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Software I’m thankful for (2021)

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Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#341

Post by musicale »

smoldesu wrote: post #149
andrei_says_ wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you elaborate on the difference between Windows and MacOS in the context of multitasking?

MacOS uses a considerably different window metaphor than Windows does. This isn't bad , but I think it's fair to call it inherently more complicated than the stacking-windows model that Windows uses or the dead-simple "one app fills your screen" model of iOS/iPadOS. At least, that's the immediate problem I've seen family members point out with MacOS.

It may depend on what you're used to. Whenever I use Windows 10 I feel like I'm fighting a window manager which is constantly trying to eat up the whole screen, even for simple things like settings. I don't get that feeling on macOS or any of the Linux desktop environments that I use.

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#342

Post by musicale »

godshatter wrote: post #224

For me the list is: - Linux - gcc, vim, git, make, et al - KDE - firefox - yakuake (terminal that drops down like the old Quake console used to) - libre office - mpv - Steam and Proton (which have made gaming work very well on Linux and have contributed to the complete loss of all productivity gained by any of the above programs).

> Steam and Proton (which have made gaming work very well on Linux and have contributed to the complete loss of all productivity gained by any of the above programs).

;-)

Oddly enough I think we can thank Microsoft for creating a standard binary format for PC games on Linux. Now if we could just get a decent Proton (or equivalent) for macOS (CrossOver doesn't seem to work as well.)

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#343

Post by smoldesu »

musicale wrote: post #341
smoldesu wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MacOS uses a considerably different window metaphor than Windows does. This isn't bad , but I think it's fair to call it inherently more complicated than the stacking-windows model that Windows uses or the dead-simple "one app fills your screen" model of iOS/iPadOS. At least, that's the immediate problem I've seen family members point out with MacOS.

It may depend on what you're used to. Whenever I use Windows 10 I feel like I'm fighting a window manager which is constantly trying to eat up the whole screen, even for simple things like settings. I don't get that feeling on macOS or any of the Linux desktop environments that I use.

I think that's part of the appeal :)

Windows has always had inelegant desktop metaphors, but it's straightforwardness makes it very easy to understand. It's slow, but it's also easier to understand than typing random things into Spotlight and hoping you get what you want. I don't like Windows by any stretch of the imagination, but it really does "just work" moreso than MacOS or Linux these days.

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#344

Post by tryptophan »

CodeSgt wrote: post #215
bachmeier wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Linux is absolute freedom, but that comes with the cost of having to do much more than install, plug and play. You need to be a computer geek, or you need someone else to fix things for you. Hard disagree. Linux works extremely well for the person that only does basic computing. My mother, for instance, used Linux for years. Folks that need to do things like recompile a kernel in 2022 are way in the tail end of the…

I feel like linux only works for 2 categories of people: 1. The extreme laymen that do essentially nothing outside of the web browser 2. The tech savant that has the time, energy, and motivation to spend the countless hours required to get Linux to run anything sufficiently complex. Those in-between typically have the desire to do more than they are able to easily do OOTB with Linux, but also lack the technical abili…

I think you are right.

I tried linux recently. Was surprisingly nice in some ways...but constant bugs.

First it was my bluetooth being strange to pair. Then mouse movement/scrolling just felt wierd. Gnome file picker being shit. Then app scaling issues everywhere...

Just one annoyance after another. Not something I have the energy to deal with.

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#345

Post by [deleted] »

pipeline_peak wrote: post #289
preseinger wrote: post #271

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't see this as edgy pessimism, I see it as pragmatic optimism. The author isn't complaining about JSON, they're acknowledging JSON as the best choice despite its warts.

I understand his intention, but “the worst form of encoding” is pretty ridiculous.

[deleted]

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#346

Post by jamespo »

rocket_surgeron wrote: post #269
p4bl0 wrote: post #255

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would have agreed with that 15 and maybe 10 years ago. Nowadays, do you really think this is still true? At the university I work at some of the administrative staff with little to no technical knowledge are using Ubuntu and doing essentially the same thing they would on Windows or Mac, and that really not only web browsing, nor LibreOffice usage. For example they have to use custom horrible tools developed years a…

>I would have agreed with that 15 and maybe 10 years ago. Nowadays, do you really think this is still true? Last month we had six linux desktops at work fail to boot after an upgrade using the disto's built-in update manager because of video card driver issues. These were all workstations manned by data scientists with brains the size of planets who foolishly thought that keeping their systems up-to-date for security…

Well you won't have an unsupported videocard on a mac as you can't plug one in. One day you'll find your mac will no longer upgrade though.

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#347

Post by d3nj4l »

dividedbyzero wrote: post #126

The fish shell, makes using the shell feel almost painless. Hammerspoon, I use it to automatically switch audio devices based on context, so every call uses the best microphone currently available, window management via keystrokes, limiting media keys to Spotify, tons of other things. Indispensable. Arduino, I don't think I would be able to tinker with microcontrollers as much if I had to write C and use obscure tool…

If you don't mind me asking, why do you prefer Scala 3 specifically? What did it change over 2 that you made such a big difference?

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#348

Post by rocket_surgeron »

jamespo wrote: post #346
rocket_surgeron wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I would have agreed with that 15 and maybe 10 years ago. Nowadays, do you really think this is still true? Last month we had six linux desktops at work fail to boot after an upgrade using the disto's built-in update manager because of video card driver issues. These were all workstations manned by data scientists with brains the size of planets who foolishly thought that keeping their systems up-to-date for security…

Well you won't have an unsupported videocard on a mac as you can't plug one in. One day you'll find your mac will no longer upgrade though.

>Well you won't have an unsupported videocard on a mac as you can't plug one in.

“That’s… why I’m here.” (.gif)

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#349

Post by Aeolun »

Dalewyn wrote: post #135
bachmeier wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Linux is absolute freedom, but that comes with the cost of having to do much more than install, plug and play. You need to be a computer geek, or you need someone else to fix things for you. Hard disagree. Linux works extremely well for the person that only does basic computing. My mother, for instance, used Linux for years. Folks that need to do things like recompile a kernel in 2022 are way in the tail end of the…

My own experience with Linux is that it breaks from the most mundane of things, such that I wouldn't even dare suggest Linux to the average person because the tech support baggage that will ensue would be far more expensive to me than if they just used Windows.

And you know what? It’ll never update by itself unless you tell it to. It’s a very stable OS as long as you don’t mess with it.

Re: Software I’m thankful for (2021)

#350

Post by trasz »

ajkjk wrote: post #188
Dalewyn wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you roll your eyes at yourself whenever you, say, drive a car? We're surrounded by things that have their company's branding prominently plastered on them. Hell, stuff like luxury bags (eg: Louis Vuitton) exist specifically to flaunt a company's branding. Of course, it would be nice if we weren't surrounded by marketing and advertising everywhere all the time, but that's beside the point.

Uh, no, I don't; obviously aesthetic judgments are much more subtle than that. > but that's beside the point. uh that is precisely the point. Hence if there is some trivial way to avoid it, I like people who do it. For instance yeah your car has branding you can't avoid. But you know what you can avoid? Those stupid license plate holders that dealers put on to advertise themselves. Better than nothing.

Also, at least some of the car brands can be ordered without external model markings.
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