Why I'm Switching Back to Windows

[sammyboy21]

I got my mac two years ago and really really wanted to like it. its interface, features like expose, dashboard, etc are excellent and implemented much better than on windows.

but there are so many little problems with the software that really detract from the experience. it might not be slower but it certainly FEELS slower than windows - the interface is never as snappy as xp. little problems pop up now and then - certain buttons dont work for a while randomly, using random features suddenly crash the software, and every browser on the mac sucks compared to firefox on xp. firefox is sluggish, opera crashes, safari crashes all the time (4.0.2). mail deletes messages randomly every now and then. these occur about 20% of the time and are a lot more annoying than they seem.

i think using a windows is like driving on a slightly bumpy road, but using a mac is driving on a newly paved, really smooth road with random speed bumps every half mile or so. its better 80% of the time, but that 20% of the time just ruins the experience.

i have a macbook core 2 duo, 2 gb ram, leopard 10.5.7. im gonna install snow leopard to see how it goes, but unless that makes everything much better im going back to windows

 

[Queso]

It seems like you're having far more problems than the average. Apart from the occasional browser hang (Firefox) I never have programs crashing.

Ah well, the Mac isn't for everyone I suppose. Best of luck with your return to Windows.

 

[RCGMac]

To the OP, I am sorry you are having theses issues. I have a similar Macbook, just over 2 years old now. About 6 months ago it felt like everything was beginning to slow down. I ended up reinstalling Leopard and everything seemed to speed up again. It seemed like cleaning the cobwebs out of an older system. Now I know my system is certainly not as snappy as the newer ones, but reinstalling Leopard helped a ton. I used archive and install so I didn't have to deal with the hassle of reinstalling all my programs.

Compared to my Windows past, having to reinstall the OS only once over 2 years is a hecka of bargain. Some of my other computers began to show their age less than 6 months out of the gate, and I was reinstalling Windows at least every 6 months as registries were corrupted or other issues would pop up. Over 2 years after buying my Macbook, it still feels plenty fast for everything I need. My only issue is that my stupid battery is swelling AND it wasn't covered under Apple's exchange program (stupid me didn't by AC).

OP, I hope that Snow Leopard will sort out your issues. If you have everything backed up elsewhere, I would recommend doing a fresh install of SL when released, it may help speed things up. Good luck!

 

[Jay42]

The day I knew I'd never go back to Windows was when I showed my Dad (lifetime mac user) how to hold the power button and do a hard shut down on his PowerBook when the HD started to die. In 4 years of owning the machine, he had never had to do it (and didn't know how). How many Windows users can say the same?

 

[parapup]

The day I knew I'd never go back to Windows was when I showed my Dad (lifetime mac user) how to hold the power button and do a hard shut down on his PowerBook when the HD started to die. In 4 years of owning the machine, he had never had to do it (and didn't know how). How many Windows users can say the same?

Those Windows users still running Windows 98 cannot say the same - those running XP SP2 and above have not been bothering with hard resets ever since.

Gaah. How many times the old rhetoric keeps popping up.

OP - sounds like you are simply a Windows person. Nothing wrong with that - however I use Mac as my desktop and I haven't felt the need to do Windows. (Likewise I do use Windows Vista and MS Office 2007 and all the other Windows programs for my office work and never feel like switching to Mac)

 

[instaxgirl]

I'm running Leopard on much older hardware (2005) and I never have any of those random glitches.

I have programmes hang and need force quit every now and then, but I can't remember the last time I had to do it on one of the Apple ones, it's usually 3rd party. And I never have buttons stop working. Might be worth an OS reinstall

 

[SnowLeopard2008]

Backup your files and do a reinstall. Before you install any apps, go to software update and update everything.

 

[sbb155]

I get spinning beachball way more often than BSOD on XP. This is on a mac pro! Yes, OSX isnt perfect. But the software I use with the mac is nice. I use windows as well for different things. They both work for me.

 

[Burnsey]

It seems like you're having far more problems than the average. Apart from the occasional browser hang (Firefox) I never have programs crashing.

Ah well, the Mac isn't for everyone I suppose. Best of luck with your return to Windows.

I've been having these problems as well. Safari takes forever to launch and be fully operational, in this day and age of dual core processors and tons of ram, a browser should not be so slow. The same is said for firefox and any other browser in OSX. I have icons that act weird from time to time, programs that crash for no reason, the finder being sluggish, huge amount of disk activity when the system has a ton of ram available and is idle, boot times that border the 2 minute mark, sleep issues, external monitor issues where the computer still thinks its connected to a monitor when its not (and vice versa), more kernal panics than I've ever seen the blue screen in windows and a lot of little things that annoy the heck out of me.

I really hope Snow Leopard will fix these.

The day I knew I'd never go back to Windows was when I showed my Dad (lifetime mac user) how to hold the power button and do a hard shut down on his PowerBook when the HD started to die. In 4 years of owning the machine, he had never had to do it (and didn't know how). How many Windows users can say the same?

I've done it so many times it's not funny.

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

Your experience is not usual, OP. My only problem is that I sometimes have to force quit the Mail application. That's it.

 

[ikermalli]

I've had my fair share of problems on my mac too, and I've thought about going back to windows, but with all these short cuts I know, and how smoothly I can operate it's not worth it. My only problems:

1. Safari doesn't open new tabs without having the beach ball loading thing come up for a good 20 seconds (by the way, just reformatted)

2. Had problems with permissions on my other user account

3. Wi-fi doesn't seem as strong as on Windows

4. Speakers are louder on Windows partition than Leopard (big thing for me, since I like playing music as loud as possible on my built-in speakers)

 

[NC MacGuy]

Nice first post.

To each their own. If you think Windows is your way, get on it. Windows 7 has had some pretty good reviews.

Frankly I'm missing the PPC days when Windows was Windows and Mac OS was Mac OS. The Intel Macs have brought a whole bunch of Windows users who complain about how OSX does this and it's better in XP, Vista, whatever.... "I never had those problems in Windows, blah, blah, blah."

I find 90% is just lack of familiarity. I know when I use a Windows box, I'm always cursing it in the beginning but after a few days get used to it and its idiosyncrasies. It's smart these days to know both operating systems and use the one you feel most comfortable with. Blaming OSX for what is either a bad machine, corrupted software or user error isn't very fair.

Your experience is not usual, OP. My only problem is that I sometimes have to force quit the Mail application. That's it.

I don't have to force quit, it does it on its own.

But unlike the OP, I don't get 1 out of 5 messages deleted randomly.

 

[OutThere]

I dual boot XP SP3 and 10.5.8 on my macbook pro. I've been a mac user since I first started using computers but I've also had plenty of experience on Windows. Gotta say Windows really wears on me. I keep it because I need it for a number of things, but it just doesn't have the subtle refinement you get in OS X. In XP my battery life is a mockery, my computer runs hot all the time, the system tray nags constantly...etc. There is something to be said for everything 'just working', it's frustrating when things just don't work for no apparent reason.

That said...there are plenty of things I don't like in OS X, they're just not as annoying for me...I HATE the way coverflow view 'persists' in the finder, so when I'm looking through a folder of pictures (great for coverflow) I will also wind up using it to look through my Applications folder (coverflow wastes space). I wish it would just save a default setting for every window.

 

[gilkisson]

You left Windows behind because you were not 100%T happy with the experience.

Now, you have encountered problems with your Mac. Because of these problems, you say you are going back to Windows.

You will have problems again. It's part of life.

Any OS is merely a tool. It's up to the wielder of the tool to use it properly.

Pick a platform, and own it. Master it. You will be happy then.

 

[yoyo5280]

OP, thats what happens to me i'm using windows. I have never had problems like that in my 6 years.

Me and my PC using friends used to joke that the computers were tempermental and only liked certain people. My mac always worked with me, not with them, their PCs apparently always worked with them, not with me.

Good luck on the return home sucker

-Omi

 

[toolbox]

Have you gone to a genius bar and had a chat with them? As Snow Leopard as already said, might be worth doing a complete backup and reload of the system.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Ah well, the Mac isn't for everyone I suppose. Best of luck with your return to Windows.

Agreed, if Macs aren't meeting your needs then you would be foolish to stay with it.

 

[Rt&Dzine]

Maybe you have a virus. *Joking*

 

[EmperorDarius]

You're definitely not having ordinary problems.

 

[MorphingDragon]

To OP, I think you have 3rd party software that isnt playing nice with your system. I had VLC installed and that caused media to have issues playing, even in Quicktime. (Just as an example)

Have you repaired disk permissions? Seems more likely and that also causes the troubles you describe.

Also every OS degrades. The troubles you describe is what my teacher calls environmental immunity. Say you move to a new country, it may have the same problems as you do at home. (racism as an example, no offense) But because home is familiar, your brain doesn't register as much of the Details, it expects it... So to say. Because you are in a new Country, your brain is processing new information and you notice more of the details.

This is the same for a new OS and is one of the reasons people give up... really easily. Trust me you dont stop learning after 2 years, even 10. Youre recognizing the system. Learning its nuances. As you say, Windows has its troubles too.

Here, do these steps if you haven't already installed Snow Leopard;

Download iAntiVirus, make sure you haven't been hit by a mac trojian.
http://iantivirus.com/
Scan your Mac.

Then,
Press command+space and search for Disk Utility. Select your harddrive. Press Repair Disk Permissions. This can take some time.

Then,
Open terminal and insert this command without quotes:
"sudo periodic daily weekly monthly"
and enter your password.
This runs maintenance scripts included with the OS.

And above All, Update to the latest versions of your software (Apple and Third Party)

What you have done is, scanned for malware. Done what is needed for OSX, Like Defragmenting is to Windows. Repaired file permissions caused by installers. And cleaned out unneeded caches and other little things that can clog up system space and hurt performance. I recommend running repair permissions fortnightly.

Oh I forgot, Have you got Office 08 installed? If you do, try removing it. See if it helps as there have been reports of it slowing down systems. (Personal experience for one)

 

[Phazotron]

I got my mac two years ago and really really wanted to like it. its interface, features like expose, dashboard, etc are excellent and implemented much better than on windows.

but there are so many little problems with the software that really detract from the experience. it might not be slower but it certainly FEELS slower than windows - the interface is never as snappy as xp. little problems pop up now and then - certain buttons dont work for a while randomly, using random features suddenly crash the software, and every browser on the mac sucks compared to firefox on xp. firefox is sluggish, opera crashes, safari crashes all the time (4.0.2). mail deletes messages randomly every now and then. these occur about 20% of the time and are a lot more annoying than they seem.

No need to jump to 10.6, there's a 10.5.8 out, as well as 4.0.3 safari.

Also the problems you describe indicate something that may be more serious than software issues, you may have a hardware problem. Emails that get randomly deleted sounds bizarre to me, I've never had that happen, and I've been using OS X (and apple Mail) since 10.3.

I'd try a clean install of your OS software, and go from there. If you still have the same issues then I'd look into checking your hardware. I'd be upset if the problems you describe were happening to my iMac, too.

Ever since college I've been using PCs at work (don't have a choice) and they are the main reason I've never wanted to use windows....

 

[NathanCH]

Sometimes I get hangs and beachballs and I complain, but then I think of Windows and I smarten up. Last month I installed Windows 7 RC on my Macbook and quickly realized why I switched in the first place. I never knew an OS could be so damn annoying.

 

[ThingM]

If you like windows go for windows....
I personally like mac and its interface.

If you think your mac is having a slowdown for some apps. You can always try installing more ram, runnning maintenance operations, removing unwanted apps etc could knock down a few speed bumps for you.

I owned windows for 5 years and recently got my 1.67 GHZ powerbook with 2GB Ram DL SD and it is almost three times as fast as my 2.0GHZ dual core hp Computer.

Even on VMware Fusion. Windows is a big drag.

I personally like OSX but if you feel like its not right for you then go for windows.

Its all about the comfort of your OS, not the speed

 

[northy124]

Welcome back to the brighter side of life OP

Windows 7 will do you wonders

 

[ctt1wbw]

I got my mac two years ago and really really wanted to like it. its interface, features like expose, dashboard, etc are excellent and implemented much better than on windows.

but there are so many little problems with the software that really detract from the experience. it might not be slower but it certainly FEELS slower than windows - the interface is never as snappy as xp. little problems pop up now and then - certain buttons dont work for a while randomly, using random features suddenly crash the software, and every browser on the mac sucks compared to firefox on xp. firefox is sluggish, opera crashes, safari crashes all the time (4.0.2). mail deletes messages randomly every now and then. these occur about 20% of the time and are a lot more annoying than they seem.

i think using a windows is like driving on a slightly bumpy road, but using a mac is driving on a newly paved, really smooth road with random speed bumps every half mile or so. its better 80% of the time, but that 20% of the time just ruins the experience.

i have a macbook core 2 duo, 2 gb ram, leopard 10.5.7. im gonna install snow leopard to see how it goes, but unless that makes everything much better im going back to windows

I reinstall will most likely fix the problems. I have a Macbook Air and a Dell laptop with Vista. The Macbook is just as fast and more stable. Safari never crashes on either one, I don't use Firefox at all, but you might consider looking at Chrome or Camino. And I never have problems with Mail. Try a reinstall.