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The End of OS X

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Re: The End of OS X

#281

Post by webmobdev »

cortesoft wrote: post #237
mstade wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep reading these types of comments on HN but I just can't relate. I consider myself a power user, and precisely because MacOS feels like the best of Unix combined with customer focus is why I'm wholly invested in the Apple ecosystem. I simply can't relate to the statement that Mac is a "platform that contends with me every step of the way" and I'm curious to know more specifically why you feel this way?

I recently ran into some trouble with some tools installed in /usr/bin a while ago, and wanted to try making some changes. Even with root, you can't touch /usr/bin. It took me way too long to try to figure out what was going on, and all the fixes were hacks.

Perhaps what you need is Gnu core utilities - https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/coreutils.html ?

Just install it with macports and you can use all the tools by prefixing it with a g - gls for ls, gdd for dd etc. Some of these tools are newer versions than on macOS and hence improved (as GPL3 prohibits Apple from including newer versions).

Re: The End of OS X

#282

Post by kn0where »

webmobdev wrote: post #272
davedx wrote: post #252

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use Safari as my main browser now due to the password generation/sharing with my iPhone. It's a killer feature for me.

Use a password manager. It's safer than trusting Apple or Google who are after your personal data.

Also worth noting is that with recent iOS versions, third party password managers are recognized at the OS level, and can be used with the same seamlessness as iCloud Keychain.

Re: The End of OS X

#283

Post by wayneftw »

lghh wrote: post #254
wayneftw wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Been running Manjaro Linux for 2 years now on 2 desktop workstations and 1 laptop. No fiddling needed. Everything just works. (I had to install one utility called libinput-gestures to use multi-touch gestures on the laptop.) Matter of fact, my life is easier with this setup than it ever was with macOS or Windows since every piece of software I need is in the package manager including official Chrome, Slack, Thunderbi…

Buying a laptop to run manjaro is a minefield. I have had some Just Work. Those were generally older laptops without dedicated graphics. I have had newer laptops fail to properly switch between graphics, rip through my battery, not reconnect to wifi after waking up forcing me to shut down and boot up every time I wanted it to sleep, have middling to poor touchpad drivers, not have the webcam work out of the box. For…

That's a good point.

I think the Arch wiki is a good resource for this. My laptop is listed here - https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Acer_Aspire_E5-575

I have the exceptionally cheap Acer E5-575g model (quad core i5) with RAM upgraded to 32gb and a 500gb Samsung EVO ssd. The touchpad is an Elantech.

If anyone knows another good site, please let me know - I'll be shopping for an upgrade early next year.

Re: The End of OS X

#284

Post by submeta »

banachtarski wrote: post #243
mstade wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep reading these types of comments on HN but I just can't relate. I consider myself a power user, and precisely because MacOS feels like the best of Unix combined with customer focus is why I'm wholly invested in the Apple ecosystem. I simply can't relate to the statement that Mac is a "platform that contends with me every step of the way" and I'm curious to know more specifically why you feel this way?

I just "use linux" and I get all the benefits with much better hardware (more memory, disk storage, speed for compilation), better drivers (important especially for GPU support for either graphics/rendering work or machine learning) and my downsides are... what exactly? Itunes, Mail, etc, none of the software shipping with MacOS is actually any good. I don't use Safari. From your perspective, what aspect of the "cust…

Software that is unique to MacOS:

- HoudahSpot (search files / documents)

- DEVONthink (document management system)

- Ulysses app (a markdown writing app; I know there are many, on many platforms)

- iA Writer (another markdown writer)

- Alfred App (automating)

- Keyboard Maestro (automating)

- AppleScript (automating)

- MailMate

- Things3 (task management)

- OmniOutliner

- OmniFocus

- OmniGraffle

- PDF Expert (reading / annotating pdfs)

- iTerm

- aText (text macros)

- Timing App (auto time tracking)

and many more.

Many of those apps have their equivalents in the Linux / Windows world, but their Mac pendents are imho much better.

Finally, it's the overall experience. Everyting is streamlined, everything works across iDevices, everything (mostly) works. I can't say it in a few sentences. Sitting in front of this machine, coding, writing, listening to music, that's a joy. I didn't have this feeling with a Windows machine (was a Windows and Ubuntu user until 2015).

Re: The End of OS X

#285

Post by FGTaboutOSx »

lordleft wrote: post #64

I've looked at the trajectory of Apple these past few years with mounting bitter-sweetness. At its best, MacOS really felt like the best of Unix combined with the consumer focus alluded to in the article. I still adore the craftsmanship of the latest Macbooks, but my 2015 Macbook felt like the apex of Mac's design. It was the kind of device that was such a pleasure to develop on. You could leverage the power of Unix…

Wow back to the UNIX morons. You're a hipster, basically just typing ls -l in the command-prompt all day, that's fantastic isn't it? You're "on UNIX" in the most retarded way. Get a real system. I recommend Arch, obviously, as any sane person would, but anything is better than Mac. Apple. How fucked up are you? Get a girl in some other way. No need to lug an apple laptop down the streets. Save you some money. Fucking asshole. You're a fucking moron dude. Get with the times and get with reality. Get a fucking whatever and install linux on it. You're just pathetic.

Re: The End of OS X

#286

Post by Yhippa »

codemonkey-zeta wrote: post #152

As a younger hacker, who has never been into the Apple ecosystem and doesn't know much about Steve Jobs, the video presentation of the funeral for MacOS 9 sort of blew me away. It was so funny and theatrical, but got the message of Apple's new direction across so clearly. You can even see people in the front rows standing up and gawking, trying desperately to figure out what was going on. What a fascinating productio…

Got a good link?

Re: The End of OS X

#287

Post by slmjkdbtl »

banachtarski wrote: post #243
mstade wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep reading these types of comments on HN but I just can't relate. I consider myself a power user, and precisely because MacOS feels like the best of Unix combined with customer focus is why I'm wholly invested in the Apple ecosystem. I simply can't relate to the statement that Mac is a "platform that contends with me every step of the way" and I'm curious to know more specifically why you feel this way?

I just "use linux" and I get all the benefits with much better hardware (more memory, disk storage, speed for compilation), better drivers (important especially for GPU support for either graphics/rendering work or machine learning) and my downsides are... what exactly? Itunes, Mail, etc, none of the software shipping with MacOS is actually any good. I don't use Safari. From your perspective, what aspect of the "cust…

Apps shipped with macOS are actually good imo, or there's just not a lot of better alternatives. Never found a better alternative for itunes or mail (used Thunderbird and mutt for a while and they're either bloat or have bad UX). macOS designers seem to be good at cramming functionalities (i know it's not unix philosophy) while making it not look bloat at all.

Re: The End of OS X

#288

Post by y7 »

banachtarski wrote: post #243
mstade wrote: post #148

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I keep reading these types of comments on HN but I just can't relate. I consider myself a power user, and precisely because MacOS feels like the best of Unix combined with customer focus is why I'm wholly invested in the Apple ecosystem. I simply can't relate to the statement that Mac is a "platform that contends with me every step of the way" and I'm curious to know more specifically why you feel this way?

I just "use linux" and I get all the benefits with much better hardware (more memory, disk storage, speed for compilation), better drivers (important especially for GPU support for either graphics/rendering work or machine learning) and my downsides are... what exactly? Itunes, Mail, etc, none of the software shipping with MacOS is actually any good. I don't use Safari. From your perspective, what aspect of the "cust…

Applications and hardware drivers on Mac just work. Even Homebrew works pretty nicely. The visuals of Mac are vastly superior to any flavor of Linux I've tried: smooth graphics, font rendering, HiDPI support, etc. Some aspects of Mac hardware (screen, touchpad) are very hard to come by with other manufacturers.

At this point I'll probably switch to Linux as soon as my 2015 Macbook stops working, but I would've really liked to stay with Apple.

Re: The End of OS X

#289

Post by oneplane »

ilikehurdles wrote: post #249
sudosysgen wrote: post #224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If SSDs don't fail, more RAM isn't needed, and so on, then why do people feel the need to buy a new laptop every three years? I think the percentage of users that would buy a new, 1500$+ machine instead of a small 100$ upgrade is much lower than one expects living in a bit of an echo chamber. There's a lot of people that get burned by outrageous repair prices or that buy new computers when they could simply upgrade a…

> why do people feel the need to buy a new laptop every three years? Beats me. You will often see comments in these threads about people (like me) using nearly decade-old Macbook Pros to this day. I stopped replacing laptops every 3 (or less) years after I stopped buying budget non-Apple laptops.

Some people probably have some write-off system, or perhaps resell them why the devices still have some value so they always are somewhere 'in the middle'.

I personally tend to keep my most recent device and the new device at the same time for about 2 years because of vendor lag (happens a lot with those classical software vendors that take months between software releases) and because I need the ability to compare between versions of both hardware and software. The newest device gets promoted daily driver (usually many benefits there, as they often are lighter yet more powerful). In general it means 2.25-ish devices per 10 years.

Other hardware, like SBCs tend to rotate out slower, but generic x86 platforms rotate out faster because if a critical component fails the labour for finding parts and replacing them is too much vs. buying up to date replacements. Luckily, due to lower usage of those machines they last longer, so technically the Apple hardware made the non-Apple hardware have a longer lifecycle in my case.

There is some irony in there as I do provide board-level repairs and the machines I work on for other people are ones I'd never personally invest in.

Re: The End of OS X

#290

Post by justaguyhere »

tootie wrote: post #121
parasubvert wrote: post #84

I personally think that the MacBook Pro 16 inch is the world’s best laptop, and look forward to see what the next generations can do. But the whole point has been MacOS. I’m not sure what to think of the changes. If they stabilize the mess that was Catalina, then they’re doing the right things, even with the increased iOS-ification of the Mac. If they just slap more Windows 8 style touch gloss on deep and unresolvabl…

I spent $800 on a new Win 10 laptop with an entry-level NVIDIA GPU plus an extra memory stick. Installing the memory took about 10 minutes and was easy enough for my 11-year-old to do herself. It can stream and video conference at once without even getting warm. It can play mid-tier 3d games pretty comfortably. The MBP is so hot its painful. 15 minutes of Zoom or Minecraft is too much. I only need it because I need t…

Nothing can be upgraded on Macs - SSD, memory. Maybe Mac users do not care, but the most annoying thing about this is that others are copying Apple. Even the legendary thinkpads, some of them are soldered and non upgradeable. Even the screws on Macs are non standard. We've to use dongles for everything.

For this alone, it is better to get windows hardware. They are pretty good these days and cost a lot less. Plus there are lots of interesting things going on - second screens for example.

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