Singapore Expats

I am dying here help!

Long time Microsoft user has a MAC Pro laptop.

Downloaded a simple JPG file, icon on the desktop, how the hell do you delete the file if you don't want it?

Bought Microsoft Office for MAC. Downloaded fine, my error didn't realise it installed fine, did it again. now there are two sets of icons on the desktop and I have no idea how to remove them or if the software downloaded twice.

Hate Microsoft, i know in my heart MAC is better.............but suffering this evening

Welcome to the world of the "easy" Mac. Two of my friends jumped to a Mac... one has already jumped back.

Steve1960 wrote:I am dying here help!

Long time Microsoft user has a MAC Pro laptop.

Downloaded a simple JPG file, icon on the desktop, how the hell do you delete the file if you don't want it?

Bought Microsoft Office for MAC. Downloaded fine, my error didn't realise it installed fine, did it again. now there are two sets of icons on the desktop and I have no idea how to remove them or if the software downloaded twice.

Hate Microsoft, i know in my heart MAC is better.............but suffering this evening

Just right click and delete. Then empty the bin. Easy as that.

Or click on and drag to trash can on dock. Then press on trash can and delete.

For programs.
Double click on Macintosh HD file on desk top.
Find your doubled up programs and it uninstal. Best to un instal to get rid of properly. But will not really make any difference to you working if they are both there.

Steve1960 wrote:I am dying here help!

Long time Microsoft user has a MAC Pro laptop.

Downloaded a simple JPG file, icon on the desktop, how the hell do you delete the file if you don't want it?

Drag it to the trash, or right click and delete. Same as Windows. (Where do you think MS borrowed the 'Recycling bin' concept from?)

Bought Microsoft Office for MAC. Downloaded fine, my error didn't realise it installed fine, did it again. now there are two sets of icons on the desktop and I have no idea how to remove them or if the software downloaded twice.

On the desktop, or in the dock? The dock is the bar of crap at the bottom, think of it as just shortcuts to the applications. You can safely remove those without erasing anything.

There are a lot of great short-video tutorials here that will help you with basic stuff: http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/

Strong Eagle wrote:Welcome to the world of the "easy" Mac. Two of my friends jumped to a Mac... one has already jumped back.

What a wonderful contentless troll post, thanks. There could be a thousand and one reasons he jumped back. Without adding that reason, your relayed anecdote is worthless.

In Steve's case, it seems like a simple case of someone who isn't well versed in this type of technology being used to one system and switching to another. No matter how easy either system is, there will be learning curves as you switch.

zzm9980 wrote:

Strong Eagle wrote:Welcome to the world of the "easy" Mac. Two of my friends jumped to a Mac... one has already jumped back.

What a wonderful contentless troll post, thanks. There could be a thousand and one reasons he jumped back. Without adding that reason, your relayed anecdote is worthless.

In Steve's case, it seems like a simple case of someone who isn't well versed in this type of technology being used to one system and switching to another. No matter how easy either system is, there will be learning curves as you switch.

Since you asked: Reading portable USB drives created on Windows, amongst other things. Did you get your panties in a wad?

Can windows handle hfs USB drives created on Mac?
Sounds like a windows entitlement complex. Besides, without knowing the exact problem I would rather suspect this is MS not complaying to the standards. They are famous for this with the flagship disaster IE.

Besides, it makes little sense to judge the ease of use of a system from the perspective of a person who already have some strong habits associated with another system.

Strong Eagle wrote: Since you asked: Reading portable USB drives created on Windows, amongst other things.

You can read and write FAT and exFAT just fine out of the box. You can read NTFS out of the box, and write to it with a minor config change in the base Mac OS or using a third party app. The only reason you can't write by default is because NTFS isn't an open spec, it's MS proprietary only.


Panties in a wad? Maybe. He came in here looking for help for something he already bought, not advice on whether or not he should buy it (where your comment would arguably have been more appropriate). Instead, you offer a anecdote with nothing to back it up insinuating he made a bad choice. And even then, almost everything people in these stupid debates site use is FUD and based on incorrect assumptions from 15 yrs ago Berating people for the OS they use was juvenile 10 years ago. At least move on to his phone.

x9200 wrote:Can windows handle hfs USB drives created on Mac?
Sounds like a windows entitlement complex. Besides, without knowing the exact problem I would rather suspect this is MS not complaying to the standards. They are famous for this with the flagship disaster IE.

Windows needs free add-on software to read HFS. But Macs can also format drives with FAT or exFAT; exFAT being the preferred standard for external media by all vendors now.

Can't write to NTFS because of exactly that; it's a closed spec that MS may change. Due to that, they disable write by default since they can't guarantee it won't break in the future.

Thanks guys, apologies for the delay in responding I have been and am still travelling.

It is true I am a life long Microsoft user and wanted to try a Mac and I am just having initial user problems as I learn the software.

Mac or PC? The only point of reference I have. For 5 years after my divorce I seemed to spend a considerable amount of time fixing software issues on my daughters Windows PC. Then I bought her first Mac. She has had another since. In 8 years I didn't have to touch the software or fix anything and neither did she.

So, I just thought it might be nice to try for myself.

zzm9980 wrote:Can't write to NTFS because of exactly that; it's a closed spec that MS may change. Due to that, they disable write by default since they can't guarantee it won't break in the future.

It used to be the same under linux. Not sure why it was decided (few years ago only) to have rw enabled by default. Probably it was observed that MS stopped messing around with the spec.

x9200 wrote:

zzm9980 wrote:Can't write to NTFS because of exactly that; it's a closed spec that MS may change. Due to that, they disable write by default since they can't guarantee it won't break in the future.

It used to be the same under linux. Not sure why it was decided (few years ago only) to have rw enabled by default. Probably it was observed that MS stopped messing around with the spec.

Apple may just be more risk-averse when it comes to user's data. The solution is literally to just open a terminal and remount it as r/w (mount -uw /dev/whatever). I guess the thought process is that anyone who isn't tech-literate enough to do that probably won't understand the very small risk and why it is a risk, so they try to keep those users safe from themselves.

Steve, once you unlearn all your bad habits you’ll find the mac very intuitive. In my experience most people that move to mac don’t go back. I have known some move to Linux though – running on a mac.

If you do get stuck just Google what you’re trying to do and you’ll find plenty of sites with instructions.