What do you like and dislike about Mac OS X?

[gr8tfly]

It might not sound like it, but I have my issues with OS-X too. Most of the time, you just have to get used to something new or changed, shrug, and move on. I can't think of a major rev where the bulk of new features more than outweighs those issues.

Sometimes, though, Apple does listen to its customer base and either changes or adds an option to revert behavior.

One specific instance was when 10.5 came out with the translucent Menu Bar. Besides being generally ugly (IMHO), it was a major distraction - especially when switching back and forth to an app that overrode it like Aperture. IMO, you need a neutral color when working on color sensitive tasks - photos, graphic design, even visiting some web sites. Such a cry went up through the land that Ph...er, Apple relented a couple of point revs later and made it optional.

 

[mainstay]

I have heard over and over about command delete but it does not work. at least not on files. maybe on older version of osx?

There are two delete buttons on the full size keyboard.

The one that works is command + delete where delete = the backspace on most Windows keyboards.

But be ready for a darn password prompt if the file is large or locked.

Annoying imo.

 

[Gregg2]

The menu items are at the top of each window, meaning to open a new one you have to leave the current one open, then reactivate the first one and minimize it. Oh wait, that's Windows! Very annoying.

 

[Ropie]

The only thing that comes to mind is iPhoto, so I just got rid of it

Oh, that and the increasing moves Apple seems to be making towards a cute 'n' cuddly sickly sweet user experience, but that's a Lion issue and I'm very happy with Snow Leopard.

 

[vitzr]

While I'm running Lion on a new 2011 MBA, I do prefer 10.6.5.

I've got it optimized for the various Macs I have on my home network and it's fast, stable and does absolute everything I want with no complaints.

You simply cannot beat that. I plan on sticking with 10.6.5 for quite some time.

 

[brdeveloper]

- I don't like OSX 10.6 Finder. It looks like a Windows Explorer with stripped out functionalities. It's made for preventing newbies from messing up the file system. As an advanced user, I like to be able do cut files without dragging. I don't like going to "Go->Go to Folder" to browse hidden folders. I don't like going command-line to mount a sparsebundle as an arbitrary user. I like Windows Explorer folder grouping as to me files and directories are different animals although they look the same at file system level. The list about Finder's flaws is endless. I know Explorer has a lot of bugs but it's far better than OSX Finder;

- I never use Safari, although I know it's better than IE9. I prefer Chrome and Firefox.

- I like to see all my open Windows without dealing with Exposé. I prefer Windows taskbar approach as I can decide if I prefer grouped or ungrouped Windows. It's annoying when a I'm dealing with Firefox error console and I have to Command+' to find console window;

- I don't like to manually fit the screen with a window after I maximize it. Maximize button should fit the entire window. Lion solves this very basic issue.

However, I like a lot of OSX functionalities, I just listed these flaws as a flaming post against fanboyism

 

[takezo808]

They need to add the resolution restore feature.

in windows when you change resolutions, it ask you to confirm. If you don't confirm it. The screen resolution switches back.

I got my mac mini and my PC on a KVM stwitch. I have had to power off my mac mini 2011 more times than I wanted to because this feature is not availible.

Other than that Mac OS X stomps Windows 7 and twice over with Windows 8 i have tried the preview. It's horrid.

 

[snorkelman]

1 no direct cut n paste for files always grinds my beans. I'm stuck with dragging n dropping, or copying pasting then going back and deleting the original.

2 I'd much rather select four directories then right click and have a single 'get info' of their cumulative size, than a 'get info' of each of the four

3 Likewise lack of cumulative size of the items in a directory on the status bar. Sure it tells me how many items are in the directory and how much space is free on the drive but the most useful/convenient bit of info is nowhere to be found.

4 And I'd kill for a user selectable option of having the menu bar mirrored across all desktops. I can accept the document model employed (even if I don't 100 percent agree with it) but when combined with a menu bar that's only on one desktop it makes multi-monitor usage an unneccesary pita.

 

[ataboc]

not a fan of safari

 

[yegon]

1 no direct cut n paste for files always grinds my beans. I'm stuck with dragging n dropping, or copying pasting then going back and deleting the original.

This x million.

I converted to OSX in '07 and Im still baffled by it's absence. I've heard a few arguments why, all of them complete twaddle. I even investigated a 3rd party solution iirc but it was at best clumsy, at worst just failed to work.

 

[maflynn]

I like window's file explorer better, then the Finder. I know heresy but using the file explorer I can move files/folders much easier including the use of cut/paste

 

[kjjnk]

Cut and paste is in Lion, folks.

 

[snorkelman]

Cut and paste is in Lion, folks.

nopes, from what I can see a demented 'choose copy (even though you want to cut) then hold down a qualifying key so that the paste option in the contextual menu turns into 'Move item here' ' is whats in Lion

on a wintel box I can sit back comfortably with my feet on the desk, a Wacom tablet in one hand and a stylus in the other and 'right click cut n paste' all day long to move files around. If I balance the tablet just right I can even free up one hand for a coffee or a smoke

Without ever needing to sit up and disrupt my comfortable position to reach for a keyboard to press a qualifying key, or having to pretend I want to copy when I already know that I actually want to cut.

 

[testcss]

I am very curious about what other people like about Mac OS X that I don't know about. Please limit the discussion to software only, please, but you can say what you like about any version of Mac OS X.

 

[heisenberg123]

I am very curious about what other people like about Mac OS X that I don't know about. Please limit the discussion to software only, please, but you can say what you like about any version of Mac OS X.

are you askig people's favorite software for OS X?

 

[Simplicated]

I will assume that you are talking about OS X in general.

1. Exposé (as in 10.3-10.5, 10.8) - Simply the best window management tool ever. It has completely eliminated the need for minimizing for me.
2. Exposé's Show Desktop coupled with drag-and-drop is unmatched when it comes to selecting files and attaching files in Mail.
3. Animations - Not the superfluous ones in 10.7, but animations in OS X are generally silky smooth and a pleasure to look at (or even play with!)
4. General fit-and-finish, Apple spent a great deal of time on polishing the system and I love the attention to detail and the intuitiveness of the OS.
5. Selecting a file by drag-and-drop, I have been wondering why Windows still hasn't implemented this.
6. Spotlight, I rarely use Finder anymore.
7. Quick Look
8. Stacks in Dock
9. Time Machine - HUGE lifesaver. It has saved me countless times.
10. iChat Theater
11. Built-in system-wide Dictionary

 

[testcss]

are you askig people's favorite software for OS X?

Feel free to do both and categorize them.

 

[heisenberg123]

Feel free to do both and categorize them.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1399733/

post #3 has a bunch of links to threads where people talk about their favorite apps

as for my favoite things in OSX itself its hard to think of any that are not list above

 

[Alameda]

My favorite app is /usr/bin/xyzzy

And stuff like that is what I love most about OSX.

 

[nuckinfutz]

I love that it isn't windows

 

[ixodes]

I am very curious about what other people like about Mac OS X that I don't know about. Please limit the discussion to software only, please, but you can say what you like about any version of Mac OS X.

Although I began with Apple in the System 7 days, it was OS X 10.0 named Cheetah released in 2001 that was a very significant advancement.

Fast forward to today. While I have Lion (10.7.3) on my MBA and one MBP, the majority of my current 2010 / 2011 Macs are all running my absolute favorite ... Snow Leopard 10.6.8.

There's far too much to list, and as such it wouldn't matter as this is an OS, that you have to experience for yourself.

It's also noteworthy that I've been using Windows concurrently along with my Macs for the same amount of time.

It was not until Windows XP, then Windows 7, that the Microsoft experience was smooth and fast.

Bottom line is that I prefer Apple hardware and OS X. It's reliable, fast, and very efficient.

If I had to choose just one, it's OS X hands down, no hesitation.

 

[AlecZ]

It's slow AF.

 

[bladerunner2000]

The most boneheaded decision by apple, after all of their pathetic mouses of course, has to be changing the green button to full screen (useless on desktops, how does one multitask?!). Cherry on top; they close the API on the green button and dont allow 3rd party developers to release software that can change it to a users own PREFERENCE. Oh and as if it wasnt bad enough that it goes full screen, we also have the pleasure of watching this dumbass feature work in super slow motion as applications expand... and then watch it in slow motion AGAIN when it exits full screen. WTF?!

Who's the idiot at apple that thought 'hey! let's force everyone to get used to a tablet experience, even if they're on 24+ inch monitors running photoshop/illustrator/indesign with finder windows, lightroom, chrome, etc.'

Isolating the screen to ONE app is ridiculous. YEAH YEAH, I know, some people for some reason like it. That doesn't change the fact that there needs to be an option to turn this crap off and make it maximize windows instead.

 

[Maxwill]

That when you open an app, seeing it jump and jump and jump on the sidebar and nothing happens...

 

[Ishayu]

The most boneheaded decision by apple, after all of their pathetic mouses of course, has to be changing the green button to full screen (useless on desktops, how does one multitask?!). Cherry on top; they close the API on the green button and dont allow 3rd party developers to release software that can change it to a users own PREFERENCE. Oh and as if it wasnt bad enough that it goes full screen, we also have the pleasure of watching this dumbass feature work in super slow motion as applications expand... and then watch it in slow motion AGAIN when it exits full screen. WTF?!

Who's the idiot at apple that thought 'hey! let's force everyone to get used to a tablet experience, even if they're on 24+ inch monitors running photoshop/illustrator/indesign with finder windows, lightroom, chrome, etc.'

Isolating the screen to ONE app is ridiculous. YEAH YEAH, I know, some people for some reason like it. That doesn't change the fact that there needs to be an option to turn this crap off and make it maximize windows instead.

There's been a necro here, but I feel I might as well respond to this.

You can hold down alt while clicking the green button to get the old "expand until contents fit" maximize. While I agree fully that full screen has little use on a desktop, it's a very, very nice feature on the laptop. I use a 15" MacBook Pro from 2011, and being able to full screen Safari, for example, is a bloody godsend. So much clutter goes away and I am just left with the web and a tiny, tiny bar at the top. It's awesome.

Nobody is forcing you to use full screen. If you don't like full screen, just don't click the maximize button unless you're holding down alt. Simple.