I'm installing Windows as i honestly prefer Office on it, prefer Windows Explorer, use MS Money, etc.
All very valid reasons to use Windows.
We had the exact opposite of this come to work for us -- he was a staunch OS 9 user, and when we supplied him with the venerable Windows laptop, he balked and refused, claiming he didn't know how to use Windows.
I asked him if he knew what icons were, how to single- and double-click, and how to find a web browser. All answered, "yes." I kindly explained to him that that's all he needed to know in order to "switch" operating systems. It really
is all icons, click- and double-click. That's it.
While some may warm to OS X and the "Mac" way of doing things, others will not for various reasons... some being fear, others being unfamiliarity, yet others being compatibility, and, in your case, favorite applications that are not available (at least in the form you're accustomed to) on OS X.
I recommend and suggest that one familiarize themselves with Mac OS X
as Mac OS X -- and not try to think in a Windows-centric mindset, nor try to use Windows-specific tricks or shortcuts. Your apps are still icons, your documents still in folders, and networking is identical (TCP/IP, ethernet, wireless, etc.). Just because it's
command-c to copy instead of
control-c is a minor annoyance to overcome.
It does take a tad bit of flexibility and an open mind to switch from one OS to another, and if you go into the new OS expecting things to be identical, then you will find nothing but frustration at the end of that tunnel.
We're here to help, not judge, and if you're willing to give Mac OS X a
real try, we will help you the best we can in finding alternative applications, workarounds, and to help you learn the system. There truly is pride in being able to say, "I use both systems quite well," when face-to-face with a fanboi, cultish, Mac enthusiast and a die-hard, "never want to learn anything new!" Windows user.
We'd like to see you stick around, but I can tell you from experience that quotes like "I thought Macs were supposed to be all easy and $%^!" or "Hey, Macs aren't supposed to crash! This platform sucks!" won't go far with certain people here. You get what you give, and I'm sure you wouldn't want an answer in the same tone as the question asked. You don't have to suck the platform's... popsicle... but a tactful, tasteful question gets a tactful, tasteful answer. We understand your frustration and disappointment with the Mac -- no need to pepper every post with it.
i have to use a torch to reinstall OSX, what's that all about?
What does this mean? To reinstall OS X, simply boot from the CDs/DVDs that came included with the computer and follow the on-screen prompts. No serial numbers (unlike Windows), no multiple-dialog-boxes to dismiss midway through the install (unlike Windows -- date and time? networking options?), and depending on the Mac, you can perform a complete reinstall in less than an hour, and sometimes less than 30 minutes (again, unlike Windows).
You also have three different reinstall options: a clean install which erases the drive and installs a fresh copy of OS X, an archive & install which preserves user accounts, most settings, applications and your documents, and an upgrade install which upgrades a point release to the next point release (like 10.4 to 10.5, or 10.5 to 10.6).
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