How to Switch From PC to Mac Tutorial

Use an Ethernet cable to switch from a PC to a Mac.

PC users switch to Macs for a variety of reasons including the security of Mac computers, the advantages of the OS X operating system, the external design of Mac hardware and Apple's high customer service ratings. To switch from a PC to a Mac, you need to move your PC files to your new computer. While the majority of PC programs will not run on a Mac, you can open many of your PC files with Mac software.

Things You'll Need

• Ethernet cable

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with the Mac Finder. The Finder is the Mac equivalent of the Windows Explorer. This is where you manage your files, server connections and external drives. Apple has a webpage that breaks down the elements of the Finder and their equivalents in Windows Explorer (see Resources).

2. Turn both computers on. Connect your PC and Mac using an Ethernet cable.

3. Go to the Finder on the Mac and click on the "Go" menu in the list of options that runs across the top of the screen. Select "Connect to Server."

4. Enter your PC's network address in the text box as either "smb://DNSname/ShareName" or "smb://IPaddress/ShareName." Click the "Connect" button. Enter your PC's information in the onscreen dialog window.

5. Open the PC volume that appears in the left side of the Finder window. Select files by clicking on them and drag them to the desired location on your Mac.

6. Disconnect the two computers by dragging the PC volume icon to the "Trash" icon in the Dock located at the bottom of the screen.

References

• Apple: Why You'll Love a Mac
• Apple Support: Migrate Your Files

Resources

• Apple Support: Moving from Windows Explorer to the Finder