Give me your MacBook tips
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On December 11th, I'll be starting a new job. Part of that job will involve using a MacBook Pro. (I'm not sure if it'll be one of the M1 based ones or not). Either way, as a person who has used PCs (with a little command line Linux in there, and checking Facebook on an iMac at one point), using a Mac will be a new experience for me. As such, I'm looking for tips to be as efficient as possible.
What good keyboard shortcuts/gestures are there? What things have you found that boost your productivity?
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Get a job you don't have to use a MacBook
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The command key is the control key from windows. Most keyboard shortcuts will work using that plus whatever you usually do.
Former hoarder of motorcycles, recent CA transplant, nerd.
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Instead of having a million tabs open, have different desktops, or make certain browser windows fullscreen (example: I have a google page for Oppo with all my Oppo tabs, and then a different one for School with all my school tabs).
That way you can swipe between them and, more importantly, swipe off Oppo if the boss ends up looking into your cubicle (or whatever your job entails).
Some journalist told me about this site. Now I own three cars.
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Honestly, the workflows on MacOS have converged a lot with Windows over the last twenty years, except with the new tile view on Win10 and trying to be edgy (I turn it off).
A lot of people like Automator for repetitive functions. It's kind of a modern version of a macro for the OS. Also, split screen view is useful. And you have Siri on there now, if you're fine with talking to the computer. She actually works.
Here are some more workflow tips. https://www.computerworld.com/article/3295001/10-magical-productivity-tips-for-mac.html
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Apps I find useful: Copy ‘Em for paste buffer management, Divvy for window management, Dash for software development documentation, iTerm2 for a better terminal, Emacs because Emacs.
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@taylor-martin To add to that, get used to all of the swipes if you're using the trackpad.
2 fingers - webpage back and forward
3 fingers - desktop
4 fingers together brings up all of your apps -
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@baconsandwich said in Give me your MacBook tips:
What good keyboard shortcuts/gestures are there? What things have you found that boost your productivity?
I use more keyboard shortcuts than Van Cliburn. But one of my favorites is CMD+Tab to switch between open apps. The Dock is stupid and I have banished to to the side of my screen where I never have to look at it.
CMD+W closes a window, Opt/CMD+W closes all the windows of a given app. Useful in Finder.
When doing Cut/Paste, Shift/Opt/Cmd+V will paste the text and match the format of the target document or app.
Opt/Cmd+H will hide all windows from other applications, but not quit them. Cmd+H hides just the app you are using at the moment.
Those are probably the ones I use the most. In all things, my goal is to take my right hand off the keyboard as seldom as possible.
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@milky Thanks for the reminder
@BaconSandwich you’ll want to enable tap to click and 3-finger drag (currently buried under accessibility I believe). Those two make the trackpad absolutely magical.
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@taylor-martin said in Give me your MacBook tips:
Instead of having a million tabs open, have different desktops,
I need to figure out how to do this. I do have millions of tabs and browser windows open at the same time.
#Planelopnik all the things
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Yamaha YTR-8445
Schilke P5-4 -
@poor_sh said in Give me your MacBook tips:
Get a job you don't have to use a MacBook
Ha ha! Well played.
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@baconsandwich One more: CMD+Space bar. This does a Spotlight Search and you can use it to quickly find and open any indexed app or document or website etc. I use it mostly to launch apps, again, screw the Dock.
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@milky Ooh, I love my trackpad. Many hate it, but I think it's great. Been using one for years.
#Planelopnik all the things
Yamaha YTR-8335
Yamaha YTR-8445
Schilke P5-4 -
@ttyymmnn It's real easy! If you want to fullscreen a tab, jut hit the green circle on the top left corner. If you want to make a tab a different desktop, click and hold as you drag it out of the bar of tabs.
Easier shown than explained:
Some journalist told me about this site. Now I own three cars.
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@ttyymmnn The friction reduction with a trackpad vs a mouse is phenomenal, especially when you turn on the tap to click and 3 finger drag. Every time I have to use a mouse to use some other computer I question whether it's even worth the bother.
On walkabout. Back soonish.
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@baconsandwich They make for adequate frisbees.
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@just-jeepin Yup, tap to click is great. My son uses my iMac for Photoshop, and he always plugs in a mouse. I agree that there are some things that a mouse works better for, but in general, it's swipe all the way. Hell, we still argue about the "right" way to scroll.
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@taylor-martin I'm good with FS apps, I rarely use them though. And I've seen what happens with a three-finger upswipe to reveal open windows, but I've never fiddled with more than one Desktop. Thanks, I'll check it out.
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I've been using a mid-2015 MacBook Pro as my surfing device at home. Cool to learn all of these little tips.
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@baconsandwich The weird cloveleaf 'command' key replaces Control for most commands, other than that, most keyboard shortcuts will be pretty much what you are used to.
On Windows, you click the 'X' at the top right to quit a program fully, or go to the 'Quit' option in the 'File or whatever menu....on Mac the red dot for a window does NOT close the program, but ONLY THAT WINDOW. You either have to go to the 'File' or whathaveyou quit option, or use the keyboard shortcut, which is usually Command-Q.
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@baconsandwich You may be able to dual boot and have both MacOS and Win10 on the same machine.
manual . RWD . LS3 . MagneRide . Brembos ... 4 doors + 5 seatbelts
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@davesaddiction said in Give me your MacBook tips:
@baconsandwich You may be able to dual boot and have both MacOS and Win10 on the same machine.
I can second this....I did this on a project where they provided me an iMac several years ago (just before Win10 was released). I know how to use Macs just fine as a lot of the schools around here often have them but.....I am not a fan.....so I just installed Windows 7 as a dual-boot and used that.
'09 Hyundai Accent | Loves 2-cyl FIATs, old Euro, Eastern Bloc & kei cars!
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@rallydarkstrike Best (and worst) of both worlds!
I'm Mac at home and Win10 at work and comfortable in both.
manual . RWD . LS3 . MagneRide . Brembos ... 4 doors + 5 seatbelts
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I suspect the reason for using a Mac is it's a Ruby on Rails shop. I'll be doing development in Ruby, and from what I hear, getting it set up on Windows can be a little painful (supposedly?). I'm guessing they just standardized to MacBooks for the sake of consistency and easy procurement. I'll be curious to know if anyone else on the team runs Windows.
