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Make macOS consistently bad unironically

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Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#391

Post by PennRobotics »

contextfree wrote: post #388
PennRobotics wrote: post #386

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The perfect design is no rounded corners. anywhere. ever.

How do you tell a snapped window from a free-floating window in that case?

I've never really needed that, or I don't understand the need for there to be a difference. I typically tile windows into each corner based on how large I need them. When I need more than 4, I'll manually place them.

What I do notice is the wasted space needed by the entire window border to accommodate rounded corners and how annoying it is to grab a window handle in e.g. Ubuntu w/ GNOME because you're clicking/touching where the corner would be (but isn't, because it's round).

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#392

Post by rafram »

hbn wrote: post #390
rafram wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

These inconsistent corner radii are actually intentional, FWIW - the radius depends on the window’s function (main, utility, etc.). I don’t think it looks great, but there’s no lack of attention to detail.

I'm not sure where you got that idea. The inconsistency is from a few years ago when they pushed for rounding the windows more than they have been for years, and then a further rounding in Tahoe, but not all developers following suit. All of Apple's own apps use the latest iPad/Fisher Price-esque border radius, but most third party apps are not. I can compare Safari to System Settings and they have the same new round…

From Apple's own documentation: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/310/

(Search for "radius" in the transcript.)

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#393

Post by hbn »

rafram wrote: post #392
hbn wrote: post #390

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure where you got that idea. The inconsistency is from a few years ago when they pushed for rounding the windows more than they have been for years, and then a further rounding in Tahoe, but not all developers following suit. All of Apple's own apps use the latest iPad/Fisher Price-esque border radius, but most third party apps are not. I can compare Safari to System Settings and they have the same new round…

From Apple's own documentation: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/310/ (Search for "radius" in the transcript.)

Well I'll admit I had no idea it was intentional but it doesn't make me any less horrified that it is

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#394

Post by slowmovintarget »

hskalin wrote: post #346
bengale wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think for a lot of us mac users we never get contact with another OS so it can seem like the world is ending. Reality is the Tahoe is terrible compared to older versions, but still incredible compared to others. IMHO as ever.

As a lifelong windows (upto 10) and linux user, no I did not find MacOS (using as the primary os since 7 months) incredible in any sense of word in comparison. Only thing I like is the mac hardware

Windows 7 was the last great Windows (it took the best of NT4 and 2000 and put it in a consumer package), and like you, I've used them all (Bob doesn't count). I lived with 10 for a long time, and Microsoft was trying to shoe-horn a lot of the nonsense you see in 11 into it. Ads on the Start Menu, and the dock.

But they've gone full-tilt Bozo with 11. The ability to deliver such an experience to their advertisers and marketing resellers was the whole reason for its existence. That is, 11 is about what Microsoft can get from its users, not about letting them use their own computer. It is no longer a suitable personal computing OS.

Warts and usability issues are present in Tahoe, and I wish Apple hadn't made the choices they've made on the UX, but Tahoe remains closer to being something for the user than Windows is.

Linux is generally for the sake of operating a computer (I didn't forget the user, but Linux--sweeps hand--makes the assumption that it's users are developers). That's what's so surprising about the age verification push in some Linux distributions (and their attendant bans for disagreement in the mailing lists or on GitHub).

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#395

Post by hombre_fatal »

opan wrote: post #231
hombre_fatal wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something I realized after spending a few months in sway (i3) and then niri is that I only care about a few windows (code editor, terminal, browser, apps I use moment to moment). All the rest I'd prefer to just summon as-needed and then dismiss without navigating away from the windows I care about. sway/niri want me to tile every window into some top-level spot. Took me a while to admit it, but the usual Windows/macO…

In sway, put the lower priority windows in another workspace, or the scratchpad, or in tabs/stacks. You can bind keys to focus specific programs by their appid/class also, so even if they're on another workspace or monitor it'll jump right there. It sounds like the scratchpad may be especially close to what you want.

Your sway solutions are hacks around the MRU stack of a stacking desktop environment though.

I don't want to leave the workspace nor go find which tab/stack I've put Spotify just to use it. And scratchpad is no better since I'd have to do an explicit summon/dismiss cycle between workspace and scratchpad just to recreate behavior I already have on a normal desktop env.

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#396

Post by hombre_fatal »

yepguy wrote: post #239
hombre_fatal wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something I realized after spending a few months in sway (i3) and then niri is that I only care about a few windows (code editor, terminal, browser, apps I use moment to moment). All the rest I'd prefer to just summon as-needed and then dismiss without navigating away from the windows I care about. sway/niri want me to tile every window into some top-level spot. Took me a while to admit it, but the usual Windows/macO…

I'm surprised to hear that niri didn't work for you, I feel like it's a really good middle ground between tiling and floating window managers. It handles a lot of window resizing and arranging for me, without being too rigid. Windows can have any width they need without having to evenly divide my monitor.

Niri is a great system for spawning windows.

But it answers the question of:

"Alright, whenever I want the $app window, I just go to column X of workspace Y"

Which isn't something I want for 99% of the windows I have open.

Most of my app interactions are transient where I prefer "summon $app from the ether without navigating anywhere".

For example, here are low priority apps I have open: calendar, discord, whatsapp, notes, journal, database gui.

Niri would make me find a place to put these apps in the top level and then navigate to them which doesn't match their transient nature.

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#397

Post by yepguy »

hombre_fatal wrote: post #396
yepguy wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm surprised to hear that niri didn't work for you, I feel like it's a really good middle ground between tiling and floating window managers. It handles a lot of window resizing and arranging for me, without being too rigid. Windows can have any width they need without having to evenly divide my monitor.

Niri is a great system for spawning windows. But it answers the question of: "Alright, whenever I want the $app window, I just go to column X of workspace Y" Which isn't something I want for 99% of the windows I have open. Most of my app interactions are transient where I prefer "summon $app from the ether without navigating anywhere". For example, here are low priority apps I have open: calendar, discord, whatsapp,…

Makes sense I guess. I mostly work with a few long-lived applications, and I hate having to do any manual window management myself.

I'm fairly sure you could use scripting to come up with a Niri workflow that worked for your use case. Maybe something like niri-scratchpad (https://github.com/Vizkid04/niri-scratchpad). But I sympathize if you don't want to spend a ton of time experimenting with your tools when you already have something that works for you.

Re: Make macOS consistently bad unironically

#398

Post by nomel »

DaiPlusPlus wrote: post #383
tgv wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

macOS does precisely that out of the box, doesn't it? You have to change some settings to run other software. I've got it set to: allow notarized, warn for internet downloads (even if notarized), everything else after explicit permission.

The NodeJS ARM executable can be signed by Apple; but that has no bearing on the JS code in NPM packages you’d be running. Native code-signing only protects native entrypoints.

You have to give NodeJS, somewhat individual, access to the system by clicking various prompts that pop up the first time it tries to access some things, in a relatively naggy way. This includes incoming network access. You also have to give terminal access to do anything.

So there's explicit permission, that you granted, involved.

But, I understand your point, and agree. It should be possible, I just doubt think it works result in something anyone would use. There's obviously a compromise between security and letting developers use their computer in ways that aren't possible on an iPad.

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