Bob's Rosetta Stone

J50 Mac-PC Rosetta Stone (second draft)

This isn't my usual computer, how do I...

As long as the UNC-CH School of Journalism and Mass Communication (and the world, for that matter) has two kinds of computer laboratory classrooms, "home" users of one computer will sometimes find it necessary or convenient to use the other kind.
Being able to switch-hit between computer systems should give you more opportunities to get your work done. This document isn't quite the Rosetta Stone, but should answer some of the most common questions. If you have more, please send them by email to Bob@unc.edu or Thomas@unc.edu or Snowdog@email.unc.edu
Do note that while Macs can read PC disks, the disk directories or individual files on PC disks sometimes get damaged in the process, especially if the disk has many files on it and has been used a lot going from machine to machine. Make frequent backups either to a file server or another disk. Keeping the floppy disk at least half-empty may help, but that's little more than a guess. Here are some other tips on handling Mac-PC problems.
Also note that many Mac labs have an older version of Microsoft Word, which may not be able to read documents made with Word for Windows 95 or 98. (If you know you'll be bringing a file from Windows to a Mac, use the "Save As" command in the Windows word processor to save the file as ".rtf" or plain text. Windows "ASCII" or plain text files use an extra character at the end of each line, which becomes visible on the Macintosh, but should not harm your HTML code.)

This isn't my usual computer, how do I...

Macintosh...

Windows95...

Turn on the computer?
(First, be sure it's off! The computer may already be on, but with a blanked-out screen. If the monitor power light is on, move the mouse or press an arrow key to "wake up" the screen.)
The power switch is generally a button marked with a triangle, near the top right corner of the keyboard. The monitor may have a separate switch on the front, back or on the side. The On/Off switch is generally on the front panel of the computer. The monitor may have a separate switch on the back or on the side. "On" is often marked with a numeral 1 or vertical line; "Off" is a zero or circle.

Turn off the computer?
It's usually OK to leave a lab computer running once you are sure you've saved your work and closed any programs you were using. This is partly a matter of politeness to the next user, and partly for your own security, for example, so that no one else can read your email or send email from your account.
Click on the desktop to get back to "desktop" or "finder" level. Click and hold on the word "Special" at the top center of the screen. Choose "Shut Down" from the menu. If you have documents open, the Mac will ask you whether you want to save them. And it will spit out your floppy disk when it's done. Click on the word "Start" in the lower left corner of the screen to reveal a menu. Choose "Shut down." The machine will take some time closing its internal files then will either turn itself off or display a message saying it is now safe for you to turn off the power switch. Don't forget your floppy disk!

Quit running a program? Select "Quit" from the File menu (or press Command and the letter Q, in most cases) The "Cmd" or "command" key is marked with a special symbol that looks like a highway cloverleaf intersection. It is immediately to the left of the space bar. Select "Quit" from the File menu (or press Alt and F4, in most cases)

Escape from a locked-up program? Or restart the computer (because a program crashed)? Press Command-Option Escape or Shift-Option Power or press the button located in the lower left corner of the front cover of the computer. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del once to interrupt program; read dialogue box for options. Sometimes this doesn't work and you have to manually restart the machine using the button on the top of the front cover of the computer.

Tell which program is actively running?
And whether any other programs are running in the background?
The icon in the top right corner of the screen identifies the top or "active" running program, even if the program has no "active window" or document open. (To open a window, go to the File and select New.) Click on the top-right corner icon to see a list of any programs running in the background. The menu bar at the bottom of the screen shows a rectangular button for each program that is running. The top or "active" program's button should stand out from the rest, which are usually "grayed out" in comparison.

Find the program I want to run? Select the program from the pull-down menu under the apple in the top left corner of the screen.
If you don't see the program name on the desktop or in the "Apple" menu, (upper left corner) but do see a "Launcher" icon, click on Launcher and look for the program there.
Last choice -- use the "Find File" command to search your hard disk for the program.
Click on the "desktop." Then choose "find" from the File menu. Click the Start button and explore the branching menus, especially the "program" folder. Or choose Find File.

Get all these open windows out of the way? Click the active-program icon in the top-right corner of the screen, and choose one of the "Hide" commands. Or double-click on the menu bar of any window to compress it like a "window-shade." Note the small icons in the upper right corner of your window. The "X" closes a program or document window. The icon that looks like a box with a heavy line on the top edge will expand a window to full-screen, or shrink it to overlap with other windows. The icon with a small dark bar at the bottom will shrink the window down to a "button" in the task bar at the bottom of the screen, the closest Windows comes to the Mac's "Hide" command.

Write plain, simple ASCII text? Use Teach Text, Simple Text or Microsoft Word, but use the "save as" command (not simple "save") and choose the "Text Only" file type. Use Microsoft Word and use the "Save As" menu choice under the word "File" at the top of the screen. Type the name you want to use, then click on the choices of file types under the box where you just typed in the name. One of the first choices you should see is "Text Only." Don't be upset if you save your document as a Word File: you can always open it up again and resave it as a text file later.

Open a document or graphic quickly? If you know where it is, open its folder and Click on the document icon. If you know where it is, open its folder and Click on the document icon.

Find the document I just created? If you're running the program that created the document, check its File menu for a list of recently created documents. Some Macs may have a "recent documents" icon on their Apple menu. If you're running the program that created the document, check its File menu for a list of recently created documents. Otherwise, PCs may have a "documents" item on the Start menu.

Get my work back to my usual computer? You have two choices: backing up to a floppy, and loading the material on your website. Let's look at these separately. You have two choices: backing up to a floppy, and loading the material on your website. Let's look at these separately.

Put something on a floppy disk?
Again, you have two choices on either computer. First, put your floppy disk into the computer. Then...

1. While in the program, use "Save AS" (under the File menu), then choose the destination disk from among your choices at the top of the list of files that will appear in the middle of the dialogue box.
2. Go to your desktop, locate the file (which should be in the Temp folder if the lab network locks you out of other folders), grab it by clicking and holding down the mouse button, and drag it to the icon that looks like a small diskette. When the diskette changes color (when you have the mouse pointer "over" the diskette icon) let go.

1. While in the program, use "Save AS" (under the File menu), then choose the destination disk from among your choices at the tope of the list of files that will appear in the middle of the dialogue box.
2. Locate the "My Computer" icon on your desktop (or in the Start menu). Double click to open (My Computer), and you should see an icon for "3 1/2 floppy A:" and another for disk C. Double click on the "C:" disk icon to find your document. It should be in the Temp folder if you're on a lab network that locks you out of other folders. "Grab" the file with your mouse (click and hold), and drag it to the icon for "Floppy A:"
You also have a third (less Mac-like) choice, using the "File Manager" program. Its icon looks like a yellow file cabinet, and when you click on it, it it shows all of your folder and document icons in a two-pane window with the disk drive icons in the upper frame of the window.

Load items to my website? Use Fetch. We'll go over this in class. Use wsFTP. We'll go over this in class.

Check my email?
On both systems you can Telnet to the Isis email server or any other campus email server where you have an account. Someone may have tried to be helpful by giving the "Telnet" program an "alias" or "shortcut" name of "email" or "Isis."
Locate the Telnet icon on the desktop or under the "Apple" in the upper left corner of the screen. Locate the Telnet shortcut on the desktop or in the "Start," then "Programs" menu in the lower left corner of the screen.

Copy, cut and paste?

Do it using the keyboard?
(In both cases, first, highlight the word, series of words or image by dragging the mouse across it or clicking on it.)
See the copy, cut and paste commands on the Edit menu.
Almost all programs use Cmd-X for cut; Cmd-C for copy; and Cmd-V for paste. The "Cmd" or "command" key is marked with a special symbol that looks like a highway cloverleaf intersection.
See the copy, cut and paste commands on the Edit menu.
Almost all programs use Alt-X for cut; Alt-C for copy; and Alt-V for paste. The "Alt" key is at the far lower left of the keyboard.

Get to the Library catalog? Two choices: Use Netscape or Telnet Two choices: Use Netscape or Telnet

Undo what I've done?
(This varies from program to program on both systems, but in most cases only allows you to "undo" the very last thing you've done." Press Cmd-Z or F1
With some programs, the Undo command on the program's Edit menu will change to tell you what you're undoing.
Press Ctrl-Z or F1
With some programs, the Undo command on the program's Edit menu will change to tell you what you're undoing.

Created by Bob Stepno and Thomas Gould, May 1998, for JOMC 50

*This isn't my usual computer, how do I...*	*Macintosh...*	*Windows95...*
Turn on the computer? (First, be sure it's off! The computer may already be on, but with a blanked-out screen. If the monitor power light is on, move the mouse or press an arrow key to "wake up" the screen.)	The power switch is generally a button marked with a triangle, near the top right corner of the keyboard. The monitor may have a separate switch on the front, back or on the side.	The On/Off switch is generally on the front panel of the computer. The monitor may have a separate switch on the back or on the side. "On" is often marked with a numeral 1 or vertical line; "Off" is a zero or circle.
Turn off the computer? It's usually OK to leave a lab computer running once you are sure you've saved your work and closed any programs you were using. This is partly a matter of politeness to the next user, and partly for your own security, for example, so that no one else can read your email or send email from your account.	Click on the desktop to get back to "desktop" or "finder" level. Click and hold on the word "Special" at the top center of the screen. Choose "Shut Down" from the menu. If you have documents open, the Mac will ask you whether you want to save them. And it will spit out your floppy disk when it's done.	Click on the word "Start" in the lower left corner of the screen to reveal a menu. Choose "Shut down." The machine will take some time closing its internal files then will either turn itself off or display a message saying it is now safe for you to turn off the power switch. Don't forget your floppy disk!
Quit running a program?	Select "Quit" from the File menu (or press Command and the letter Q, in most cases) The "Cmd" or "command" key is marked with a special symbol that looks like a highway cloverleaf intersection. It is immediately to the left of the space bar.	Select "Quit" from the File menu (or press Alt and F4, in most cases)
Escape from a locked-up program? Or restart the computer (because a program crashed)?	Press Command-Option Escape or Shift-Option Power or press the button located in the lower left corner of the front cover of the computer.	Press Ctrl-Alt-Del once to interrupt program; read dialogue box for options. Sometimes this doesn't work and you have to manually restart the machine using the button on the top of the front cover of the computer.
Tell which program is actively running? And whether any other programs are running in the background?	The icon in the top right corner of the screen identifies the top or "active" running program, even if the program has no "active window" or document open. (To open a window, go to the File and select New.) Click on the top-right corner icon to see a list of any programs running in the background.	The menu bar at the bottom of the screen shows a rectangular button for each program that is running. The top or "active" program's button should stand out from the rest, which are usually "grayed out" in comparison.
Find the program I want to run?	Select the program from the pull-down menu under the apple in the top left corner of the screen. If you don't see the program name on the desktop or in the "Apple" menu, (upper left corner) but do see a "Launcher" icon, click on Launcher and look for the program there. Last choice -- use the "Find File" command to search your hard disk for the program. Click on the "desktop." Then choose "find" from the File menu.	Click the Start button and explore the branching menus, especially the "program" folder. Or choose Find File.
Get all these open windows out of the way?	Click the active-program icon in the top-right corner of the screen, and choose one of the "Hide" commands. Or double-click on the menu bar of any window to compress it like a "window-shade."	Note the small icons in the upper right corner of your window. The "X" closes a program or document window. The icon that looks like a box with a heavy line on the top edge will expand a window to full-screen, or shrink it to overlap with other windows. The icon with a small dark bar at the bottom will shrink the window down to a "button" in the task bar at the bottom of the screen, the closest Windows comes to the Mac's "Hide" command.
Write plain, simple ASCII text?	Use Teach Text, Simple Text or Microsoft Word, but use the "save as" command (not simple "save") and choose the "Text Only" file type.	Use Microsoft Word and use the "Save As" menu choice under the word "File" at the top of the screen. Type the name you want to use, then click on the choices of file types under the box where you just typed in the name. One of the first choices you should see is "Text Only." Don't be upset if you save your document as a Word File: you can always open it up again and resave it as a text file later.
Open a document or graphic quickly?	If you know where it is, open its folder and Click on the document icon.	If you know where it is, open its folder and Click on the document icon.
Find the document I just created?	If you're running the program that created the document, check its File menu for a list of recently created documents. Some Macs may have a "recent documents" icon on their Apple menu.	If you're running the program that created the document, check its File menu for a list of recently created documents. Otherwise, PCs may have a "documents" item on the Start menu.
Get my work back to my usual computer?	You have two choices: backing up to a floppy, and loading the material on your website. Let's look at these separately.	You have two choices: backing up to a floppy, and loading the material on your website. Let's look at these separately.
Put something on a floppy disk? Again, you have two choices on either computer. First, put your floppy disk into the computer. Then...	1. While in the program, use "Save AS" (under the File menu), then choose the destination disk from among your choices at the top of the list of files that will appear in the middle of the dialogue box. 2. Go to your desktop, locate the file (which should be in the Temp folder if the lab network locks you out of other folders), grab it by clicking and holding down the mouse button, and drag it to the icon that looks like a small diskette. When the diskette changes color (when you have the mouse pointer "over" the diskette icon) let go.	1. While in the program, use "Save AS" (under the File menu), then choose the destination disk from among your choices at the tope of the list of files that will appear in the middle of the dialogue box. 2. Locate the "My Computer" icon on your desktop (or in the Start menu). Double click to open (My Computer), and you should see an icon for "3 1/2 floppy A:" and another for disk C. Double click on the "C:" disk icon to find your document. It should be in the Temp folder if you're on a lab network that locks you out of other folders. "Grab" the file with your mouse (click and hold), and drag it to the icon for "Floppy A:" You also have a third (less Mac-like) choice, using the "File Manager" program. Its icon looks like a yellow file cabinet, and when you click on it, it it shows all of your folder and document icons in a two-pane window with the disk drive icons in the upper frame of the window.
Load items to my website?	Use Fetch. We'll go over this in class.	Use wsFTP. We'll go over this in class.
Check my email? On both systems you can Telnet to the Isis email server or any other campus email server where you have an account. Someone may have tried to be helpful by giving the "Telnet" program an "alias" or "shortcut" name of "email" or "Isis."	Locate the Telnet icon on the desktop or under the "Apple" in the upper left corner of the screen.	Locate the Telnet shortcut on the desktop or in the "Start," then "Programs" menu in the lower left corner of the screen.
Copy, cut and paste? Do it using the keyboard? (In both cases, first, highlight the word, series of words or image by dragging the mouse across it or clicking on it.)	See the copy, cut and paste commands on the Edit menu. Almost all programs use Cmd-X for cut; Cmd-C for copy; and Cmd-V for paste. The "Cmd" or "command" key is marked with a special symbol that looks like a highway cloverleaf intersection.	See the copy, cut and paste commands on the Edit menu. Almost all programs use Alt-X for cut; Alt-C for copy; and Alt-V for paste. The "Alt" key is at the far lower left of the keyboard.
Get to the Library catalog?	Two choices: Use Netscape or Telnet	Two choices: Use Netscape or Telnet
Undo what I've done? (This varies from program to program on both systems, but in most cases only allows you to "undo" the very last thing you've done."	Press Cmd-Z or F1 With some programs, the Undo command on the program's Edit menu will change to tell you what you're undoing.	Press Ctrl-Z or F1 With some programs, the Undo command on the program's Edit menu will change to tell you what you're undoing.