Resolved These may be stupid questions

[Ellezk]

I just got a macbook (2020 air) for the first time, so I’m going through a little adjustment period.

A few q’s:

How do I change the default text size for things?! Ex. When I open safari, I have to zoom to get the text bigger each time. Is there a way to set a default size? This goes for all programs and the mac in general.

Apps vs browser
I’m guessing using browser will take up less space? Ex. Netflix browser over app, spotify browser over app, etc? Ar

Is it better to use the mac with the cord plugged out or plugged in?

Will using accessories i.e a wireless mouse that is not from Apple be bad for the mac?

is it better to shut down the mac completely at night when I’m not using? Or just close the laptop and let it sleep?

sorry if these questions are dumb lol I really have little to no knowledge with these tech things

 

[deeddawg]

They’re fine questions - I’d answer but am on my phone and others may more quickly address them.

one thing I will say tho if this is ur first experience with macOS.

application and window switching works different from Windows. Command-tab switches apps, command-` switches windows within an application. Also realize the red button at top left corner closes the window not the app. Use command-Q or File->Quit to fully exit an app

hope that helps.

 

[DeltaMac]

Wireless mouse question - assuming it works (most any mouse will work)your Mac doesn't care who makes the mouse.
Try to avoid a wireless mouse that needs a dongle that will take up a USB space. You only have 2 USB ports.
Better to have a bluetooth mouse, which will use the built-in bluetooth.

Just close the lid when you are not using your Mac.

 

[Capeto]

How do I change the default text size for things?! Ex. When I open safari, I have to zoom to get the text bigger each time. Is there a way to set a default size? This goes for all programs and the mac in general.
I've never had to tinker with text size on a Mac, but based on some Googling your best bet is going to be changing the display resolution. You can also use Accessibility shortcuts to make text larger within apps - see here for more information.

Apps vs browser
I’m guessing using browser will take up less space? Ex. Netflix browser over app, spotify browser over app, etc? Ar
Apps will take up more space, but they tend to be optimized over the web browser versions, or have more features since they are not limited to a browser's functionality. Also, there's no Netflix app for Mac - you'll have to use your browser.

Is it better to use the mac with the cord plugged out or plugged in?
My understanding is that modern batteries don't really have the problems that arose with leaving them constantly plugged in, but someone more knowledgeable may want to chime in. Note that all batteries suffer eventual degradation after several (hundreds, if not thousands) of charges and discharges.

Will using accessories i.e a wireless mouse that is not from Apple be bad for the mac?
Not at all! In fact, I personally find Apple's wireless mouse (the Magic Mouse) to be an uncomfortable, ergonomic nightmare.

is it better to shut down the mac completely at night when I’m not using? Or just close the laptop and let it sleep?
Putting it to sleep is fine. Personally, though, I like to reboot all my computers and phones/tablets once a week because stuff may start getting a little funky after a while, and a reboot tends to fix those issues. Some people have reported leaving their Macs on for over a year with no issues, though.

sorry if these questions are dumb lol I really have little to no knowledge with these tech things
No worries, we all have to learn at some point! Welcome to the world of Mac

 

[Ellezk]

How do I change the default text size for things?! Ex. When I open safari, I have to zoom to get the text bigger each time. Is there a way to set a default size? This goes for all programs and the mac in general.
I've never had to tinker with text size on a Mac, but based on some Googling your best bet is going to be changing the display resolution. You can also use Accessibility shortcuts to make text larger within apps - see here for more information.

Apps vs browser
I’m guessing using browser will take up less space? Ex. Netflix browser over app, spotify browser over app, etc? Ar
Apps will take up more space, but they tend to be optimized over the web browser versions, or have more features since they are not limited to a browser's functionality. Also, there's no Netflix app for Mac - you'll have to use your browser.

Is it better to use the mac with the cord plugged out or plugged in?
My understanding is that modern batteries don't really have the problems that arose with leaving them constantly plugged in, but someone more knowledgeable may want to chime in. Note that all batteries suffer eventual degradation after several (hundreds, if not thousands) of charges and discharges.

Will using accessories i.e a wireless mouse that is not from Apple be bad for the mac?
Not at all! In fact, I personally find Apple's wireless mouse (the Magic Mouse) to be an uncomfortable, ergonomic nightmare.

is it better to shut down the mac completely at night when I’m not using? Or just close the laptop and let it sleep?
Putting it to sleep is fine. Personally, though, I like to reboot all my computers and phones/tablets once a week because stuff may start getting a little funky after a while, and a reboot tends to fix those issues. Some people have reported leaving their Macs on for over a year with no issues, though.

sorry if these questions are dumb lol I really have little to no knowledge with these tech things
No worries, we all have to learn at some point! Welcome to the world of Mac

Thank you so much for your help!

 

[glenthompson]

When I switched to the Mac I found David Pogue’s book “Switching to the Mac” to be very helpful navigating the various parts of the OS.

 

[throAU]

Batteries vs. AC...

I've run 2 previous MacBook pros on AC mostly since 2011 and their batteries (including the 2011 machine) are still "normal" condition.

Use battery when you need it, use Ac when convenient. Don't stress too much about it.


Shutdown vs. sleep
Mac's sleep properly unlike many windows machines. Just close the lid and that's it. The only times mine get shut down or re-started are for updates. Carrying it in bags, etc. sleep is fine. You won't open the bag and find it has crashed due to overheating or whatever like I've seen with Windows machines myself in the past.

 

[deeddawg]

Good info above.

I'd still suggest having the mac on battery some of the time vs. keeping it docked all the time. Even though it's not supposed to be a problem these days, there are a number of folks who do end up with swollen batteries in their mac, and it seems nearly all of them kept their mac on power all the time.

Mouse - try spending some time with the mac trackpad before you jump into using a mouse. You might be surprised. While I've never found a Windows laptop trackpad I liked and thus always use a mouse with Windows, on the Mac side of the world I've always liked the trackpad and prefer it to using a mouse. When working at my desk in clamshell mode (mac closed, external display) I use an Apple Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard.

 

[throAU]

Yeah, when I say "mostly on AC" it was more a case of with the 15" machine it acted as more of a portable desktop than a machine I used while away from a desk.

Ditto for the 13" but not quite so much.

I think after 3-5 years I average around 300 cycles judging by the past 2 machines. So on average say once a week they'd be discharged. It's just how I happen to use them - whenever at a desk I plug in, when I'm not, I don't - but most of the time I work is at a desk, if that makes sense.

The once a week is likely on a Friday evening when on the couch or whatever.

In my experience, using the machine similarly to that, you'll likely need/want to upgrade before the battery becomes unusable.
[automerge]1588164034[/automerge]

Mouse - try spending some time with the mac trackpad before you jump into using a mouse. You might be surprised. While I've never found a Windows laptop trackpad I liked and thus always use a mouse with Windows, on the Mac side of the world I've always liked the trackpad and prefer it to using a mouse.

That too.

Same here - I HATE trackpads on Windows. Mac trackpads actually work and if you know/learn the gestures for mission control, switching desktops, etc. then they're so much better.

The only time I use a mouse on the Mac is if I'm either gaming or trying to do some sort of detail work in a graphics program. For general use, trackpad all the way. So much so that I bought a Magic Trackpad for when I use an external keyboard with the laptop.

 

[RedTomato]

I just got a macbook (2020 air) for the first time, so I’m going through a little adjustment period.

A few q’s:

How do I change the default text size for things?! Ex. When I open safari, I have to zoom to get the text bigger each time. Is there a way to set a default size? This goes for all programs and the mac in general.

Apps vs browser
I’m guessing using browser will take up less space? Ex. Netflix browser over app, spotify browser over app, etc? Ar

Is it better to use the mac with the cord plugged out or plugged in?

Will using accessories i.e a wireless mouse that is not from Apple be bad for the mac?

is it better to shut down the mac completely at night when I’m not using? Or just close the laptop and let it sleep?

sorry if these questions are dumb lol I really have little to no knowledge with these tech things

Welcome!

Apps vs browser:
The apps take very little space. You have 256GB of storage (minus about 30GB for the operating system). Try both, see which you prefer. The only big apps new users are likely to encounter are Photoshop / Creative Studio, GarageBand & large games. Everything else is pretty small. Storing lots of films and thousands of photos are the other big users of space.

Mouse:
The built in trackpad is brilliant. Spend a bit of time in System Preferences to set up the trackpad how you want. It helps to turn off any gestures you don't use, so that you don't accidentally activate them. Use any mouse you want - the best mouse is the one you like most.

Plugged in or battery?:
Doesn't matter in daily use. If you use it every day while leaving it plugged in permanently, that should be fine. Maybe unplug it for a few hours once a week. If you are not going to use it for a few days, unplug it.

Close lid and let it sleep overnight is fine. Maybe do a full restart about once every 2 weeks or so, its quite flexible.

Default text size: DO NOT CHANGE SCREEN RESOLUTION from the laptop screen default. Nothing bad will happen if you do this, it just doesn't look good that's all.

Safari: you can set minimum font size in Safari Preferences. Open Safari, look at top left of screen, click on word 'Safari' and 'Preferences'. Not sure how well that works - personally I use Chrome. In Chrome, cmd - and + work fine & it remembers my settings on a per website basis. I love that.

Folder and file names: Right-click on an empty space on the desktop, 'Show View Options', and you can change text and icon size here.

Apple Mail: Open apple Mail, click Mail / Preferences at top left of screen. You can change font sizes for Mail here.

Hope that helps!

 

[Ellezk]

Welcome!

Apps vs browser:
The apps take very little space. You have 256GB of storage (minus about 30GB for the operating system). Try both, see which you prefer. The only big apps new users are likely to encounter are Photoshop / Creative Studio, GarageBand & large games. Everything else is pretty small. Storing lots of films and thousands of photos are the other big users of space.

Mouse:
The built in trackpad is brilliant. Spend a bit of time in System Preferences to set up the trackpad how you want. It helps to turn off any gestures you don't use, so that you don't accidentally activate them. Use any mouse you want - the best mouse is the one you like most.

Plugged in or battery?:
Doesn't matter in daily use. If you use it every day while leaving it plugged in permanently, that should be fine. Maybe unplug it for a few hours once a week. If you are not going to use it for a few days, unplug it.

Close lid and let it sleep overnight is fine. Maybe do a full restart about once every 2 weeks or so, its quite flexible.

Default text size: DO NOT CHANGE SCREEN RESOLUTION from the laptop screen default. Nothing bad will happen if you do this, it just doesn't look good that's all.

Safari: you can set minimum font size in Safari Preferences. Open Safari, look at top left of screen, click on word 'Safari' and 'Preferences'. Not sure how well that works - personally I use Chrome. In Chrome, cmd - and + work fine & it remembers my settings on a per website basis. I love that.

Folder and file names: Right-click on an empty space on the desktop, 'Show View Options', and you can change text and icon size here.

Apple Mail: Open apple Mail, click Mail / Preferences at top left of screen. You can change font sizes for Mail here.

Hope that helps!

Thank you so much!!

 

[Sword86]

Mouse - try spending some time with the mac trackpad before you jump into using a mouse. You might be surprised. While I've never found a Windows laptop trackpad I liked and thus always use a mouse with Windows, on the Mac side of the world I've always liked the trackpad and prefer it to using a mouse. When working at my desk in clamshell mode (mac closed, external display) I use an Apple Magic Trackpad and Magic Keyboard.

I concur. I have never found a Windows trackpad that I liked, either.
I bought a mouse, but have never used it.
Mac trackpads actually work. Just learn the gestures.

S

 

[kreasonos]

I just got a macbook (2020 air) for the first time, so I’m going through a little adjustment period.

A few q’s:

How do I change the default text size for things?! Ex. When I open safari, I have to zoom to get the text bigger each time. Is there a way to set a default size? This goes for all programs and the mac in general.

Apps vs browser
I’m guessing using browser will take up less space? Ex. Netflix browser over app, spotify browser over app, etc? Ar

Is it better to use the mac with the cord plugged out or plugged in?

Will using accessories i.e a wireless mouse that is not from Apple be bad for the mac?

is it better to shut down the mac completely at night when I’m not using? Or just close the laptop and let it sleep?

sorry if these questions are dumb lol I really have little to no knowledge with these tech things

1. System wide text size I'm not sure, but in some applications you can adjust application wide text size, for example, you can do this in Edge browser.

2. Better to operate in a browser if possible.

3. Plugged in but makes no difference, Mac's don't reduce voltage when on battery power unlike some Windows machines.

4. No, of course not. Bluetooth is a standardized protocol, it works the same in a Macbook as it does on a Windows machine.

5. Let it sleep, you rarely need to shut down if ever, maybe for packing away on a trip.

6. Please # number your questions next time.