First, where's the start menu? I know it's not really a "start" menu but it is the Apple menu. It looks like this:
in the top bar, otherwise known as the menu bar, which looks like this with my active application as Opera. The menu bar may vary depending on your software and your operating system. I'm using Leopard, but the Mountain Lion has the user name and allows switching users.
Menu bar:
Then from the Apple menu you can log out, shut down, restart, etc.
Next, where's the "applications" bar? Actually... it's the Dock. This is my dock with Finder, System Preferences, Pages (iWork), Opera, Google Chrome, Stainless (web browser), Safari, Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel (all Microsoft Office), Calculator, IDLE (Python Editor), Terminal (cmd instead bash shell), XCode (iWork), Dictionary, Calendar, Rosetta Stone, Photo Booth, Keynote (iWork), Avast!, and Trash.
These are the applications you KEEP in your Dock. When an application is running, you can hold it and choose the "Keep In Dock" option to keep it in your dock.
Next, how do you actually launch an application that's not in your Dock? (In your Dock just press the icon.)
Use Spotlight in the menu bar. It is the search icon in the menu bar.
Search up the name of the application:
This is Chapter 1 of Guide: Switching From Windows to Mac.
