my Mac...)
I'm a graphic designer and use a Mac/OSX at home and a Gateway/Windows 7 at work. The major differences seem to be: Command/Apple key instead of Ctrl, and the Minimize/Maximize/Close buttons are on the opposite side of the programs you have open. There are other differences, but Windows has been incorporating a lot of Mac styles into the menus, taskbar, etc., especially in Windows 7, so I can't picture having to switch being a major issue.
I'm amazed there are classes for this, though I guess the Genius Bar at the Apple store has had PC to Mac classes for awhile now (and I feel the same way about that) so I shouldn't be surprised.
Maybe I'm just biased; I do have to switch back and forth every work day, and have had to for years, for several different companies.
It is worthless articles like this that make me question this website.
"No matter how awful it might be to use Windows, you too can adapt"
This comment is absurd. Any person with minimal knowledge of computers should be able to work between the two operating systems.
The reason that companies use PCs is that they are ubiquitous throughout the business world. Businesses that use Macs are rare exceptions.
I've never had training in Windows (any version) or any of the Microsoft Office Suite. It's intuitive. It would be hard to imagine someone who couldn't figure it out with a minimum of effort.
I swear, posts just keep going downhill. Unplggd, if you want to ramp up articles that's all well and good, but how about keeping the quality up? These new writers are garbage.
jmorey,
I know a couple people that haven't used a computer at all and they're not that old.
Come on guys, you're being really mean for no good reason. Don't hate. Nobody made you read this article. If you aren't interested in the topic, then why are you here?
I'm pretty computer savvy, but I'm a Mac user at home, and so I'm still stuck on Windows XP, which is what my main computer at work has. Occasionally I use a different computer with Windows 7, and the little differences do trip me up, especially in terms of setting up networks, dealing with crappy drivers, and installing software meant for earlier versions of windows. I never thought to look for training in Windows 7, but a crash course would help me take advantage of the good things about Windows 7, which I know I haven't stumbled upon yet (because so far it's been nothing but frustration).
I sometimes get tripped up by the little differences when I rent a car that isn't the same as the one I have at home... :)