Moving from Windows PC?

[tbgb50]

I am considering moving from Windows to Mac Mini. The last Apple PC I had was an Apple II in 1979 so excuse me if this sounds clueless and is a bit long. I am planning to get an M2 mini with 16GB/256GB. My main use is teaching college courses online and general stuff like documents, spreadsheets and web browsing.

1. Software: I have compiled a list of all the software I run and found there is a either a Mac version or suitable alternative. Is this enough preparation?

2. Hardware: I have a 32" Dell monitor that is 4 years old, with HDMI, Displayport and USB C connections - this will work?

3. I have an iPad Air and iPhone - will any of this experience make the transition easier?

4. MS Office: I have a Microsoft 365 subscription and need to use Office and Teams for teaching. Based on looking at the Microsoft site, I should be good to go....but I don't really trust what a company says. If your are using this, have you experienced any gotchas?

5. Installing software: my only reference point is the Microsoft Store which is largely ignored by software companies - can you just download Mac versions as an executable installation file (like Windows) or do they have to be on the MAC store? If not, how do you install 3rd party stuff?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[Jake123456789]

I switched from Windows to Mac a year ago.

I use a TV for a screen via HDMI. It sounds like your monitor has more connecting options than mine does, so you should be fine there.

People on MacRumors like to talk about Macs having problems scaling text to 4k (vs 5k). I haven't noticed a problem, but maybe you'll see something that I have missed.

I use the Microsoft Office suite. I think what I did was log onto the Microsoft site and download the apps from there; but I don't remember.

It can't have been very traumatic because I don't even remember doing it.

Your iPhone & iPad will share some things with your Mac that you may-or-may-not want to have happen. Generally, you can control these, but for instance:
- if somebody texts your phone, you'll also receive the message on your Mac.
- if you have AirPods, they'll automatically switch to whichever device they think you're paying attention to.
- you can use your iPad as a second monitor from your Mac.

 

[dhershberger]

I switched but have my feet in both PC and Mac worlds. To answer your questions from my experiences:

1. Unless there are environmental circumstances (specific networking requirements, etc.) I expect this should be fine.
2. I expect your monitor will be fine.
3. With these devices you likely already have an iCloud account, so yes, your transition may be a bit easier.
4. I also use Office 365 and don't experience any gotchas. However, I have not tried Teams on the Mac.
5. Apps can be installed from the App Store or by 3rd-party downloads. Oftentimes they exist in both places.

Hope this helps.

 

[Isamilis]

I switched but have my feet in both PC and Mac worlds. To answer your questions from my experiences:

1. Unless there are environmental circumstances (specific networking requirements, etc.) I expect this should be fine.
2. I expect your monitor will be fine.
3. With these devices you likely already have an iCloud account, so yes, your transition may be a bit easier.
4. I also use Office 365 and don't experience any gotchas. However, I have not tried Teams on the Mac.
5. Apps can be installed from the App Store or by 3rd-party downloads. Oftentimes they exist in both places.

Hope this helps.

Additional points for Office 365. You can use onedrive in Mac as well (so your files will be in sync). Excel in Mac is not as good as in Windows. It is usable but not as user friendly as Windows counterpart. Fortunately, this is not the case for Word and PowerPoint.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

Can you get the educational discount?

I'd suggest an m2pro model Mini instead of m2. More power, will last longer, you don't have to pay more for the extra RAM.

It comes with 16gb and a 512gb SSD, both "standard".

Your existing display, keyboard, mouse, etc., -- all should work fine. You -might- need to experiment to see which connection scheme (HDMI, displayport, etc.) works best for you.

My advice in "making the transition" is to plan on keeping the PC "accessible" for a few weeks after you get the Mini, "just in case" there's something you must do with which you're unfamiliar on the Mac. Don't do a "cold turkey" transition.

Another way to save money:
Buy from the Apple online refurbished store. Items will look "new", and they come with the full 1-year warranty (you can even buy AppleCare).

ANOTHER way that MIGHT be possible to save money:
I know with the "veteran's discount" program (with Apple), one can "piggyback" the veteran's discount AND apply it to the refurbished models, as well.

I'm NOT SURE as to whether this could be done with the educational discount.
Perhaps others will comment.

Good luck on the Mac.

 

[yellowhelicopter]

2) It should

5) You can install software however you like, like on Windows machines, you don't have to use the Apple store.

 

[Ben J.]

I think your points 1-5 is nothing to worry about. It will just work.
You don't mention any special processing needs like heavy video work and such, so I think the extra cores of a M2 Pro Mini night not really be worth the extra cost - the M2 is plenty powerful.

But you must get extra storage. Use the fast internal disk for apps and everything essential, and an external SSD for large video, audio, photo etc. 2GB of PCIe M.2 NVMe in a Thunderbolt 3 enclosure is roughly $200 now, I think.

And yes, just getting messages from my iphone show up on my mac screen, and being able to reply from the mac is great. And that's only one of the things you get with icloud connecting your apple devices, there are lots.

From AppleII to M2 Mac Mini, that's one serious leap!
Go for it.

(Edit: My first mac was a Macintosh SE. Makes me feel young in a way. )

 

[meson]

I am considering moving from Windows to Mac Mini. The last Apple PC I had was an Apple II in 1979 so excuse me if this sounds clueless and is a bit long. I am planning to get an M2 mini with 16GB/256GB. My main use is teaching college courses online and general stuff like documents, spreadsheets and web browsing.

1. Software: I have compiled a list of all the software I run and found there is a either a Mac version or suitable alternative. Is this enough preparation?

2. Hardware: I have a 32" Dell monitor that is 4 years old, with HDMI, Displayport and USB C connections - this will work?

3. I have an iPad Air and iPhone - will any of this experience make the transition easier?

4. MS Office: I have a Microsoft 365 subscription and need to use Office and Teams for teaching. Based on looking at the Microsoft site, I should be good to go....but I don't really trust what a company says. If your are using this, have you experienced any gotchas?

5. Installing software: my only reference point is the Microsoft Store which is largely ignored by software companies - can you just download Mac versions as an executable installation file (like Windows) or do they have to be on the MAC store? If not, how do you install 3rd party stuff?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

I’m a teaching track faculty and have very similar uses.

1. Yes, if you have apps in mind that cover your needs, you will be find. If you use some more obscure software features, you may wish to look at feature parity between Windows and Mac versions.

2. That monitor should work well, especially if it is a 4k monitor. Apple removed subpixel antialiasing a few years back that helped smooth fonts on lower res displays.

3. It will and it won’t. iOS and macOS share some similarities and certainly have differences. Coming from Windows, you will be replacing the control key with the command key for keyboard shortcuts. The holding down the option key often shows hidden menu items or features. For example, hold option when clicking the maximize button to avoid going into Apple’s full screen mode. If you like to snap windows, install Rectangle. It’s been 20 years since I switched, but once you get used to the flow of macOS it makes sense.

4. MS Office and Teams work well. I have no complaints when I use them. I do, however, produce a lot of documents in LaTeX and slides in Keynote as my preferred options. Teams is clunky in general, but functions fine and is stable.

I use my iPhone as my webcam with continuity camera and it works very well. If you use headphones, I recommend wired headphones. The mic on my AirPods frequently dropped out when I was using them to lecture remotely. It may have been too much Bluetooth interference from keeping my laptop nearby to monitor the chat and as a backup if things went south.

5. Most Mac apps come from outside the App Store. You will download an installer package and run through the installation. Uninstalling apps is a different experience. Most apps don’t have uninstallers and will leave some system files behind when the executable is dragged to the trash. Apps like AppCleaner will help collect the majority of those files left behind.

Enjoy your mini! I bought an M1 16/256 to use in my office and paired it with an LG 32UL500 last year, and it has been worth every penny.

 

[tbgb50]

Thanks to all for your help. I've had my order sitting in my shopping cart for a couple days and will checkout in a couple of minutes.

 

[hdrummon]

I am considering moving from Windows to Mac Mini. The last Apple PC I had was an Apple II in 1979 so excuse me if this sounds clueless and is a bit long. I am planning to get an M2 mini with 16GB/256GB. My main use is teaching college courses online and general stuff like documents, spreadsheets and web browsing.

1. Software: I have compiled a list of all the software I run and found there is a either a Mac version or suitable alternative. Is this enough preparation?

2. Hardware: I have a 32" Dell monitor that is 4 years old, with HDMI, Displayport and USB C connections - this will work?

3. I have an iPad Air and iPhone - will any of this experience make the transition easier?

4. MS Office: I have a Microsoft 365 subscription and need to use Office and Teams for teaching. Based on looking at the Microsoft site, I should be good to go....but I don't really trust what a company says. If your are using this, have you experienced any gotchas?

5. Installing software: my only reference point is the Microsoft Store which is largely ignored by software companies - can you just download Mac versions as an executable installation file (like Windows) or do they have to be on the MAC store? If not, how do you install 3rd party stuff?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

You should be fine. However, understand that MSOffice for Mac is developed by a different team than the Windows MSOffice. Microsoft has a group that handles Mac software versions. The two products have always been different and have different features. The basics are the same but there are a lot of differences. So, once you download from Microsoft, I'd recommend just spending time in the software.

 

[Ben J.]

I highly recommend the videos from Macmost.com.
Extremely informative and clear information on anything mac-related.

Here's a couple of good ones to start with while you wait for the mac to arrive:

10 Ways macOS Is Different Than Windows​

Learn the Mac: Mac Quick Start Guide for New Users​

What To Do When You Get a New Mac​

 

[tbgb50]

Thanks for the tip on Macmost. I watched the videos last night and like this guy - too many Youtube videos go at breakneck speed.

Anyway, I had second thoughts and changed my order to M2 16GB/512GB. I was trying to keep my cost low since I had to replace my Windows desktop 3 months ago but decided I rather spend more and avoid buyers remorse later.

Only issue was the original order could have been delivered overnight....now I have to wait 10 days.

 

[richmlow]

Thanks for the tip on Macmost. I watched the videos last night and like this guy - too many Youtube videos go at breakneck speed.

Anyway, I had second thoughts and changed my order to M2 16GB/512GB. I was trying to keep my cost low since I had to replace my Windows desktop 3 months ago but decided I rather spend more and avoid buyers remorse later.

Only issue was the original order could have been delivered overnight....now I have to wait 10 days.

Your new Mac mini will be a reliable computing platform for many years! Enjoy!


richmlow

 

[Ben J.]

Your new Mac mini will be a reliable computing platform for many years!

Anything can brake, though.
Even more, with the modern macs with storage, memory, and processors solded together for extreme performance, they also fail catastrophically if one of the components fail.

The good news is; you'll likely be able to get the motherboard replaced, but your data will be gone if you're not backed up.

To the OP: If you don't need more disk space than the 512GB internal has; just get the cheapest USB-C external SSD you can anyway, and set it up with Timemachine. That's the way to stay safe with your data.

Here's Macmost on backup with mac. A bit extensive, but good:
macmost backup video

 

[Isamilis]

For backup, unless you have specific needs, Time Machine has been reliable.

 

[nothingtoseehere]

Thanks for the tip on Macmost. I watched the videos last night and like this guy - too many Youtube videos go at breakneck speed.

Anyway, I had second thoughts and changed my order to M2 16GB/512GB. I was trying to keep my cost low since I had to replace my Windows desktop 3 months ago but decided I rather spend more and avoid buyers remorse later.

Only issue was the original order could have been delivered overnight....now I have to wait 10 days.

Congratulations to your order!

I don't have to add much to the answers to your questions, maybe one thing: I do use MS 365 including Teams on a PC (Office) and on Macs (WFH). No problems whatsoever, especially not with Teams (i.e. there is sometimes a quirky behavior but on both platforms). There are slight differences deep in Outlook but as you didn't mention Outlook, you should be able to ignore them.

 

[tbgb50]

Thanks for the advice on backup - I'm likely going to get a dock that holds a backup SSD. I have two backup drives on my windows PC that mirror each other and use iDrive to backup online (lost all my data 25 years ago and became paranoid).

I'm also glad I can use Teams even though I avoid it as much as possible. I'm an adjunct and the university requires us to use it if an online student asks.

 

[HawkTheHusky1902]

I am considering moving from Windows to Mac Mini. The last Apple PC I had was an Apple II in 1979 so excuse me if this sounds clueless and is a bit long. I am planning to get an M2 mini with 16GB/256GB. My main use is teaching college courses online and general stuff like documents, spreadsheets and web browsing.

1. Software: I have compiled a list of all the software I run and found there is a either a Mac version or suitable alternative. Is this enough preparation?

2. Hardware: I have a 32" Dell monitor that is 4 years old, with HDMI, Displayport and USB C connections - this will work?

3. I have an iPad Air and iPhone - will any of this experience make the transition easier?

4. MS Office: I have a Microsoft 365 subscription and need to use Office and Teams for teaching. Based on looking at the Microsoft site, I should be good to go....but I don't really trust what a company says. If your are using this, have you experienced any gotchas?

5. Installing software: my only reference point is the Microsoft Store which is largely ignored by software companies - can you just download Mac versions as an executable installation file (like Windows) or do they have to be on the MAC store? If not, how do you install 3rd party stuff?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

What.

💀💀

 

[HawkTheHusky1902]

OP:

Can you get the educational discount?

I'd suggest an m2pro model Mini instead of m2. More power, will last longer, you don't have to pay more for the extra RAM.

It comes with 16gb and a 512gb SSD, both "standard".

Your existing display, keyboard, mouse, etc., -- all should work fine. You -might- need to experiment to see which connection scheme (HDMI, displayport, etc.) works best for you.

My advice in "making the transition" is to plan on keeping the PC "accessible" for a few weeks after you get the Mini, "just in case" there's something you must do with which you're unfamiliar on the Mac. Don't do a "cold turkey" transition.

Another way to save money:
Buy from the Apple online refurbished store. Items will look "new", and they come with the full 1-year warranty (you can even buy AppleCare).

ANOTHER way that MIGHT be possible to save money:
I know with the "veteran's discount" program (with Apple), one can "piggyback" the veteran's discount AND apply it to the refurbished models, as well.

I'm NOT SURE as to whether this could be done with the educational discount.
Perhaps others will comment.

Good luck on the Mac.

You always come in with a bang🤣

 

[InvertedGoldfish]

If you’re running dell and for software the only thing you mention is office, I doubt it will really make a difference one way or another, just buy the least expensive thing, “office productivity” doesn’t require the bleeding edge of tech

 

[tbgb50]

First it was next Tuesday, then tomorrow, but my Mac mini just arrived. Wish me luck and thanks again for the help.