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I agree with the observations. On a more technical level: I find it astonishing how bad AirDrop is. I am typing this on a brand new MacBook Pro, and I can't se

I agree with the observations. On a more technical level: I find it astonishing how bad AirDrop is. I am typing this on a brand new MacBook Pro, and I can't send files to my equally brand new iPhone 6. I tried, multiple times, it simply doesn't work. Googling the issues tells me I'm not alone. Not a huge issue, but there was a time when this would have been unthinkable. Also, iTunes. Just give it the bullet. Please. Oh, and Finder - kill it with fire will ya? Windows Explorer is still better, which is embarrassing.

Skunkleton 11y ago
Wifi related things in general seem to give the iPhone a challenge. Handoff for example took a device reset to get working properly.
newjersey 11y ago
> I can't send files to my equally brand new iPhone 6 I think the main issue is that Apple wants to abstract the idea of files and a filesystem away... at least on iOS devices. While Apple does not say it in as many words, here is a quote straight from the horse's mouth: > The iOS file system is geared toward apps running on their own. To keep the system simple, users of iOS devices do not have direct access to the file system and apps are expected to follow this convention. https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/FileSystemOverview/FileSystemOverview.html https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/FileMa...
- arrrg 11y ago
  Air Drop not working is a technical bug. It should work (but often randomly doesn’t for no discernible reason).
  - mercer 11y ago
    Agreed, but I think quite of these bugs are very much the result of Apple not really caring enough. They have their focus, and sadly for many of us, it appears to be iOS over mac, and the iOS approach to files over a filesystem. I don't think this is a new thing. The Finder is terrible, and has been for a long time. iPhoto hasn't been great for me either, nor iTunes. But if I look at how most of the less-geeky users (and I suppose the majority of Apple users) around me use their macs, I kind of get it. They don't use iPhoto, iTunes and Finder the way I do, so they don't generally have issues or miss features that I do miss. For the most part I can live with this situation, because the upside is that Apple's focus (and resulting neglect of other things) can lead to really great things. I love iOS and even though I have and would happily use an Android device, I am still willing to pay a premium for an Apple device. A lot of the most common use-cases, for me at least, are still superior within the Apple ecosystem. I'm enough of a 'common user' most of the time to accept the horrible experience whenever I step out of this role. For now, Apple feels a bit like those (new?) companies/startups that send you packages of ingredients with recipes once a week so you can cook a few quite good (but relatively pricy) meals throughout the week with little fuss. The experience is good, the result is healthy and fresh even though it feels a bit... extravagant/excessive sometimes. But for people like me who don't want prepackaged meals, but who also don't like cooking from scratch all the time (especially not just for myself), it's a good solution. The problem Apple is facing right now is that for whatever reason too much of the stuff they do focus on, and too much of their essential functionality, has been slipping, and if the continue on this track, they'll turn into McDonalds. And I don't go to McDonalds, because it's both unhealthy and strangely expensive. I'd just go back to cooking from scratch.
casion 11y ago
Could you elaborate on what you prefer about explorer over finder?
- Kluny 11y ago
  You can paste a filepath in the top bar as you would paste a URL. There's also the window snapping, which is not specific to Explorer, but is awesome. Those two features are absolutely killer. I'm not ready to switch from a Mac yet, but I have to agree with the article that the overall Mac situation seems to be getting worse.
  - chc 11y ago
    In the Finder, you can hit command-shift-G and paste a path too. (Not disagreeing, just a (hopefully) helpful tip.)
    - Kluny 11y ago
      Nice! Thanks for the tip.
    - secstate 11y ago
      That's pretty much exactly what the OP is complaining about. Sure you can do that, but Cmd+Shift+G? Not the most discoverable interface in the world.
      - mcphage 11y ago
        It's also in the "Go" menu, under "Go to Folder...". Which, sure, you'd have to want that feature to go looking for it, but if you did search for it in the interface, it's pretty clearly the obvious place to look.
        scott_karana 11y ago
        The Go to Folder feature does not show the current path when you're in a Finder window. In Windows, you can modify the path, eg, change from C:\Users\Scott\Desktop to C:\Users\Fred\Desktop easily just by selecting and typing. In OSX, the Go To Folder dialogue remembers the last path you entered. So yet another step to drag the current Finder's folder icon into it, and then modify. For example.

Skunkleton 11y ago

Wifi related things in general seem to give the iPhone a challenge. Handoff for example took a device reset to get working properly.

newjersey 11y ago

> I can't send files to my equally brand new iPhone 6 I think the main issue is that Apple wants to abstract the idea of files and a filesystem away... at least on iOS devices. While Apple does not say it in as many words, here is a quote straight from the horse's mouth: > The iOS file system is geared toward apps running on their own. To keep the system simple, users of iOS devices do not have direct access to the file system and apps are expected to follow this convention. https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/FileManagement/Conceptual/FileSystemProgrammingGuide/FileSystemOverview/FileSystemOverview.html https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/FileMa...

arrrg 11y ago
Air Drop not working is a technical bug. It should work (but often randomly doesn’t for no discernible reason).
- mercer 11y ago
  Agreed, but I think quite of these bugs are very much the result of Apple not really caring enough. They have their focus, and sadly for many of us, it appears to be iOS over mac, and the iOS approach to files over a filesystem. I don't think this is a new thing. The Finder is terrible, and has been for a long time. iPhoto hasn't been great for me either, nor iTunes. But if I look at how most of the less-geeky users (and I suppose the majority of Apple users) around me use their macs, I kind of get it. They don't use iPhoto, iTunes and Finder the way I do, so they don't generally have issues or miss features that I do miss. For the most part I can live with this situation, because the upside is that Apple's focus (and resulting neglect of other things) can lead to really great things. I love iOS and even though I have and would happily use an Android device, I am still willing to pay a premium for an Apple device. A lot of the most common use-cases, for me at least, are still superior within the Apple ecosystem. I'm enough of a 'common user' most of the time to accept the horrible experience whenever I step out of this role. For now, Apple feels a bit like those (new?) companies/startups that send you packages of ingredients with recipes once a week so you can cook a few quite good (but relatively pricy) meals throughout the week with little fuss. The experience is good, the result is healthy and fresh even though it feels a bit... extravagant/excessive sometimes. But for people like me who don't want prepackaged meals, but who also don't like cooking from scratch all the time (especially not just for myself), it's a good solution. The problem Apple is facing right now is that for whatever reason too much of the stuff they do focus on, and too much of their essential functionality, has been slipping, and if the continue on this track, they'll turn into McDonalds. And I don't go to McDonalds, because it's both unhealthy and strangely expensive. I'd just go back to cooking from scratch.

casion 11y ago

Could you elaborate on what you prefer about explorer over finder?

Kluny 11y ago
You can paste a filepath in the top bar as you would paste a URL. There's also the window snapping, which is not specific to Explorer, but is awesome. Those two features are absolutely killer. I'm not ready to switch from a Mac yet, but I have to agree with the article that the overall Mac situation seems to be getting worse.
- chc 11y ago
  In the Finder, you can hit command-shift-G and paste a path too. (Not disagreeing, just a (hopefully) helpful tip.)
  - Kluny 11y ago
    Nice! Thanks for the tip.
  - secstate 11y ago
    That's pretty much exactly what the OP is complaining about. Sure you can do that, but Cmd+Shift+G? Not the most discoverable interface in the world.
    - mcphage 11y ago
      It's also in the "Go" menu, under "Go to Folder...". Which, sure, you'd have to want that feature to go looking for it, but if you did search for it in the interface, it's pretty clearly the obvious place to look.
      - scott_karana 11y ago
        The Go to Folder feature does not show the current path when you're in a Finder window. In Windows, you can modify the path, eg, change from C:\Users\Scott\Desktop to C:\Users\Fred\Desktop easily just by selecting and typing. In OSX, the Go To Folder dialogue remembers the last path you entered. So yet another step to drag the current Finder's folder icon into it, and then modify. For example.