AKB2000020: Mac Guide for Windows Users Wanting to Switch P.3
Published: February 24, 2020 | Rev. 1.0
Navigation
Introduction
Purchasing a Mac
Setting Up a Mac
Getting to Know a Mac
Getting Started with Mac apps
Getting to Know Apple Services
Getting Support for a Mac
Comments on AKB2000020 Mac Guide for Windows Users Wanting to Switch
Getting to Know Apple Services
In addition to Mac apps, there are a handful of services available from Apple that extend the functionality of a Mac and other Apple products. Some of these services are free, while others are available with a monthly or yearly subscription.
Apple ID
When first setting up a Mac, Apple recommends setting up an Apple ID{https://appleid.apple.com/#!&page=signin}. This is the ID that allows a Mac user to take advantage of all of Apple’s services with a single login. It’s Apple’s solution to a Microsoft Account. The one difference is Apple does not allow one to sign into a Mac using an Apple ID, so logging into a Mac will use a separate user account password from one’s Apple ID. Two-Factor Authentication{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT204915} is also available for Apple IDs. Apple Store account information can also be found here{https://www.apple.com/us/shop/goto/account}.
iCloud
iCloud{https://icloud.com} is Apple’s cloud storage and syncing service. More information about iCloud is available here{https://www.apple.com/icloud/}. iCloud currently offers the following features:
- iCloud Photos{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT205743} (the ability to store and sync photos across devices, similar to Amazon Prime Photos or Google Photos)
- iCloud Photo Sharing{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202786} (the ability to share photos with friends and family, similar to Flickr or Instagram without the social features)
- iCloud Drive{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204025} (the ability to store and sync files across devices, as well as share files with others, similar to Dropbox or OneDrive; iCloud Drive can also store and sync the Documents and Desktop folders on a Mac, and it can integrate directly with other apps to sync data over iCloud such as Siri, Stocks, and Home, a handful of system preferences also sync between Macs over iCloud)
- Mail{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208681} (the ability to have an @icloud.com email address)
- Contacts, Calendar, Notes, and Reminders{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208681} (the ability to store and sync contacts, calendar events, notes, and reminders, similar to Exchange and OneNote or Evernote)
- Safari{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208681} (the ability to store and sync Safari bookmarks, history, and reading list in Safari across devices)
- iCloud Keychain{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204085} (the ability to generate and store secure passwords in iCloud, fully integrated with Safari)
- Pages, Numbers, and Keynote{https://www.icloud.com/} (the ability to store and sync Pages, Numbers, and Keynote documents across devices, as well as share such files with other users and work with them at com, similar to Office Online or Google Docs)
- Find My Mac{https://support.apple.com/guide/findmy-mac/set-up-fmm53101237/mac} (the ability to remotely locate a lost or stolen Mac)
- Messages{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208532} (the ability to access all of ones Apple Message and iPhone text message history across devices, similar to Skype)
iCloud accounts come with 5GB of free storage. Customers can upgrade to 50GB, 200GB, or 2TB of storage{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT201318}. I currently use the 200GB iCloud storage plan.
Continuity
Continuity{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204681} is a feature on Apple devices that makes it easier to integrate multiple Apple devices together. Here are some of the features that are included with Continuity:
- Handoff{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT209455} (the ability to start work on one Apple device and continue it on another device)
- Universal Clipboard{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT209460} (the ability to copy/paste content between Apple devices)
- FaceTime and iPhone Cellular calls{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT209456} (the ability to video and audio conference on multiple Apple devices, as well as answer iPhone cellular calls on a Mac, similar to Skype)
- Apple Messages and iPhone Text Messages{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208386} (the ability to send and receive messages with other Apple device users and answer iPhone text messages on a Mac, similar to Skype)
- Instant Hotspot{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT209459} (the ability to quickly connect to and use an iPhone or iPad Mobile Hotspot with a Mac)
- Auto Unlock{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT206995} (the ability to automatically unlock a Mac when wearing an Apple Watch)
- Continuity Camera{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT209037} (the ability to use an iPhone or iPad camera to take photos or scan documents and instantly send them to a Mac and even paste them in a document)
- Continuity Sketch{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT204975#sketch} (the ability to make a sketch on an iPhone or iPad and instantly send it to a Mac)
- Sidecar{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210380} (the ability to use an iPad as a second display for a Mac)
- AirDrop{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT203106} (the ability to wireless share files between Macs and other Apple devices)
- Apple Pay{https://support.apple.com/kb/HT204506} (a secure way to pay for online purchases on a Mac, one can authenticate Apple Pay purchases using Touch ID on Macs that support it or on an iPhone or Apple Watch near a Mac)
Siri
Siri {https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/siri-mchl6b029310/mac} on the Mac is similar to Cortana on Windows, and it is a way to quickly interact with one’s Mac using voice commands. If one has used Siri on an iPhone, one will find the experience to be similar.
iTunes, Apple Music, and Apple TV+
macOS Mojave and earlier included iTunes{https://www.apple.com/itunes/}, Apple’s media player. For those who have used iTunes on Windows, the experience on a Mac is similar. macOS Catalina and later has replaced iTunes with dedicated Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts apps.
Mac users can purchase music, movies, and TV shows on-demand using the iTunes Store{https://support.apple.com/itunes}, as well as use the iTunes Store to locate podcasts (Mac App Store and Apple Books purchases also use the same account as the iTunes Store). Mac users who want to subscribe to a music subscription service can subscribe to Apple Music{https://www.apple.com/apple-music/}, which is similar to Spotify (individual and family plans are available, as well as discounts for students, plus some Verizon Wireless plans include Apple Music). Mac users who simply want to sync a large collection of music files between devices can instead subscribe to iTunes Match{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204146}, a lower-cost annual service that offers the cloud-syncing of music files without the extra music streaming service of Apple Music (I currently subscribe to iTunes Match since I don’t need full access to Apple Music).
Apple also offers Apple TV+{https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus/}, Apple’s on-demand video streaming service which exclusively includes Apple original content. It is similar to Netflix or Amazon Prime video, without any non-Apple-produced content. When purchasing a new Mac, Apple includes a year of Apple TV+ for free, plus there is an Apple Music and Apple TV+ bundle for students. I tried Apple TV+ for a month, but I didn’t keep it long-term since I wasn’t interested in most of the content on there.
Game Center and Apple Arcade
Game Center{https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210401} is a feature that allows Mac users to play some Mac games with friends who also use Apple devices. While it offers some basic social features, it pales in comparison to some of the other social game-centric services such as Microsoft’s Xbox. Game Center is being used less overall by Apple device users.
Apple also offers Apple Arcade{https://www.apple.com/apple-arcade/}, a game subscription service that allows Mac users to access a range of Apple original games. It is a low-cost and popular way to play select Apple original games on a Mac. I personally don’t subscribe to Apple Arcade, since I don’t have time to play games.
Apple News and Apple News+
Macs also include Apple News which is a handy app for bookmarking and quickly accessing popular news sites. I use it regularly to access Apple-related news sites, plus a handful of news sites to make it my own “customized newspaper”. Mac users can also subscribe to Apple News+{https://www.apple.com/apple-news/} to access hundreds of magazines, as well as premium news content such as the Wall Street Journal. I tried out Apple News+ for a few months, and while there is some excellent content on there, I didn’t use it enough to justify the monthly expense.
Apple Developer
For those interested in developing apps for Mac, Apple offers a Developer Program{https://developer.apple.com} available in basic or paid annual membership tiers. Those who wish to go deep into developing Mac apps will want Apple’s annual developer membership, although Apple’s IDE and SDK’s are available for free (the developer membership includes distribution to the Mac App Store, the ability to validate apps with an Apple security certificate, pre-release beta access to future macOS versions, and additional developer support from Apple).
Family Sharing
Apple offers the ability to share some Apple services with other members of one’s household who use Apple devices through Family Sharing{https://www.apple.com/family-sharing/}. The current Apple services can be shared through Family Sharing:
- Purchases (apps, music, movies, TV shows, books)
- Calendar and Reminders (a shared family calendar and family reminders list)
- Apple Music (with family plan)
- Apple TV+ (included with base plan)
- Apple News+ (included with base plan)
- Apple Arcade (included with base plan)
- iCloud Storage (200GB or 2TB plans)
- iCloud Photo Sharing (a shared family photo album)
- Find My (the ability to locate shared family devices or family members)
- Purchase limits and Screen Time limitations (for children)
