Entering The World of Mac

Success stories like Mike’s show that making the jump isn’t as hard as it used to be. For those making the change, the first 30 days could be a make-or-break point. “The first month is so important,” says Scott Knaster, known as a Mac guru and author of Mac Toys. “It’s the time when you’re going to learn the most. Frankly, it’s the toughest. You will feel like the new kid in class—you came in the middle of the year. But know if you stick with it, it does get better.“

Techno-Stress

Who doesn’t freak out at the mere sight of a new TV with a complicated remote or a new cell phone with tiny buttons? Going through the first 30 days of switching to a Mac, you’ll likely feel a certain level of irritation in trying to learn how to use this new computer. This phenomenon is called “techno-stress,” coined by Larry Rosen, Ph.D., author of TechnoStress: Coping with Technology @Work @Home @Play. Users commonly experience techno-stress when they can’t find a file or when having difficulty installing a program.

“Even if you know how to do things on a PC, this change provides a layer of stress and negative anticipation,” says Rosen. “People think ‘What if I look stupid?’ The more different it is from what they understand about technology, the more difficult it will be to make the change. It will add even more stress.”

Every switcher’s stress level will vary. And it’s not exclusive to novice computer users either; even highly tech-savvy people get stressed out when learning how to use new devices.