macOS is just a comedy of errors at this point, how did it come to this?

[6787872]

On Sonoma 14.3.1. I have phantom 'unread' messages which won't go away. According to google, I can use Siri to play the unread messages and they should go away.

I normally don't use Siri so it's not enabled. I enable it and.....nothing. It doesn't respond. According to more google, this is a known problem and there's no fix other than a random mix of restarts and hope it works.

At this point, mac reminds me of Windows ME. /endrant

 

[VitoBotta]

I'm astonished by the amount of people on this forum who face all sorts of issues with macOS and decide that macOS is just garbage. I must be lucky or something because I have used macs for 20+ years and have seldom had issues that weren't easily fixable. Many people have been complaining a lot about macOS especially since after Snow Leopard but for me it's got better and better each year. I haven't had any issues with macOS for several years now. It wouldn't cross my mind to compare it to.. Windows ME. That yes, was garbage.

Luck?

 

[za9ra22]

I think by the time you fill up a big box with so much junk, and then shove it all around and around and pack and unpack it all over and over again, you're bound to get stuff that doesn't do what it ought, and does random misbehaviors instead.

What would be nice is if Apple gave us the option to turn all the junk in macOS off if we don't want it - a sort of 'revert to Tiger' sort of mode. But obviously they won't. Instead we get more and more features, which is nice if you want to play with the system, but rather less so if you were hoping to actually use it.

I've been using macOS since System 6.whatever in 1986, and there's no doubt it is clever and very sophisticated, but it's rather over engineered for my liking, and there are many times it misbehaves in a variety of usually small ways, where the complexity of it gets in the way of efficient troubleshooting.

Ah, and System Settings... don't get me started on the bin fire of navigating that!

 

[K two]

I'm astonished by the amount of people on this forum who face all sorts of issues with macOS and decide that macOS is just garbage. I must be lucky or something because I have used macs for 20+ years and have seldom had issues that weren't easily fixable. Many people have been complaining a lot about macOS especially since after Snow Leopard but for me it's got better and better each year. I haven't had any issues with macOS for several years now. It wouldn't cross my mind to compare it to.. Windows ME. That yes, was garbage.

Luck?

Not luck. The tendency to over-react now seems universal, many seem to think they are somehow entitled. 🤷‍♂️

 

[za9ra22]

Not luck. The tendency to over-react now seems universal, many seem to think they are somehow entitled. 🤷‍♂️

I don't think it's people thinking they are somehow entitled, I'm pretty sure most of the issues with macOS I see being reported are much more to do with individual systems and problems that have become embedded in them due to software issues or faults deriving from updates or prior user interventions. But I really do think that the way macOS has grown and become harder to navigate means that tracing these kind of issues is harder and harder than it was - or possibly needs to be.

There is an argument to say that what Apple has been doing in recent years is diverging from the 'just works' path of simplicity and elegance for which they were undoubtedly known into the world of out-Microsofting Microsoft. The problem is, of course, it isn't as if Apple have much option but to go that route.

 

[ps866mker]

I'm astonished by the amount of people on this forum who face all sorts of issues with macOS and decide that macOS is just garbage. I must be lucky or something because I have used macs for 20+ years and have seldom had issues that weren't easily fixable. Many people have been complaining a lot about macOS especially since after Snow Leopard but for me it's got better and better each year. I haven't had any issues with macOS for several years now. It wouldn't cross my mind to compare it to.. Windows ME. That yes, was garbage.

Luck?

Nope. I’m a sysadmin and work with Macs all the time with multiple versions. From experience its the user 99% of the time.

 

[K two]

Nope. I’m a sysadmin and work with Macs all the time with multiple versions. From experience its the user 99% of the time.

99.9% is more like it!

 

[6787872]

Not luck. The tendency to over-react now seems universal, many seem to think they are somehow entitled. 🤷‍♂️

how dare i want working software, the absolute entitlement! just because you have low standards for software, doesn't mean everyone else does.

Nope. I’m a sysadmin and work with Macs all the time with multiple versions. From experience its the user 99% of the time.

ok, explain to me how this is user error. go on, i'll wait.

 

[za9ra22]

As an IT manager of many years, I've heard and used the 'faulty user' diagnosis many times, but it still leaves an expensive system not working as it should, and a frustrated user, rather than an answer. Frankly, sometimes it's also a bit elitist as well as being unhelpful.

Users do make mistakes, but one would have to say that if users are the problem 99% of the time, there's something seriously wrong with how the IT industry is doing it, that there's so much wiggle room for inexperience or lack of knowledge to create such widespread failures.

My point is that in line with the topic, macOS (and Windows, and some of the Linux flavors too) are getting too complex and too muddled, so that users we might expect should be capable of navigating what ought merely to be a tool for operating a machine, are likely to find it harder and harder to do so.

 

[K two]

how dare i want working software, the absolute entitlement! just because you have low standards for software, doesn't mean everyone else does.



ok, explain to me how this is user error. go on, i'll wait.

Some users adopt the issues noted by others and regurgitate them as their own concerns, like a chorus of misfortune. Much like your POV.

 

[K two]

I don't think it's people thinking they are somehow entitled, I'm pretty sure most of the issues with macOS I see being reported are much more to do with individual systems and problems that have become embedded in them due to software issues or faults deriving from updates or prior user interventions. But I really do think that the way macOS has grown and become harder to navigate means that tracing these kind of issues is harder and harder than it was - or possibly needs to be.

There is an argument to say that what Apple has been doing in recent years is diverging from the 'just works' path of simplicity and elegance for which they were undoubtedly known into the world of out-Microsofting Microsoft. The problem is, of course, it isn't as if Apple have much option but to go that route.

A false sense of entitlement is not limited to personal computers, it's a widespread cultural aspect of the 21st century. Since Macs are not cheap, a sense of entitlement is part of the sale. 🤑

 

[Corefile]

Nope. I’m a sysadmin and work with Macs all the time with multiple versions. From experience its the user 99% of the time.

"You're using it wrong!"

 

[za9ra22]

A false sense of entitlement is not limited to personal computers, it's a widespread cultural aspect of the 21st century. Since Macs are not cheap, a sense of entitlement is part of the sale. 🤑

It isn't for me to debate wider cultural issues here, whether I agree or not, but I will say that often the problem does not appear to be with those who are 'blamed' for being the problem. I might add that I don't experience any greater sense of entitlement from Mac owners than I have generally perceived from any others. Nor really ever have that I can think of, even from the days when a Mac was significantly more expensive compared to other computers than they are today. That said, I have only worked with Mac users since 1986, so the first two years of their existence is a bit of a mystery in this respect.

 

[6787872]

Some users adopt the issues noted by others and regurgitate them as their own concerns, like a chorus of misfortune. Much like your POV.

if it's not a concern to you, move on from this thread. it's really not that complicated.

 

[seggy]

A false sense of entitlement is not limited to personal computers, it's a widespread cultural aspect of the 21st century. Since Macs are not cheap, a sense of entitlement is part of the sale. 🤑

I just finished pointing and laughing at the Airpod case wiggle thread, you're absolutely not wrong.

The funniest part is of course, Apple gear isn't that much more expensive either so the entitlement is even more hilarious

 

[seggy]

On Sonoma 14.3.1. I have phantom 'unread' messages which won't go away. According to google, I can use Siri to play the unread messages and they should go away.

I normally don't use Siri so it's not enabled. I enable it and.....nothing. It doesn't respond. According to more google, this is a known problem and there's no fix other than a random mix of restarts and hope it works.

At this point, mac reminds me of Windows ME. /endrant

It's a fact for even the relatively conservative Apple that everything is break-fix right now. Of course you'll find bugs.

I don't personally think MacOS has got to as terrible a place as Windows 11 rn, where a bunch of stuff that shouldn't have been let out of beta has been broken for 2 years after release (mostly because it's an OS with simpler scope - the world's most advanced, my 🍑)

 

[dotnet]

On Sonoma 14.3.1. I have phantom 'unread' messages which won't go away. According to google, I can use Siri to play the unread messages and they should go away.

I think this may have to do more with the iMessage service and sync’ing than with macOS. I have a similar situation that when I delete messages on my phone they also disappear on the iPad, but the unread message counter and badge remain on the iPad. The “fix” is to send or delete some message from the iPad, then the unread counter syncs up again.

 

[dotnet]

BTW, you could have just made a thread about message sync issues, instead of choosing this hyperventilating thread title, like all you every read is tabloids. This just invites the kooks and contributes to the toxicity of the forum (see other thread).

 

[seggy]

iMessage completely broke on me at one point that all but one of my devices basically froze where they happened to have been at the time it stopped working - I forgot how I fixed it, but I've only suffered it once. But yeah sounds like a similar problem.

 

[6787872]

I think this may have to do more with the iMessage service and sync’ing than with macOS. I have a similar situation that when I delete messages on my phone they also disappear on the iPad, but the unread message counter and badge remain on the iPad. The “fix” is to send or delete some message from the iPad, then the unread counter syncs up again.

unfortunately this didn't fix it. after a dozen restarts, siri started working finally and the 'play unread' messages did the trick.

BTW, you could have just made a thread about message sync issues, instead of choosing this hyperventilating thread title, like all you every read is tabloids. This just invites the kooks and contributes to the toxicity of the forum (see other thread).

it was just the absurdity of the situation that got me. the ability to fix one bug hampered by another bug.

 

[chevyboy60013]

I'm astonished by the amount of people on this forum who face all sorts of issues with macOS and decide that macOS is just garbage. I must be lucky or something because I have used macs for 20+ years and have seldom had issues that weren't easily fixable. Many people have been complaining a lot about macOS especially since after Snow Leopard but for me it's got better and better each year. I haven't had any issues with macOS for several years now. It wouldn't cross my mind to compare it to.. Windows ME. That yes, was garbage.

I'm the same way. Any time I have to use ANYTHING microsoft made, I have nothing but problems with it. I now am running macOS Sonoma on a late 2009 iMac using open core legacy patcher without any issues, and running macOS Monterey which will possibly be updated to Sonoma on my mid 2010 MacBook Pro using open core legacy patcher without issues, which are unsupported hardware for those versions of macOS and would expect problems. Anytime I have to use my 2022 dell laptop I have nothing but issues with it. Maybe it is people who do not try and actually learn how macOS works. macOS has been the absolute best operating system I have ever used, very user friendly and just works.

 

[LarTeROn]

It's not entitled to moan about tech because it's tech we have to use. Technology is an essential tool for modern life. When it fails, we're screwed. It's OK to hate it.

When a mac goes wrong this is even more annoying because "just works" is exactly all we need.

It's good to be appreciative, but to a point.

I came over from Linux and windows. Overall, it's been the best, but macos really has its idiosyncrasies. Bluetooth. Not playing well with others. Lots of weird little things to fix. A lot like windows, only the problems are less drivers or whatever, and more weird annoyances like just learning how to maximise a window or copy a file up to the parent directory. Learnable, but annoying that you have to learn it.
Likewise, drivers die on upgrades and hardware gets abandoned.

Yes, it's the best, but it's surprised me with the number of annoyances.

 

[Minghold]

I'm astonished by the amount of people on this forum who face all sorts of issues with macOS and decide that macOS is just garbage.

Indeed. As trollbait goes, there are far worse things to complain about regarding the more recent OSes than cosmetic polish.

I must be lucky or something because I have used macs for 20+ years and have seldom had issues that weren't easily fixable. Many people have been complaining a lot about macOS especially since after Snow Leopard but for me it's got better and better each year.

If by "it" you mean the hardware, then that is certainly the case (with a major caveat being given to the iMac's steadily increasing fragility in terms of screen-protection since the first G5s). In terms of OS...no. (They've gotten prettier, more or less, every year since Lion, but it has become very clear especially in the last few years that Apple's priority isn't pleasing the consumer but instead pleasing its shady intelligence patrons with 24/7 telemetry. That, and artificially obsolescing as much perfectly good hardware and software beyond warranty as possible.

 

[chevyboy60013]

especially since macOS is likely the best os ever developed.

 

[Minghold]

I now am running macOS Sonoma on a late 2009 iMac using open core legacy patcher without any issues

For what purpose, I can't imagine. (I'm trying to envision Sonoma running like a slug off a core-2-duo processor, MacsFanControl roaring away trying to keep the thing cool while MRT and Spotlight indexing pound away under the hood, driving an APFS-partitioned replacement SSD drive to an early grave. That '09 system would be three times as fast, and run ALL the legacy software, with stock High Sierra. Enabling hardware-acceleration is also a remaining bugaboo concerning the "silverback" '09-'11 DVD-slot iMacs, as it's the one thing OCL hasn't been able to account for yet -- as otherwise I'd be running Mojave/HFS+ on all of these. Forfeiting thousands of 32bit applications for Sonoma subscription-model Office24 support is the last of my concerns.