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Mac Not As Easy
- Thread starter SevengerNC
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Preview can add text to photos. Or Gimp. Or Pixelmator (not free).
Don't expect anything to be there.
PS: MAC = Media Access Control, Mac = Macintosh
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btw, I tried the Win 8 Beta on a laptop that wasn't getting much use - looks very interesting and looks like a tablet screen. Makes you want to swipe the screen with your finger. And I would bet it will give iPad some competition, but I have no plans to abandon iPad. But, I had no plans to buy a MAC a year ago. Times change.
For what you're posting it seems like you're putting next to no effort in getting used to the Mac environment. Using Paint in Windows to add text and stuff to a photo won't give you as a result any 'professional' looking photo... even if using Windows I'd use something else besides Paint to accomplish that basic task.
Windows 8 may seem new and interesting but people often forgets that down under all those fancy table-like graphic environment they now include its the plain old Windows structure which has been giving me but headaches all this years, that's why I'm switching to OS X.
Windows 8 may seem new and interesting but people often forgets that down under all those fancy table-like graphic environment they now include its the plain old Windows structure which has been giving me but headaches all this years, that's why I'm switching to OS X.
What was wrong? I copied it directly from another YouTube post?
Ah, the "tCaW7jkTPN0" part is enough between tags.
I find http://pixlr.com/editor/ is a fantastic web based alternative to Photoshop; I use it when I just want to crop an image and cba to wait for Photoshop to open!
That's like saying a BMW is not anywhere close to user friendly as a tricycle.
Paint is a drawing program, iPhoto is a photo library management program. Two completely different apps meant for two completely different purposes. For Windows, Picasa is more along the lines of what iPhoto does, vs. a simple drawing program.
There are plenty of good (free or cheap) drawing programs available for the Mac as well.
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I'm totally with you on that one, SevengerNC. I'm planning to boot directly to Windows on the Mac hardware almost all the time and not use OS X unless I have a need to (like a development project). My biggest concerns at this point:
1. All my other software is Windows.
2. I'm super-fast with Windows and do a lot of things average users don't know how to do, but I'll will be crippled on OS X for months if not years.
3. Files are not necessarily portable back & forth between the two because of "forks" containing some of the content on Mac. This is an especially serious problem for me for .url's. (I have thousands of .url files and need them transparently working and easily synched on all platforms -- Win, OSX, iOS, and someday Android).
4. The keyboard layout is a little odd (by Windows standards & vice versa) which will take a long time to get used to, and I'll constantly be klutzed-up when switching back & forth between OS's unless I reprogram OS X to swap some key keys.
5. The MB keyboards are missing a couple of things (compared to the only kind of WinTel laptops I'd consider) that seem important to my efficiency:
- Mac seems to think that a backspace (delete prior character) suffices instead of a separate delete key (delete next character). Maybe there's a two-handed alternative way but I need a single-finger, single stroke to be efficient.
- Separate PgUp, PgDn, Home, End keys don't exist on MacBooks, and as far as I know the closest equivalent requires using both hands at the same time instead of just one hand. I rely on single-handed use of those keys thousands of times a day.
6. I'm ignorant about how long file names can be and don't want to risk it being worse that the limits Windows already has. Ideally I'd love to be able to have a 200 character filename under a 500 character folder path (e.g., a 100 char folder under a 100 char folder under a 100 char folder . . . and finally a 200 char filename). What's the limit? That's how I like to organize citations references heirarchically (with the title including a short reminder of the content).
Respectfully,
macimby
I'm totally with you on that one, SevengerNC. I'm planning to boot directly to Windows on the Mac hardware almost all the time and not use OS X unless I have a need to (like a development project). My biggest concerns at this point:
1. All my other software is Windows.
2. I'm super-fast with Windows and do a lot of things average users don't know how to do, but I'll will be crippled on OS X for months if not years.
3. Files are not necessarily portable back & forth between the two because of "forks" containing some of the content on Mac. This is an especially serious problem for me for .url's. (I have thousands of .url files and need them transparently working and easily synched on all platforms -- Win, OSX, iOS, and someday Android).
4. The keyboard layout is a little odd (by Windows standards & vice versa) which will take a long time to get used to, and I'll constantly be klutzed-up when switching back & forth between OS's unless I reprogram OS X to swap some key keys.
5. The MB keyboards are missing a couple of things (compared to the only kind of WinTel laptops I'd consider) that seem important to my efficiency:
- Mac seems to think that a backspace (delete prior character) suffices instead of a separate delete key (delete next character). Maybe there's a two-handed alternative way but I need a single-finger, single stroke to be efficient.
- Separate PgUp, PgDn, Home, End keys don't exist on MacBooks, and as far as I know the closest equivalent requires using both hands at the same time instead of just one hand. I rely on single-handed use of those keys thousands of times a day.
6. I'm ignorant about how long file names can be and don't want to risk it being worse that the limits Windows already has. Ideally I'd love to be able to have a 200 character filename under a 500 character folder path (e.g., a 100 char folder under a 100 char folder under a 100 char folder . . . and finally a 200 char filename). What's the limit? That's how I like to organize citations references heirarchically (with the title including a short reminder of the content).
Respectfully,
macimby
As others have said, moving over to OS X takes some time to get used to since it is different. For me, after 20+ years on Windows, I found jumping in with both feet was the best method (i.e. no Windows boot partition). Sure there are things that are easier to do on a PC and programs that either work better or can only be found on a PC, but I wouldn't go back to Windows. The combination of Apple's hardware and software is a tough combination to beat.
Having said that, it's not for everyone. My wife never really liked using the Mac. She uses a PC extensively for work, and spending time learning OS X just isn't something she has the time or desire to do.
Having said that, it's not for everyone. My wife never really liked using the Mac. She uses a PC extensively for work, and spending time learning OS X just isn't something she has the time or desire to do.
There are things in OSX that bug me. I hate how the "File, edit, etc..." menu is separated from the main application window. I hate how there's no maximize button. Also really annoying that you can't run two different spaces on two different monitors. I hate how the dock doesn't have any indicator to show that you have multiple windows of a certain app open. Also dislike how closing the last window of an application doesn't automatically quit it. And it also annoys me how pretty much every application comes as a DMG - why can't I just download the installer directly?
One major annoyance until Lion was that you couldn't merge folders. It would simply replace them in the past.
I also wish OS X had something like a start menu.
Apple makes good hardware though. And it's integrated well enough with the software that I generally don't run Windows too often on my macbooks.
One major annoyance until Lion was that you couldn't merge folders. It would simply replace them in the past.
I also wish OS X had something like a start menu.
Apple makes good hardware though. And it's integrated well enough with the software that I generally don't run Windows too often on my macbooks.
As to the topic when I switched one of the big annoyances was finder. It is just a very poor and limited file explorer.
I ended up using Pathfinder. There is also Totalfinder.
It doesn't replace perfectly but I hardly ever have to use the real finder.
Me I was particularly annoyed by the lack of keyboard navigation in finder or the idiotic and cumbersome way of doing it.
@ macimby
4. Keyboard layouts can be changed. I think the German Mac layout is beyond idiotic. Once I started makeing my own I even went further and changed more. Now even in Windows I use my own which is way better than the default while not breaking to much customary stuff so I forget to use normal layouts.
5. Pageup, down is usually used Space and shift+Space, there is also ctrl+up,down but nobody uses that.
A delete button can be enabled with keyremap4mac. I don't have an optical drive anymore so I made my eject key a windows style delete key.
6.What would be the point of that?
I ended up using Pathfinder. There is also Totalfinder.
It doesn't replace perfectly but I hardly ever have to use the real finder.
Me I was particularly annoyed by the lack of keyboard navigation in finder or the idiotic and cumbersome way of doing it.
@ macimby
4. Keyboard layouts can be changed. I think the German Mac layout is beyond idiotic. Once I started makeing my own I even went further and changed more. Now even in Windows I use my own which is way better than the default while not breaking to much customary stuff so I forget to use normal layouts.
5. Pageup, down is usually used Space and shift+Space, there is also ctrl+up,down but nobody uses that.
A delete button can be enabled with keyremap4mac. I don't have an optical drive anymore so I made my eject key a windows style delete key.
6.What would be the point of that?
From what I've seen, the only people who think macs are too easy to use are Windows fanboys. I apologise on behalf of the mac community if such a cretin has allured you into this purchase.
You could also give it some time and learn to use it.
I totally agree about the Delete Key - I looked all over for that sucker before I read MAC will only delete letters behind you. I'm somewhat used to that now, but I still miss the other option.
I gave some thought about putting Win on a MAC but figured that's defeating the whole purpose of having a MAC in the first place since I don't need it for any busn apps - just personal use - but I want to be a one machine man.
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Time is what I have right now. Patience, that's another issue.
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It took me a few weeks to get my head round things after coming from Windows. Spent the best part of 15 years building and extensively using Windows PCs, albeit with a bit of experience along the way with an iBook G4, but that was running Tiger which is worlds apart from the last few OS releases.
Its definitely worth the effort though
For all those that don't know, the Delete key on a Mac laptop is fn + backspace.
t sounds a lot like the original posted has been using Windows PCs in ways they are not really meant to be used. So trying to use the Mac in similar ways just won't work. So as others are saying, the way you do things on the Mac will take some getting use to.
Take the Paint example, I don't think MS ever really designed it to be used like that, they would have pointed you to something like MS Publisher for that task. On the Mac, a good alternative will probably be Apple's Pages app. It's a bit like riding a bike, but only ever pushing your feet along the ground to move it. You just need to learn how to use the peddles and then you will see how far you can really go.
t sounds a lot like the original posted has been using Windows PCs in ways they are not really meant to be used. So trying to use the Mac in similar ways just won't work. So as others are saying, the way you do things on the Mac will take some getting use to.
Take the Paint example, I don't think MS ever really designed it to be used like that, they would have pointed you to something like MS Publisher for that task. On the Mac, a good alternative will probably be Apple's Pages app. It's a bit like riding a bike, but only ever pushing your feet along the ground to move it. You just need to learn how to use the peddles and then you will see how far you can really go.
I've used Mac for about 1.5 years now after switching from using Windows exclusively for 15 years. I made a switch ONLY because I loved the Macbook hardware and I've gone through 5 different MacBooks (MBP 15, MBP 17, MBA 11, MBA 13, and back to MBP 15) so far in 1.5 years and I would rate Macbook hardware 10 out of 10.
However, I do feel there are certain things that I still feel Windows is easier to use than OS X. It's not because I'm more used to Windows environment but some things are just easier to use in Windows such as Windows Explorer versus Finder and Control Panel versus System Preferences/Utilities and there are other things that I cannot remember. I would NOT make the switch back to Windows but hope next revision of OS X includes some improvements.
I would personally rate OS X 9 out of 10 and Windows 9 out of 10 as well.
However, I do feel there are certain things that I still feel Windows is easier to use than OS X. It's not because I'm more used to Windows environment but some things are just easier to use in Windows such as Windows Explorer versus Finder and Control Panel versus System Preferences/Utilities and there are other things that I cannot remember. I would NOT make the switch back to Windows but hope next revision of OS X includes some improvements.
I would personally rate OS X 9 out of 10 and Windows 9 out of 10 as well.
Think that's the only time I've heard of switching to macs for hardware, considering it's the same hardware as in Windows machines.
So true. This is why I have different guitars - for feel and sound. The Fender Strat to me is the most comfortable to play but not always the best sound so others are used. Just like Win & Mac, nothing is always 100% the best.
You might only be thinking of the components (cpu, hard drives, etc).
The "hardware" in this case is the whole package, including the unibody aluminum case, glass multitouch trackpad, svelte industrial design, etc.
You wouldn't say a Lotus Exige and Toyota Celica are the same thing just because they have the same engine!
I wish Windows 8 had a start menu. They're eliminating that in favor of a tablet-friendly/PC-unfriendly tile-based GUI (formerly known as Metro). It'll probably make a few people change to Mac OS X just because it might look more familiar than Windows 8.
How would one use the Spacebar to do a PgUp while editing a document? Doesn't OS X treat use the spacebar to insert a space character? ;-) How would page-up or page-dn be a single-handed keystroke? OS X swipe touch motions seem a more comparable subtitute, though not as efficient.
I'm sure you have no need for #6, but I do. The value of a deep heirarchical filing system with long descriptive names is to enable clean organization and easy navitation and searching without requiring slower-to-use custom database applications. It only takes a drag from a browser, and a name edit, and a drag to the preferred folder. I've got thousands of citations (URL links) and its faster than using any database or search tool.
I assume you didn't intend any disprespect to Steve Jobs just because he and Apple's marketing positions their products as easy to use.
Like I said, there's no single-key delete key. Why should two hands be needed to press a key that is one of my most-used keys?
Where else can one find a USB3.0, high-res 16:10 ratio screen, and super-thin formfactor in an i7 quad-core product? For years Apple lagged behind the rest at an absurd price that never seemed justified, but Apple started leapfrogging in some ways last year and with the MBP15R they have a unique industry-leading product. WinTel's thin Ultrabooks are only i5's and less sexy.
Overall this discussion about the work and lost time involved with trying something different is making me pretty nervous, but I'll be Win-bootcampping it mostly anyway, except for tinkering with iOS app development (which requires some kind of Mac whether I like it or not).
Best regards,
macimby
You should have seen me when I put a bootcamp partition and Windows 7 on one of my Macs so I could get audiobooks (windows format) from my public libary. I hadn't booted a Windows setup in decades.
Setup and use of the few apps I needed were not a problem. It was the general housekeeping, checking my antivirus stuff, just wanting to take a couple notes, or get a screenshot(!) that were issues. I couldn't even navigate around the menus and my files.
Example: "system tray" completely threw me for a loop, wtf system tray. See all the help references assumed I knew what was the system tray. Maybe it was some startup volume options, or control panels? Maybe ICE CUBES? I was about ready for a cold SOMETHING when it occurred to me to buy a Windows manual onto my iPad. Yeah. Cooking w/ gas. Windows for a dummy!
So learning curves are learning curves, whichever OS one is trying to get used to. I guess it mostly comes down to basic terminology differences here and there, plus keyboard shortcuts. But now I understand more about some family members' bewilderment when they were switching to Macs that I gave them, that's for sure!
Setup and use of the few apps I needed were not a problem. It was the general housekeeping, checking my antivirus stuff, just wanting to take a couple notes, or get a screenshot(!) that were issues. I couldn't even navigate around the menus and my files.
Example: "system tray" completely threw me for a loop, wtf system tray.
See all the help references assumed I knew what was the system tray. Maybe it was some startup volume options, or control panels? Maybe ICE CUBES? I was about ready for a cold SOMETHING when it occurred to me to buy a Windows manual onto my iPad. Yeah. Cooking w/ gas. Windows for a dummy! So learning curves are learning curves, whichever OS one is trying to get used to. I guess it mostly comes down to basic terminology differences here and there, plus keyboard shortcuts. But now I understand more about some family members' bewilderment when they were switching to Macs that I gave them, that's for sure!
I made the switch three years ago now, after using windows fairly expertly since 3.1 (and still using win7 at work now).
Without question, for me, the mac is easier and more natural to use; i just get more done, more reliably with less fuss. Yes there was a learning curve at the start, they're two different systems, but with a little effort things soon got better.
I'm now quite proficient in both OS's but would choose to use the mac for any task - if I could take it into work I would.
Without question, for me, the mac is easier and more natural to use; i just get more done, more reliably with less fuss. Yes there was a learning curve at the start, they're two different systems, but with a little effort things soon got better.
I'm now quite proficient in both OS's but would choose to use the mac for any task - if I could take it into work I would.
I remember the days when taking off from work and going to the golf course meant nobody could get ahold of you and they had to actually "think" for themselves.
Damn you Bill and Steve!
OP: Many of us made the jump from windows and the first person who says adapting to OSX was a breeze is lying.