5 ms·

I think most of the statements in the article are true, the problem is there is not (right now) a superior alternative. Yes, Microsoft is trying with the surfac

by nkw 10y ago

I think most of the statements in the article are true, the problem is there is not (right now) a superior alternative. Yes, Microsoft is trying with the surface, Linux I'm sure has come far, but there is simply not any alternative that can realistically compete with the Mac platform right now. There is simply no pressure on Apple to dedicate further resources to this area, because there is not much for them to gain. It sucks for users of their products, but probably great for stockholders.

KKKKkkkk1 10y ago
As a current macOS user and a former Ubuntu user, I actually feel that my experience with Ubuntu was better than macOS, not worse. Among the features I liked: a decent window manager built in into Unity and free file-system snapshots using btrfs. And I was using a ThinkPad, which was less expensive, more rugged, and would not try to impersonate a leafblower every time you ran a nontrivial computation on it.
shiny 10y ago
Yeah, and as a developer it really behooves me to be able to run Xcode and the iOS simulator. Plus every team seems to use Macs nowadays, and it certainly helps to be on the same platform as everybody else. Finally, I already have a couple apps in the App Store that I'd have to abandon if I switched to something else. So I'm kinda stuck.
Yetanfou 10y ago
but there is simply not any alternative that can realistically compete with the Mac platform right now I think you forgot to add two important words: for me. Other beg to differ for a variety of reasons.
- nkw 10y ago
  This is true. I figured that was implied since I'm a random person pontificating on the Internet.
Chyzwar 10y ago
Linux is already superior for developers. You servers all running Linux, all dev tools are first released in Linux, everything just work with most hardware. For professional like video editing, photography, CADs, audio etc Windows is better when you can buy better hardware for the same price as Mac. There is no reason to by Mac when most hardware is terribly outdated and you don't know when next upgrade will happen.
- monkmartinez 10y ago
  I am finally seeing this as clearly as I saw my move from PC to Mac in 2005/06. Linux is far superior for developers, I agree... especially backend type people. As I understand, Avid and Premiere are the video tools of choice for serious pros. FCPX is called the "wedding video" maker? I don't really know, as I am not a pro videographer. CAD is bad JOKE on Mac and Adobe stuff runs on (almost) everything. I have an Asus win10 tablet with a wacom stylus that I bought for $140 on ebay. It is actually pretty darn neat...
- zigzigzag 10y ago
  If that's true why do I see so many developers using Macs? Desktop Linux is a mess and always has been. The problem is structural. The people making it don't have any profit motive to make it better. They're all either volunteers having fun or subsidised by server products.
  - spdy 10y ago
    Dont know i switch to arch linux and i3wm last year on my mbp and i dont want to go back. Same goes for the newest mbp in its current state i will buy another brand probably a surface when my mbp dies.
  - monkmartinez 10y ago
    > If that's true why do I see so many developers using Macs? Because, until recently, Apple catered to professional users. The openly hostile act of soldering of RAM, addiction to thin, and buggy OS releases, etc. are relatively new developments in Apple hx. > Desktop Linux is a mess and always has been. The problem is structural. I posit that all OS's are a mess. Some are messier than others but most of them are filled to the brim with bugs... macOS definitely included.

by nkw 10y ago

KKKKkkkk1 10y ago

As a current macOS user and a former Ubuntu user, I actually feel that my experience with Ubuntu was better than macOS, not worse. Among the features I liked: a decent window manager built in into Unity and free file-system snapshots using btrfs. And I was using a ThinkPad, which was less expensive, more rugged, and would not try to impersonate a leafblower every time you ran a nontrivial computation on it.

shiny 10y ago

Yeah, and as a developer it really behooves me to be able to run Xcode and the iOS simulator. Plus every team seems to use Macs nowadays, and it certainly helps to be on the same platform as everybody else. Finally, I already have a couple apps in the App Store that I'd have to abandon if I switched to something else. So I'm kinda stuck.

Yetanfou 10y ago

but there is simply not any alternative that can realistically compete with the Mac platform right now I think you forgot to add two important words: for me. Other beg to differ for a variety of reasons.

nkw 10y ago
This is true. I figured that was implied since I'm a random person pontificating on the Internet.

Chyzwar 10y ago

Linux is already superior for developers. You servers all running Linux, all dev tools are first released in Linux, everything just work with most hardware. For professional like video editing, photography, CADs, audio etc Windows is better when you can buy better hardware for the same price as Mac. There is no reason to by Mac when most hardware is terribly outdated and you don't know when next upgrade will happen.

monkmartinez 10y ago
I am finally seeing this as clearly as I saw my move from PC to Mac in 2005/06. Linux is far superior for developers, I agree... especially backend type people. As I understand, Avid and Premiere are the video tools of choice for serious pros. FCPX is called the "wedding video" maker? I don't really know, as I am not a pro videographer. CAD is bad JOKE on Mac and Adobe stuff runs on (almost) everything. I have an Asus win10 tablet with a wacom stylus that I bought for $140 on ebay. It is actually pretty darn neat...
zigzigzag 10y ago
If that's true why do I see so many developers using Macs? Desktop Linux is a mess and always has been. The problem is structural. The people making it don't have any profit motive to make it better. They're all either volunteers having fun or subsidised by server products.
- spdy 10y ago
  Dont know i switch to arch linux and i3wm last year on my mbp and i dont want to go back. Same goes for the newest mbp in its current state i will buy another brand probably a surface when my mbp dies.
- monkmartinez 10y ago
  > If that's true why do I see so many developers using Macs? Because, until recently, Apple catered to professional users. The openly hostile act of soldering of RAM, addiction to thin, and buggy OS releases, etc. are relatively new developments in Apple hx. > Desktop Linux is a mess and always has been. The problem is structural. I posit that all OS's are a mess. Some are messier than others but most of them are filled to the brim with bugs... macOS definitely included.