Day 3 — Mac vs PC: The Cheat Sheet
Time: ~45 min · Date: Mon Apr 27
Why this matters
You've used a PC for years. Muscle memory is real — you don't think about Ctrl+C, you just press it. On Mac, that key is Cmd. The first week feels weird. Then it's fine.
This lesson is a flat reference. Don't try to memorize it — skim, then come back when you need it.
Keyboard: the big one
The Command (⌘) key on Mac does what Ctrl does on Windows for most things.
| What you want | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Redo | Ctrl + Y | Cmd + Shift + Z |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| Select all | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Find in document | Ctrl + F | Cmd + F |
| Switch apps | Alt + Tab | Cmd + Tab |
| Close window | Alt + F4 | Cmd + W (close tab/window) / Cmd + Q (quit app entirely) |
| Open Spotlight (search) | Win key | Cmd + Space |
| Lock screen | Win + L | Cmd + Ctrl + Q |
Important quirk: Cmd + W closes the current window/tab but keeps the app running. Cmd + Q quits the whole app. On Windows, the "X" usually does both. On Mac, you'll see apps still in the dock even after closing their windows. That's normal — to fully quit, use Cmd + Q.
Special characters
| Symbol | What it means |
|---|---|
| ⌘ | Command (Cmd) |
| ⌃ | Control (Ctrl — exists on Mac too, but used less) |
| ⌥ | Option (like Alt on Windows) |
| ⇧ | Shift |
| ⏎ | Return / Enter |
When you see something like ⌘⇧3, that's Cmd + Shift + 3.
Screenshots
Mac is better at this than Windows.
| What | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Whole screen | Cmd + Shift + 3 |
| Selected area | Cmd + Shift + 4 |
| Selected window | Cmd + Shift + 4, then press Space, then click the window |
| Screenshot menu (with options) | Cmd + Shift + 5 |
Screenshots save to your Desktop by default.
Trackpad gestures
This is where Mac actually shines.
- Two-finger scroll — scroll up/down or side-to-side. Works in any window.
- Two-finger pinch — zoom in/out (like phone).
- Two-finger tap (or right-click) — context menu.
- Three-finger swipe up — see all open windows (Mission Control).
- Three-finger swipe left/right — switch between full-screen apps / desktops.
- Pinch with thumb + 3 fingers — Launchpad (all your apps).
- Spread thumb + 3 fingers — show desktop.
You'll find your favorites. Three-finger up (Mission Control) is the one most people get hooked on.
File system differences
On Windows you have C:\Users\you\Documents\....
On Mac you have /Users/you/Documents/....
| Concept | Windows | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Where your stuff lives | C:\Users\<name>\ | /Users/<name>/ (also written ~/) |
| File explorer | File Explorer | Finder |
| Path separator | \ (backslash) | / (forward slash) |
| Drive letters | C:, D:, etc. | none — everything is one tree |
The ~/ thing matters. When you see ~/Documents/Debbie Vault/ later, that means "the Documents folder inside your home folder."
Dock vs Taskbar
The bar at the bottom is the Dock. Apps with a dot under them are running. Drag apps onto the Dock to keep them there.
The menu bar at the top of the screen changes based on which app is in front. This is different from Windows — on Mac, menus are always at the top of the screen, not the top of the window.
Right-click
Macs have a right-click. Either:
- Two-finger tap on the trackpad
- Hold Control and click
- (If you have a magic mouse) tap the right side
You'll be using right-click constantly to open menus.
Apps: where they come from
| Source | When you'd use it |
|---|---|
| App Store (Mac App Store) | Apple-vetted apps. Easy install/update. |
| Direct download | Most apps. You drag a .app file into your /Applications/ folder. |
| Homebrew (we'll install this for you) | Command-line tools and many apps, installed via Terminal. |
You won't see .exe files. Mac apps are bundles ending in .app. Most installs are "drag this icon into Applications."
Mac-specific apps to know
- Finder — file explorer
- Safari — Apple's browser (we'll use Chrome instead, but Safari is the default)
- Terminal — command line (we'll use iTerm2 instead, which is nicer)
- System Settings — like Control Panel on Windows
- Activity Monitor — like Task Manager
- Time Machine — built-in backups (set this up if you have an external drive)
Things that will feel weird at first
- Menus at the top of the screen, not the window. You'll forget. It's fine.
- No "maximize" button that fills the whole screen. The green button puts the app in full-screen mode (your menu bar disappears). Hold Option + click the green button to truly maximize within your desktop.
- Cmd vs Ctrl. Pinky reach for Ctrl is muscle memory. You'll mis-press for a week, then it's gone.
- Backspace = Delete. The "delete" key on Mac is what Windows calls "Backspace." There's a separate "fn + Delete" for forward-delete.
- No Print Screen. Use Cmd + Shift + 4 instead.
Exercise (~20 min)
You don't have the Mac yet, so the exercise is reading-only:
- Watch a 15–20 minute YouTube video. Search: "macOS for Windows users 2024" or "switching from Windows to Mac".
- As you watch, note 2–3 things that surprised you.
Bonus: bookmark this lesson. Come back to the keyboard table on day one of the new Mac.
Recap
You should now be able to:
- Name the Mac equivalent of Ctrl+C, Alt+Tab, and Win key
- Take a screenshot of a selected area
- Explain the difference between Cmd+W and Cmd+Q
- Locate the menu bar (top of screen, not top of window)
Going deeper (optional, ~55 min)
Watch (~30 min)
- Search YouTube: "macOS for Windows users 2024" — pick the highest-viewed result that's under 30 minutes. Channels that consistently produce good Mac content: Snazzy Labs, MacMost, iJustine.
- Search YouTube: "macOS gestures tutorial" — 5–10 min videos. Trackpad gestures are where Mac actually beats Windows.
Read (~25 min)
- Apple Support — Mac Basics — official switch resource.
- Apple Support — Keyboard shortcuts on Mac — bookmark this. You'll reference it for weeks.
Done?
- Day 3 complete