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The day Windows died

thomasbandt.com

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Re: The day Windows died

#331

Post by rf15 »

localghost3000 wrote: post #167

I am sure I will get all kinds of hate for saying this: despite the extra up front cost, apple stuff is a better value. Lets take device lifetime: I have a 2013 MBP 15 and 2015 MBP 15. I use them for intensive things like music production. Both devices work flawlessly. I also a System 76 Oryx Pro which cost more than any mac I own. The webcam failed 5 months in, several keys don't work anymore, and it gets hotter tha…

I was born in the late 80s. As I grew up, my parents worked on Windows Machines, and so did the teachers at my school. Macs were just these funny, cute and colorful machines, curiosities more than serious workstations. Even Linux I mostly used to have a system to tinker with. When the first OS X Macbooks and later the iPhone came, I developed the opinion that they're mostly over-expensive status symbols, and I hated Apple for forcing themselves into the education system, especially the arts. I would never stoop so low to support a company with such questionable drive and social impact.

This opinion has not necessarily changed as much as Windows has just descended into full blown subscription-trap-ridden spyware with more ads than your average website.

My next laptop will probably be a mac, and my desktop workstation will stay on win 10/linux as long as possible, a repeat of the XP era. I'm honestly tired of fighting the OS I want to work on at every step. (and yes that also includes fighting all the little problems you have trying to make linux usable: audio, bluetooth, x/wayland)

Re: The day Windows died

#332

Post by apatheticonion »

It's really sad that there is no where for us to go in the desktop OS space right now.

I, weirdly, daily drive all 3 OSes.

MacOS; Work issued laptop and longish-time user (about 6 years with it).

Windows; Desktop PC mostly for games. I've been using Windows since I could walk.

Fedora; Desktop PC, dual booted which I use for most everything else.

I cannot believe how much of a dumpster fire Windows has become. From the ads to the degradation of basic desktop functionality - it's become so arduous to deal with.

MacOS is better, but it still very annoying to deal with in a lot of ways. Apple are certainly set on degrading the user experience and in general neglect much needed feature additions.

Fedora is fantastic, but no matter how much I love it, Linux is janky.

I am looking at Linux and hoping that it saves the desktop OS experience - because it's very clear that both Microsoft and Apple are not interested.

MacOS ties me over until then - but I can't even game on my Apple Silicon MacBook Pro now, so when I travel I have to bring two computers with me...

Re: The day Windows died

#333

Post by deely3 »

nbzso wrote: post #307

Hostile personal computing is here to stay. Dark patterns are prerequisite for commercial OS nowadays. Outside the usual "work" scenario, there is no sane tech person who is not aware of this and is not using Linux. The idea that Macs are somehow better is obvious when installing Little Snitch. These are the data hoarders for the common people. My kid will know what is a terminal before it touches iPad or iPhone.

Bragging a bit?

> My kid will know what is a terminal before it touches iPad or iPhone.

Why? Why they should know terminal?

> there is no sane tech person who is not aware of this and is not using Linux

Whoa. Which Linux opensource phone your family use?

Re: The day Windows died

#334

Post by bluescarni »

bobbylarrybobby wrote: post #225
qbasic_forever wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Arguably they'll be learning more valuable skills than some of the schoolwork teaches.

Computers are tools. You're supposed to learn them because they make you better at something else. There is no virtue in being a Linux wizard; if anything it's a stain on Linux that wizards are even a thing.

"Hacker" news, ladies and gentlemen.

Re: The day Windows died

#335

Post by summerlight »

For me the only reason to keep Windows as a personal computing machine is game if I don't count path dependencies. There used to be a good number of other reasons but most of them have gotten obsoleted thanks to other competitors. Meanwhile, it looks like they've introduced lots of new reasons not to use it. I feel grateful to my good old Skylake processor which prevented me from upgrading to Win 11.

Re: The day Windows died

#336

Post by 1attice »

Longtime devout linux user here.

I've recently switched from Gnome 40 to KDE Plasma, and I'm really enjoying being able to configure and break things again. It scratches the same itch that Windows used to, but better.

And, as OP points out, it doesn't spam you with social apps or fscked up newsreel

Re: The day Windows died

#337

Post by theK »

apatheticonion wrote: post #332

It's really sad that there is no where for us to go in the desktop OS space right now. I, weirdly, daily drive all 3 OSes. MacOS; Work issued laptop and longish-time user (about 6 years with it). Windows; Desktop PC mostly for games. I've been using Windows since I could walk. Fedora; Desktop PC, dual booted which I use for most everything else. I cannot believe how much of a dumpster fire Windows has become. From th…

I disagree. I think the Desktop world right now is better than ever.

If you don't care, just use windows

If you want to be a creative type use a Mac

If you are a tinkerer just go straight to linux.

The thing is, even Linux has a great noob experience right now if you pick a starter distro (elementary, ubuntu, etc). And if you think "imnnot in any of these categories" then you are probably only going to be happy with the first two, so flip a coin or decide on budget.

Re: The day Windows died

#338

Post by Dalewyn »

ChancyChance wrote: post #289
wruza wrote: post #278

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A contrary anecdote: I used mac for like 7 years, linux (and bsd) for around the same. Both full-commit, main system. And obviously windows, which was always somewhere in a background all this time. I settled on windows 10 and do not plan to move away from it. MSYS2 adds the linux part, because I don’t really care about kernel or fs, linux means gnu/coreutils to me. And if you like gaming, fresh or non-standard hardw…

> But at least “yes, it can do that” That's a good point. Hardware failures are far more costly on a Mac that on a windows machine. I'm so far removed from that being an issue (because I'm old) that it is a privilege I forget I have. Duly noted. Cygwin/MSYS/Mingw are really sad reflections of their source material. Not to take a big crap on the millions of man hours the developers have put into them, but they are not…

It's really all about the perspective.

I'm a Windows wizard of many a decades and fucking hate iPhones and iPads, but finally got around to buying a Macbook to try it thanks to the sheer hype surrounding the Apple M chips.

My understanding of Macs now is that I hate them but also respect them. What do I mean by this? Well, I have gripes, lots of them; but I'm a power user and here's the kicker: Macs are not intended for power users, I'm not my Macbook's intended customer.

No, Macs are clearly intended for the moms and pops, the common man who treats computers like any other tool or appliance around the house or workplace. Once I understood that and re-evaluated what I had in front of me, I could not deny that Macs are superior to Windows (and Linux) for their intended audience.

Complete computer illiterate guy or gal come to ask me for advice on buying a computer? I'll tell them to go and buy a Mac. Macs Just Work(tm), and that virtue is invaluable for anyone who can't or doesn't want to mess around with their computers.

Something breaks in the Macbook? Just throw it away and buy a new one. The common man doesn't care for messing with the computer, it's an appliance and he has things that need doing, and Macs will satisfy that demand.

Yes, a Mac user has to subscribe to the One Apple Way(tm), it's a hard requirement of getting into the Apple ecosystem. But the common man doesn't care, he has more pressing matters on his mind.

Re: The day Windows died

#339

Post by deafpolygon »

deely3 wrote: post #333
nbzso wrote: post #307

Hostile personal computing is here to stay. Dark patterns are prerequisite for commercial OS nowadays. Outside the usual "work" scenario, there is no sane tech person who is not aware of this and is not using Linux. The idea that Macs are somehow better is obvious when installing Little Snitch. These are the data hoarders for the common people. My kid will know what is a terminal before it touches iPad or iPhone.

Bragging a bit? > My kid will know what is a terminal before it touches iPad or iPhone. Why? Why they should know terminal? > there is no sane tech person who is not aware of this and is not using Linux Whoa. Which Linux opensource phone your family use?

Most likely the kid will learn iPad before anything else. Or a mobile OS touch interface. You can't stop them from interacting with their friends, who will definitely have this. They won't have any interest in terminal interfaces until much later.

Re: The day Windows died

#340

Post by vips7L »

lannisterstark wrote: post #326
FridayoLeary wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had one once. I honestly thought it was awful.I respect that your experiences may have been different but I found it painfully slow and bulky. The detachable battery broke as well and had to be held in place by tape. I opened it once and it looked like a bunch of bits arranged to look like a laptop. Anyone who has seen the elegant neatness of the inside of a Mac will understand what I mean.

>elegant neatness of the inside of a Mac I get your point but this is pretty irrelevant to many people who want the machine to work. Function over form or some such. I'd rather have a durable, repairable machine than a "pretty" machine that allows me virtually 0 upgrades or I have to eat the cost of hundreds of dollars every time I have to send it to Apple care. The thonkpads I have are fairly repairable, durable, an…

OTOH my current Thinkpad T14 is the most beautiful laptop I’ve ever used. It’s sleek and definitely has “elegant neatness”.

I think most people who write these comments are just comparing a 2002 thinkpad to 2023 mac.

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