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I am a Windows, Linux and macOS user (plus some PcBSD for good measure). I wonder why you much prefer macOS over Windows? I would agree that Apple have got 4k/r

I am a Windows, Linux and macOS user (plus some PcBSD for good measure). I wonder why you much prefer macOS over Windows? I would agree that Apple have got 4k/retina displays done and that is much, much better than Windows. Is there anything else that you can identify as an advantage?

martin-adams 10y ago
I did the transition from Windows to Mac last year after many years of having both and hating OSX while loving Windows. Now I love it. The event that changed everything was getting a 34" Ultrawide monitor and the Mac experience was just so much more solid and respective of the screen space. I can't quite put my finger on it but I felt more in control. I have a Surface Book on my desk, but my Macbook Air is what I use daily. For me, Mac wins with: - Predicable window management - everything stays where you put it - Tidier fonts and app bevels so it doesn't waste screen space - Access to apps like Sketch - No UI delays when using Adobe Premiere, despite the less capable hardware - definitely an issue on Windows - Much better command line support (not used the Windows Linux subsystem) - Apps are easier to handle and less bloatware - Notes app that is actually helpful - Fast with an SSD - absolutely rubbish without (my mac mini is unusable) - I have gotten used to clicking the window first, before it doing something in that app - so fewer accidental actions But, I do still love Windows, it wins on the following: - Better graphical support (ok, hardware specific) - Windows Explorer is much better than Finder for me - Window snapping is easier (but might be also frustrating, can't put my finger on it) - I can open multiple calculator instances - Wider app support, but less of an issue these days for what I use Windows does have a lot more bugs, such as incorrectly scaled cursors in Premiere, or apps that a impossibly small or stupidly large when using a non-retina second monitor.
- alex_hitchins 10y ago
  That's really interesting, thanks for taking the time to give a detailed reply. I love the iOS platform, it just works and has never failed me (I am leaving iTunes out of this). However, even with the scaling/DPI issues I find Windows 10 fast and easy to use. It must be biased as I've used Windows more, but I thought I'd love macOS more than I do, having loved my iPhone & iPad experience. I do always have to put the taskbar at the top of the screen, but that I think goes back to my Amiga Workbench days!
- NTripleOne 10y ago
  >- I have gotten used to clicking the window first, before it doing something in that app - so fewer accidental actions Jeez is that an actual thing on OSX? That would just make it feel unresponsive to me.
  - srssays 10y ago
    Not entirely. For text fields and buttons, clicking them will usually work even if their window is in the background. But clicking them will also focus the background window. If you don't want to focus the background window -- or you want to use an element that can't be used if the window is backgrounded -- then holding 'cmd' will pass the click through.
    - macintux 10y ago
      > If you don't want to focus the background window -- or you want to use an element that can't be used if the window is backgrounded -- then holding 'cmd' will pass the click through. Whoa. I had no idea!
    - NTripleOne 10y ago
      >If you don't want to focus the background window -- or you want to use an element that can't be used if the window is backgrounded -- then holding 'cmd' will pass the click through. Damn, is there any equivalent functionality (be it integrated or third party) for windows? I'd love to be able to run games in fullscreen exclusive mode without having them lose focus every time I want to look at a different chrome tab on my secondary display.
      - steverb 10y ago
        https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/2435/windows-10-tip-scroll-inactive-windows https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/2435/windows-10-... Kinda. Just for scrolling apparently.
- yoz-y 10y ago
  You can run multiple calculators from the terminal: /Applications/Calculator.app/Contents/MacOS/Calculator&
  - runlevel1 10y ago
    Even easier: open -na Calculator
    - yoz-y 10y ago
      I did not know this one! Thank you!
  - zingermc 10y ago
    While you're in the terminal, you might as well fire up `bc -l`, etc. I can't stand GUI calculators that don't display the whole formula.
    - todd8 10y ago
      I've used bc for decades. It's versatile, ubiquitous (Unix, Linux, MacOS), and easy to use. I find it so much better than some calculator I have to use with a mouse. A developer friend I know used to always prefer the even older unix command line tool, dc. It operates with reverse Polish notation. Now, I often just start the python repl (type 'python' at the command line) for quick calculations that might require slightly more power than bc. To bring this back to the original topic, it is this easy access to the underlying unix tools that made me switch to Macs in the first place. Windows, IMHO, lost some points with the emphasis on touchscreen based UI and gained some points with the new Linux shell support.
    - yoz-y 10y ago
      For quick calculations I just use spotlight or alfred, whichever I happen to launch. For more complex calculations I use Soulver.
      - zingermc 10y ago
- sixothree 10y ago
  I would describe the command line support in OSX to be sub-par to what is offered in Windows. The terminal itself feels like a toy compared to the Windows 10 command prompt. And posix doesn't seem to hold a candle to Powershell. After having given Powershell a chance I don't want to go back to bash.
  - AsyncAwait 10y ago
    > I would describe the command line support in OSX to be sub-par to what is offered in Windows. The terminal itself feels like a toy compared to the Windows 10 command prompt. Pretty much anyone I know on a Mac uses iTerm, which is definitely more capable than the Windows 10 command prompt. > And posix doesn't seem to hold a candle to Powershell. In what specific ways? It seems way more intuitive to me and powerful enough for any task that it's not worth bringing a language like Python/Ruby/Go etc. for.
    - sixothree 10y ago
      Piping grep feels absolutely vintage to me.
      - AsyncAwait 10y ago
        Usually, grep itself is powerful enough to do what you want on its own, you only pipe grep if you do not know grep well enough.
sleepychu 10y ago
My desktop computing happens on Windows because I need graphics card support (games at home) and because my work pc is windows. I chose the Macbook Air for my travel machine because it's extremely light, it's battery lasts more than a day and macOS is unix-y, I initially planned to install debian on it but I couldn't convince myself that the power management would be as good so I left macOS on it. Window management is vastly superior in my opinion, I frequently just full screen everything and swipe between the full screens, this is particularly notable in my case since I almost exclusively use the keyboard (get bad RSI from mice) Updates feel like they have much less friction. But basically it comes down the underlying unix-y system. I'm never going to do serious development on a laptop but if I pick up a macOS machine it has the unix core tools that I need to get stuff done, vim, ssh etc. (Though there are some pain points mostly they're fixed by brew for machines I'll use for any length of time). Also, I helped someone set up Parallels the other day on their MBP and tried out air drop for the first time, show me friction-less 4GB ISO copying OTA between Windows laptops that aren't on the same network!

martin-adams 10y ago

I did the transition from Windows to Mac last year after many years of having both and hating OSX while loving Windows. Now I love it. The event that changed everything was getting a 34" Ultrawide monitor and the Mac experience was just so much more solid and respective of the screen space. I can't quite put my finger on it but I felt more in control. I have a Surface Book on my desk, but my Macbook Air is what I use daily. For me, Mac wins with: - Predicable window management - everything stays where you put it - Tidier fonts and app bevels so it doesn't waste screen space - Access to apps like Sketch - No UI delays when using Adobe Premiere, despite the less capable hardware - definitely an issue on Windows - Much better command line support (not used the Windows Linux subsystem) - Apps are easier to handle and less bloatware - Notes app that is actually helpful - Fast with an SSD - absolutely rubbish without (my mac mini is unusable) - I have gotten used to clicking the window first, before it doing something in that app - so fewer accidental actions But, I do still love Windows, it wins on the following: - Better graphical support (ok, hardware specific) - Windows Explorer is much better than Finder for me - Window snapping is easier (but might be also frustrating, can't put my finger on it) - I can open multiple calculator instances - Wider app support, but less of an issue these days for what I use Windows does have a lot more bugs, such as incorrectly scaled cursors in Premiere, or apps that a impossibly small or stupidly large when using a non-retina second monitor.

alex_hitchins 10y ago
That's really interesting, thanks for taking the time to give a detailed reply. I love the iOS platform, it just works and has never failed me (I am leaving iTunes out of this). However, even with the scaling/DPI issues I find Windows 10 fast and easy to use. It must be biased as I've used Windows more, but I thought I'd love macOS more than I do, having loved my iPhone & iPad experience. I do always have to put the taskbar at the top of the screen, but that I think goes back to my Amiga Workbench days!
NTripleOne 10y ago
>- I have gotten used to clicking the window first, before it doing something in that app - so fewer accidental actions Jeez is that an actual thing on OSX? That would just make it feel unresponsive to me.
- srssays 10y ago
  Not entirely. For text fields and buttons, clicking them will usually work even if their window is in the background. But clicking them will also focus the background window. If you don't want to focus the background window -- or you want to use an element that can't be used if the window is backgrounded -- then holding 'cmd' will pass the click through.
  - macintux 10y ago
    > If you don't want to focus the background window -- or you want to use an element that can't be used if the window is backgrounded -- then holding 'cmd' will pass the click through. Whoa. I had no idea!
  - NTripleOne 10y ago
    >If you don't want to focus the background window -- or you want to use an element that can't be used if the window is backgrounded -- then holding 'cmd' will pass the click through. Damn, is there any equivalent functionality (be it integrated or third party) for windows? I'd love to be able to run games in fullscreen exclusive mode without having them lose focus every time I want to look at a different chrome tab on my secondary display.
    - steverb 10y ago
      https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/2435/windows-10-tip-scroll-inactive-windows https://www.thurrott.com/windows/windows-10/2435/windows-10-... Kinda. Just for scrolling apparently.
yoz-y 10y ago
You can run multiple calculators from the terminal: /Applications/Calculator.app/Contents/MacOS/Calculator&
- runlevel1 10y ago
  Even easier: open -na Calculator
  - yoz-y 10y ago
    I did not know this one! Thank you!
- zingermc 10y ago
  While you're in the terminal, you might as well fire up `bc -l`, etc. I can't stand GUI calculators that don't display the whole formula.
  - todd8 10y ago
    I've used bc for decades. It's versatile, ubiquitous (Unix, Linux, MacOS), and easy to use. I find it so much better than some calculator I have to use with a mouse. A developer friend I know used to always prefer the even older unix command line tool, dc. It operates with reverse Polish notation. Now, I often just start the python repl (type 'python' at the command line) for quick calculations that might require slightly more power than bc. To bring this back to the original topic, it is this easy access to the underlying unix tools that made me switch to Macs in the first place. Windows, IMHO, lost some points with the emphasis on touchscreen based UI and gained some points with the new Linux shell support.
  - yoz-y 10y ago
    For quick calculations I just use spotlight or alfred, whichever I happen to launch. For more complex calculations I use Soulver.
    - zingermc 10y ago
sixothree 10y ago
I would describe the command line support in OSX to be sub-par to what is offered in Windows. The terminal itself feels like a toy compared to the Windows 10 command prompt. And posix doesn't seem to hold a candle to Powershell. After having given Powershell a chance I don't want to go back to bash.
- AsyncAwait 10y ago
  > I would describe the command line support in OSX to be sub-par to what is offered in Windows. The terminal itself feels like a toy compared to the Windows 10 command prompt. Pretty much anyone I know on a Mac uses iTerm, which is definitely more capable than the Windows 10 command prompt. > And posix doesn't seem to hold a candle to Powershell. In what specific ways? It seems way more intuitive to me and powerful enough for any task that it's not worth bringing a language like Python/Ruby/Go etc. for.
  - sixothree 10y ago
    Piping grep feels absolutely vintage to me.
    - AsyncAwait 10y ago
      Usually, grep itself is powerful enough to do what you want on its own, you only pipe grep if you do not know grep well enough.

sleepychu 10y ago

My desktop computing happens on Windows because I need graphics card support (games at home) and because my work pc is windows. I chose the Macbook Air for my travel machine because it's extremely light, it's battery lasts more than a day and macOS is unix-y, I initially planned to install debian on it but I couldn't convince myself that the power management would be as good so I left macOS on it. Window management is vastly superior in my opinion, I frequently just full screen everything and swipe between the full screens, this is particularly notable in my case since I almost exclusively use the keyboard (get bad RSI from mice) Updates feel like they have much less friction. But basically it comes down the underlying unix-y system. I'm never going to do serious development on a laptop but if I pick up a macOS machine it has the unix core tools that I need to get stuff done, vim, ssh etc. (Though there are some pain points mostly they're fixed by brew for machines I'll use for any length of time). Also, I helped someone set up Parallels the other day on their MBP and tried out air drop for the first time, show me friction-less 4GB ISO copying OTA between Windows laptops that aren't on the same network!