Why choose Mac OS X? Over Windows Operating Systems?

[cryingrobot]

Trying to explain why OSX is better is a little bit like explaining rear view mirrors, turn signals, power windows and a defogger to someone who has been driving without these for years.

You will never get the person to understand how much of a difference rear view mirrors make when they are used to looking back all the time by craning their neck or even power windows..but once you have them, you just cant go back to rolling up your window with a handle.

 

[macgruder]

OS X is scalable. In other words, it is both elegant and easy to use, but at the same time with its Unix underpinnings and the Terminal you have access to 'power' tools if you need.

For me, a major issue is the design of the software. Mac software designers generally have to make their software as innovative as the environment it is in. So while there may not be as much software (London has more restaurants than Rome but I know where I'd want to eat) what there is is often better. Take CSS Edit or Things for example. I doubt there is anything out of the numerous similar apps that are as usable and attractive to use. OS X makes me get to point B faster.

My big advice is to go the Apple site and watch the 'how to use' stuff:

http://www.apple.com/mac/

Not just the 'why switch' ones but the actual tutorials. They act both as a tutorial and often sell the Mac in the process.

 

[chevalier433]

First off, I agree with Nick.
But also, its very hard to explain why Mac OS X is better. Ive been using Macs since the early days of Tiger, which is not long compared to some others, but long enough to become very comfortable with the operating systems. Mac OS X just works. That is the most simple way to put it. If youre coming directly from Windows computers, then you will be amazed at the difference. It may be a rough transition, but if you stick with it for a few weeks, youll never look back.

Not in yosemite it just doesn't work windows 10 is far more stable and fast i agree in hardware side though.

 

[Bodie CI5]

Not in yosemite it just doesn't work windows 10 is far more stable and fast i agree in hardware side though.

Holy necro, Batman!

Seriously, what is it that most of you do that causes all these problems with Yosemite? I've had only one freezing-up episode, and iirc that was because of the WoW client and not OS X per se.

 

[chevalier433]

Holy necro, Batman!

Seriously, what is it that most of you do that causes all these problems with Yosemite? I've had only one freezing-up episode, and iirc that was because of the WoW client and not OS X per se.

WoW? ok i understand..

 

[Cybbe]

For me, a major issue is the design of the software. Mac software designers generally have to make their software as innovative as the environment it is in. So while there may not be as much software (London has more restaurants than Rome but I know where I'd want to eat) what there is is often better.

Look, I know what point you wanted to make, but this comes down to personal preference. While you prefer Rome over London restaurants, London restaurants has a combined total of 66 Michelin stars, while Rome has 15 (data from 2012). London has no lack of excellent restaurant. Similarly, there is no lack of excellent software for Windows. And I don't think it's an objective fact that OS X is more innovative than the latest iterations of Windows.

I prefer OS X, but I don't actually think that OS X apps or its software designers are superior.

 

[mrsir2009]

1. There's a bunch of great features in recent versions of OS X that don't exist in Windows. My favourite that I can no longer live without is the ability to use my MBA trackpad to flick between applications and multiple desktops. In Windows if you are using several different applications/windows at a time you have to constantly minimise and un-minimise them, which is a pain.

2. OS X is based on UNIX, so if you're familiar with Linux systems then you'll find that many terminal commands are exactly the same. And vice versa, if you're good with the OS X terminal you'll find Linux systems easier.

3. If you have a Mac you can use both Windows and OS X, whereas if you have a non-Apple computer you can only use Windows.

 

[Bodie CI5]

WoW? ok i understand..

Way to skirt the question

 

[jf1450]

No registry.

That thing is an invention of the devil and I'm willing to bet that behind closed doors in Redmond, WA they're face palming asking themselves why they ever did it.

-jeff

 

[throAU]

The only annoying problem i've had with Yosemite is the mouse pointer disappearing and having to command+tab switch to something else to get it back. Annoying.

I run OS X/Macs because

Self-contained app bundles for the most part - drag/drop/move wherever
Time machine
Correct slash in file paths
Correct text format
unix shell
gestures
less malware
better laptop keyboards and trackpads and battery life\
works better with my iDevices
single vendor for almost all my computing stuff = less finger pointing when it goes wrong

I have to deal with windows all day at work (I'm an enterprise network nerd). I use OS X because I want to.

 

[0388279]

Hi All,

Looks like I am going to be the lone dissenter in the Windows OS X debate. I have been using OS X for since December 2013 and have a late 2013 rMBP and early 2014 11" Air. I like both of these computers and will continue to use Apple laptops for the foreseeable future as it is almost impossible to purchase a Windows notebook that is of the quality of any Apple product.

That said, I find OS X to be inefficient compared to Windows. Here are my chief complaints about OS X:

• Cutting and pasting files. Windows allows for cut/paste with trackpad. With OS X I have take my hands off the mouse so I can use OS X's silly so called short cuts. Cmd Crtl V really. Why?
• If I drag a file from a folder to a different folder in OS X, after the drag i go back to the root folder of the destination. That never happens in Windows. So if I want to drag another file I have to find the destination folder again in OS X.
• If I am in a file menu in Office (or any other program for that manner) I can change the name of another file I want to change in Windows. Can't do that in OS X. Have to go to Finder.
• Safari troubles me to no end. When I want to return to a previous page in Safari, Safari wants to reload the page. Now I have the wait for page to re-load before I can perform my next command. Never ran into that problem with other browsers in a Windows environment.
• I have to run an emulator application to run products that are only available in Windows. Every manufacturer makes applications for Windows. Not all manufacturers make applications for OS X. Ever see a Windows user run an emulation package so they use OS X only applications. With the exception of Final Cut Pro, are there any useful programs that run exclusively in an OS X enviorment? Don't think so.

The above are just a few of my complaints. In general, I find myself pointing and clicking more often in OS X. Also, I have to take my hands off the keyboard way to often and remember cryptic short cuts to navigate OS X when Windows has the drop down commands built into the operating system.

Donald Barar

 

[campyguy]

Not in yosemite it just doesn't work windows 10 is far more stable and fast i agree in hardware side though.

Nice! But, of course, you might know by now that in the post you replied to Yosemite wouldn't be out for 5 years and Windows 10 a whopping 6 years? They were "stuck" on Snow Leopard and XP at the time - I'd hope that Yosemite and Win10 are a step up?

 

[Bodie CI5]

Cutting and pasting files. Windows allows for cut/paste with trackpad. With OS X I have take my hands off the mouse so I can use OS X's silly so called short cuts. Cmd Crtl V really. Why?

Coming from a heavy Amiga background, when I fully moved over to Mac in November last year, this was like a coming back to home for me . Although using a two-button mouse has negated this CMD V issue.

There are elements of Windows that I do think worked better, but honestly I'm not too sure if it's wholly to it being the better OS. I think having used Windows for the past 15 or so years as my primary OS has me enamoured to it and there are some habits that are hard to shake.

I do wish there was more love for gaming on OS X though. I'll be setting up my Ivy Bridge rig again soon, to play some of the games I miss. But my platform of choice will be OS X for a long time, I hope! I love the ecosystem with OS X, but Win 8.1 in tandem with a Windows phone was a good combo, too.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Personally I find OS X more intuitive and less cluttered. On Windows, all the File menus are on each seperate window, whereas on OS X it's always at the top. This makes it much easier for me to see which application is open. The trackpad gestures to show all windows/apps and multiple desktops really does work for me.

Plus the Cmd+Tab to navigate between apps, and the Cmd+Q to quit (right next to each other on the keyboard) is considerably more intuitive and more well thought out than Alt+F4. Also I find OS X runs a lot smoother than 8.1, I like how it will use up as many resources as possible -- whereas you could just be throwing RAM at Windows and it doesn't really use any more of the RAM!! If I've got 12GB free RAM in Task Manager, just use that rather than paging to the hard-drive.