How would you teach someone to properly use a MacBook Pro?
January 20, 2015 12:17 PM Subscribe
Dear Mefites, what are your suggestions, tips and resources for someone wanting to improve the way they use their Mac?
My mom asked me to teach her how to use her MacBook Pro efficiently.
- As a designer I use my Mac everyday... I never really *learnt* how to use a Mac, the only formal training I got was for Adobe suite.
- My mom bought her MacBookPro two years ago. She recently told me she wastes almost 20% of her (working) time fighting with her computer… When I watch her using her computer it seems she doesn't use it optimally (for example : she never uses shortcuts, she always closes windows even when she isn't done with the task, doesn't use the dashboard, doesn't organize her folders nor duplicates / syncs her folders with an external hard drive or the cloud, uses iPhoto to download pictures *gosh*, etc.).
She mostly uses Outlook (she insisted on having Outlook), Word, Excel, Firefox, Dropbox, Skype, ITunes, Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign.
(oh and if you have an alternative to Excel, I'm all ears : my mother says Excel often shuts down unexpectedly on Mac, despite several updates…).
I don't mind spending time with my mom showing her the basics and answering any questions she has, but what are the basics, the things you MUST know? Obviously things that are obvious to me aren't to my mom :-)
Thank you in advance!
My mom asked me to teach her how to use her MacBook Pro efficiently.
- As a designer I use my Mac everyday... I never really *learnt* how to use a Mac, the only formal training I got was for Adobe suite.
- My mom bought her MacBookPro two years ago. She recently told me she wastes almost 20% of her (working) time fighting with her computer… When I watch her using her computer it seems she doesn't use it optimally (for example : she never uses shortcuts, she always closes windows even when she isn't done with the task, doesn't use the dashboard, doesn't organize her folders nor duplicates / syncs her folders with an external hard drive or the cloud, uses iPhoto to download pictures *gosh*, etc.).
She mostly uses Outlook (she insisted on having Outlook), Word, Excel, Firefox, Dropbox, Skype, ITunes, Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign.
(oh and if you have an alternative to Excel, I'm all ears : my mother says Excel often shuts down unexpectedly on Mac, despite several updates…).
I don't mind spending time with my mom showing her the basics and answering any questions she has, but what are the basics, the things you MUST know? Obviously things that are obvious to me aren't to my mom :-)
Thank you in advance!
Best answer: She recently told me she wastes almost 20% of her (working) time fighting with her computer…
This is a danger sign because it seems to indicate that your mom is not troubleshooting effectively. Which is fine, a lot of people don't and it's a skill that can be learned. At the same time I know an awful lot of people who basically say "Teach me how to do this efficiently" when what they want is to basically be an efficient organized person and they are not. Also: efficient can mean different things to different people. Does she want to be faster? Automate more things? Spend less time troubleshooting? Be able to find things quickly?
If it were me and this was my mom and I had the time to do this, I'd start on a "tip a day" project with her, along the lines of the "Did you know?" stuff
- Did you know that on a Mac when you close the last window the program isn't closed and can still use up system resources? Here's a short video/apple support forum/something on the three ways to quit a program.
- Did you know that all your personal files are stored inside the home directory? Here's a video/apple support forum/whatever thing that talks about the home directory.
- Did you know you can set up most software to upgrade itself automatically? Here's a video/apple support forum/whatever thing that talks about upgrading software.
If she's someone who likes book learning I suggest the Missing Manual series unless she is coming from PC land in which case I'd get a book specifically on switching. If there's a class at the library I'd suggest that. I teach an Adult Education class this evening actually called Meet Your Mac (former working title Where Are My Files?) that is exactly this. Different people want different things from their computer. We spend a lot of time mucking about in system preferences and learning how to Google things and use support forums and learning what the Finder is and does. We answer basic questions like "How much RAM does your machine have?" and "What is your Apple ID?" Application-specific help is a whole different level of support that should be entirely separate from basic Mac stuff. Most people confuse them and I think this is a mistake because a lot of the design features that go into the Apple OS become familiar after a while but that goes out the window when you toss Outlook into the mix.
Agree with bobdow, the Office Suite blows and she should either move to Google spreadsheets or someone needs to maybe make sure she really needs a spreadsheet program instead of a database program or something like Quicken.
posted by jessamyn at 12:36 PM on January 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
This is a danger sign because it seems to indicate that your mom is not troubleshooting effectively. Which is fine, a lot of people don't and it's a skill that can be learned. At the same time I know an awful lot of people who basically say "Teach me how to do this efficiently" when what they want is to basically be an efficient organized person and they are not. Also: efficient can mean different things to different people. Does she want to be faster? Automate more things? Spend less time troubleshooting? Be able to find things quickly?
If it were me and this was my mom and I had the time to do this, I'd start on a "tip a day" project with her, along the lines of the "Did you know?" stuff
- Did you know that on a Mac when you close the last window the program isn't closed and can still use up system resources? Here's a short video/apple support forum/something on the three ways to quit a program.
- Did you know that all your personal files are stored inside the home directory? Here's a video/apple support forum/whatever thing that talks about the home directory.
- Did you know you can set up most software to upgrade itself automatically? Here's a video/apple support forum/whatever thing that talks about upgrading software.
If she's someone who likes book learning I suggest the Missing Manual series unless she is coming from PC land in which case I'd get a book specifically on switching. If there's a class at the library I'd suggest that. I teach an Adult Education class this evening actually called Meet Your Mac (former working title Where Are My Files?) that is exactly this. Different people want different things from their computer. We spend a lot of time mucking about in system preferences and learning how to Google things and use support forums and learning what the Finder is and does. We answer basic questions like "How much RAM does your machine have?" and "What is your Apple ID?" Application-specific help is a whole different level of support that should be entirely separate from basic Mac stuff. Most people confuse them and I think this is a mistake because a lot of the design features that go into the Apple OS become familiar after a while but that goes out the window when you toss Outlook into the mix.
Agree with bobdow, the Office Suite blows and she should either move to Google spreadsheets or someone needs to maybe make sure she really needs a spreadsheet program instead of a database program or something like Quicken.
posted by jessamyn at 12:36 PM on January 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Just a quick side note: Apple's One to One training is now only available to purchase alongside a new Mac, so unless an upgrade happens to be planned imminently it's probably not an option here. (This didn't used to be the case)
posted by jaffacakerhubarb at 12:55 PM on January 20, 2015
posted by jaffacakerhubarb at 12:55 PM on January 20, 2015
Agree on the Apple One to One training. Ask around who of your friends / family is planning to buy a new Mac. Ask them to purchase an additional 1on1. The sales people ahum sorry "Mac Specialist"... get bonus points for selling these services. You can purchase up to 5 One on One memberships per computer ;-)
Other option is to sign up with Lynda.com. Their online training is awesome and broken down into many small chapters so she can go straight to what she wants to learn more about.
Agree on MS Office. Mac or PC its SUCKS.
Apple Mail works very well. And the iLife software like : Pages - Numbers - Keynote are way more user friendly and will meet most users needs.
As for using shortcuts and other more efficient work flows. Its very personal.
Happy to mail her a mousemat with the most common OSX shortcuts printed on it.
posted by Mac-Expert at 1:09 PM on January 20, 2015
Other option is to sign up with Lynda.com. Their online training is awesome and broken down into many small chapters so she can go straight to what she wants to learn more about.
Agree on MS Office. Mac or PC its SUCKS.
Apple Mail works very well. And the iLife software like : Pages - Numbers - Keynote are way more user friendly and will meet most users needs.
As for using shortcuts and other more efficient work flows. Its very personal.
Happy to mail her a mousemat with the most common OSX shortcuts printed on it.
posted by Mac-Expert at 1:09 PM on January 20, 2015
It's more expensive than One to One but Apple's Joint Venture small business program is available anytime and offers an order of magnitude greater hand-holding and support.
posted by Runes at 2:46 PM on January 20, 2015
posted by Runes at 2:46 PM on January 20, 2015
Nah Apple Joint Venture doesn't offer more / better services than the usual (great!) Geniusbar and 1on1 program.
It only offers better remote support and no wait time for a Geniusbar Appointment (repairs not training...) and if needed a loaner computer..
They still cant (legal reasons...) train / support 3rd party software and hardware. Like MS Office, printers, scanners and network (other than Airport setup).
Thats why I made it my business to bring these services on-site ;-)
posted by Mac-Expert at 5:23 PM on January 20, 2015
It only offers better remote support and no wait time for a Geniusbar Appointment (repairs not training...) and if needed a loaner computer..
They still cant (legal reasons...) train / support 3rd party software and hardware. Like MS Office, printers, scanners and network (other than Airport setup).
Thats why I made it my business to bring these services on-site ;-)
posted by Mac-Expert at 5:23 PM on January 20, 2015
Lynda.com does good training, as noted above. Check with your public library; quite a few now offer Lynda.com as part of their online resources.
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 9:02 PM on January 20, 2015
posted by Nosey Mrs. Rat at 9:02 PM on January 20, 2015
Response by poster: Thank you everybody for your help!
posted by OrangeCat at 7:12 AM on January 28, 2015
posted by OrangeCat at 7:12 AM on January 28, 2015
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it's basically hands on training and realtime support as she works on things with a pro in the store.
works best if she has a project or 2 she is working on... they help you get stuff done with best practices in mind. They exhibit the patience of saints while helping old people make photobooks and iMovies.
FWIW... until the newest version of Office is available on the Mac later this year, every version of Office since 5.1 BLOWS compared to the PC counterpart... especially Excel.
Apple's alternative (Numbers) is just so-so and Google spreadsheets is just meh.
posted by bobdow at 12:30 PM on January 20, 2015 [2 favorites]