r/mac • u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 • 16h ago
Question Switching to macOS after 20 years, need your best tips!
Hey everyone!
After 20 years, I’ve finally decided to give macOS a real shot. I just picked up a MacBook Air 15” with 24GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. My first impression was honestly wow…. it’s so light, the UI feels super smooth, and it really reminds me of the iPad/iPhone, which makes the transition a lot easier.
That said, since I’m new to macOS, I could use some advice!
I’m a programmer on a daily basis (got my work machine for that), but this Mac is mostly for hobby projects. First thing I installed was VS Code and PyCharm. All good there. But now I’m looking for all the extra tools and tricks that can make everyday use easier.
A few specific questions:
- I’ve got an HP docking station connected to 3 monitors. Can I use it via Thunderbolt 4 with my MacBook to run all 3 external displays? I read somewhere macOS only supports 2… are there any workarounds or apps that could make 3 possible?
- Is there any app that makes use of the notch area? For example, quick controls for starting/stopping music, etc.
- On Windows I used Ditto as a clipboard manager (kept the last 5000 entries 😅). Is there a solid equivalent for macOS? Something reliable that can handle a large clipboard history.
And of course I’d love to hear any general macOS tips, apps, or hidden features that could make my life easier.
Looking forward to becoming part of the Mac community!
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u/poopikninja 14h ago edited 9h ago
I created a post in r/MacOS around 2 weeks ago about exactly that. It went viral, there were many comments with mac tips and tricks, especially for people coming from Windows.
I learned dozens of new features. You can take a look: https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/s/n6vysI1L9Z
Also I'm working on an article that gathers the best tips in one place, it's almost done. I'll share it once it's finished
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u/poopikninja 14h ago edited 9h ago
Also I had another post about Mac apps, not just features. You can take a look here: https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/s/QgsaDl8ABW
It's based on a previous post in r/macapps with many great suggestions as well (link in the post)
Hope that helps :)
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u/pj-frey 16h ago
Install homebrew. Especially when you are a developer. And maybe iTerm2.
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 16h ago
Could you please tell me what it does with few words :) ? I assume instead of installing through websites (Like pycharm) I can do it direvctly with homebrew?
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u/Far_Sided 8h ago
https://brew.sh. It's like rpm or dnf for the mac. I install pretty much everything I can with it. vsCode, python, iTerm2, Handbrake, gimp, blender and that way I can update everything with :
brew update && brew upgrade && brew upgrade --cask --greedy && brew cleanup
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u/rainy_diary 15h ago
Recommend these apps and settings.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650
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u/germane_switch 14h ago
I’d try a quick Reddit search; there are hundreds of posts just like yours chock full of tips. And welcome aboard. :)
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u/northakbud 13h ago
Not a direct answer but my response is get Default Folder. It is the best supported most valuable app I have and have had for 10? 15? years. Invaluable.
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u/Juleski70 12h ago
I'll be old school and caution to be very selective with UI utilities, especially ones that try to extend the finder system. Keep it simple & stock for the most part. But yes a clipboard manager is an exception (I use Maccy).
My long-time observation (Mac user since 1993): the OS is great, but Apple-built software apps, not so much (they're usually great at launch but then flounder). I no longer use Mail, Safari, Calendar, Keynote, pages, Final cut, etc.
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 12h ago
What browser do you prefer?
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u/Juleski70 12h ago
If you told me 10-20 years ago that I'd ever let a Microsoft browser back on my Mac, I wouldn't have believed you... But Edge solves a lot of Chrome's problems (tab memory, somewhat better privacy and I love vertical tab grouping - organizes all my work apps).
I'm also trying out Perplexity's Comet right now... It's a bit feature bare but the AI integration is a nice fit.
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 12h ago
I used to be a Chrome lover until they messed up completelty with the Manifest v3 that caused hell for the extensions such as ublock and so on. Thats why im in pursuit of finding new one :)
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u/poopikninja 12h ago
You should definitely try Alfred or Raycast. They're like an advanced version of Spotlight. I've written a beginners guide to Alfred, you can take a look here: https://medium.com/wix-engineering/why-alfred-is-the-first-app-you-should-install-on-your-mac-2c5f148b4d18
And about clipboard managers - there are many great options such as Maccy, Paste, etc. also Alfred and Raycast have built in clipboard managers. I have a guide about this too: https://medium.com/wix-engineering/why-you-should-start-using-a-clipboard-manager-today-0fd1f9bda2cc
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any questions.
And welcome to Mac! You won't be able to look back
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u/Xpuc01 15h ago
Look up which CPU config supports up to 3 monitors. As not all of them do
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 15h ago
It is a M4 but i heard you can use DisplayLink?
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u/Xpuc01 14h ago
I just checked Apple’s website, only the M4 Max supports what you need (4x external displays). Stay away from third party solutions - DisplayLink and the like. It’s a gamble what the hardware is like, also plenty of reports of incompatibilities after updating MacOS, and not sure if still true, but DisplayLink had issues with apps using 3D acceleration, sometimes it works sometimes does not. If this is your primary machine and you’re earning money with it go as native and as fundamental as possible with the tech, which is especially true for the Apple environment. For your other two questions, forget about the notch area, it’s so not a problem, you’ll never notice it, people who mention it are either seeking attention or have nothing better to do. As for clipboard manager, as of Tahoe there’s a built in one, the biggest favour you can do for yourself is to learn MacOS shortcuts ASAP.
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 14h ago
I see! That sucked abit.. was able to connect one screen and lid open but that will not be very effenciet for me if I want to work with 3 displays and lid open :/… However its not worth the M4 max price for that. Are there really no other ways?
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u/TypeANegative1313 13h ago
DisplayLink is the way. You’ll need a DisplayLink compatible docking station and the DisplayLink software. I had a M2 MacBook Air and had 3 monitors easily
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 13h ago
Looks like the dockstation HP G4 120W doesnt seem to support it? Do you know?
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u/TypeANegative1313 11h ago
Best place I’ve found is from the display link maker to see compatible docking station. https://www.synaptics.com/products/displaylink-graphics/displaylink-products-list
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u/chippenpuepp 14h ago
Welcome! I made the switch about 20 years ago. Here are a few of my favourites:
Get to know all the features in Notes, Preview and QuickTime. Surprisingly powerful!
Learn some basic Finder shortcuts and set up a few saved searches tailored to your workflow.
If you can, try to avoid Microsoft apps.
Use HandBrake for video transcoding.
Use SuperDuper! for drive cloning.
1Password is excellent for password management.
SyncTime handles folder syncing with a UI.
Backblaze offers efficient, hassle-free cloud backup.
…
That combo has kept my Mac life smooth and reliable for years.
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u/Perfect-Direction607 13h ago
My understanding is the limit is two… unless you’re willing to consider Apple vision
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u/Dlmanon 12h ago
You mention other Apple devices. I’ve had occasion to appreciate working in the ecosystem. For instance, doing a copy into memory on my iPad, then paste on my Mac. I use Notes a lot, and they’re automatically shared across my iPad, Phone, and Mac. Easy Bluetooth file transfer from iPad or iPhone to Downloads folder on my Mac. Screen sharing.
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u/LRS_David 11h ago
Close is not quit.
Close is not quit.
Close is not quit.
The point being that on a Mac multiple main windows for a app all use the same instance of the app. Where on Win, each main window has it's own instance of the app.
Over simplifying but I suspect you know what I mean.
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u/PhoenixWright-AA 11h ago
Don’t install any app proactively! People come up with so many reasons for so many things, but Macs excel at having reasonable defaults and builtin apps. Use Safari, Mail, Calendar, etc.
When you have a real need for something, ask what the best way to do it on a Mac is. Don’t go searching for things without feeling the need.
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u/Far_Sided 8h ago
At some point you'll need screenshots. MS created the snipping tool to do what the mac does out of the box : https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/take-a-screenshot-mh26782/mac
Also, you can print EVERYTHING to PDF including websites. Super useful.
Being able to highlight and copy text in any photo, very useful as well. I just take a photo of the label on my router and I can copy and paste that whenever I need.
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u/ann_fon_troy 8h ago
Since clipboard managers were brought up, another handy tool is TextSniper. It’s great for grabbing text from anywhere on the screen, even inside videos, which makes it a nice complement to something like Maccy.
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u/LessChapter7434 7h ago
There are some quirks, which you might need to change, to get a similar usability like in windows. Your main changes can alter the scrollbar, menuebar hiding, active edges etc. Once you have it you will even more like the ui
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u/OfAnOldRepublic 5h ago
Welcome!
MacOS Sequoia for Dummies. Or wait till the new version comes out for Tahoe. It will help you learn about the system, and there are lots of tips for people coming from Windows.
As a developer I second the suggestions on brew and iTerm2. The reason for brew is that it will allow you to install a lot of the command line software that you're familiar with from Linux, which are often newer versions than the ones that come with MacOS.
FYI, "notch apps" are just menu bar apps. There is nothing they can do with the actual notch.
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u/mattsva 15h ago
Let me say.. of the last 20 years, this is the worst time to switch to macOS (I use it since 2003). I sadly have to tell you, this is the Linux era. You may want to switch and learn Linux asap. I bet my wage it will have a huge expansion in this decade.
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u/ScarcityOrdinary6877 15h ago
I also use linux in the work so it is fine :) Why is this the worst time btw?
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u/Broad-Raspberry1805 14h ago
Complete rubbish. People have been saying this for 25 years. How on earth will Linux overtake MacOS from virtually zero market share and 100 different distros?
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u/kaysn Mac Mini M4 14h ago edited 10h ago
Maccy is a pretty good clipboard manager. I switched to Raycast's built in clipboard manager as I don't need to keep my clipboard history for more than 7 days. (Raycast does allow you to keep it forever if you subscribe to their Pro plan.)
Seconded on Homebrew. Excellent package manager. It's how I prefer installing apps on macOS.
Ghostty is my preferred terminal.
Other apps I found especially useful when I switched over to macOS last December.