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What PC software you miss on Macs?
- Thread starter cyberone
- Start date
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A few things come to mind...
* M$ ActiveSync. Mark/Space's "Missing Sync" just plain sucks no matter how much they hype it.
* Nonprofit-specific software, such as anything made by BlackBaud.
* Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Sorry, iListen is just not as feature rich or accurate.
* The ability to plug in any old digital recorder and be able to access its files. There's only a few models that (are of course, more expensive) will mount on OS X and have corresponding software support.
and repeated above:
* The ability to plug in any old Web cam and have it work with downloadable drivers.
* M$ ActiveSync. Mark/Space's "Missing Sync" just plain sucks no matter how much they hype it.
* Nonprofit-specific software, such as anything made by BlackBaud.
* Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Sorry, iListen is just not as feature rich or accurate.
* The ability to plug in any old digital recorder and be able to access its files. There's only a few models that (are of course, more expensive) will mount on OS X and have corresponding software support.
and repeated above:
* The ability to plug in any old Web cam and have it work with downloadable drivers.
OCOTILLO said:
This is THE single most hated app in the Design/Publishing and Printing field, especially for anything bigger than 8.5x11... followed closely by Powerpoint and anything bought for $4.99 in the software bargin bin for design.
I'm sure Apple has something simular and I would truly hope better.
Sorry, I just can't help trashing that app whenever possible, I truly mean no offense, I do realize it does serve a purpose with the templates and it's not a jab at the users but that horrid app itself.
I second Dragon Natrually Speaking also. I would also like to see something along the lines of MS Agent though a more updated version since Agent hasn't been updated since the late 90's. It did have great potential.
the only thing i miss is mspaint, and explorer preview. for me i think that these programs have an edge over the Mac because mac dosen't have paint, and it's preview program can't really go through the pictures like you would in windows. you just press right and left and you don't need to select all icons you want to view and then press open.
another thing i miss is the performance of games, and the rarity of games. i mean, the porting ussually isn't good, and i know that it's hard, but it can always be better.
the third thing i miss is the fact that i can run .exe files. there are so many of them but i just can't run it!
another thing i miss is the performance of games, and the rarity of games. i mean, the porting ussually isn't good, and i know that it's hard, but it can always be better.
the third thing i miss is the fact that i can run .exe files. there are so many of them but i just can't run it!
NewbieNerd said:Yeah, I have the BSOD screensaver on my Linux machine. Best screensaver ever. Other people see it for the first time and they are scared for me, haha.
Now, that's funny. I wish I could get a BSOD on one of my Windows machines so I could capture it for a screensaver too but I haven't seen a BSOD for years...
billiam0878 said:
Well, there's a lot of the things in there are configured in other ways, i.e. the system preferences. However, if you're looking for something that comprehensively bundles them together in a way similar to MSCONFIG, I'd suppose Butler and GeekTool might be what you're looking for.
A few of mine that I'm missing a little bit:
A lot of the programs that I miss in windows/linux do have equivalents on mac's, but often they aren't free [in speech and beer][Yes, there's plenty of good freeware on windows] or just aren't as polished as the win/linux. However, there's numerous programs which I like the mac version the best, but that's another topic.
- Gaming. Not the new lavish titles like Half-life 2, but I when I gamed on windows, it was more often in emulation [nes/atari/etc.] and new indie/low-budget games [i.e. http://www.igf.com ]. Those I do miss a bit.
- Newsreader: I used grabit on windows and pan on linux; though I've been busy with school, so usenet isn't much of a miss. Unison sounds nice, though it's $25. If I get the time to be on usenet, I may buy that.
- Client for the blubster/piolet p2p networks.
- cd ripper. Personally, I don't like iTunes as a CD burning ultility. I prefer my music to be in OGG over mp3. Plus, it doesn't have as many options as grip or dbpoweramp had.
- OpenOffice: An updated edition ! 2.0 has recently been updated, but a mac port hasn't been made yet [AFIAK].
- MP3/OGG Tag Manager: I loved tagscanner on windows. TriTag suits my purposes, I suppose, but it's a distant second to tagscanner. There's also Media_Rage, though that's proprietary/$$.
I buy software that I use and enjoy; but it can add up after a while. Not to harp on this, nor do I use it as justification for piracy, but I'm a cheap college kid.
During the holidays, I plan on donating to a few free mac progs [adium, VLC, gimp] but I don't know which one needs the money more than the others or how much of my budget should go to donating towards software.
Overall, Mac programs [aside from the OS] has its strengths and weaknesses just as windows and linux does.
regards,
will.
I have just bought a Mac and i like many of the apps on it but i gotta be honest this mentality that they are vastly superior to PCs in every aspect is total nonsense. I dont know why people cant just give credit where it is due and stop trying to feel superior because of what computer they use.. I know not everyone is like this but theres seems to be an overwhelming majority who think its a competition..
I have had so many die hards try and tell me how much better Macs are and how much easier things will be for me now i bought a Mac, but then when i start to discuss something from PC land it seems people have little or no idea what im talking about, so if you arent aware of all the options how do you know whats best ??. Being elitist with limited knowledge makes a person look like a total tool if you ask me.
Meanwhile here i am doing a million OS and software updates from OS X 10.2 to 10.3.9 cause nothing is comaptible.. Now id like to go to Tiger but theres some programs im led to believe wont run.. Ok so what happened to everything just working and being easy ?? Windows doesnt have any of that on it, you can still run apps from 5 years ago on XP..
Also as I have said before, a big part of the reason PCs are riddled with adware and other crap is market share.. I get the feeling everyone thinks this is due to some superior underbelly on Macs but then nobody can tell me what that is.. Its market share, when you got 97% of people running PCs its no wonder thats who gets targeted. Hey, i just read where someone said AOLs Mac page is never updated, it's not hard to see why other smaller companies or virus writers wouldnt care about targeting Macs if AOL can barely be bothered. It doesnt reduce the fact that it is nice to not have that on Macs but all im saying is see it for what it is.
There are many things i agree which suck about PCs. The software uninstall and registry stuff is messy and nowhere near as nice as copying and deleting one file like on Macs. A lot of the software is totally bloated and full of unecessary crap.. These things suck no doubt.. But please come down off your high horse, otherwise i will refuse to participate in the disussions at your forum.
I have had so many die hards try and tell me how much better Macs are and how much easier things will be for me now i bought a Mac, but then when i start to discuss something from PC land it seems people have little or no idea what im talking about, so if you arent aware of all the options how do you know whats best ??. Being elitist with limited knowledge makes a person look like a total tool if you ask me.
Meanwhile here i am doing a million OS and software updates from OS X 10.2 to 10.3.9 cause nothing is comaptible.. Now id like to go to Tiger but theres some programs im led to believe wont run.. Ok so what happened to everything just working and being easy ?? Windows doesnt have any of that on it, you can still run apps from 5 years ago on XP..
Also as I have said before, a big part of the reason PCs are riddled with adware and other crap is market share.. I get the feeling everyone thinks this is due to some superior underbelly on Macs but then nobody can tell me what that is.. Its market share, when you got 97% of people running PCs its no wonder thats who gets targeted. Hey, i just read where someone said AOLs Mac page is never updated, it's not hard to see why other smaller companies or virus writers wouldnt care about targeting Macs if AOL can barely be bothered. It doesnt reduce the fact that it is nice to not have that on Macs but all im saying is see it for what it is.
There are many things i agree which suck about PCs. The software uninstall and registry stuff is messy and nowhere near as nice as copying and deleting one file like on Macs. A lot of the software is totally bloated and full of unecessary crap.. These things suck no doubt.. But please come down off your high horse, otherwise i will refuse to participate in the disussions at your forum.
Not really a program but I loved how Windows would display images as thumbnails in the folder you were looking at. So without opening the file you could tell what the image was. I hate that OS X doesn't do that.
weldon said:
A good DVD collection app I agree...
I used to use DBD Profiler, and also DVD Collector.
Took me ages... and I looked at Delicious but there was very little offerings in there for R4 DVDs.
I went with DVDPedia in the end - and mostly happy with it.
I also miss
ACDSee - for not only viewing photos but managing / editing them... it stored the files in a much better way than iPhoto.
I also miss a good database... one that is easy to use, and also part of another suite... I preferred Approach (Lotus Notes) over Access (Microsoft).
I used to use Money - but haven't missed it yet.
Bulb said:
Okay, I'll tell you what it is. It's called UNIX. OSX is UNIX/FreeBSD. UNIX is inherently secure. It is extremely hard to do anything to a UNIX system if you don't have root access, as opposed to Windows, which is open to the world, saying "hack me!" So, although the lower market share deters many people from trying to write viruses, etc. for Mac, the fact remains that whether Mac had 3% market share or 93% market share, Macs would be far more secure than any Windows box, do to its inherent security. The OS is simply more secure, regardless. End of story. Hope this helps enlighten you.
NewbieNerd said:I'll have to try this, though unfortunately it looks like Gimp to me, which is too complicated, hehe. I have the hardest time just drawing lines in it because Gimp wants to connect them and bend them and twist them, and then I can't figure out how to make the line stay and not disappear! Argh! I'm just too dumb for anything but paint, at least when it comes to creating images for my Algorithms homework in LaTeX.
The reason that it looks and feels like The Gimp is that it is based off it!
I have just released a new app to try and help out all you guys who miss MS Paint. See this thread. It's not quite MS Paint yet, but it'll get closer/better.
Things I miss:
* Adobe Audition (Cool Edit Pro) - I'm actually really gutted about this as its the best 2 track wave editor I've used.
* Power Tab Editor, again really gutted about this. Probably the best Guitar Tab viewer out there. Actually viewed as printed sheet music, instead of ascii tab
* Half Life 2 - what I keep the PC for
* The two antivirus software apps, and countless firewalls/ad blockers etc.. ok I dont really miss this one
The only other thing that springs to mind is I miss Windows XP automatically generating thumbnails for my videos.. If there was something that did this on a Mac I'd be happy, but I could only figure out how to do it for JPGs
* Adobe Audition (Cool Edit Pro) - I'm actually really gutted about this as its the best 2 track wave editor I've used.
* Power Tab Editor, again really gutted about this. Probably the best Guitar Tab viewer out there. Actually viewed as printed sheet music, instead of ascii tab
* Half Life 2 - what I keep the PC for
* The two antivirus software apps, and countless firewalls/ad blockers etc.. ok I dont really miss this one
The only other thing that springs to mind is I miss Windows XP automatically generating thumbnails for my videos.. If there was something that did this on a Mac I'd be happy, but I could only figure out how to do it for JPGs
I still use a an xp box for what I would miss if I was strictly on Mac. But really, all I miss is little things like Yahoo messenger. I wish mac had a picture viewer like xp. I love clicking on a picture in xp, then just scrolling through them with the arrow keys. As far as gaming goes, I would miss it if not for my consoles. Xbox takes care of most of my gaming needs.
well, take care and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
Bulb said:
well, take care and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
"Okay, I'll tell you what it is. It's called UNIX. OSX is UNIX/FreeBSD. UNIX is inherently secure."
But i was hearing this argument pre OS X also.
Simply needing root access isnt that big a deal, dont you need this on a Mac anytime you install a program ? If you do than thats the exact same "vunerability" as windows.. The only way stuff really gets in on windows machines is when people run .exe files or install software, it doesnt happen while people are listening to an mp3 and minding their own business.
Installing software and running programs is elementary in using a computer its not a security hole. The moment you want to install something you are wide open to other unwanted intruders. You cannot expect 100% access to all functionality and still maintain 100% security all the time. As i say the overload of that garbage on windows gets back to market share and the effort to reward ratio for people who make this stuff.
"well, take care and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
I like to exit via the bathroom window..
But i was hearing this argument pre OS X also.
Simply needing root access isnt that big a deal, dont you need this on a Mac anytime you install a program ? If you do than thats the exact same "vunerability" as windows.. The only way stuff really gets in on windows machines is when people run .exe files or install software, it doesnt happen while people are listening to an mp3 and minding their own business.
Installing software and running programs is elementary in using a computer its not a security hole. The moment you want to install something you are wide open to other unwanted intruders. You cannot expect 100% access to all functionality and still maintain 100% security all the time. As i say the overload of that garbage on windows gets back to market share and the effort to reward ratio for people who make this stuff.
"well, take care and don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out."
I like to exit via the bathroom window..
Toad. Although Aqua is a decent replacement, it just isn't Toad.
- and -
Visio Pro's ability to connect to databases to reverse engineer them.
Have you tried MySQL? It is, in my opinion, the best database around... and when they support stored procedures and such, watch out Oracle!
You are kiddin', right?
- and -
Visio Pro's ability to connect to databases to reverse engineer them.
DJY said:
Have you tried MySQL? It is, in my opinion, the best database around... and when they support stored procedures and such, watch out Oracle!
OCOTILLO said:
You are kiddin', right?
Actually I think you'll find that the problem alot of people have with things is that they do in fact install whilst one is minding their own business. Things get installed through the browser that way all the time (not that I ever had that problem). Autorun on the external drives... etc.Bulb said:
The thing about root isn't that it has to be used at some time, it's when you use it. As far as I'm aware, typically with a mac you run as root very rarely whereas the typical windows setup is always "root".
I have yet to find a program that didn't require my password to install on my mac; that's nice. At least on workstations, I've had no problem securing my windows machines. I have yet to get a virus on any windows machine I've ever had (95 and on)... that I know of of course... but I suspect I'd have discovered it.
As to the whole marketshare argument, who knows. I think it's probably true that UNIX (based) systems are inherently more secure than windows systems. As far as usage, just note webservers. Marketshare is as much a ghost of an argument as "Macz r teh bestest!!!!11". There's no evidence either way, so why bother. It's a defensive argument that places windows users into the same zealot status as mac zealots. If the whole "my computer is better nyah!" argument is so pointless, then be the bigger man and don't partake in it with "If macs were popular, they'd be just as vulnerable" surmisings. I mean, I hate mac zealots as much as the next guy (really)... but having said that, I've used m$ (MSDOS to present) since I've used computers. I bought a mac a year ago and have loved it. I didn't get a mac because "OMG I can't make windoze work!!!!111", as I have never had major problems with windows. I got one to try something different. Personally I greatly prefer my mac to my PC and since I've had the mac, my windows box has become mainly a gaming console and file server despite its greater specs. *shrug*
As to apps I miss: PowerTAB and DVDShrink are the main ones other than a couple of games. I can't think of anything else I use my PC for that I can't use or prefer to use my mac for. Oh, I'd like a Google Earth app, but that's hardly something to be upset about.
EricBrian said:Have you tried MySQL? It is, in my opinion, the best database around... and when they support stored procedures and such, watch out Oracle!
I haven't actually... a good database app is now the only remaining missing link... I've got that down on my To Do List over my summer holiday this year (Christmas holiday for the northern hemisphere members).
Did the Caribbean in April this year, so over Christmas I'm heading to a beach town with a group of friends, then a week with family in another amazing beach location then some time to do admin chores at home...
Will check it out - thanks for the recommendation.
