Perks of owning a Macbook?

[Sully]

A terminal emulator included with Mac OS that allows you to control the operating system with text based commands. If you google HomeBrew for Mac or something like that you can find out about package managers. There's also a lot of material on GitHub where you can learn. There are way more knowledgeable people than me on this subject. I'm just a hack trying to find my way around. But, there's a lot of power inside Terminal once you find your way around the command line prompt. It's pretty fun.

 

[Daniel Santos]

Another experience I had while being on apple and is related to MacosX. I started using mac in 2008 with snow leopard on a 17" macbook pro. Went through all the OS versions on that machine up till Maverics. I started to have one problem though. When I turned off the Wifi card the computer would lock up and became unusable, because the subsequent reboots the card would be off and it would lock up again.

Since I have an external hard disk connected permanently to the mac doing time-machine, I was able to do a full restore of the machine and get it running again without losing any data. I eventually googled the problem and found out that in the recovery mode of OS X, I could delete the network configuration files on the main HDD and boot it up again.

So for time machine, I would say, great feature, and I believe there is nothing like it on windows or linux (I tried doing something similar on linux using hard links, and it's a close one, but you have to fiddle with the command line). On windows there are libraries, but It does not come close to what time machine does, which is a full image of your disk drive. So time machine is a great safety net for your mac, and requires almost no knowledge of computers to set up.

Late last year I finally bough another MBP, and imported everything from the time machine backup I had from the old MBP. No hassle, everything ran smoothly, I didn't have to waste almost any time transferring the data.

Yesterday I upgraded the OS from El Capitan to Sierra, and now I will see if its stable, and if the apps I have still run on it.

So In short, I must say, macs can last you a long time, my first MBP is still running fine , I gave it to a youngster and he's happily using it. As to backups, time-machine is great. Migration assistant also great if you plan on staying with apple.

 

[ginofresh]

Another experience I had while being on apple and is related to MacosX. I started using mac in 2008 with snow leopard on a 17" macbook pro. Went through all the OS versions on that machine up till Maverics. I started to have one problem though. When I turned off the Wifi card the computer would lock up and became unusable, because the subsequent reboots the card would be off and it would lock up again.

Since I have an external hard disk connected permanently to the mac doing time-machine, I was able to do a full restore of the machine and get it running again without losing any data. I eventually googled the problem and found out that in the recovery mode of OS X, I could delete the network configuration files on the main HDD and boot it up again.

So for time machine, I would say, great feature, and I believe there is nothing like it on windows or linux (I tried doing something similar on linux using hard links, and it's a close one, but you have to fiddle with the command line). On windows there are libraries, but It does not come close to what time machine does, which is a full image of your disk drive. So time machine is a great safety net for your mac, and requires almost no knowledge of computers to set up.

Late last year I finally bough another MBP, and imported everything from the time machine backup I had from the old MBP. No hassle, everything ran smoothly, I didn't have to waste almost any time transferring the data.

Yesterday I upgraded the OS from El Capitan to Sierra, and now I will see if its stable, and if the apps I have still run on it.

So In short, I must say, macs can last you a long time, my first MBP is still running fine , I gave it to a youngster and he's happily using it. As to backups, time-machine is great. Migration assistant also great if you plan on staying with apple.

See that is why I am thinking about getting a Mac

 

[maflynn]

Since I have an external hard disk connected permanently to the mac doing time-machine, I was able to do a full restore of the machine and get it running again without losing any data. I eventually googled the problem and found out that in the recovery mode of OS X, I could delete the network configuration files on the main HDD and boot it up again.

That's the one thing I really enjoy with the Mac, how easy it is to do a restore. Kudos to Apple for making that so problem and headache free.

 

[SteveJUAE]

See that is why I am thinking about getting a Mac

It's there on Win10:

Restore from a system restore point

Create and restore a system Image

Use installation media to restore your PC

Go back to your previous version of Windows

Create a recovery drive

File History and backup

Easy Transfer (is not available for Win10 but other 3rd party utilities are available)

However MacOS does make it easier for most to use

 

[vddobrev]

It's there on Win10:

Restore from a system restore point

Create and restore a system Image

Use installation media to restore your PC

Go back to your previous version of Windows

Create a recovery drive

File History and backup

Easy Transfer (is not available for Win10 but other 3rd party utilities are available)

However MacOS does make it easier for most to use

If only it worked! Most of the times when I tried it it didn't work or was useless.
I use Windows 10 via bootcamp on my imac on a need to basis. A month ago I wanted to experiment and install a newer video driver. I created manually a system restore point, then proceeded with removing the video driver. Installing the new one failed. Then I went on to restore the system using my manual restore point - "windows could not restore your system..."

 

[SteveJUAE]

If only it worked! Most of the times when I tried it it didn't work or was useless.
I use Windows 10 via bootcamp on my imac on a need to basis. A month ago I wanted to experiment and install a newer video driver. I created manually a system restore point, then proceeded with removing the video driver. Installing the new one failed. Then I went on to restore the system using my manual restore point - "windows could not restore your system..."

That's a shame, but most would of just rolled back the driver or used auto update to fix it and not a restore point

 

[BarracksSi]

Another perk:

The mouse pointer disappears when you start typing so it won't block what you're writing.

Seriously. I never realized how brain-dead obviously necessary this is for a good UI until I got my laptops from my employer (one Win10 and one Ubuntu). On them, when I click where I want to type, I look up to make sure I haven't mis-hit a key (did I type "met" or "mt"?), and the pointer's in the way. I'll check for a setting again during work tomorrow, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Really? On my Mac, there isn't even a setting anymore to keep the mouse pointer visible while typing. Even Apple knows it's stupid. I think older versions of the Mac's OS had the option, but I don't think I bothered to change it since the 1900's. When typing, nobody needs to see what the mouse is pointing at, right?

-- It's these little annoyances that keep adding up to make me despise the OSes on my work laptop. I really don't mind Ubuntu that much (although I dearly wish it had a Mac-easy way for me to change the screen's color profile and get rid of its purplish hue), but I find Win10 simply offensive. Four steps for a screenshot? MS Paint hasn't evolved since, what, 1996 (see post #13)? Three different control panels for the trackpad?

 

[Daniel Santos]

Yet another perk :

The automation tools present in OS X. There is an application called Automator, and an english-like scripting language, that let's you write workflows to automate all the repetitive pointing and clicking and typing on the several mac apps and OS X itself.

I know, the applications have to support it, but many actually do, and it is a great feature, if you want to automate repetitive tasks.

I am getting more and more into writing apple scripts. For example, I develop software. Using apple script I can set up the development envrionment in the mac, without going to all the apps and opening them, like for example, open sessions on iterm2, lauching servers from the command line, opening the development environment, etc. I just run a script and it all appears on screen.

Another use case : I am subscribed to a fair amount of mailing lists. I use applescript to go through the folders where those messages are filtered, and delete the old ones just by runnig a script. No need to got to each folder, select all older than some amount of time, and press delete.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Another perk:

The mouse pointer disappears when you start typing so it won't block what you're writing.

Seriously. I never realized how brain-dead obviously necessary this is for a good UI until I got my laptops from my employer (one Win10 and one Ubuntu). On them, when I click where I want to type, I look up to make sure I haven't mis-hit a key (did I type "met" or "mt"?), and the pointer's in the way. I'll check for a setting again during work tomorrow, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Really? On my Mac, there isn't even a setting anymore to keep the mouse pointer visible while typing. Even Apple knows it's stupid. I think older versions of the Mac's OS had the option, but I don't think I bothered to change it since the 1900's. When typing, nobody needs to see what the mouse is pointing at, right?

-- It's these little annoyances that keep adding up to make me despise the OSes on my work laptop. I really don't mind Ubuntu that much (although I dearly wish it had a Mac-easy way for me to change the screen's color profile and get rid of its purplish hue), but I find Win10 simply offensive. Four steps for a screenshot? MS Paint hasn't evolved since, what, 1996 (see post #13)? Three different control panels for the trackpad?

Are you sure as in Win10 (Just tried MSWord and Notepad) as soon as the mouse pointer is over text or in a text application it changes to an I type shape so there is no pointer then as you type it disappears and does not reappear till you touch the TP. If you are in a windowed app and move the pointer outside the window the pointer remains unaffected

Think you are mistaken on this or maybe using some 3rd party app that does not implement this

Not sure where you get 4 steps for print screen on most windows laptops there is a dedicated FN button and with others like SP4/SB it's a double click of your pen top

MSPaint I understand has just been overhauled with the Creators update
[doublepost=1488451553][/doublepost]

Yet another perk :

The automation tools present in OS X. There is an application called Automator, and an english-like scripting language, that let's you write workflows to automate all the repetitive pointing and clicking and typing on the several mac apps and OS X itself.

I know, the applications have to support it, but many actually do, and it is a great feature, if you want to automate repetitive tasks.

I am getting more and more into writing apple scripts. For example, I develop software. Using apple script I can set up the development envrionment in the mac, without going to all the apps and opening them, like for example, open sessions on iterm2, lauching servers from the command line, opening the development environment, etc. I just run a script and it all appears on screen.

Another use case : I am subscribed to a fair amount of mailing lists. I use applescript to go through the folders where those messages are filtered, and delete the old ones just by runnig a script. No need to got to each folder, select all older than some amount of time, and press delete.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Agreed a nice native tool where in Win10 you have to install an App for repetitive tasks on files, pictures, mail etc and not as powerful, but easy for most to use as requires no scripting

 

[BarracksSi]

Are you sure as in Win10 (Just tried MSWord and Notepad) as soon as the mouse pointer is over text or in a text application it changes to an I type shape so there is no pointer then as you type it disappears and does not reappear till you touch the TP. If you are in a windowed app and move the pointer outside the window the pointer remains unaffected

Think you are mistaken on this or maybe using some 3rd party app that does not implement this

Not sure where you get 4 steps for print screen on most windows laptops there is a dedicated FN button and with others like SP4/SB it's a double click of your pen top

Ok, yeah, it changes to the I-beam text selector -- but why is it still there on the screen while I'm typing?

This is something you don't notice until you change OSes. It's not a third-party app issue, either -- this is an OS operation. I'll check again at work, but it should disappear completely even if I'm typing in a text box here on MR, and with any web browser, too. Same with Ubuntu -- it shouldn't be there when I'm typing in Atom or Firefox.

Four steps to a screenshot:
1. Press the PrtScrn button
2. Open Paint
3. Create a new document
4. Paste

All that to do what I wanted the computer to do automatically: create a new image. Why else do I want a screenshot? Am I going to make an mp3 out of it? No. Am I going to paste it inside my Rails app? No. So why won't the OS simply create the image for me? It's like if I were to start my car the same way, I'd first turn the key, then open the hood and start spraying gasoline into the throttle while turning the distributor cap myself. Mac uses a key combo (to be fair, it uses a three-key combo) and instantly creates an image.

 

[maflynn]

Ok, yeah, it changes to the I-beam text selector -- but why is it still there on the screen while I'm typing?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but when I type, the cursor disappears, and the iBeam shows up as I type, and this is happening in Sierra.

 

[8692574]

Four steps to a screenshot:
1. Press the PrtScrn button
2. Open Paint
3. Create a new document
4. Paste

All that to do what I wanted the computer to do automatically: create a new image. Why else do I want a screenshot? Am I going to make an mp3 out of it? No. Am I going to paste it inside my Rails app? No. So why won't the OS simply create the image for me? It's like if I were to start my car the same way, I'd first turn the key, then open the hood and start spraying gasoline into the throttle while turning the distributor cap myself. Mac uses a key combo (to be fair, it uses a three-key combo) and instantly creates an image.

You mean what you can do with windows button + print? (introduced in Win 8)

Yes it saves it into the images > screenshoot folder

 

[BarracksSi]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but when I type, the cursor disappears, and the iBeam shows up as I type, and this is happening in Sierra.

On Mac, the I-beam shape shows up when you hover the mouse over a text entry area -- but then, when you start typing, it disappears entirely (ceases to exist) so you can see everything you're typing, and a text-entry cursor is present.

By "mouse pointer", I'm talking about the onscreen object that the mouse controls, whether it's the arrow or the i-beam shape. I should've said "i-beam" in the first place.
[doublepost=1488456820][/doublepost]

You mean what you can do with windows button + print? (introduced in Win 8)

Yes it saves it into the images > screenshoot folder

Doesn't seem to do this on my Win10 Dell. I'll look again later.

 

[Ma2k5]

Ok, yeah, it changes to the I-beam text selector -- but why is it still there on the screen while I'm typing?

This is something you don't notice until you change OSes. It's not a third-party app issue, either -- this is an OS operation. I'll check again at work, but it should disappear completely even if I'm typing in a text box here on MR, and with any web browser, too. Same with Ubuntu -- it shouldn't be there when I'm typing in Atom or Firefox.

Four steps to a screenshot:
1. Press the PrtScrn button
2. Open Paint
3. Create a new document
4. Paste

All that to do what I wanted the computer to do automatically: create a new image. Why else do I want a screenshot? Am I going to make an mp3 out of it? No. Am I going to paste it inside my Rails app? No. So why won't the OS simply create the image for me? It's like if I were to start my car the same way, I'd first turn the key, then open the hood and start spraying gasoline into the throttle while turning the distributor cap myself. Mac uses a key combo (to be fair, it uses a three-key combo) and instantly creates an image.

The Windows + print screen command saves the screenshot automatically, although this is full screen. To do partial, you have to use the snipping tool (which does not require you to use Paint or otherwise thankfully). I think the good thing on MacOS is that to just copy/save an area, you don't need to open a program, which is neat.

 

[maflynn]

On Mac, the I-beam shape shows up when you hover the mouse over a text entry area -- but then, when you start typing, it disappears entirely (ceases to exist) so you can see everything you're typing, and a text-entry cursor is present.

for my the i-beam does not disappear at all when I type in both Sierra or Windows 10

 

[8692574]

Doesn't seem to do this on my Win10 Dell. I'll look again later.

For reference....
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/12081.windows-8-capture-screenshots.aspx

Works on my HP Win 10

 

[SteveJUAE]

Ok, yeah, it changes to the I-beam text selector -- but why is it still there on the screen while I'm typing?

This is something you don't notice until you change OSes. It's not a third-party app issue, either -- this is an OS operation. I'll check again at work, but it should disappear completely even if I'm typing in a text box here on MR, and with any web browser, too. Same with Ubuntu -- it shouldn't be there when I'm typing in Atom or Firefox.

Four steps to a screenshot:
1. Press the PrtScrn button
2. Open Paint
3. Create a new document
4. Paste

All that to do what I wanted the computer to do automatically: create a new image. Why else do I want a screenshot? Am I going to make an mp3 out of it? No. Am I going to paste it inside my Rails app? No. So why won't the OS simply create the image for me? It's like if I were to start my car the same way, I'd first turn the key, then open the hood and start spraying gasoline into the throttle while turning the distributor cap myself. Mac uses a key combo (to be fair, it uses a three-key combo) and instantly creates an image.

As I said before it behaves identical to MacOS in MSWord and Notepad that I tried no idea why in MR reply box that the I beam cursor stays maybe how the script is handled in browsers

Funny I have never used screen-print just for an image. I am usually pasting it into word or excel or powerpoint and use the crop tools there to adjust image. I write 100's of revisions of technical documents a year where we have to embed images from many sources CAD/Analysis etc. As others have mentioned there is the snipping tool which can be active all the time and allows just an area to be clipped which is a lot smarter with options or as another noted look in screenshoot folder.

 

[BarracksSi]

for my the i-beam does not disappear at all when I type in both Sierra or Windows 10

I don't think we're talking about the same thing.

As I type here on my Win10 laptop, there's the text entry cursor in the MR text field, and it's a straight vertical line, almost like this: | It shows where the next letter will appear when I type.

However, the mouse pointer/cursor/I-beam is still present, too. It's got the "flanges" on top and bottom, and it won't go away. It's partially covering the "se" in "mouse" right now. I can't show it in a screenshot because it gets left out of the screenshot itself; I'll need to take a pic, but we can't have phones (or any cameras) here at the office.

The difference is, on a Mac, the mouse cursor disappears when you start typing in any app. On my Win10 and Ubuntu machines, the mouse cursor is always there. It matters when I'm filling out forms and glance up to make sure I've typed correctly, or when I need to be confirm that I typed "sPagination" instead of "aPagination" -- I shouldn't have to reach for the mouse just to see what I had typed.

 

[maflynn]

However, the mouse pointer/cursor/I-beam is still present, too. It's got the "flanges" on top and bottom, and it won't go away. It's partially covering the "se" in "mouse" right now. I can't show it in a screenshot because it gets left out of the screenshot itself; I'll need to take a pic, but we can't have phones (or any cameras) here at the office.

I see what you're saying, and I agree, the | exists but also the I-Beam that I can move with the mouse. That doesn't exist in Sierra it seems. I thought you were talking about the |.

Tbh, given how easily I was confused over this, I'm not sure its a big deal, since it wasn't something I even noticed

 

[BarracksSi]

For reference....
https://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/12081.windows-8-capture-screenshots.aspx

Works on my HP Win 10

What does the article say? My network blocked it (ads/analytics, the filter says).

There's no Screenshots folder that I can find. The more fundamental annoyance is, I get no feedback when I've pressed "Prnt Scrn" -- there's no visual or audible indicator to tell me whether it's worked or not. I press the key, then I wonder about when I hit Paste, is it going to paste the image or will it paste the last text snippet I copied?

(the Mac will copy a screenshot straight to the clipboard with the control key if needed -- cmd-ctrl-shift-3 versus cmd-shift-3)

 

[8692574]

What does the article say? My network blocked it (ads/analytics, the filter says).

There's no Screenshots folder that I can find. The more fundamental annoyance is, I get no feedback when I've pressed "Prnt Scrn" -- there's no visual or audible indicator to tell me whether it's worked or not. I press the key, then I wonder about when I hit Paste, is it going to paste the image or will it paste the last text snippet I copied?

(the Mac will copy a screenshot straight to the clipboard with the control key if needed -- cmd-ctrl-shift-3 versus cmd-shift-3)

Press both the windows key and print...you see the screen flashing just as in Mac OS 100% the same!

 

[BarracksSi]

Tbh, given how easily I was confused over this, I'm not sure its a big deal, since it wasn't something I even noticed

It's such a transparent little tweak, isn't it? It took me weeks to realize what was bugging me about typing on my work laptops. It finally occurred to me the other day -- "Why is the mouse always in the way while I'm typing?..." Then I get on my Mac and, just like it's been doing since last century, the mouse vanishes as soon as I type something -- "Oh! I forgot it does that... why don't the others do it, too?"
[doublepost=1488464271][/doublepost]

Press both the windows key and print...you see the screen flashing just as in Mac OS 100% the same!

Cool, that works (fn-Windows key - Prnt Scrn) and, bonus, it created a Screenshots folder...

But why wasn't the Screenshots folder there before?

Shouldn't the original operation be "copy screen" instead of "print screen" because it doesn't actually "print" anything?

(using the Windows key seems like a bad idea, too, since pressing it brings up the Start menu -- or what used to be the Start menu, I guess -- so it doesn't seem like it should be a multipurpose modifier key. Apple's Command key does nothing by itself)

 

[SteveJUAE]

It's such a transparent little tweak, isn't it? It took me weeks to realize what was bugging me about typing on my work laptops. It finally occurred to me the other day -- "Why is the mouse always in the way while I'm typing?..." Then I get on my Mac and, just like it's been doing since last century, the mouse vanishes as soon as I type something -- "Oh! I forgot it does that... why don't the others do it, too?"

I think you need to re word this why is it in the way on certain apps like MR reply box in a browser as it is not in full apps like MSWord

Your clutching at straws with this one IMO but if it bugs you then I guess it does

 

[BarracksSi]

I think you need to re word this why is it in the way on certain apps like MR reply box in a browser as it is not in full apps like MSWord

Your clutching at straws with this one IMO but if it bugs you then I guess it does

Why just "certain apps"? Why the inconsistency? Doesn't Windows know how to manage its own UI?