As a business user how can I transition to Macs? Check out Apple’s free seminar

Opal Tribble — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:00:57 +0000

A few years ago I made the switch to Macs. One of my concerns as a business owner was making a smooth transition. I had been interested in Macs for years but held off mainly because I would be starting from the beginning. I was a Windows power user. My natural skin care business, up until that point, had been running on the Windows OS. I’ve always been fascinated by Macs but my own fear of learning a new system kept me away from Macs for years.

I finally switched my personal and business computers to Macs almost two years ago. I quickly realized that much of the concern I had about the Mac OS were unjustified. In making the transition the most important thing, I learned was not to treat my Mac like my Windows computers. They are different. It took me a few weeks before I felt comfortable with my 17″ MacBook Pro and a few months after transitioning I wondered why it took me so long to make the switch?

Mac’s Mail application quickly replaced Outlook. I include photos of the actual products on my website and the brochures I create I was able to upload and edit my pictures in iPhoto. Eventually I upgraded to Aperture. I was still able to create graphics in Photoshop I just had to purchase a copy for my Macbook Pro.

I had a few of my clients that needed documents completed in Word and have found NeoOffice to be a good solution. Occasionally I would chat with clients through Instant messaging and iChat and Adium has fit the bill perfectly. I use Quickbook Premium for business planning. Endicia for Mac is my home postal office. It lets me ship out most of my packages. Keeping track of time and submitting invoices is handled through TimeNet Pro. I also found David Pogue’s Switching to Mac series to be extremely helpful.

Apple is offering a free online business seminar which is perfect for the business user who is contemplating a move to Macs. Not only will you receive valuable information on how to make your transition seamless you’ll also receive helpful tips to get your Mac office up and running in not time.

The seminar is 26 minutes and will be led by Jim Heiser, Apple Business Marketing, and Sasha Rovin from the Apple Retail Store in Los Angeles. The course is geared towards new Mac business users. They will guide you through the basics of Mac OS X Leopard.

In the seminar you will learn:

How to get around on the easy, user-friendly Mac OS X interface
How to customize your Mac
How to use shortcuts and quick keystroke and mouse commands
How to connect a Mac to existing workgroups and other office computers, including PCs
How to communicate, share files, and use existing printers as a shared resource for the group

If you’re interested log onto the Apple website and register for the free online business seminar. Since the seminar is available 24/7, you are able to watch it when it’s convenient for your schedule.

Do you have any tips to share to help make the transition to Macs easier? Leave a comment.

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As a business user how can I transition to Macs? Check out Apple’s free seminar