I'ma a Windows / Mac / Linux user. What I can say - I like MacOS for their "clean" system. It's easy to use and manage if you need something. On Windows OS I face a lot of small bugs and strange activity. On Linux it's not that easy to even configure something properly. So my stop is MacOS, for now.
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Why did you choose MacOs over Windows
- Thread starter 40djbrooks
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I grew up with Windows (98, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10) and have an iPhone since the 4th generation. I never wanted to have macOS but since iOS is getting better every year and I'm using it for a lot more, I wanted to have macOS because everything with the iCloud (calendars, contacts, reminders, notes, iCloud, Safari...) works perfectly. I have my MacBook Pro since a month and I'm very happy with it. Never had a macOS device before.
Yes, this is sort of my feeling as well.
MacOS is easier to use and to do anything with it, provided that it is something common or supported by Apple or one of the developers. If you want to do something a little different, or if you need a workaround to get something done, it may be very hard to do it on a Mac, and sometimes impossible. It is kind of simple: either it works well or it does not work at all.
Windows seems more complex and sometimes something does not work for no apparent reason at all. But much more flexible if you want to do something different.
Linux has always been sort of a nightmare for me. I feel that many things would have to be built from zero, and I do not have the knowledge or the time to do that. I am no programmer, and I always felt Linux was an uninviting environment for me.
I didn't really choose it over Windows. Just been long time Windows user and Android. Primarily was PC gaming. But Lately I've been doing it less and feel jaded/bored with PC Gaming. Decided to see how much greener the grass was in Apple land. So I dove all in. Got a macmini, iphone x, and Ipad. Couldn't be happier. Everything just flows together for the most part and only minor learning curve as far as end user experience goes. I haven't needed to dive into deeper level tinkering like in a Windows registry or something on Apple. Plus lot of my music was/is on Itunes so switching over made it pretty easy. Not mention many things I do anyway is on Google Chrome so that synced up easy. And I already stored a lot of data on external drives. So yeah switching OSes was relatively painless in my experience. And using the Magic Trackpad and gestures the whole flow of working in MacOS just feels better compared to WIndows.
I Used linux unbuntu and mint on a dell xps from november to mid february for a temp project, and loved linux! But im used to osx and my apple products so im staying with apple but just with a caution and reserve because apple software is not up to linux program’s standards, strength and results. Itunes sounds like garbage compared to other music platforms which is understandable because itunes purpose is for fast streaming playback on devices and tiny speakers.
Oh, windows is just too boxy for me.
Oh, windows is just too boxy for me.
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You know full and well as anyone here that RAM (which you could upgrade yourself) and the SSD (external, anyone?) are the main culprits for that ridiculous price point. Just configure out what you would actually use, and the premium goes away. Are you always buying the extra-premium-over-the-top configuration as well when it comes to TVs, cars, and houses?
Been a Windows user since Win3.11...
First taste of Mac when I was studying audio engineering. In 2003 got to mess around a very quiet PowerMac G4 MDD with 10.2 Cheetah. Immediately fell in love with the OS’es clean lines compared to chaotic WinXP. Two years later got myself an iMac G5 with 10.4 Tiger on it and never looked back. iOS came later with 2nd gen iPod touch replacing my aging Palm Tungsten.
First taste of Mac when I was studying audio engineering. In 2003 got to mess around a very quiet PowerMac G4 MDD with 10.2 Cheetah. Immediately fell in love with the OS’es clean lines compared to chaotic WinXP. Two years later got myself an iMac G5 with 10.4 Tiger on it and never looked back. iOS came later with 2nd gen iPod touch replacing my aging Palm Tungsten.
This.
I have been a DOS, Windows user since the very beginning. Never grew fond of it.
I didn't choose Mac OS over Windows because I use both for different purposes. It's not like a wife where you have to pick one lol. I use Mac for general use and Windows for gaming.
I prefer Mac OS for the security and privacy features. I prefer Windows because the large install base means more variety of games and software.
I prefer Mac OS for the security and privacy features. I prefer Windows because the large install base means more variety of games and software.
My employer, like most government units, utilized Windows machines so I had similar machines at home. It was just easier to get some work done at home on compilable machines. I had an Apple IIe well before they started using computers at work and loved it. Once I retired I slowly started switching everything to Apple products. I don't miss the constant headaches with Window issues at all!
I never understood how people get hung up over UI looks. I've used Windows since Windows 98 and the only time I disliked a UI was the early version of Windows 8 tile interface. That was horrible IMO. When it comes to basic usage Windows 10 interface doesn't do anything different than Windows 98. I don't see a whole lot of difference between Mojave and Leopard I used years ago. Sure there are changes that make things work better and compatability for new hardware but when it comes down to it the OS is meant to launch an application or program. After I'm using the application I don't want to be annoyed by my OS. It should remain quiet in the background.
In 2011 I was so fed up with the daily effort of troubleshooting Windows and rebooting after constant updates that I bought a 2011 iMac. The unboxing and setup were amazing: it “just worked”. The quality of the hardware and software were worth it, as was the integration across Apple devices. But in the last couple of years I seem to be spending a lot of time dealing with glitches again with my 2016 MacBook and 2018 mini. Still enjoying the ecosystem integration and convenience of Mac OS, but it no longer just works so magically. And my desk is a mess of cables and adapters again.
That. A Lot!
And with that, I’ll add that being equally comfortable with both OSs, my only peeve or hindering has been the menus & options in File Explorer vs Preview. My biggest challenges with Mac has been my unfamiliarity with Preview after a few decades with Windows File Explorer. It isn’t as simple as they say it is. Renaming a file for instance, should be in the first right-click menu, not after ‘Get Info’. (Who knew?)
But admittedly, Preview is a more capable tool, with its editing ability on PDFs and docs..
I like and use both professionally. As much as I’d like to be in one camp or the other, (so I didn’t have to remember so many tricks), it probably won’t be the case any time soon. And it’s all really pretty fun. The improvements from both camps are real. I’ll take it.
And I am sure you know full well that the majority will not have or buy the right tools to take it apart and do it themselves, neither do they want to. No really, the DIY segment is not that significant. Sure a lot of people on here replace the ram themselves, they are enthusiasts in the main with a few that will give the upgrade a go.
As for cars, TV's and houses, I buy like most do, what I want/can afford, I can't add a better engine to the car next year or add a bedroom to the house by myself.
Yea I guess everyone has their likes and dislikes. It just reminded me of the Windows Vista advertisements about the "experience" LOL
Thankfully I haven't had many glitches with my 2018 mini. I'm not sure if it works magically but it does what I want it to do. I keep the power and monitor cables out of the way and use a wireless mouse. I want to go with the Apple wireless keyboard and mouse but that's on the budget for another day.
I never had that many problems with Windows. Vista was a little bit of a pain but XP, 7, and 10 seem to work 99% of the time. Yes it has updates and had to reboot but that didn't bother me. The Windows 10 system of automatically restarting and not allowing manual restarts is extremely annoying. I personally know people who have lost hours worth of work due to this. It's funny how Mac allows this and Windows doesn't.
Rename isn't the first thing in the menu but it's right there when you right click. I don't see how it being above or below Get Info makes it harder or easier to use. It's not like you have to navigate a submenu to find it. I guess if you're used to it being in one spot in Windows it might be confusing. I personally find it easier to left click to rename files.
I’ll have to see what I missed. Never noticed any menu from left clicking anything on a Mac..
We don’t actually own any Macs anymore, due to the hardware dependability cautions in their current laptops. (Not sure how I wandered in to this thread?)
I’ll be keeping an eye on the MacOS, but in the meantime W10 is working great in the background like I want it to.
It's not a menu. You can do it in Windows as well. Just left click on the file to select it, then left click on the name. It's highlighted, then type the new name. Left click off the file and it's done.
The year was 1985.
The Mac 512k smiled when I booted it on my kitchen table, and then revealed that its OS had dispensed with the all-caps 8-character filenames and directories of MS-DOS. I was now dealing with graphic representations of file folders, and the freedom to name them stuff like 'some cool designs' and 'weekend chores'.
I thought I had died and gone to heaven and the unboxing was barely over.
Loved making filenames like 'bank letter draft2' instead of BKLTR2.DOC and the everwonderin' XCHTRBTT.DOC -- and that one I had a note about on my wallboard. It meant 'extra copy of how to reboot this thing' and it was a file on the hardcard of my 38-pound luggable Compaq computer, detailing how to boot some Tandy 2000 box I had bought on a lark as a spare machine, and which was full of random mischief including not being compatible with a lot of MS-DOS software, or sometimes even with itself lol.
Also for use on the Mac 512k there was the graphics oriented app MacPaint, which the five year old kid next door showed me in about 20 minutes was possible to use elegantly and without ever cracking a manual. I launched it and said see how this works you just point at stuff and click on it and it lets you draw pictures or something so you want to try it out? -- and I left him in the living room with the thing while I went to the kitchen to chat with his older sister and have a soda with her.
When we went back the kid had figured out how to use the spray paint tool and every other thing that a mouse click and cursor shove could produce. I was seeing my DOS equipment taking a hike as I looked over his accomplishments.
My avocation is quiltmaking and I saw computerization of my quilt block sketches in my future... my then immediate future, like as soon as I shooed that kid back home to his toy trains or whatever. Mind you this was in the days where it was still a big deal to have a personal computer at all, forget one that dealt in graphics.
And Hypercard, wow. A prototyping and fast application-making app with a decent scripting language, Hypertalk. So cool and simple that some colleagues of mine at work and I started taking our work home and doing it on Macs and lugging in the Macs and the done applets the next morning... in a couple more years we were all in on A/UX and writing XCMDs to haul data off networks to run into Hypercard apps for in-house clients, and were using Macs paid for by the company.
All this because a few of us had in our personal lives dropped a couple grand apiece on a machine that smiled when you booted it instead of fetching up a directory whose contents challenged your ability to think in acronyms.
I still had a spare MS-DOS/Windows-based machine until about 1991 I think. Anyway I remember a fairly nice Toshiba portable with a keyboard I fancied. After that, all Apple gear all the time at home, and a lot of mumbling about Windows based equipment at some of the places I worked.
The Mac 512k smiled when I booted it on my kitchen table, and then revealed that its OS had dispensed with the all-caps 8-character filenames and directories of MS-DOS. I was now dealing with graphic representations of file folders, and the freedom to name them stuff like 'some cool designs' and 'weekend chores'.
I thought I had died and gone to heaven and the unboxing was barely over.
Loved making filenames like 'bank letter draft2' instead of BKLTR2.DOC and the everwonderin' XCHTRBTT.DOC -- and that one I had a note about on my wallboard. It meant 'extra copy of how to reboot this thing' and it was a file on the hardcard of my 38-pound luggable Compaq computer, detailing how to boot some Tandy 2000 box I had bought on a lark as a spare machine, and which was full of random mischief including not being compatible with a lot of MS-DOS software, or sometimes even with itself lol.
Also for use on the Mac 512k there was the graphics oriented app MacPaint, which the five year old kid next door showed me in about 20 minutes was possible to use elegantly and without ever cracking a manual. I launched it and said see how this works you just point at stuff and click on it and it lets you draw pictures or something so you want to try it out? -- and I left him in the living room with the thing while I went to the kitchen to chat with his older sister and have a soda with her.
When we went back the kid had figured out how to use the spray paint tool and every other thing that a mouse click and cursor shove could produce. I was seeing my DOS equipment taking a hike as I looked over his accomplishments.
My avocation is quiltmaking and I saw computerization of my quilt block sketches in my future... my then immediate future, like as soon as I shooed that kid back home to his toy trains or whatever. Mind you this was in the days where it was still a big deal to have a personal computer at all, forget one that dealt in graphics.
And Hypercard, wow. A prototyping and fast application-making app with a decent scripting language, Hypertalk. So cool and simple that some colleagues of mine at work and I started taking our work home and doing it on Macs and lugging in the Macs and the done applets the next morning... in a couple more years we were all in on A/UX and writing XCMDs to haul data off networks to run into Hypercard apps for in-house clients, and were using Macs paid for by the company.
All this because a few of us had in our personal lives dropped a couple grand apiece on a machine that smiled when you booted it instead of fetching up a directory whose contents challenged your ability to think in acronyms.
I still had a spare MS-DOS/Windows-based machine until about 1991 I think. Anyway I remember a fairly nice Toshiba portable with a keyboard I fancied. After that, all Apple gear all the time at home, and a lot of mumbling about Windows based equipment at some of the places I worked.
In fall 2011 was the old Windows PC of my wife a candidate to be replaced. New windows versions were around the corner and had a different look and feel that would need more learning effort than wanted.
An iPod from the spring 2011 served well on a US trip to do advanced hotel reservation when ever Wifi was available and the handling was nice and smooth.
Apple had the image of ease of use and a Apple reseller was near by.
The young man made a terrific job and talk to me wife in her language and she was ready to buy an iMac. Suddenly did she smile on me and asked "and you?". So did I buy a second one for me and never regretted it. The transition was smooth and easy.
Background: I was at that time close to 40 years in the computer business (mainly mainframe) and had all kind of PCs built, modified and hacked every thing I could find in Windows. But my retirement was getting closer and I lost the interest in the computer business in general. I started to see the computer as a tool similar to the coffee machine.
We are both casual iMac, MBA, ATV, iPad and iPhone users and I like the smooth integration while I know every well that very single unit could be replaced at lower cost with another brand.
ps. The old iPod from 2011 became a remote control of my model railroad.
An iPod from the spring 2011 served well on a US trip to do advanced hotel reservation when ever Wifi was available and the handling was nice and smooth.
Apple had the image of ease of use and a Apple reseller was near by.
The young man made a terrific job and talk to me wife in her language and she was ready to buy an iMac. Suddenly did she smile on me and asked "and you?". So did I buy a second one for me and never regretted it. The transition was smooth and easy.
Background: I was at that time close to 40 years in the computer business (mainly mainframe) and had all kind of PCs built, modified and hacked every thing I could find in Windows. But my retirement was getting closer and I lost the interest in the computer business in general. I started to see the computer as a tool similar to the coffee machine.
We are both casual iMac, MBA, ATV, iPad and iPhone users and I like the smooth integration while I know every well that very single unit could be replaced at lower cost with another brand.
ps. The old iPod from 2011 became a remote control of my model railroad.
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I started in the video production business in the mid-1990s, which meant going Mac, since all the "creative" industries used Macs almost exclusively back then. Certainly there was no choice for, say, video editing back then. I just stayed with it, although I was also knew my way around Windows (and DOS). In recent years,I've started using Chromebooks as my budget-backup laptop choice. Much as I'd love a new Macbook every few years, I can't afford it.
I've been thinking about giving Windows laptops a try, simply because of the attractive price points and (on some pf them) keyboard quality. (I'm a writer.) But I'm hesitant due to all the security stigma Windows has racked up over the years. Anyone here care to talk me down off that particular ledge? I'm listening.....
I've been thinking about giving Windows laptops a try, simply because of the attractive price points and (on some pf them) keyboard quality. (I'm a writer.) But I'm hesitant due to all the security stigma Windows has racked up over the years. Anyone here care to talk me down off that particular ledge? I'm listening.....