Who has considered switching to windows?

[JackieInCo]

I have a Surface Pro 3 that I use occasionally. It would't be too hard to switch over to Windows computers. I only started using Macs because of the iPhone in 2007. The new MBPs have nothing I want without USB ports.

The only thing I hate about using MY SP3 is that I don't use it often enough so when I do, it always wants to do the Windows update. A few times, it force updated in the middle of me doing something. It's irritating to say the least.I don't even update my MBPs very often, maybe twice a year.

I do want to get another Windows laptop, either an HP or maybe even a Dell soon.

I'll continue using my 2015 15" MBP and my 2012 non retina 13" MBP. Both of these I bought brand new last summer so they still have lots of life left in them and they have all the ports I need.

 

[Ulenspiegel]

I didn't consider, though I've been disappointed with the direction Apple took in case of MacBooks, lately.

 

[Pakaku]

What's been the biggest PITA?

I guess I prefer the Finder over the Explorer, mostly for the column view. Picking a case for the PC also took a lot of time to think about. I wanted something that didn't look designed for a pre-teen, and that's surpsingly hard to avoid.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I came from Windows when I switched to Apple for my own personal computers in 2008.

Since then, when working abroad, some of the places I have worked in have used Windows and I am constantly reminded of how bad it was - at its worst.

The thing is, is that Windows wasn't constant. It was neither constantly bad - and - at the risk of overstating matters - Vista and - especially, Windows 8, which I loathed - were sufficiently atrocious to want to commit homicide - nor, was it ever consistently good, which would have made you overlook the dismal offerings.

Yet, XP and Windows 7 were excellent, and I had hardly any issues or problems working with them.

However, for now, no, I have no desire to change back to Windows, - I am pretty happy with my MBA - although my work world & environment tends to mean that I need to become reacquainted with Windows every so often.

 

[Savor]

I just came from Windows after 18 years usage and nope. Not now at least. i try to enjoy all operating systems. I actually wanted to try Ubuntu but went with something more common in case of issues so I went with Mac. I base purchases on the actual product and not necessarily the brand. With desktop, I base it more on the OS. Tired of all the blue screens and whatever hangups Windows enjoyed doing.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I just came from Windows after 18 years usage and nope. Not now at least. i try to enjoy all operating systems. I actually wanted to try Ubuntu but went with something more common in case of issues so I went with Mac. I base purchases on the actual product and not necessarily the brand. With desktop, I base it more on the OS. Tired of all the blue screens and whatever hangups Windows enjoyed doing.

Agreed.

The blue screens were infuriating, as was the eternally long time to start, not forgetting the endless 'updates' needed to patch problems.

But the endless spam, and incessant viruses really, really irked me. As it happens, I was one of those who actually bought (not just downloaded the 'free' stuff) the most robust anti-virus, anti-everything, anti-spam software I could find, and it still failed to afford me adequate protection.

 

[Meister]

I will stay in the eco system.

MS treats it's customers like ****.

Recent example: I wanted to use my Lumia900 as a second phone but the windows store doesn't work anymore because the OS is too old.

With old devices keep on working and support is excellent.

MS is no competition to

 

[aaronvan]

I use Mac, Windows, and Linux on a daily basis. If I had to choose only one it would be Windows, unfortunately. Apple has far too little serious telecom software. Frankly, Linux would be my second choice. For science and technology applications, Mac is a distant third.

 

[AmazingHenry]

Never. I hate Windows and I'd rather use Mac OS 9 than Windows 10 for my daily OS (seriously). I think that someday, a long time from now, Microsoft will not matter anymore and people will be using either Apple or Google. But we'll have to wait a long time for that.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I have no desire to return to Windows machines.

 

[0388631]

I'm sliding towards that reality right now.

I'm rocking on a Surface Book (something that only cost me around 1200, not 2k), and I use windows on my iMac. I'm a big believer in getting value for your purchase and I'm having a hard time seeing valuein Apple's latest laptop update - at least at the price point they're selling them for.

Then there's Windows vs. macOS. I do think we're seeing newer better features being implemented in Windows. For OS X we see more merging of iOS and OS X. I don't need shared clipboards between my iPhone and Mac.

The biggest fault with Windows is, in my opinion, scaling. Even on my paltry 5120x3200, the scaling is off. I can't imagine what it's like for 4K owners of my monitor models or even bigger. The Anniversary Update did fix some issues, and there's rumor the next big update for creatives delivered to everyone will further improve it. Meanwhile, they're leaving out 8.1 and 7 users in the dark.
[doublepost=1477962168][/doublepost]

Microsoft will not matter anymore

Fat chance. Thousands of businesses rely on Microsoft tech that neither Apple, Linux nor Google can offer or deliver in a polished product. Apart from Azure, the rest of MS's lineups are multi-billion in revenue. Chrome OS has been out for over 5 years and during that time it has yet to be taken seriously by people who weren't looking for a cheap $200 laptop. The "Microsoft will not matter anymore" line has been repeated ad-nauseium for decades now. Google is not this great company that succeeds at everything. They've lost plenty of battles after sinking so much money and finally shutting the service(s) down.

 

[Alexander.Of.Oz]

I have no interest in returning to a Windows world ever again, thank you very much.

 

[Phil A.]

I use both regularly as a lot of my paying work is on Windows, but I still prefer macOS and use it whenever possible.

There's nothing inherently bad about Windows but for me it's the little things that add up to making macOS better for me:

1) I really like the tight integration between macOS and iOS, particularly iCloud Drive and photos

2) the simple fact that macOS is Unix is a big plus for me: I like that fact you can install a Linux subsystem now on Windows but it's not the same as having a unix os

3) multi touch support on trackpads is far better on macOS

4) I just prefer the UX on macOS to Windows and it seems a lot smoother

5) HiDPI support on Windows is severely lacking compared to macOS


Some things are better on Windows though: for example, OneNote has far more functionality and domain support / GPOs is better

 

[maflynn]

3) multi touch support on trackpads is far better on macOS

Agreed, why has it been a struggle for PC makers to produce a decent trackpad. The latest batch of computers has closed the gap imo, and I'm happy with my Surface Book's track pad.

Also don't forget that scaling on OS X, is better then Windows. I use both as mentioned and I find the scaling to be more visually pleasing on my iMac running OS X, then windows.

 

[Phil A.]

Agreed, why has it been a struggle for PC makers to produce a decent trackpad. The latest batch of computers has closed the gap imo, and I'm happy with my Surface Book's track pad.
Also don't forget that scaling on OS X, is better then Windows. I use both as mentioned and I find the scaling to be more visually pleasing on my iMac running OS X, then windows.

Yeah, the surface book trackpad is pretty good and the best windows one I've ever used but still lags occasionally when starting to move

Scaling is a joke on Windows, particularly across multiple monitors (where they still haven't got it to work reliably): MacOS's way of scaling using a "looks like" setting is infinitely better than the way Windows tries to handle it.

One of the biggest issues I have with Windows scaling is on RDP connections to earlier windows machines (such as Windows 7) where it displays in 3000x1500 resolution on my Surface Book, which is basically impossible to use!

It's not all doom and gloom though - the ability to take a screenshot by double clicking the pen top, draw on it and save to OneNote is absolutely brilliant and possibly my favourite feature (I use it loads in meetings)

 

[maflynn]

One of the biggest issues I have with Windows scaling is on RDP connections to earlier windows machines (such as Windows 7) where it displays in 3000x1500 resolution on my Surface Book, which is basically impossible to use!

I haven't tried RDP on my Surface Book yet, I found a decent balance of resolution and zoom factor on my iMac that gives me close to what I want for both normal usage and RDP

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

I purchased a Surface Pro 4 on launch day last year. I was considering it or a rMB and decided I liked the SP4 better, my first Windows computer since 1999. 10 months later I sold that and picked up the rMB I had been considering. I am too used to Finder and the keyboard shortcuts for the Mac versions of my apps. Windows wasn't bad...it just wasn't right. For me.

 

[D.T.]

I use both regularly as a lot of my paying work is on Windows, but I still prefer macOS and use it whenever possible.

There's nothing inherently bad about Windows but for me it's the little things that add up to making macOS better for me:

1) I really like the tight integration between macOS and iOS, particularly iCloud Drive and photos

2) the simple fact that macOS is Unix is a big plus for me: I like that fact you can install a Linux subsystem now on Windows but it's not the same as having a unix os

3) multi touch support on trackpads is far better on macOS

4) I just prefer the UX on macOS to Windows and it seems a lot smoother

5) HiDPI support on Windows is severely lacking compared to macOS


Some things are better on Windows though: for example, OneNote has far more functionality and domain support / GPOs is better

Right on, your preference, professional requirements and reasoning are almost exactly aligned with my own perspective.

 

[JBobb]

Well.

I was using Windows from 1999 on to 2013. It started with a fat W95SE Laptop. The next step was a superstylish VAIO PCG-N505SN running Windows 98SE. Next step was a Toshiba Laptop running XP, continued by several Clevo High-End Notebooks. In the end I built my fat Desktops running Quad-Core, SLI Graphics and Windows 7.

Then in December 2012 I ordered my Mac Mini. It was meant to be some kind of experiment. What would it be to use MacOS ?

In fact it needed me about a year being able to make MacOS usable as my main system. When that point was reached, I changed. Why ? Because MacOS was better for me ? No ! I did it just for fun. To do something new. To have new experiences. To learn.

Back to Windows ? Maybe yes. Maybe not. I´m open. It depends on many things. Let me say a few words as a man who really knows what it means to be a Windows user.

Windows is a wonderful operating system. It has many advantages compared to MacOS. But it is also true that MacOS has improved a lot, especially with the last three versions, while Windows got worse since V8.

- If you want a perfect software choice for little money, Windows is still the winner. Though there is a ton of great tools for the Macintosh out there. But in average you get more stuff for your money on Windows.

- If you are a serious gamer, you need to use Windows. At least for gaming. Period.

- If you want more peace and spend less time configuring your PC, take a Mac. It is true, the Macintosh works better. There are significantly less problems on Mavericks than on Windows 7. Though you might get crashes on Mavericks, too. And Windows 7 is a really good, safe and comfortable system. It always depends on what you do with your PC. I got at least 10-15 hard, full crashes on MacOS in a year. With a grey screen, though. Most people might very rarely see such a GSOD while most Windows users know the BSOD very well. But things really have changed with Windows 7. The BSOD is more familiar to XP users.

- Another big big advantage of MacOS is the installation procedure and the "Time Machine". (Re-)Installing MacOS and migrating from one Macintosh PC to another one is the easiest process imaginable. You don´t even need any CD / DVD or whatsoever... I can´t count how often I installed Windows and how much time I spent in doing that. Just three days ago I installed W7 on my father´s old Laptop. It needed 2-3 days to get it work and make a backup. Since 1,5 years using the Mac Mini I installed MacOS exactly two times: After building in SSDs, to solve up the RAID. I migrated to an iMac once. And all of it was so easy, so relaxed. No re-installation of anything. Wow !!!

- And: MacOS is safer. Windows is very safe today. But MacOS is even safer. The chances to get a virus / trojan problem are significantly lower. And even if it happens, the damage seems to be much less. In fact I never had any (obvious) problems in that direction on MacOS.

Then there are details. So many details. And they are important. But even more important is, you can get used to most of them, probably. The last and final question that makes the decision is: Can you get all the tools and hardware you need for your system to do what you do ? If the answer is yes, you can use it. If not, search another one, where the answer is yes.

For me personally the answer is yes on both operating systems. I can do what I want on both of them. But things change.

With Apple having the attitude that they know what is best for me, and the pitiful excuse for an upgrade with the way overpriced just realeased MacBook Pro, I am strongly considering returning to Windows.

 

[Michael Goff]

I thought about it, then did it. Even got a Lumia 950.

 

[BernyMac]

OSX vs Windows. They are tools. Use whichever fits your needs and adjust accordingly. Some people treat it like it's a love affair.

 

[staggerlee41]

I was a long time Windows user for home computers and had computers with every version of Windows from 95-7. So I missed the whole Windows 8.x experience. Some were better than others. What caused me to go the Mac route was that I went through 3 Windows notebooks in 5 years, all of them had hardware failures that were going to be costly to repair, so shopping for a new one made sense.

In 2012, I purchased the MBP I'm typing my comments on and it has been flawless, though I did have to get service done this year by Apple on it which wasn't cheap by any means. I've upgraded RAM and SSD, this computer is like a brand new device and should be very serviceable for several more years-I hope. Right now, this MBP runs as good as the day I bought it, actually better because of upgraded hardware.

I just had a work computer replaced and my company uses Windows to no surprise. While I like the look and feel of Windows 10 and at least for now, the computer is running excellent, I'm reminded of what I don't miss about Windows. The constant Windows updates, more interaction to install them vs. MacOS or app updates, and something that I'm certain will show it's face over time--the stability of the OS on the hardware. Before this latest work issued laptop, my last one was a DOG. Now much of that is because of the security apps my company uses, but over time the performance always goes downhill until you wipe and clean the hard drive. Every Windows computer I've owned has been that way. All of them.

Applications, like MS Office get preferential treatment in the Windows versions which is expected yet annoying, some applications don't work MacOS and some will eventually work once programmers update. The whole annual MacOS release and obsolescence of older Macs will some day make my 2012 MBP fall victim to not being supported for latest OS update, I get it. That happens on Windows based computers too, I get it. If given a choice, I'd a Mac at work just as I would at home. So yeah, still happy I switched to Mac and would absolutely stick with it for now. Yes we pay the "Apple Tax" when buying new computers, but in my own case, I spent the same/if not more on 3 Windows Computers in 5 years vs. having one Mac. The only real downside I see to Mac at this point is that we can no longer upgrade internal components and must purchase the upgraded hardware when making the initial purchase. I'm not crazy about that at all.

 

[jeyf]

co-workers now laugh at my mac, time to buy a Dell

 

[Tech198]

Every-time Apple tweaks some 'key' feature to get to the final goal, and uses it as "security concerns" i always think about switching to Windows..

But i put up with these things

Someday, i will actually switch.... I just dunno when. Maybe it's because I keep using my iPad apps as a "safe haven" even though i never use my tablet as all. *shrugs*

I guess i'm guilty of allot of things.

 

[kazmac]

I can honestly say after a month with a Windows 10 laptop here, I will do whatever it takes not to use Windows at home once I am reemployed. At work, okay but not home.