4 ms·

I've done it since this summer, going from a 2012 rMBP to a near-maxed out Thinkpad 480s (1 TB SSD, 24GB RAM for USD 2300? hell yeah..). Let me tell you though

I've done it since this summer, going from a 2012 rMBP to a near-maxed out Thinkpad 480s (1 TB SSD, 24GB RAM for USD 2300? hell yeah..). Let me tell you though that as a mac user going to windows 10 you give up much more than a bit of polish - it's really cutting into your productivity. Just one tiny (but anger inducing) example: You can have either Windows Defender or a hangup-free Windows Explorer, but not both (and I'm talking hangups that sometimes can leave you waiting for minutes until you see your files). To sum it all up, Windows is (a) way way less responsive to UI inputs and (b) way way less consistent how to get things done, but you can certainly get things done. (a) means a constant but small tax on productivity, (b) means that you waste a lot of time initially until you've figured out all the edge cases. Whether or not this all justifies the Apple tax, everyone (or their organisation) has to decide, but let me just give this warning as a power user / software dev who did the transition.

WhompingWindows 8y ago
Every time you switch working environments, you'll incur a large loss of productivity to not knowing the UI tricks, shortcuts, and the edge cases. If you use the products similarly, though, you should build muscle-memory and productivity enhancements over the many month time-frame. I've used 3 different OS and this is how it's worked for me each time I transitioned.
- m_mueller 8y ago
  Yes, hence the loss I categorized under (b). (a) still incurs though, no matter how long you've been using Windows.
verinus 8y ago
strange. I think something else is causing your issues. I am running Win 10 with Defender for years without trouble. UI input lags are also very strange and not a Windows phenomena.
- m_mueller 8y ago
  Judging by a previous discussion [1] I don't think I'm alone with these issues. It doesn't happen every time but it happens regularly and for almost random durations. Plus Windows in general just isn't that responsive, just take the start menu as an example and compare with almost any UI interaction on macOS. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18191622 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18191622
dTal 8y ago
If you're willing to put up with inconsistency and a time-wasting learning curve, value responsiveness, and have no attachment to Windows software (which seems likely if you're coming from a Mac) - why not Linux?
- m_mueller 8y ago
  fear of driver issues. I've kept mental tabs on how many people (a) tell me that everything went smooth but on further inquiries admit that there were actually a number of issues, some of them unresolved (b) admit (and complain about) issues outright (c) actually have had everything going smooth For laptops I've yet to talk to someone in category (c).
  - Clomez 8y ago
    you mean category c) in linux? Hello? but yeah full disclosure, i also had many problems with linux. Sometimes as bad as you shut down your computer at the end of the day and next day find out it wont boot because some thing you though was totally unrelated to anything... But as there is learning curve, there is also beating it. In my current workplace i choose to use linux ubuntu without help from our on-site IT over windows10 machine with IT help.. if you know what you are doing and have few years under your belt it might become preference over mac or windows. Yet to encounter any problems here, on workplace but everyday i hear people complaining about their windows machines. I also have VR setup with W10 at home, it's just a VR / game machine so no tinkering or developing but it's also problem free. No idea about macOS
  - bildung 8y ago
    Ubuntu says the T480s is fully supported, at least with the configuration in this link: https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201801-26058/ https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201801-26058/ I haven't tried it myself (for lack of a T480s), I use Linux on Thinkpads for more than a decade, though.
  - beatgammit 8y ago
    I'm an experienced Linux user, and I've certainly dealt with driver issues (sound and wifi were my biggest hurdles). However, I've heard more and more success stories recently, especially if you spend a bit more than the absolute minimum for your hardware. I or my co-workers have successfully installed on several laptops without any driver issues whatsoever, and some were really cheap pieces of crap (~$400). Driver support has come a long way over there last 5 years or so, and I've actually had more trouble getting drivers after a fresh reinstall of Windows than Linux.
basch 8y ago
>You can have either Windows Defender or a hangup-free Windows Explorer, but not both replace defender with a faster alternative - https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html

WhompingWindows 8y ago

Every time you switch working environments, you'll incur a large loss of productivity to not knowing the UI tricks, shortcuts, and the edge cases. If you use the products similarly, though, you should build muscle-memory and productivity enhancements over the many month time-frame. I've used 3 different OS and this is how it's worked for me each time I transitioned.

m_mueller 8y ago
Yes, hence the loss I categorized under (b). (a) still incurs though, no matter how long you've been using Windows.

verinus 8y ago

strange. I think something else is causing your issues. I am running Win 10 with Defender for years without trouble. UI input lags are also very strange and not a Windows phenomena.

m_mueller 8y ago
Judging by a previous discussion [1] I don't think I'm alone with these issues. It doesn't happen every time but it happens regularly and for almost random durations. Plus Windows in general just isn't that responsive, just take the start menu as an example and compare with almost any UI interaction on macOS. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18191622 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18191622

dTal 8y ago

If you're willing to put up with inconsistency and a time-wasting learning curve, value responsiveness, and have no attachment to Windows software (which seems likely if you're coming from a Mac) - why not Linux?

m_mueller 8y ago
fear of driver issues. I've kept mental tabs on how many people (a) tell me that everything went smooth but on further inquiries admit that there were actually a number of issues, some of them unresolved (b) admit (and complain about) issues outright (c) actually have had everything going smooth For laptops I've yet to talk to someone in category (c).
- Clomez 8y ago
  you mean category c) in linux? Hello? but yeah full disclosure, i also had many problems with linux. Sometimes as bad as you shut down your computer at the end of the day and next day find out it wont boot because some thing you though was totally unrelated to anything... But as there is learning curve, there is also beating it. In my current workplace i choose to use linux ubuntu without help from our on-site IT over windows10 machine with IT help.. if you know what you are doing and have few years under your belt it might become preference over mac or windows. Yet to encounter any problems here, on workplace but everyday i hear people complaining about their windows machines. I also have VR setup with W10 at home, it's just a VR / game machine so no tinkering or developing but it's also problem free. No idea about macOS
- bildung 8y ago
  Ubuntu says the T480s is fully supported, at least with the configuration in this link: https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201801-26058/ https://certification.ubuntu.com/hardware/201801-26058/ I haven't tried it myself (for lack of a T480s), I use Linux on Thinkpads for more than a decade, though.
- beatgammit 8y ago
  I'm an experienced Linux user, and I've certainly dealt with driver issues (sound and wifi were my biggest hurdles). However, I've heard more and more success stories recently, especially if you spend a bit more than the absolute minimum for your hardware. I or my co-workers have successfully installed on several laptops without any driver issues whatsoever, and some were really cheap pieces of crap (~$400). Driver support has come a long way over there last 5 years or so, and I've actually had more trouble getting drivers after a fresh reinstall of Windows than Linux.

basch 8y ago

>You can have either Windows Defender or a hangup-free Windows Explorer, but not both replace defender with a faster alternative - https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/free.html