What would I miss going from Mac back to pc?

[BarracksSi]

Preconceptions are never a good basis for discussion, both Windows & macOS have significantly advancing over the years. Windows is indeed more complex, equally PEBCAK still clearly remains to be the source of many`s computing woes.

Q-6

At least Windows has moved away from the asinine "Ctrl-R" key combo for Print. How the hell "Ctrl-R" got approved in the first place, we'll never know.

 

[pier]

I recently built a Windows 10 desktop machine and used it for a couple of weeks to see if I could switch from macOS.

Pros

• Stable and fast. No problems whatsoever.
• Hardware paradise (price and options available).
• The OS in itself is not ugly. Sure, not as beautiful as macOS, but it's not vomitive like previous versions.
• If you are using Office, Windows is really the place to be for best performance and features.
• Windows scaling. You can scale the resolution independent UI at any factor you wish.
• Ubuntu Bash now runs natively in Windows. No need for a VM. This is awesome for web developers.

Cons

• Windows scaling... most apps don't support it. Not even Photoshop. You get blurry text, broken UI, etc.
• Windows 10 is a frankenstein. Once you go below the surface you find pieces of Windows 7, 8, and even XP.
• Clear Type (the font rendering engine) is simply terrible in my subjective opinion. Not near as good as Android, iOS, macOS, or some Linux distros like Fedora.
• The Windows ecosystem is plagued with old win32 applications that are ugly and don't support scaling.
• No real replacement for common macOS apps such as: Alfred, iStat Menus, Karabiner, iTerm, FontCase. This was the real deal breaker for me which is something I would have never expected.

 

[ihatetoregister]

Using both systems, for me Windows 10 is still a pretty bad OS.

Crashes, bad design, the feel of the OS is generally terrible. Yes it got better, but it's still not good.

Now, despite that, and since I'mthe recent owner of one of those new super expensive and idiotic MBP, I can tell you just go back to Windows if you can stomach the OS.
Nothing is worth the money in the last MBP. Nothing.

 

[pier]

Not really since I own a windows laptop in my home and use it side by side next to my 2016 MBP. Did you miss that detail in my response? And I never said anything about reliability, your mixing up posts.

My opinions are based on user experience. Boom!

Exactly. That is your opinion based on anecdotal data. A 1 unit sample size is laughable a best.

For real data check this study about laptop reliability.

Edit:

That is data from a 2009 study but the only serious data I've found. The main point for me here is that the idea that Apple laptops are much more reliable was a fantasy in 2009 and is most probably a fantasy in 2016.

Here is some data from 2013.

I've been using and buying Macbooks since Apple switched to Intel and it's a lottery. I've seen white plastic Macbooks still work after 8 years of use, and expensive MBPs die before 2 years of use.

 

[Mildredop]

Switched to Windows 10 for business purpose; not much, seriously as long as you choose the right hardware not much at all. It not about what you will miss, it more about the avenues that will open up. All the talk of only Apple can offer a seamless computing experience is nonsense, if anything my primary Windows portable now offers a far better user experience than Apple provides.

Windows 10 is a more complex environment to work in, equally do "the math" choose the right hardware & software Windows can be a far more rewarding experience than what now Apple provides. Cortana is becoming seriously useful, while Siri remains to be dumb as a post. As for productivity, Apple has long abandoned this aspect of it`s desktop OS, in favour of emoji`s.

20+ with Apple, days are numbered methinks, tired of flogging the proverbial dead horse...

Q-6

I read stuff like this and want to give it a go (my MacBook Pro is the only Apple product I now have) but you need to cough-up the cash to see if Windows is worth it.

I wish it was like buying a car where you could give a computer a proper test drive before buying.

 

[pier]

Windows is a far better designed OS, Apple has far better designed hardware.

Pick your poison.

Please define "designed".
[doublepost=1482090419][/doublepost]

I LOVE using is multiple desktops when I'm working on projects, I don't know if any windows PC's can do this I haven't used one in awhile.

Yes, Windows 10 has multiple desktops too. This has been in Windows for years.

 

[mrex]

Using both systems, for me Windows 10 is still a pretty bad OS.

Crashes, bad design, the feel of the OS is generally terrible.

What windows and computer?

I dont even remember when was the last time i saw windows crashing... maybe few years ago? Been working great since win7 but i dont buy cheap, budget laptops either...

 

[skids929]

Exactly. That is your opinion based on anecdotal data. A 1 unit sample size is laughable a best.

For real data check this study about laptop reliability.

View attachment 678666

Edit:

That is data from a 2009 study but the only serious data I've found. The main point for me here is that the idea that Apple laptops are much more reliable was a fantasy in 2009 and is most probably a fantasy in 2016.

Here is some data from 2013.

I've been using and buying Macbooks since Apple switched to Intel and it's a lottery. I've seen white plastic Macbooks still work after 8 years of use, and expensive MBPs die before 2 years of use.

Fancy graphs, ok you got me. But honestly while you were looking on google for some outdated graph to back up your also laughable weak point you missed the fact I never said anything about reliability. AND that is the second time I've pointed that out in this thread. So you missed it twice!


You can't back up my point with a graph the point I was making is just anecdotal-I don't need much more than that.

 

[Queen6]

At least Windows has moved away from the asinine "Ctrl-R" key combo for Print. How the hell "Ctrl-R" got approved in the first place, we'll never know.

Both OS`s are moving forward, as ever in very differing directions; for some one overly complex, or too simplistic. The key being listening to the users. As of now Microsoft is on a good path, looking forward to the Creators Update.

Q-6

 

[ihatetoregister]

What windows and computer?

I dont even remember when was the last time i saw windows crashing... maybe few years ago? Been working great since win7 but i dont buy cheap, budget laptops either...

Windows 10, some brutal gaming PC homebuilt.
Frankly, the crashes have always been a constant on Windows 10. When it's not the OS which falls entirely, it's "that app".
Frankly I'm no Apple fanboy as you may have guessed from the post above, but Windows is not, by any means, a good OS. And I really wish it was !

 

[Queen6]

I read stuff like this and want to give it a go (my MacBook Pro is the only Apple product I now have) but you need to cough-up the cash to see if Windows is worth it.

I wish it was like buying a car where you could give a computer a proper test drive before buying.

Personally I did; I looked at Windows 10 in detail on very low-level hardware (old) which literally cost me no more than the OS. Took me over a year to move one of my primary computers to Windows 10 for many reasons. Personally I am not disappointed in Microsoft`s hardware (Surface Book) & software, very much the opposite. MacOS has it`s own trajectory and benefits, equally for me Windows 10 is now proving to offer greater stability and productivity.

Personal view is simplistic; my computers are tools that assist in make a living, therefore I always purchase the best for my needs. If Apple`s latest OS & hardware offered distinct benefit I would be responding to this post on it. That said make no bones about it Windows 10 is more complex, with a steeper learning curve, however Windows 10 can deliver beyond what macOS does in both productivity & stability.

Answer to me is apparent, try Windows 10 on your Mac in BootCamp. Buying windows based PC needs some research, same as Apple you get what you pay for, well likely more

Q-6

 

[kis]

• No real replacement for common macOS apps such as: Alfred, iStat Menus, Karabiner, iTerm, FontCase. This was the real deal breaker for me which is something I would have never expected.

I know you've posted these in another thread already. None of these are "common macOS apps" - hardly anyone has ever heard of them. They're a bunch of minor tools you're using and because they don't exist as 1:1 versions in Windows, Windows is bad. It's fine if it's not for you - I'm not trying to convince anyone (not even myself, I still prefer macOS), but let's remain objective here.

Also, I use both Photoshop and Lightroom professionally on Windows 10 and both scale very well. They've just recently introduced scaling to 200%, which is the standard scaling for the Surface Book, the Dell XPS 13 and other popular devices. Unless you're using them on an iMac 5K with insanely high pixel density or on a tiny screen, they work perfectly fine.

 

[SteveJUAE]

Thats why I have split it into two blocks and said that the second block is specific to my situation

There is no doubt to your expertise and personally I enjoy reading your posts

However I think it's quite clear that for the average user with modest workflows the differences between the OS is negligible. Of course there is some interface or trivial annoyances depending on personal preferences and your start point OS but these usually do not restrict achieving your task to hand. Personal entertainment even less so IMO

Connectivity for most revolves around home gadgets and phones and just more often than not muddles things more as does detailed and refined list of preferences that probably most may not even notice otherwise

Whilst it's nice to have complex and complete listings, applying the correct weighting in relation to these for the average user is more important IMO

 

[kis]

Windows 10, some brutal gaming PC homebuilt.
Frankly, the crashes have always been a constant on Windows 10. When it's not the OS which falls entirely, it's "that app".
Frankly I'm no Apple fanboy as you may have guessed from the post above, but Windows is not, by any means, a good OS. And I really wish it was !

In all honesty, I haven't seen a Windows PC "crash" in years. I use Windows PCs about 10 hours a day at work and not once have I seen one crash. I've had plenty of apps crash on me, sure - but the same goes for my Macs at home.

 

[tubeexperience]

Windows 10, some brutal gaming PC homebuilt.
Frankly, the crashes have always been a constant on Windows 10. When it's not the OS which falls entirely, it's "that app".
Frankly I'm no Apple fanboy as you may have guessed from the post above, but Windows is not, by any means, a good OS. And I really wish it was !

That sounds like a hardware problem.

I would check is the power supply, memory, graphic card, and motherboard in that order.

 

[leman]

Whilst it's nice to have complex and complete listings, applying the correct weighting in relation to these for the average user is more important IMO

I grudgingly agree

 

[thesaint024]

I got to agree with a lot of points on both sides of the "argument". @BarracksSi had some funny and good points about the intuitiveness and consistency of Windows. You get used to it after awhile, but it doesn't make it right or not stupid. If you're already used to it being OS agnostic, then it's not an issue, although still stupid.

But there are exactly two things I really like about the Windows experience over MacOS. First, yes, MS Office is still better in the Windows version than on Mac, but Mac is quickly gaining with the Office 365 push for consistency. Just a generation ago, Office was unusable on the Mac beyond simple viewing and minor editing of files. Not surprising given this is Microsoft we're talking about.

Second, viewing photos is just irritating on the Mac. On Windows, I can just double click and then click right for all the photos in the folder. There is no equivalent in Mac without using the Photos app which I am really reluctant to. Or I can change the folder view to that preview view, resize the window, then swipe and view. It's irritating. I wish MacOS would just put in a regular photo viewer like Windows has. I can't believe I just said that!

I'm sure these things have been mentioned somewhere on this thread. But you can't blame me for not wanting to read most of this.

 

[leman]

Second, viewing photos is just irritating on the Mac. On Windows, I can just double click and then click right for all the photos in the folder.

Press space in Finder and then navigate with arrows? Or, if you want to do it hardcore, open the entire folder/selection in Preview.

 

[thesaint024]

Press space in Finder and then navigate with arrows? Or, if you want to do it hardcore, open the entire folder/selection in Preview.

This is why I love MR! You are a lifesaver. If this is common knowledge, I'm an idiot. Either way, you just resolved one of my years long pet peeves in MacOS. I owe you a beer. I've done the open entire selection in Preview before, hardcore indeed.

 

[BarracksSi]

Press space in Finder and then navigate with arrows? Or, if you want to do it hardcore, open the entire folder/selection in Preview.

Yup -- and this gives the option of doing some editing, too (masking, cut-and-paste, Markup, etc). The Photos app is more of an organizer-sync tool anyway.

 

[OneMike]

It still is as far as I'm concerned.

As a teacher, outside of contact hours in class I do most of my work at home mainly using Pages and Numbers. They are easy to use, and more than adequate for my needs. On occasion I have to use the computers in the office on campus, which have Windows OS, Word and Excel installed. They are often slow to start up, as system updates are installed, and a hassle to use. They frequently require the attention of the office geek or the ID department to repair hardware, or sort software issues.

I have never owned a PC, and have not regretted going Mac when I bought my first computer, the original Mac Mini in 2005. I have only bought one since then, an early 2009 Mac Mini, which continues to serve me well. However, possibly heading into a more itinerant phase of my life, I could soon be looking to buy at a laptop. It will be a Mac for sure.

School computers in general typically suck as does their IT departments so not really a straight forward comparison.

 

[Micky Do]

It still is as far as I'm concerned.

As a teacher, outside of contact hours in class I do most of my work at home mainly using Pages and Numbers. They are easy to use, and more than adequate for my needs. On occasion I have to use the computers in the office on campus, which have Windows OS, Word and Excel installed. They are often slow to start up, as system updates are installed, and a hassle to use. They frequently require the attention of the office geek or the IT department to repair hardware, or sort software issues.

Pretty unfair to compare it to campus office computers that have complicated set ups to run on servers. Not to mention, they are low spec'ed.

I own and use both OS and I find Windows plenty capable of doing tasks at extremely fast speeds. Only thing it lacks is support for iMessages and other Mac products. It's one of the reasons I disliked switching to an iPhone when I broke my last phone. Android has plenty of options for syncing messages and notifications between itself and a PC. Now that I have a MBP, it doesn't bother me as much.

School computers in general typically suck as does their IT departments so not really a straight forward comparison.

I'd have thought the comparison is quite straight forward and valid.

I doubt that there is anything particularly complicated about the set up of the computers in the office I use on campus. And yes, they are probably low specced, but my base model early 2009 Mac Mini with 5 GB of RAM, is nothing fancy, and older than most of them. In the end it is the OS and apps we are talking about, more than the hardware. For me doing things using Pages and Numbers on a Mac is less time consuming than using Word and Excel on a PC. For photography, iPhoto (now Photos) is adequate for my needs, and straight forward to use. It comes preinstalled. I have no idea of the situation is with Photo processing apps on a PC, but it is likely to be more convoluted in use.

The long and the short of it…….. For the average Joe or Jill, who just wants to do stuff with minimal hassle, Mac and OS X (now MacOS) makes it easier and more straight forward than computers using other operating systems, in my experience. That's what I would miss if I went PC.

A geek with a penchant for mucking around with computers may have a different point of view, and conclusion.

 

[pier]

None of these are "common macOS apps" - hardly anyone has ever heard of them. They're a bunch of minor tools you're using and because they don't exist as 1:1 versions in Windows, Windows is bad.

Obviously you will never see the value in something you ignore.

Also, stop it with your childish rhetoric. I never said "Windows is bad". In fact, I listed pros and cons in one of my previous posts.

 

[Antairez]

Not really true. The EDGE browser offers buttery smooth scrolling. Other browsers don't. Not sure why that is, but it's a fact. Same goes for some other apps: scrolling in Facebook is smooth, but way too fast, for example.

The Apple touchpads used to be crème de la crème, but with the new models, Apple has clearly messed up. They're simply too big - palm rejection doesn't always work perfectly, plus drag and drop has become a nightmare. After having used the touchpad on both the 13" and the 15" Touchbar MBPs, I've come to the conclusion that they're inferior to the previous model's and also to the Surface Book's.

Don't know what you are talking about, I've had a Samsung Windows 10 laptop, scrolling is nowhere close to "buttery smooth", even on the Edge browser. The scrolling feature on OSX is implemented on the system level so it works in all applications, there's no need to choose the right application, which is very dumb. I've no problem with palm rejection, you might want to get yours checked.

 

[BarracksSi]

School computers in general typically suck as does their IT departments so not really a straight forward comparison.

The last thing a school needs is a collection of computers which need constant hand-holding by an IT crew, no matter how skilled the IT crew is.