I share a lot of your sentiments. I'm simply over Apple's dumbing down of everything to the most basic level. Their software has become an abomination. I used to heavily use Pages and Numbers. Luckily, the old versions still work, because the new versions are essentially "My First Page Layout Program" and "My First Spreadsheet Program". Their complete dismissal of touchscreens on anything other than iDevices is really killing it for me. Same goes for Blu-Ray. There's a whole laundry list of other things, including the crap experiences I've had lately. I've been a dedicated Apple user since 1983. But, if I was starting from scratch, I'd seriously be looking at PCs.
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Switching from Mac to PC, what made you do it?
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I share a lot of your sentiments. I'm simply over Apple's dumbing down of everything to the most basic level. Their software has become an abomination. I used to heavily use Pages and Numbers. Luckily, the old versions still work, because the new versions are essentially "My First Page Layout Program" and "My First Spreadsheet Program". Their complete dismissal of touchscreens on anything other than iDevices is really killing it for me. Same goes for Blu-Ray. There's a whole laundry list of other things, including the crap experiences I've had lately. I've been a dedicated Apple user since 1983. But, if I was starting from scratch, I'd seriously be looking at PCs.
I've been on a Mac since 1994.
...I guess what bothered me the most was having to switch from a Mac to a PC for work (architecture / engineering).
...I guess what bothered me the most was having to switch from a Mac to a PC for work (architecture / engineering).
I re-evaluate this an option on occasion. I always wind up preferring OSX as my primary computing platform, even though I do a fair amount of dev work in Winders©
I had a sudden, uncontrollable urge to wallow in a miasma of horrible code, to be constantly perturbed by uninvited popup dialogs, to be necessitated to search for necessary small items of software whose absence prevents my central aim, to find that my time-limited application needs to be paid for, and other experiences in a similar vein which I am sure all MS Windows users of the past, present and future have ample experience.
The only reason I have ever considered was for gaming. Even then, I'm really not that interested.
Yeah, if I was a "PC gamer", I'm sure I'd toss together a big ol' high powered machine. Heck, I was shopping for Windows based gaming notebooks for some portable VR work, but I ducked out of that business.
To be honest, I've always preferred, console games since I spend so much time on a computer in other capacities.
I ended up building myself a PC (albeit inside of an old PowerMac G5 case) last fall for the sole reason of taking back control over the hardware I use.
I like being able to swap out the graphics card, the processor, the RAM and other components when they get old or outdated. I like being able to tailor the machine to my needs, and not have a cookie cutter solution starting at $XXXX. I built myself the equivalent of a top of the line iMac (as of last fall) for about $500, and I will be able to keep it relevant with updated parts for years to come.
Most of my frustrations came from acquiring an original MacBook air, which was practically outdated the day it was introduced. Trying to run >10.8 on it is a nightmare, and it's depressing to know I can't upgrade the RAM to handle the OS better. Yes, it was meant as an ultra-portable web machine, I understand that. I just like being able to keep my investment on its feet longer with minimal expenditure. Soldered-on RAM Macs of the last few years make that incredibly difficult.
I like being able to swap out the graphics card, the processor, the RAM and other components when they get old or outdated. I like being able to tailor the machine to my needs, and not have a cookie cutter solution starting at $XXXX. I built myself the equivalent of a top of the line iMac (as of last fall) for about $500, and I will be able to keep it relevant with updated parts for years to come.
Most of my frustrations came from acquiring an original MacBook air, which was practically outdated the day it was introduced. Trying to run >10.8 on it is a nightmare, and it's depressing to know I can't upgrade the RAM to handle the OS better. Yes, it was meant as an ultra-portable web machine, I understand that. I just like being able to keep my investment on its feet longer with minimal expenditure. Soldered-on RAM Macs of the last few years make that incredibly difficult.
The litmus test of any OS is whether you'd feel comfortable typing your SSN or back details into. If you do that in Windows then I fear for you.
Recently I use three different computers in a single office:
The requirement for Windows should end in less than three weeks, when the Ricoh device will be replaced by something new from Konica Minolta.
The more I use PC-BSD, the less I'm drawn to the Mac.
In July 2014 I allowed five years for a switch away from Apple. For around a year from now I expect to run Mavericks on an early 2011 MacBookPro8,2 with a recently replaced logic board.
In 2016 I might make PC-BSD my primary OS for desktops and notebooks. Related, in the forums:
I'll retain Mavericks in an Oracle VirtualBoxVM:
(It might be difficult to find an alternative to Contacts that's suitably integrated with various services.)
My five year allowance was generous. I'll probably feel well-switched within three years.
Reasons will vary. Recently I'm extremely impressed by developer responses to my feature requests and bug reports.
More generally, reasons for switching to PC-BSD include its use of ZFS; its FreeBSD base; The FreeBSD Foundation; and so on.
- a modern desktop with Windows 7, primarily for compatibility with a Ricoh multifunction device that lacks a PostScript interpreter
- an early 2009 17" MacBookPro5,2 with OS X 10.9.5
- an older Ergo Vista 621 notebook with PC-BSD 11.0-CURRENTSEPT2015 and Lumina 0.8.7-Devel.
Plus a YotaPhone 2 with Android. Installed applications include LastPass; Yaaic; iCloud Contacts Sync; Reminder & Calendar Sync; Unify OpenScape Mobile, OpenScape UC and OpenScape Web; LibreOffice Viewer; VLC; Mozilla Firefox and Firefox Beta; BBC iPlayer; Adobe Acrobat Reader; Microsoft Lync 2013, Outlook, OWA (Outlook Web App), Excel, PowerPoint and Word; YouTube; AVG AntiVirus FREE; and so on.
The requirement for Windows should end in less than three weeks, when the Ricoh device will be replaced by something new from Konica Minolta.
The more I use PC-BSD, the less I'm drawn to the Mac.
In July 2014 I allowed five years for a switch away from Apple. For around a year from now I expect to run Mavericks on an early 2011 MacBookPro8,2 with a recently replaced logic board.
In 2016 I might make PC-BSD my primary OS for desktops and notebooks. Related, in the forums:
I'll retain Mavericks in an Oracle VirtualBoxVM:
- probably stored on a USB flash drive
- not necessarily used with Apple hardware
(It might be difficult to find an alternative to Contacts that's suitably integrated with various services.)
My five year allowance was generous. I'll probably feel well-switched within three years.
Reasons will vary. Recently I'm extremely impressed by developer responses to my feature requests and bug reports.
More generally, reasons for switching to PC-BSD include its use of ZFS; its FreeBSD base; The FreeBSD Foundation; and so on.
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So your a Pro user who wants a pro computer from Apple, yet as you say, they make consumer computers. You answered your own question. If a consumer device is not what you require, but a pro device, buy one. Thats not Apple's market
… 10.10 killed my interest in the future of OS X
That's believable!
Well, I'm aware that there's a bigger iPad with a pencil but I have no idea what was said at any recent Apple keynote, and I had no interest in El Capitan until it cropped up in a recent, brief test of an alternative to HFS Plus. 10.11 passed me by completely and use of 10.11.1 was incidental to something more interesting. It's like, OS X is there but genuinely, my interest in its future is pretty much dead. I'll provide I.T. support (primarily to colleagues at work who use Apple products) but strength of interest has shifted away from Apple.
https://bugs.pcbsd.org/activity?user_id=4714 may be taken as proof of interest in the future of an alternative operating system that makes very smart use of OpenZFS. There's work towards making Lumina the default desktop environment; I can use that DE for days and not miss the DE of OS X.
Here, now, HexChat and Firefox with Lumina 0.8.8-Devel on PC-BSD 11.0-CURRENTNOV2015:
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Absolutely!
I've been using Apple computers since 1998. It's great to have a well-built device, but it was the operating system that attracted me to Apple. It's appearance was beyond unique! After "upgrading" to El Capitan from Snow Leopard, I was absolutely horrified! Did someone at Microsoft grease the palms of Apple's top brass to bring OSX down to the level of Windows? It looks like some artistically challenged 10 year old designed the UI/graphics... Simply awful looking! The new management is going to grind Apple into the proverbial dirt - no question about it. How's that Apple stock doing lately?
The newest MacBook Pro line of computers are basically disposable devices, with no upgradable hardware contained within. Very sad to see what is happening to this once great company. Now sit back and witness Apple's paid shills wax poetic over what is obviously a sub-par OS. You know who you are...
Note: I posted this is a "Yosemite Looks Terrible" thread, and the staff removed it! There's no paid shills here... None at all!
A different look, but I'm pleased with Yosemite's appearance, of which El Capitan, I believe emulates. No cliff has been driven off of.
Apple's stock indicates otherwise...A different look, but I'm pleased with Yosemite's appearance, of which El Capitan, I believe emulates. No cliff has been driven off of.
Apple's stock indicates otherwise...
The stock price is all about future iPhone sales.
Apple's stock indicates otherwise...
Apple's stock has been inflated for a long time. This has little to do with the MacOS appearance.
"Inflated" more aptly refers to a stock like Facebook. i.e. A company that produces nothing of tangible value. The Apple brand is as American as Fender, Ford, and the New York Yankees... It will survive, but their days of innovation are over. Hartmut Esslinger lamented this in an interview with Quartz.
When my beautiful 3D Apple icons were reduced to pastel Windows-esque 2D icons, I knew it was over.
"Inflated" more aptly refers to a stock like Facebook. i.e. A company that produces nothing of tangible value. The Apple brand is as American as Fender, Ford, and the New York Yankees... It will survive, but their days of innovation are over. Hartmut Esslinger lamented this in an interview with Quartz.
When my beautiful 3D Apple icons were reduced to pastel Windows-esque 2D icons, I knew it was over.
Basis for statement, their days of innovation are over?
That is until the next great thing appears, but no guarantees. Sure, they may of had their hay day, but history has not been written ...yet.
My utter sadness and frustration with Apple's OS and iOS over the last 2 years, keeps growing. I wish there was a stable Microsoft software option out there for me, but given my daily fight with Microsoft products on the Lenovo machine I have at the job, I just cannot bring myself to that level of grrrr at home too.
I don't hate PCs / Windows any more, but until Apple's software gets as frustrating as my 9-5 Windows / PC experience I am not going to switch.
I don't hate PCs / Windows any more, but until Apple's software gets as frustrating as my 9-5 Windows / PC experience I am not going to switch.
I tried convincing myself to switch. But everytime I use the latest Windows 10, I just find myself fill with frustration. Apps are not intuitive on the Windows, and the ecosystem is just bad. Not to mention that Microsoft recently took away the unlimited Onedrive benefit which had certainly left me felt cheated.