Windows 7 was so good it made me switch.

[ravenvii]

From hearing how good Windows 7 is here and elsewhere, I was all excited and installed 7 on a PC.

I have to say, I wasn't very impressed. Firstly, the dock/taskbar. It looks nice, and works pretty well, but I think it needs tweaking - the menu with the open windows opens a bit too slowly (the whole "snappier" thing you were complaining about with OS X because of the animations? It's worse with Windows 7), and it bothers me that there's no titles, only thumbs, but I suppose it won't be a problem too often. I want my window right in the front of me right now, dammit.

But the new taskbar, I could get used to. What I can't get used to is the new Start menu. It flat-out SUCKS. It makes it more difficult to get the programs if they're not in the frequently used menu. XP's start menu is a million times better. If they could keep the aesthetics of 7's Start menu, the search bar, and the right panel, but use XP's favorites/frequently used panel, and XP's Programs menu style, it'd be great.

I know 7 is a beta/RC/whatever and all, but I was shocked, positively shocked, when I saw it bluescreen! Yes, a BSOD! I've not seen that in a long time! And frequent freezes! I found Safari to be the cause (both the beta and the final versions), and since giving it the boot and sticking to IE8 for now, it's problem-free. But really!

All-in-all, it IS still Windows. I would use Leopard, even Tiger, over it any time of the day, OS X is just a much more efficient OS for productivity, in my opinion. But I'll still upgrade to 7 from XP for my Windows needs (read: games). 7 is better than Vista at least.

 

[Sounds Good]

...OS X is just a much more efficient OS for productivity, in my opinion...

Can you please explain what you mean by this? How/why is it a much more efficient OS for productivity?

Thanks!

 

[ravenvii]

Can you please explain what you mean by this? How/why is it a much more efficient OS for productivity?

Thanks!

One MAJOR reason: Expose. I don't know what I would do without it. Actually I do, those days sucked even though I didn't know it.

Also, the small things. The fact that every program has a spell-check built in and you just have to double-click a word and right-click to get the right spelling (unless you FUBAR'd the spelling). The fact that the typing cursor goes to the end of the sentence or the beginning, with the down/up arrows, stacks (I never considered it as important until I was forced to use Tiger, and got annoyed at how cluttered my desktop got, forcing me to waste my time to look for the file I just downloaded). The organization of OS X's System Preferences just pwns 7's Control Panel it's not even funny. I'm not talking about options, I'm talking about organization and the ease of finding stuff (both with Spotlight and searching yourself). Oh, and Spaces. I admit I'm not completely convinced it's all that useful, I've just begun to use it and I admit it's neat to have. Desktop zoom with the scroll wheel, how awesome is that? And the inverted colors, it's a easy shortcut on the keyboard, and fast. I'd switch to read a page (reading white on black is easy on the eyes), switch back to look at pictures, etc. Yes, Windows inverts the text but not the picture, which is nice, but the fact that it takes a bit to switch, since it's a whole different theme, and how it makes the titlebars ugly as sin, and sometimes even messes up my windows because of the different sizing, makes it annoying to use.

There's more I didn't think of right now.

 

[Sounds Good]

The fact that the typing cursor goes to the end of the sentence or the beginning, with the down/up arrows...

Is this like clicking on the Home or End buttons on a PC?

And speaking of the Home and End buttons, I use these keys often (on a PC) to jump to to the top or bottom of a page. Since a MBP doesn't have Home or End buttons, I would miss these keys dearly. What's the easiest way to replicate this on a MBP?

Thanks...

 

[netnothing]

Can you please explain what you mean by this? How/why is it a much more efficient OS for productivity?

Thanks!

I'll chime in with my thoughts as well because I tend to agree in my opinion for me, OS X is more efficient for me to use on a day to day basis.

First I like how well integrated OS X developers make their applications in OS X. Almost all apps have the same look-and-feel to them. They all use the same controls and shortcuts.

Things that I find invaluable to me in OS X are:

- Expose
- Spaces
- Time Machine
- Spotlight

Expose in my opinion is excellent. I have hot corners setup, Top left is all windows of current app, Top right is all windows, Bottom right is show desktop and bottom left is activate spaces. I can click and hold a file, drag to the bottom left, active spaces, select the space I need, drop the file. Very efficient for me.

Spaces has completely changed the way I work. I have 8 spaces setup for the different apps I use daily (I'm a web developer).

Time Machine is dead easy to use and works perfectly. It's even saved me numerous times by backing up hourly that I can grab a file I might have changed accidentally.

I use Spotlight for math calculations all the time and as a app launcher. No need to have Console.app in my dock....just hit CMD+space + con + enter, and boom, Console.app is open.

I used Windows my entire life and career. I switched in 2007 because my current PC couldn't be upgraded to Vista because of lack of motherboard drivers. I decided to get a Mac Pro. I had a good friend who was a life long Mac user who always wanted me to switch. I took this opportunity to dive in.

I find OS X and my Mac Pro to be ROCK SOLID. I can literally be ripping a DVD maxing out all cores and still use the machine without slowdowns. If an app crashes or doesn't respond it doesn't bring the entire OS to a halt (granted Vista is better at this than XP ever was).

For some reason I can't explain fully, I'm more productive in OS X than Windows. It's almost like OS X stays out of my way, and provides me the tools and shortcuts to me to get the job done. Personally I find it much more attractive looking as well (I'm no fan of Aero).

Since switching I've also been VERY impressed in the developer community on OS X. It's like all the developers really truly care about developing their applications. Maybe it's because of the smaller user base that I tend to see the ratio of good quality apps to low quality apps much higher than on Windows.

I'm not a fanboy (as some on here have called me). I do use both OS X and Windows on a daily basis. I've personally chosen OS X as my primary OS. I don't think Apple is perfect....no company is. If they were, I'd be a little scared

I always say, use the machine and OS that suits you for what you are doing.

Most of what I've said is work related, but I do use OS X for my personal use as well....iTunes, iPhoto, etc. I even moved my Mom over to OS X on a MacBook last year (she had only ever used Windows) and she loves every bit of it. Finds it very intuitive to use and much more pleasant to be in every day. She did not like Vista at all. She lasted less than a year on a new Vista laptop.

Hopes this helps a little.

You're the one looking to get your first Mac correct? Good luck in your hunt. You'll find the the Mac community in general is very helpful to new users.

-Kevin

 

[Sounds Good]

You're the one looking to get your first Mac correct? Good luck in your hunt.

Yep. And thanks!

 

[Qartin]

Yes, I have windows 7, and you can see many features of which it is trying to rip off of the mac.

Like the corner where you move your cursor and it shows the desktop is ripping from spaces, and the taskbar being icons now.

Ripping from the dock.

Ive given up on windows.

Never buying another pc, sticking to mac for now on.

 

[clevin]

Like the corner where you move your cursor and it shows the desktop is ripping from spaces.

i see absolutely no similarity between this and space. there is no virtual space involved in win 7 after all, what are you trying to say here?

 

[ravenvii]

Is this like clicking on the Home or End buttons on a PC?

And speaking of the Home and End buttons, I use these keys often (on a PC) to jump to to the top or bottom of a page. Since a MBP doesn't have Home or End buttons, I would miss these keys dearly. What's the easiest way to replicate this on a MBP?

Thanks...

Try Command (Apple) + Up/Down Arrows

i see absolutely no similarity between this and space. there is no virtual space involved in win 7 after all, what are you trying to say here?

He clearly meant Expose and Show Desktop.

 

[Mad Mac]

If I want to see all the windows in my current application, I think Expose wins here.

Expose just randomly throws up the windows. Or if you have, say, 5 windows of the same program open it seems to put them all in line horizontally in tiny thumbnails even though there's tons of screen real estate to use. Looking down at Windows taskbar is far more efficient than digging through random thumbnails thrown up.

I mean c'mon.....Windows 7 still doesn't have spring loaded folders? And try this, on OS X, open 2 finder windows. The one in front just slighty to the left of the one behind. Now, drag a file from the front window to the back window. What happens? The back window comes into focus. You can then use spring loaded folders to drop your file. In Windows, you can hover over that little bit of exposed window all day but it doesn't come into focus.

LOL. Anything to do with Finder is utter failure. You want spring loaded windows? Try dragging a file onto the window you want in the taskbar. It will immediately bring it into focus. It's been like this forever in Windows. Not to mention that you can have a file tree on the left side in Windows Explorer, thus negating the need to even have more than one window open to move files around. Don't even get me started on OS X's lack of ability to have different views for different folders.

 

[Sounds Good]

Try Command (Apple) + Up/Down Arrows

Is there any way to perform this action with just one finger? Don't laugh, but I often type with just one hand... and since a Windows keyboard has dedicated Home, End and Backspace keys, I can use just one hand. Can I do so on a MBP?

Try dragging a file onto the window you want in the taskbar. It will immediately bring it into focus.

Uh-oh... I use this feature all the time. Are you saying it can't be done on a Mac?

Don't even get me started on OS X's lack of ability to have different views for different folders.

Can you please explain this? (I'm now getting a little nervous...)

 

[ravenvii]

Expose just randomly throws up the windows. Or if you have, say, 5 windows of the same program open it seems to put them all in line horizontally in tiny thumbnails even though there's tons of screen real estate to use. Looking down at Windows taskbar is far more efficient than digging through random thumbnails thrown up.

Please tell me you're kidding? Looking at 5 "Micr..." tabs on the taskbar is more efficient than Expose?

LOL. Anything to do with Finder is utter failure. You want spring loaded windows? Try dragging a file onto the window you want in the taskbar. It will immediately bring it into focus. It's been like this forever in Windows. Not to mention that you can have a file tree on the left side in Windows Explorer, thus negating the need to even have more than one window open to move files around. Don't even get me started on OS X's lack of ability to have different views for different folders.

That's nothing like spring-loaded folders. Dragging it to the taskbar to bring the window in focus requires the window to be open first, no? Spring-loaded folders is designed to get windows open when they weren't previously. I think you're misunderstanding what spring-loaded folders are.

Is there any way to perform this action with just one finger? Don't laugh, but I often type with just one hand... and since a Windows keyboard has dedicated Home, End and Backspace keys, I can use just one hand. Can I do so on a MBP?

Don't many PC laptops lack the home/end keys too? If you really need them and a keypad, just get an external keyboard.

Uh-oh... I use this feature all the time. Are you saying it can't be done on a Mac?

That's what spring-loaded folders are for. If the window is already open, just expose and drag the file to that window. You can't expect to work exactly the same way you do in Windows, it's a different system and you'll adjust.

Can you please explain this? (I'm now getting a little nervous...)

He means you can't have a folder default to a list view, while another defaults to icon view. It's all-or-nothing in OS X. It's easy as pie to switch views though, it's right there in the toolbar, so it's not a big deal.

Seriously, why don't you just stop jittering and go to a store and TRY it out for yourself? I wouldn't jump into OS X blind either, I would try it out first. Best Buy has Macs, there's the Apple Store, there's Microcenter. I don't know what country you're in, but I'm sure there's a place you can go to try Apple computers out.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Can you please explain this? (I'm now getting a little nervous...)

For some odd reason, Mac OS X won't let you specify that you want list view for one folder, icon view for another, and Cover Flow view for a third. Changing it for one folder changes it for them all.

 

[156457]

For some odd reason, Mac OS X won't let you specify that you want list view for one folder, icon view for another, and Cover Flow view for a third. Changing it for one folder changes it for them all.

I can do it, it works perfectly :S
Just choose the view you want for that folder, right click, then show view options and then click 'always open in x view'. It works fine for me. :S

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

I think you can switch back to the "old style" taskbar view of windows in windows 7. Personally I think the taskbar is much more useful than the dock as well, much easier than dock + exposé even, it's what I miss most about windows.

I have found the exact opposite. However, it shows that it is more a question of what you are used to rather than any ultimate way of having an OS.

 

[slackpacker]

I have to say W7 is quite good. The Desktop is as good as the Finder if not better. But the inability for me to be able to install and boot from any HD like I can with OS X is what keeps me using OS X. W7 still has issues with D/L updates and patches every five seconds. but over all it quite a bit better than Vista

 

[kasakka]

Please tell me you're kidding? Looking at 5 "Micr..." tabs on the taskbar is more efficient than Expose?

No such thing on Win7, if you're not one of those who desperately hangs on to the clunky old style taskbar. There's one icon for say, Internet Explorer and every window opened is shown when hovering on that icon. Multiple windows are shown as different borders for the icon and hovering pops up a small preview of all windows, with thumbnails for each. Hovering on any of window thumbnails will temporarily turn all others into just transparent borders so you see exactly where that window is and what it looks like in real size.

The benefit is that you know which window belongs to which program very easily, always find said windows in the same place and can check different windows without alt+tabbing or activating.

Expose on the other hand can sometimes arrange the windows a bit arbitrarily and you need two keys for all windows and all windows of the active program.

If you like Expose (who doesn't?) then the small and free Switcher application does very much the same on Vista and Win7.

 

[ravenvii]

No such thing on Win7, if you're not one of those who desperately hangs on to the clunky old style taskbar. There's one icon for say, Internet Explorer and every window opened is shown when hovering on that icon. Multiple windows are shown as different borders for the icon and hovering pops up a small preview of all windows, with thumbnails for each. Hovering on any of window thumbnails will temporarily turn all others into just transparent borders so you see exactly where that window is and what it looks like in real size.

Judging by the rest of the post I'm responding to, he's talking about Windows Vista and prior, not 7. I might be wrong though, in which case you're right. But it takes one click in OS X (if you have a multiple button mouse, you don't even have to move your mouse at all to activate), while in Windows it's two clicks (click the icon to reveal it's windows, then click the window you want). And most of the time, Expose shows much more of the window than the tiny thumbnails in Windows' taskbar. So while the windows might be arranged arbitrarily, it's easier to spot the window you want.

Each to his own, though.

 

[Eidorian]

Judging by the rest of the post I'm responding to, he's talking about Windows Vista and prior, not 7. I might be wrong though, in which case you're right. But it takes one click in OS X (if you have a multiple button mouse, you don't even have to move your mouse at all to activate), while in Windows it's two clicks (click the icon to reveal it's windows, then click the window you want). And most of the time, Expose shows much more of the window than the tiny thumbnails in Windows' taskbar. So while the windows might be arranged arbitrarily, it's easier to spot the window you want.

Each to his own, though.

Alt + Tab with Thumbnails and Aero 3D Flip are still there as well. They're much more linear than Exposé but the added mouse support with the scroll wheel and click selection improves application/window selection speed greatly.