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Flip Flopping between macOS and Windows
- Thread starter LiE_
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You're right, there is a certain ease with working within a Mac that is buttery smooth compared to other platforms. As you also correctly state, not being able to do everything on a Mac is frustrating.
For most tasks (for me, I mean) the Mac does what I need. A couple of those MS programs not released on MacOS for instance; the Pixinsight issue (unified, unupgradeable RAM on M1 series) and a couple of other things do mar an otherwise pleasant experience.
I have that same precise feeling too, with Apple. I'm on the cusp of 'breaking free' yet I don't really know why I should - I mean, it's not a bad platform by any means!
I like how you worded that (the rails, stress free). I totally feel the same way. It's great to hear from a dev how they feel about 'the other side'.
There's a million things I love about MacOS and Apple in general - whether it's responsiveness across the phone/ipad/computer range, the attention to displays, the clarity of their audio (which for me is a big one), that seamlessness across the range, or how ATV plays Youtube videos much better than Google's own Chromecast(...) etc.
It's not a decision I've been mulling over for around a week, this has been months. And, it's happened in the past too such as when I held on to my 2014 iMac for around 12 months only to give it up when I wanted to start playing Battlefield again.
Until yesterday I had a PS4 and MBP set up. The PC was in storage for several months. I hadn't touched the console in over a month now.
To be sure, I know of the shortcomings of Windows (not as intimately as you!), but it does have a couple of plusses over Mac and at the most inane level, gaming is one of them; for me, at the higher end, being able to tinker with my DIY gaming rig is a very big plus. Whether upgrading RAM, installing new motherboard etc, I really revelled at that (and was a big help with Pixinsight where potential RAM upgrades is of huge benefit).
At the same time, now that I'm getting older, I'm not sure how much I can be bothered getting my hands dirty with upgrades and living a gamer's lifestyle! 🤣
So I had my first "flip", going from using Windows for 20 odd years to trying out a Mac. Actually at the start of the year I was really keen on getting the new ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. It's gotten glowing reviews and it just seems like a very good machine overall but ASUS has been dropping the ball on availability... while reviews have been out for weeks, the machine missed it's Q1 launch window and ASUS is not communicating clearly. So after waiting for many, many months and not being able to find any alternative in the Windows space - I bought one Win laptop but sent it back pretty quickly (HP Studio G8 something) - I just decided to jump on the Mac train. I actually considered getting a Mac ever since the M1 chip came out because that thing just appeals to me - fast, energy efficient, cold - and I know that nothing Intel or AMD do will be able to match it overall. But I avoided pulling the trigger until the start of this week. So far, it's just been a couple of days, I am happy with the choice. I am noticing some minor boundaries here and there, but I feel like I can live with that compared to all the perks I am getting.
I am not saying goodbye to Windows - I still have a gaming rig sitting at home and that's not something a Mac will be able to replace during the next millenia - but right now I am happy with a Macbook for work and creative stuff.
I am not saying goodbye to Windows - I still have a gaming rig sitting at home and that's not something a Mac will be able to replace during the next millenia - but right now I am happy with a Macbook for work and creative stuff.
Although overflowing with hyperbole, I can't really disagree with your post.
I too have decades-long experience developing for Windows (and OS/2 and DOS) but I have managed to tame Windows to the point where I'm not annoyed on a daily basis.
In my experience, the core functionality of Mac OS "just works" but those features that differentiate it from Windows are very unstable bordering on unusable in my daily experience. I've all but given up on using AirDrop since its ability to detect nearby AirDrop targets is super sketchy.
I still haven't got to the point I am not annoyed by it.Although overflowing with hyperbole, I can't really disagree with your post.
I too have decades-long experience developing for Windows (and OS/2 and DOS) but I have managed to tame Windows to the point where I'm not annoyed on a daily basis.
In my experience, the core functionality of Mac OS "just works" but those features that differentiate it from Windows are very unstable bordering on unusable in my daily experience. I've all but given up on using AirDrop since its ability to detect nearby AirDrop targets is super sketchy.
I spent the morning fighting trying to get a legacy app stack up. Visual Studio immediately explodes when I open the solution. No amounts of devenv resetting is making it do what I want. Also Nuget is suddenly broken. And for some reason two of my windows haven't noticed I'm running 150% HiDPI on my 4k 27" monitor and are really tiny.
So I solved it by using ubuntu on WSL2 + vim to edit nearly 20 year old windows based rotting C# and hoping the hell it'll build in Github actions afterwards. Which it did.
Now I'm sitting at the Mac writing Go with no friction at all... (and slacking on macrumors forums
)My main desktop cluster is all macOS right now. M1 mini (16/512) driving 2x4k 27 inch Ultrasharps, 2014 iMac 27, 2010 iMac 27, 2015 MacBook Pro 15 driving a Dell Ultrasharp 25 inch QHD monitor. I run a Windows 10 VM on the 2014 iMac. On my other desk, I have my big Windows desktop and I go over to the other desk if I need Windows but my primary space is all macOS right now. 20 Cores, 96 GB of RAM. The Windows desktop has 5 TB SSD and also acts as the household NAS.
If you can go all macOS, then that's great. But I think that some of us have to or prefer to do some things in Windows.
If you can go all macOS, then that's great. But I think that some of us have to or prefer to do some things in Windows.
I just get too much out of both for different reasons to only use one or the other.
I mean if you want five minutes of being nagged after asking something simple you don’t have to use windows.
There is not a flawless system.
Till 2015 I did my best to transition everything to Mac.
After the Touch Bar laptops with the weird butterfly keyboards I almost left Mac entirely. And I probably remained win only if windows 10 was able to offer consistent experience on laptops, which it didn't happen.
After the M1 I migrated the other way around. My chance is that the software I use is not platform specific so I'm able to buy the hardware I want.
But after more than 10 years of flip flopping I'm convinced that any significant advantage is transitory only and tomorrow it will migrate to the other camp.
Till 2015 I did my best to transition everything to Mac.
After the Touch Bar laptops with the weird butterfly keyboards I almost left Mac entirely. And I probably remained win only if windows 10 was able to offer consistent experience on laptops, which it didn't happen.
After the M1 I migrated the other way around. My chance is that the software I use is not platform specific so I'm able to buy the hardware I want.
But after more than 10 years of flip flopping I'm convinced that any significant advantage is transitory only and tomorrow it will migrate to the other camp.
I flipped back this morning. I went from Mini (2x4k), 5k iMac, QHD iMac + MacBook Pro 15 to replacing the MacBook Pro 15 with my big Windows desktop. My biggest motivation for the Windows desktop is the Windows Weather App which I think is better than anything else out there. It will run Fidelity Active Trader Pro during the business day but will mainly display the weather at other times. This is Windows 10. I still have not tried out Windows 11.
I gotta say that this is probably a first - someone switching because of a weather app
So what windows machine are you using - custom built, name brand?
I gotta say that this is probably a first - someone switching because of a weather app
So what windows machine are you using - custom built, name brand?
Custom build. This system is normally sitting on another table in the basement and I use it for virtual machine stuff. It's an i7-10700, 5 TB SSD, 128 GB RAM, GTX 1050 Ti. It's in a Cougar Panzer Max case. The overall design is that it runs cool and quiet. I could probably run my entire setup off of this but I just prefer macOS for most of what I do and some of the tools are hard to replicate comfortable on Windows to work with the Apple ecosystem.
To be honest, I never gave up windows on desktop. I am tempted right now to buy a Mac Studio but, most probably I will keep at least a win desktop around.
Laptop is where windows is lacking, especially in battery life and consistency.
Laptop is where windows is lacking, especially in battery life and consistency.
On paper the studio looks like an awesome computer. I don't have any need, and given the price, I'll just hold off for the foreseeable future.
I have a hard time justifying the Studio for consumer level usage. The only two things I like about the Studio are monitor support and the amount of RAM you can put on it. But those two factors are easy and cheap on a Windows Desktop, at least with falling GPU prices.
To be honest, I cannot objectively justify it. But I have the disposable income and I want it ...
I have the resources and knowhow to have both a Mac and build a custom PC, but have continued to hold my Intel Mac mini together using "sticks and bubble gum", to stretch its useable life, while waiting for TSMC's 3nm process for what I presume will be an M3. Perhaps I will build a PC just for gaming, but right now I can't justify the cost, even if I have the ability to do so.
That being said, there is nothing wrong with being frugal. The reason that you, myself, and others on this forum have the funds to do both is by not wasting it on frivolities that please us in the moment, but rob us of long-term quality of life. How many people spend away their daily income on Starbucks, gambling, alcohol, or other temporary pleasures? Purchases can quickly add up, get out of control, so being "natively cheap" is absolutely a good thing.
The ramifications this year and next year are going to be huge. I do predict a significant amount of misery in the next two years as we've blown bubbles that are going to deflate. I saw this in 2009-2010 where people with nice incomes, nice homes and kids in college lost their jobs, homes and had to tell their kids that they couldn't continue. And, of course, the repercussions for everyone else.
Netflix just lost 69% of their marketcap in the past six months. Imagine if you had all of your net wealth in that company.
This has been happening in many places around the world. Food shortages and countries unable to pay their debts. The US is fortunate in that they can ameliorate a lot of the worst of that but it will still affect us. Hopefully not as bad as 2008-2009.
You are correct. Not only have governments added to their usual debt due to special Covid programs but the number of individuals and families who continue to live beyopnd their means and on the edge is staggering. Especially younger ones who have never known inflation or anything but super low mortgage rates. Many have bought houses right to their mortgage ceiling limit and when the rates increase, which they will, some will be screwed.