# Need some direction please



## catfish182 (Feb 10, 2009)

Hello- I am a windows helpdesk support admin who just found out that i am now going to be supporting MAC. Not a big deal but i would like to know a few things. What are good referance books for not just the MAC workstation but also the server? (I get to support OS 10 server) 

In learning the MAC what would be the best place to start for a seasoned windows guy? 

Right now i have a laptop with OS 10.3 and i have another machine coming with 10.5. I have a laptop with OS 9 on it as i am told some of the machines have 9 on them. I have nothing currently for OS 10 server to practice with (is there anything that i can use to practice on OS 10 server?). 

I have been looking for a forum that i feel can help me so i regged here. I have some referance books from peachpit publishing so i hope i am on the right path. 

thanks for any help you can give me. 
If you have windows questions let me know and i will see if i can help (I like to earn my keep when i can)

Chris


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## ora (Feb 10, 2009)

Hi Chris, hopefully you've found the right place!

I think the 'standard' book for switchers is this: http://www.amazon.com/Switching-Mac-Missing-Manual-Leopard/dp/0596514123

Its user level but good for getting ideas of what in windows equals what in OS X. Others may have recomendations for slightly more advanced books and OS X server stuff which I am not knowledgeable about.

From a tech support point of view I think this site really will help, if you look at the standard sorts of questions we get asked it should give you an idea of the issues your users will face. There are a few really standard things you normally ask users to do if something goes wrong, like repairing permissions (which is a general catchall fix for lots of issues), resetting power management systems (PMU and SMC), zapping PRAM,  booting into single user mode etc, i suspect you can get a lot of them from the book i linked, if not other books.

There are also some HowTos on this site at http://macosx.com/forums/howto-faqs/ though people persist in posting questions there too 

Finally, I was a dyed in the wool machead who cracked and bought a PC, so I have some minor experience in the transition, albeit the other way round. My overall experience was that msot of the work is just remembering where stuff is on the different OS's. In the end stuff like setting up a net conenction, selecting IPs etc may be in a different form across the two systems but its still the same info. At a basic level PC control panels = OS X System Preferences, and rather than Edit->Options on a PC you'll find options for OS X applications under 'MenuWithSameNameAsProgram->Preferences'.

Stick around, ask questions, and read up on how we answer other people's questions and you'll be up and running in no time at all.


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## Greg_Reez (Feb 10, 2009)

> Stick around, ask questions, and read up on how we answer other people's questions and you'll be up and running in no time at all.



Chris, I found that some of the people in this forum can typically answer questions with a lot more insight than most text books and other forums can. Even the questions that require research can be answered within only a few hours here. Using this site in combination with any books you purchase should be all you need to increase your knowledge ten-fold.

When you do have questions to ask, you can do what I do. Post your question or issue, then sit back and watch someone respond. I usually wait for a few more responses after that before I begin using some of their recommendations to fix my problems... just in case other users have good tips to add. Usually they do. Undoubtedly the experts and even casual visitors here work as a team. 

I'm nothing close to an expert and I'm here to grow my knowledge as well. I've been known to ask stupid questions, but after I realized that there are no stupid questions, just stupid people, I began to feel better .  Good luck to you.


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## Satcomer (Feb 10, 2009)

Ah HA!!!! As talking as a Mac user STUCK in a Windows only at work welcome to the REAL world!! You are becoming a System Admin that supports all kinds of computers! Next time they will be bring in Solaris & Red Hat Linux. 

Now as a real administrator you know about the vast number of Mac dedicated sites. Plus if you are putting any kind Mac into Windows domains then you read the thread here called [HOW TO] Bind Leopard to Active Directory. In that thread i also listed a site that is dedicated to put Macs into Windows domains is MacWindows.com.  

Lastly you really know about the geek book publisher Orielly.com to find any kind of tech book one will need.


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## Cheryl (Feb 11, 2009)

> I'm nothing close to an expert and I'm here to grow my knowledge as well. I've been known to ask stupid questions, but after I realized that there are no stupid questions, just stupid people, I began to feel better .  Good luck to you.



There is no such thing as a stupid question. You are here to learn and that means you are not stupid either. 

Just remember that if there is more information needed, you will be asked for it. Even us serious Mac users have questions and problems occasionally. 

Work with your OS X machines - start with the 10.3, then the 10.5 machine. You just may like the features on the newer machine, but you will know the differences between the two. The system versions of OS X are pretty easy to get use to. And you don't need to go to Start to Shut Down.  
Once you get use to the workings of the machines, you then will have an easier time mixing them into your network.


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