Making the Switch: how Windows GPT helped me transition from Mac to Windows

Last year, I tried to switch from Mac to Windows. It was a disaster. The clunky interface, the shortcuts that didn’t map, the lack of my familiar Unix environment—everything slowed me down. As a programmer who relies on speed and efficiency, I had to throw in the towel and go back to my Mac to stay productive.

Fast forward to this year: the IT department gently reminded me that my “Mac exception” had run its course. It was time to face the music and move to Windows for good (and comply with our IT guidelines).

Enter: Windows GPT. This time, the switch was smoother, and it wasn’t because my Lenovo machine magically improved (spoiler: it didn’t). The screen’s still dim, the resolution could be better, the trackpad is a mess, and the German keyboard… let’s just say typing symbols ([] {}) just requires more key strokes.

What’s the difference now? I had someone to guide me through the quirks.

Keyboards Over Mice (My GPT prompts)

I work like a programmer, which means I like to do most things with the keyboard. On my Mac, everything from opening apps to switching between them was a breeze thanks to my love for shortcuts. Windows GPT helped me replicate that flow, showing me the Windows equivalents of my favorite Mac shortcuts, and even a few new tricks that kept my hands on the keys instead of the trackpad (thank god). When I forget, I just ask again and get an answer in seconds instead of looking through a shortcut cheatsheet.

WSL and Ruby on Windows

Getting my dev environment set up was another huge hurdle. Windows GPT walked me through setting up WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), so now I’ve got a proper Linux terminal running inside my Windows machine. Installing Ruby was straightforward, and I was running scripts within no time. I imagine I sunk Google’s revenue for the quarter by 1 / googol. I search less and spend more time asking questions.

The Path Puzzle

Windows GPT also helped me navigate the weirdness of path mapping between Windows and Linux. Why it isn’t standard behavior to automatically convert paths from one system to the other, I have no idea, but GPT helped me figure out the quirks and got everything talking to each other.

# Windows
nvim C:\Users\YourUsername\Projects\test.rb

# WSL
nvim /mnt/c/Users/YourUsername/Projects/test.rb        

The Difference This Time

Look, I’m not saying Windows is perfect. The hardware I’m using is sub-par, and the Mac still feels like home in many ways. The Mac imputes “produce greatness” the Lenovo says “do your best with what you’ve got”. But with Windows GPT, the transition this time was a lot faster and less painful. The efficiency I need as a programmer is back, and I can focus on getting my work done instead of constantly Googling “Windows shortcut for [insert basic Mac function].”

Would I choose Windows over a Mac if I had a say in it? Not yet. For now, Windows GPT has made it possible for me to stay productive without losing my mind—and for that, I’m grateful.