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If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

macworld.com

51–60 of 536 posts

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#51

One important thing not mentioned here: Apple should make sure to keep up Safari Development. It's by far the worst browser available and the web platform is only growing.

On a Mac, Safari is the best browser (as defined by being fast, battery efficient and native app) by a far margin compared to other mainstream choices, only matched by the Orion browser (but I may be biased).

Since Internet Explorer is not supported anymore by most websites Safari has become the new worst browser in regards to having really bad CSS and Web API Support.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#52
post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is always behind on web technologies and hasn't implemented may features that have been around for a while. It only gets updated once a year, so any updates they do make are slow to hit users. This wouldn't be so bad if they were more up to date with Firefox and Chrome.

Is it behind web technologies or is it behind Google Chrome Features ?

Answer is both

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#53
post #17
post #6

I have a few issues with Apple software, but with AirPods Pro they recently added an AI-driven voice isolation mode which was an incredible change. Went from the other side barely being able to hear you when you were speaking in a noisy environment to feeling like you were in a quiet room together. Massive quality of life improvement and increased competitive moat from better software.

My AirPods almost never connect automatically to my phone when trying to take a call. I've since just reverted to the wired set when talking on the phone. Awful.

You're probably in the minority there, I've seen complaints few and far between about AirPods connectivity, but lots of glowing praise for. Personally, AirPods UX is better than any other Bluetooth product I've used.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#54
post #5

One important thing not mentioned here: Apple should make sure to keep up Safari Development. It's by far the worst browser available and the web platform is only growing.

Care to elaborate?

For iPad oh boy they sure added new niceties such as:

- Not being able to click a tab unless you drag it to the center of the tab bar

- Make a "drag a link/anchor into a new window" feature; except it triggers way too easily from ordinary scrolling, forcing you to spend the next 15-30 seconds figuring out how the FUCK do you close it with an non-obvious swipe gesture. Apparently buttons with "Close" or a big X are too complicated.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#55

Yesterday I prepared a few years old Windows laptop for my daughter to use in school. It took me a few hours just to install updates, remove bloatware (my oh my, the amount is staggering!) and fix privacy settings. And this was for Windows 10 which I hear is a mild version of a mess that Windows 11 is. I was instantly reminded why I appreciate Apple software more.

Yeah that sucks, but on OSX side I have to restart my computer every week or so because of forced updates. Restarting really is a big deal for me as my workspace consists of several dozen open windows, some of them I have to login, navigate to a particular place, etc... also you lose your train of thought. It has gotten that bad for me, that I have to take screenshots before restarting every time, so I don't lose tra…

> Yeah that sucks, but on OSX side I have to restart my computer every week or so because of forced updates.

Huh? I think I restart my Mac for updates perhaps quarterly, and I can't recall it ever being forced.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#56
post #8

This is just a guy griping about his bugs. Apple’s software quality is by far the best among competitors (Facebook’s is better but not really an Apple competitor).

That OS bubble you are in isn't making you any favours.

I use Windows, Linux, MacOS, and iOS -- only major OS I don't use is Android.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#57
Apple needs to re-hash their ancient process for handling bugs and remove the entrenchment around Radar, internally and externally. Stop outsourcing your internal tools overseas and telling product engineers ‘it is like it is’. That clearly didn’t work with customers (re: MacBook feature reversals), it also doesn’t work with engineers. Allow engineers to scratch their own itch, and solve these complexity problems in the stack. Fix the back-office mechanisms and SIMPLIFY. Stop building features on sandcastles to pretend they’re concrete.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#58
post #3

Apple's software quality has certainly slipped. I'm not sure if I'm just getting old but I find software quality in general seems to have slipped. Or is it just because there's more software around?

It feels industry-wide to me. Quality was never a high priority, but in the past decade it’s fallen that much further. Everything has become centered around shoveling as much code as possible as quickly as possible, with little to no regard for how well it works. Nobody cares if it requires obscene amounts of memory, turns laptops into furnaces, and functions correctly only half the time so long as it’s getting shipped quickly.

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#59

Yesterday I prepared a few years old Windows laptop for my daughter to use in school. It took me a few hours just to install updates, remove bloatware (my oh my, the amount is staggering!) and fix privacy settings. And this was for Windows 10 which I hear is a mild version of a mess that Windows 11 is. I was instantly reminded why I appreciate Apple software more.

1. Yes first thing I run if I ever have to use a Windows PC is this little gem called Shutup 10 (1).

2. Then there is another software called 10AppsManager (2) to remove further bloatware like Onedrive, Skype, etc.

3. After that I visit ninite.com (3) to get the usual software without toolbars and spyware.

4. For other software like ffmpeg I use choco or chocolatey (4).

I am now a full time linux user but this was the least painful way to get my PC running before that. I'm sure things have changed or improved since, but this really worked for me 2 years ago.. hope this helps someone.

(1) https://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10

(2) https://www.thewindowsclub.com/10appsmanager-windows-10

(3) https://www.ninite.com

(4) https://chocolatey.org/

Re: If Apple keeps letting its software slip, the next big thing won’t matter

#60
post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Definitely not defending windows here, but don't you find that macs come with bloatware as well? Safari, apple music, maps, etc - some of which you cannot uninstall as well.

The difference is that none of that stuff is running in the background when you aren't using it. Maps doesn't take up a global menu slot. Apple Music doesn't open unless you explicitly open it (unless you happen to hit an Apple Music URL on the web). You can ignore it and it doesn't bother you. Whereas on Windows, bloatware tends to add a Start menu icon, tray icon, background process, startup item, etc. And Apple's…

I never found a way of disabling the automatic starting of iTunes when you press the play/pause button on the keyboard. How do I choose my own music player app?

And my new Mac has things like (can't remember exactly) 'musiccreationd'.

These count as 'startup items' to me.

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