I have to use Windows for some engineering software that just doesn't run on a Mac and is so power hungry that even boot camp isn't an option. Switching back and forth I really notice how much better the Finder is to Windows whatever-they-call-the-finder - and everything you say is true. I put together a system that would have cost many thousands in the Apple world for under one thousand in parts. But don't forget the other bad, bad sides of Windows - constant nagging to use Edge, constant nagging to get a Windows account. Constant reminders that parts of what you are using were designed in 1993 (they still have pictures of CRTs in the icons!). USB stuff that barely works. Third party software that is constantly looking for a way to make you upgrade, subscribe or pay - grift after grift. Even unpacking zip archives is ugly. Software bloat like you wouldn't believe, I thought a terabyte was a lot but it isn't. Apple's iCloud isn't even much good - it's like they forgot how to do asynchronous. Best outcome for me is that the software I need comes to a Mac. But until it does, I'm enjoying a few games, and Mac can't even begin to touch that advantage.
I started dual booting Linux with Windows for various reasons and ended up using Linux more. I went full Linux (with the exception of my gaming PC) in 2008 and haven't looked back. After 10 years or so with Ubuntu, I'm using Mint right now and it's fantastic.
Back up the install partition to a drive, which I believe is an option. Two copies. Label and store away.
Make rescue/password retrieval thumb drives. Two copies!
I mostly use Linux systems, but I have a windows system and a windows laptop for software that just doesn't run elsewhere. After losing a system to a "rootkit," I take great care to have rescue/restore tools ready.
This may be the final nudge that gets me to make my next laptop a PC. But that would be mainly for travel, and, well you know how that is right now. I've been looking to have a Windows install somewhere after Apple basically kneecapped half the games in my Steam library that are Mac with the 64-bit or go to hell change in the jump to Catalina. Totally coincidental with the launch of Apple Arcade...
Sorry dude, I was a Windows user going back to Windows For Workgroups 3.11. I used Windows 95, 98, 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows Vista, Windows 8, and finally Windows 10. I have to say after switching to a MAC about 2 years ago, I will NEVER go back to Windows. Sorry Microsoft but its not my cup of tea. I need a better embedded CLI with Brew like I have on my MAC. Your Ubuntu release is OK, but it does not do the job for me. Homebrew and being able to install open source Github code easily is what I really enjoy on my Mac. As a true software developer who has worked in the industry for almost 30 years, Apple is superior to Microsoft.
I'm on the same page... but the straw that broke the camel's back was being forced to store all my mail content on my hard drive. I already pay for google cloud based services for work and now i've stopped using mail and deleted all the content off the computer (not easy to do). I'm forced to use web-mail because of Apple's crappy business practices.
I'm so curious what you'd think about Ubuntu for a month; can be the same hardware... though I suppose right off the bad Adobe CC becomes the pain point.
I don't have a clue how people get viruses on their PCs. I havent had a virus/malware issue for maybe 15 years (my anti virus has flagged stuff but my PC has not ever been close to the point where it was clearly out of control and needed a wipe) and I torrent tons of stuff and the PC protection has only improved since then. As far as bloatware, not sure who the hell you people buy your products from but it's pretty simple to delete anything in Windows. Anytime you install freeware there are very easy boxes to uncheck in installation process to prevent bloatware from coming in. If anything I hate how some options have been dumbed down in the menus and buried in more difficult to find places. Nowadays the UI is slick and can be MACatized if you want all the fancy UI graphic actions. I keep it simple these days tho to conserve battery. I haven't had a Blue screen since Vista. My laptop (ThinkPad) has frozen once in 5 years and when it happened I remember thinking "wow, this hasnt happened to me on a Windows computer in years".
i have a lenovo ideapad 15" and honestly i love it, its so fast and for those who say that virus can get in "easy", hun stop downloading p0rn, bc then of course a virus its gonna get in and it doesn't matter what laptop or PC.
Windows updates breaking or obsoleting functions without so much as a pardon me, All the crap loaded on new Windows machines, The registry, Security updates, Preinstalled Virus software extortion when he FREE period ends, Plugging the same USB device into a different USB port and waiting for it to install the same driver... again, Those $800 laptops that you throw out in a couple of years because repairing them costs more than a new one. (Still using my 2011 Macbook). These are a few of my favorite things.
Viruses. Spymare. Malware. Browser toolbars. Apps installed without consent. Microsoft still lets these in very easily. Microsoft may be the cheaper option up front, but not if you value your time long term.
I used Macs 29 years straight, from the original Macintosh to my last iMac. I turned my wife onto Macs as well. Life was good. While Steve was alive and active.
Then something happened when Tim took over. He didn't care if the iMac evolved. His move was to make incremental changes, taking away features, and raising prices. Pencil pushing baloney.
Around that time (long story short) I discovered my state of the art iPhone 6 was shafted on RAM. 1 GB. I also had to remove apps to install others and my phone couldn't hold a lot of photos. Anyone who owned this phone (as reported on YouTube by Chris Parillo) were guaranteed to experience sluggishness. So I dumped iPhone, got a OnePlus 3 with twice the storage and six times the RAM -- and never had another issue. I'm so not looking back.
At the same time wifey needed a Windows PC because of software only available on Windows. Got her a Windows 8 PC and returned it because the OS was unusable garbage. I managed to stall her a bit, Windows 10 came out, and all of a sudden she was rocking a nice Asus laptop that cost less than half of the Mac alternative. Haven't had one BSOD or major issue. Works perfect.
Me? I was an iMac person because I couldn't afford that and a laptop as well. Seemed 'silly'. Now I own an Asus VivoMini Desktop PC and a Lenovo 14 inch Flex for the price of one iMac. I also have a Micro PC at my TV -- which ran Windows MEH but Zorin Linux well.
I worked in the original West Coast Apple Store for years. I was more Apple than anyone in that store. And yet I was able to dump it with ease. Mark is right that Windows 10 isn't perfect.
1. Where Steve Jobs released OS X basically 'ready' in all fronts, to this day Windows 10's 'Finder' is just complete retro garbage. Steve would have never released a finder in this poor condition. It's appalling. Many Linux distros offer more beautiful finders than this. (One of the Zorin 'finder' themes is already where Windows 10 should be.)
2. Mark! I agree there's no need to make Windows look too much like Mac or you'll simply miss Mac. But I highly recommend installing the following mini apps --
a. WinXCorners will give you hot corners back. I cannot use an OS without this. It's critical.
b. TranslucentTB (in the Windows Store) will make your taskbar background disappear. If you have the right kind of wallpaper you'll love it.
c. TaskbarX will center the apps in your taskbar. As long as you don't have too many it gives you that muscle memory thing of looking for apps dead center instead of to the left.
d. Greenshot is the best screen cap app there is. Better than Mac even. Most developers have gotten the impression that taking a screenshot should involve as many steps as possible. Apple got that you hit three buttons, choose an area, and BOOM it's on your desktop. With Greenshot you hit ONE button, select an area, and BOOM it's on your desktop. Even faster.
I have to use Windows for some engineering software that just doesn't run on a Mac and is so power hungry that even boot camp isn't an option. Switching back and forth I really notice how much better the Finder is to Windows whatever-they-call-the-finder - and everything you say is true. I put together a system that would have cost many thousands in the Apple world for under one thousand in parts. But don't forget the other bad, bad sides of Windows - constant nagging to use Edge, constant nagging to get a Windows account. Constant reminders that parts of what you are using were designed in 1993 (they still have pictures of CRTs in the icons!). USB stuff that barely works. Third party software that is constantly looking for a way to make you upgrade, subscribe or pay - grift after grift. Even unpacking zip archives is ugly. Software bloat like you wouldn't believe, I thought a terabyte was a lot but it isn't. Apple's iCloud isn't even much good - it's like they forgot how to do asynchronous. Best outcome for me is that the software I need comes to a Mac. But until it does, I'm enjoying a few games, and Mac can't even begin to touch that advantage.
I started dual booting Linux with Windows for various reasons and ended up using Linux more. I went full Linux (with the exception of my gaming PC) in 2008 and haven't looked back. After 10 years or so with Ubuntu, I'm using Mint right now and it's fantastic.
Win10 was a big improvement.
One thing to definitely do:
Buy four thumb drives.
Back up the install partition to a drive, which I believe is an option. Two copies. Label and store away.
Make rescue/password retrieval thumb drives. Two copies!
I mostly use Linux systems, but I have a windows system and a windows laptop for software that just doesn't run elsewhere. After losing a system to a "rootkit," I take great care to have rescue/restore tools ready.
This may be the final nudge that gets me to make my next laptop a PC. But that would be mainly for travel, and, well you know how that is right now. I've been looking to have a Windows install somewhere after Apple basically kneecapped half the games in my Steam library that are Mac with the 64-bit or go to hell change in the jump to Catalina. Totally coincidental with the launch of Apple Arcade...
Lame
Sorry dude, I was a Windows user going back to Windows For Workgroups 3.11. I used Windows 95, 98, 98 Second Edition, Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows Vista, Windows 8, and finally Windows 10. I have to say after switching to a MAC about 2 years ago, I will NEVER go back to Windows. Sorry Microsoft but its not my cup of tea. I need a better embedded CLI with Brew like I have on my MAC. Your Ubuntu release is OK, but it does not do the job for me. Homebrew and being able to install open source Github code easily is what I really enjoy on my Mac. As a true software developer who has worked in the industry for almost 30 years, Apple is superior to Microsoft.
I'm on the same page... but the straw that broke the camel's back was being forced to store all my mail content on my hard drive. I already pay for google cloud based services for work and now i've stopped using mail and deleted all the content off the computer (not easy to do). I'm forced to use web-mail because of Apple's crappy business practices.
I'm so curious what you'd think about Ubuntu for a month; can be the same hardware... though I suppose right off the bad Adobe CC becomes the pain point.
I don't have a clue how people get viruses on their PCs. I havent had a virus/malware issue for maybe 15 years (my anti virus has flagged stuff but my PC has not ever been close to the point where it was clearly out of control and needed a wipe) and I torrent tons of stuff and the PC protection has only improved since then. As far as bloatware, not sure who the hell you people buy your products from but it's pretty simple to delete anything in Windows. Anytime you install freeware there are very easy boxes to uncheck in installation process to prevent bloatware from coming in. If anything I hate how some options have been dumbed down in the menus and buried in more difficult to find places. Nowadays the UI is slick and can be MACatized if you want all the fancy UI graphic actions. I keep it simple these days tho to conserve battery. I haven't had a Blue screen since Vista. My laptop (ThinkPad) has frozen once in 5 years and when it happened I remember thinking "wow, this hasnt happened to me on a Windows computer in years".
i have a lenovo ideapad 15" and honestly i love it, its so fast and for those who say that virus can get in "easy", hun stop downloading p0rn, bc then of course a virus its gonna get in and it doesn't matter what laptop or PC.
Windows updates breaking or obsoleting functions without so much as a pardon me, All the crap loaded on new Windows machines, The registry, Security updates, Preinstalled Virus software extortion when he FREE period ends, Plugging the same USB device into a different USB port and waiting for it to install the same driver... again, Those $800 laptops that you throw out in a couple of years because repairing them costs more than a new one. (Still using my 2011 Macbook). These are a few of my favorite things.
Viruses. Spymare. Malware. Browser toolbars. Apps installed without consent. Microsoft still lets these in very easily. Microsoft may be the cheaper option up front, but not if you value your time long term.
I used Macs 29 years straight, from the original Macintosh to my last iMac. I turned my wife onto Macs as well. Life was good. While Steve was alive and active.
Then something happened when Tim took over. He didn't care if the iMac evolved. His move was to make incremental changes, taking away features, and raising prices. Pencil pushing baloney.
Around that time (long story short) I discovered my state of the art iPhone 6 was shafted on RAM. 1 GB. I also had to remove apps to install others and my phone couldn't hold a lot of photos. Anyone who owned this phone (as reported on YouTube by Chris Parillo) were guaranteed to experience sluggishness. So I dumped iPhone, got a OnePlus 3 with twice the storage and six times the RAM -- and never had another issue. I'm so not looking back.
At the same time wifey needed a Windows PC because of software only available on Windows. Got her a Windows 8 PC and returned it because the OS was unusable garbage. I managed to stall her a bit, Windows 10 came out, and all of a sudden she was rocking a nice Asus laptop that cost less than half of the Mac alternative. Haven't had one BSOD or major issue. Works perfect.
Me? I was an iMac person because I couldn't afford that and a laptop as well. Seemed 'silly'. Now I own an Asus VivoMini Desktop PC and a Lenovo 14 inch Flex for the price of one iMac. I also have a Micro PC at my TV -- which ran Windows MEH but Zorin Linux well.
I worked in the original West Coast Apple Store for years. I was more Apple than anyone in that store. And yet I was able to dump it with ease. Mark is right that Windows 10 isn't perfect.
1. Where Steve Jobs released OS X basically 'ready' in all fronts, to this day Windows 10's 'Finder' is just complete retro garbage. Steve would have never released a finder in this poor condition. It's appalling. Many Linux distros offer more beautiful finders than this. (One of the Zorin 'finder' themes is already where Windows 10 should be.)
2. Mark! I agree there's no need to make Windows look too much like Mac or you'll simply miss Mac. But I highly recommend installing the following mini apps --
a. WinXCorners will give you hot corners back. I cannot use an OS without this. It's critical.
b. TranslucentTB (in the Windows Store) will make your taskbar background disappear. If you have the right kind of wallpaper you'll love it.
c. TaskbarX will center the apps in your taskbar. As long as you don't have too many it gives you that muscle memory thing of looking for apps dead center instead of to the left.
d. Greenshot is the best screen cap app there is. Better than Mac even. Most developers have gotten the impression that taking a screenshot should involve as many steps as possible. Apple got that you hit three buttons, choose an area, and BOOM it's on your desktop. With Greenshot you hit ONE button, select an area, and BOOM it's on your desktop. Even faster.
All of these are FREE.
//e not ][e. there's your tell.
I'm reminded of Sheldon Cooper's comment on Windows 10: "This new Windows system is much more user-friendly. I hate that."
Windows has been better than OSX since Windows 7. TBH it was only ever not better during my beloved XP and the dreadful Vista.