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Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

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Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#201

I used to be hardcore windows guy... Then 10 years ago I got a mac. I never went back.. But what am I saving money for right now? To build a nice PC again. Mostly because of the exact reasons in the article. I have a fondness for apple... but they have definitely lost their way. First, they were a computer company driven by a man who loved computers ("first" here is the Jobs return era) ... then they became a Compute…

>First, they were a computer company driven by a man who loved computers ("first" here is the Jobs return era) ... then they became a Computer company who also made a phone. Then they became a computer company who also made a phone and a tablet. Then they became a phone company who also made computers and tablets.

>Now they are a phone company who presides over the death throws of an amazing operating system that is going to be killed off to make it more like a phone. The new "features" every cycle are more "lets put this phone feature on the desktop"

I don't know much about this area, other than the little I have read, but didn't MS do somewhat the same thing - "lets put this phone feature on the desktop" - with Windows 8? Not sure if they reversed that in Windows 10. Interested to know.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#202

I'm not 100% happy with where Apple is at, but I don't think I ever was. But I'm not going to switch. I get the slickest hardware, great battery life, the best touchpad and keyboard, and a hi-resolution screen that doesn't have battery life, flicker, tint, or scaling issues. Windows is still...Windows. The bash subsystem is half-baked. Windows itself is still the same mess. Docking is still a joke. Performance is ter…

> Somehow I shut my laptop off and it booted backup to a failure message, I had to make another bootable USB and go online to find out how to do a fsck. I was using external monitors without issue for a month, and then one day the configuration changed to a point where I couldn't even use the laptop with it's built-in display. The sound and volume controls are a joke. I was prevented from installing any packages beca…

Seconding that. I have a hard time understanding why professionals would look down on an OS that gives the user pretty much all the power, which, let's remember was the seminal idea of personal computing. Interestingly, Linux comments are about 5% of the thread, which is also roughly the market share.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#203

Imo the Windows linux compatibility layer is a nice gesture, but there already existed stuff like Cygwin that did most of the stuff. I haven't really paid any attention to the feature set since I've only used Windows for games for past 5 years and ~6 months ago I gave up on Windows completely, but let's say it give you everything Linux gives you. You can just use rvm.io to install your ruby and then use gems to insta…

> but what front-end stuff needs that much power?

The old "640k should be enough for everyone" argument. I'm amazed after decades of continuous performance improvement in computing people are still making this argument.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#204
Oddly enough, I found that reading the article carefully made me consider switching to Windows LESS.

The author's primary issue seems to be the fact that Apple hasn't been packing the punch that is necessary for him, and that especially with his wanting to get started with VR the entire platform is a no-go for him atm. No arguments there.

But curiously, he spends the bulk of the article either explaining or talking about the things that he had to compensate or now has to deal with as part of his swtich: The fact that apps aren't as polished (and neither the OS itself), issues with installing drivers, Windows Bash that doesn't work quite 100%, etc., etc.

I switched several years ago as I was finishing college, and like the author am extremely disappointed in the fact that my MBP can't really do it for me when it comes to VR. Yet, as per his article, it seems that in just about every other meaningful way the Windows experience for me (and him) is worse.

More broadly speaking, just about every article I have read touting how great it was to switch "back" to Windows seems to follow this general trend; it seems as though everyone who switches is glad to be using machines with more juice behind them, yet it is clear the computing experience itself is worse. I can't help but feel that had there just been better graphics/ram options on the current mac lineup, that pretty much would kill any of the justifications I see for the switch.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#205

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wont buy a laptop without a magsafe or similar connection Check this out: https://griffintechnology.com/us/breaksafe-magnetic-usb-c-po...

I categorically refuse to pay more money to buy something to add on to an already overpriced laptop that sticks out from my computer's form factor and that should be built in. Fortunately for me I got a new laptop not long before this new abomination came out. If Apple doesn't correct this gigantic mistake, the next time I get a new laptop it won't be made by Apple.

Man you would absolutely hate to work any job that requires a serial connection then. Because let me tell you about the serial-to-USB adapters I've used... I wish I had the luxury of saying that I categorically refuse to pay more for something that sticks out of my computer that I think should be built in.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#206

I used to be hardcore windows guy... Then 10 years ago I got a mac. I never went back.. But what am I saving money for right now? To build a nice PC again. Mostly because of the exact reasons in the article. I have a fondness for apple... but they have definitely lost their way. First, they were a computer company driven by a man who loved computers ("first" here is the Jobs return era) ... then they became a Compute…

I too have become annoyed recently at really basic stuff not working in macOS, like I can't drag and drop a picture out of Photos app into Pixelmator to edit. In fact, dragging and dropping a picture out of Photos into any application is completely broken and doesn't work. Its as-if the Apple QA team no longer tests to make sure their applications play nice with each other in a way that has been fundamental to deskto…

Is it even possible to chose a photo out of your photo librry from a browser's file upload dialog? I don't think it is, when the photos are in iPhoto. How many steps does it take to get a picture off your camera, into iPhoto, then exported, and finally uploaded to Craigslist?

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#207

It is so funny to read these Apple vs. Windows discussions when you live outside of North America... The truth is that, for the rest of the world, "Apple platform" means only iOS, only the IPhone, nothing more. In Asia, Africa, Latin America and some parts of Europe, Macs and OSX are a rare species, most people spend years without even seeing a Mac computer "in the wild". They are used only for graphics editing and I…

PC penetration is about 10% in asia and africa. Is it exotic about talking about gadget which 90% of population does not own?

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair to HN, Apple laptops are very common in American universities too. It's not a purely Silicon Valley thing.

This is the view you have in most universities in the US, Canada and the UK http://i.imgur.com/xzEyLQB.jpg

For those unfamiliar with US geography, mizzou is not in California.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#209

I used to be hardcore windows guy... Then 10 years ago I got a mac. I never went back.. But what am I saving money for right now? To build a nice PC again. Mostly because of the exact reasons in the article. I have a fondness for apple... but they have definitely lost their way. First, they were a computer company driven by a man who loved computers ("first" here is the Jobs return era) ... then they became a Compute…

Buy a breakable USB cable? I've had MacBooks for 10 years, and I'm ecstatic to see MagSafe gone. Apple chargers have always been shit, and Apple laptops have never been compatible with off the shelf battery packs. Moving to USB-C and detachable, replaceable cables, is a huge step forward. Also, what PC alternative has a MagSafe equivalent?

People complain that Apple uses proprietary ports. They ditched MagSafe for USB-C and people still complained.

Re: Why I left Mac for Windows: Apple has given up

#210
post #71

I'm not 100% happy with where Apple is at, but I don't think I ever was. But I'm not going to switch. I get the slickest hardware, great battery life, the best touchpad and keyboard, and a hi-resolution screen that doesn't have battery life, flicker, tint, or scaling issues. Windows is still...Windows. The bash subsystem is half-baked. Windows itself is still the same mess. Docking is still a joke. Performance is ter…

Are you sure you're working off of recent, in-depth Windows experience? > I get the slickest hardware, great battery life, the best touchpad and keyboard, and a hi-resolution screen that doesn't have battery life, flicker, tint, or scaling issues. None of these things are universal among Windows machines. I can't remember which model, but a Verge review recently said that a Windows laptop had surpassed the best Mac (…

I've tried to use an app developed in 2014 with Windows's display scaling. Some buttons you need to be able to do anything end up being placed outside of the window, so you cannot click them.
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