People Who Moved from Windows to MacOS. How was it?

ChrisD. said:

One thing I really like about macOS is installing a program. You download the dmg, mount it, install it be it drag into Applications or follow the usual next, next finish, then when it's done it asks if you want to delete the downloaded dmg.

Most Windows installers self extract into some temp directory which quite often is not cleaned out (hello NVidia drivers!) so you can end up with GBs of wasted usage.

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This can also be a bit confusing for new users. There is 3 different ways to install programs, a .dmg, a .pkg and a straight up .app.

The amount of times people run .dmg and .app from desktop is probably not how Apple intended it. The .pkg is the only one windows users understand.

Amp34 said:

I assume there must be a setting somewhere as I have never had that happen. In fact what usually happens is a week later I notice the dmg is still mounted from the install and that's when I finally get round to unmounting it and deleting the downloaded file.

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I don't know, both my Macs started doing it after macOS upgrade.

Logsi said:

This can also be a bit confusing for new users. There is 3 different ways to install programs, a .dmg, a .pkg and a straight up .app.

The amount of times people run .dmg and .app from desktop is probably not how Apple intended it. The .pkg is the only one windows users understand.

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True but with Windows there are run only type of downloads.

I think the primary thing is to understand that workflow needs to be based on the capabilities and features of the tools. Or choose the tools according to the workflow. But don't just randomly pick any tool and expect it to work the way your old tool used to.

Let's imagine that your task is to hang a painting on the wall. Depending on if you have a hammer and a nail or a screw and a screwdriver you perform the task very differently.

If you try to hammer the screw into the wall with the screwdriver, you might eventually get some results, but probably not as easily as using the tools the way they are supposed to be used.

MacOS is a tool. Windows is a tool. I recommend using them in the way they work and not insisting on hammering with the screwdriver, only because your old tool was made for hammering and that is all you know.

If you don't want to change your ways of working: Well, you are out of luck, because even your favorite operating system keeps changing from each release to the next... But in case you are really adverse to change, stick to the old one, it usually has slower rate of change.

Personally I like to change the way I work from time to time, just to see if there might be better ways.

I use both daily, and work a lot in Linux environments. I've owned Macs since about 2006 and used them since the early 90s. My thoughts are:

1. Finder is okay, but not great. Explorer in Windows 10 is a cluttered mess (ribbon? wtf?) but functionally superior.
2. Window management is generally better in Windows, but I don't find either perfect or that important.
3. Third-party applications are generally of a higher quality in Mac OS than Windows. They often cost money, but once you get past that, the improved UX and support is generally worth it.
4. OS-level automation is infinitely better in Mac OS; there's no Windows equivalent of Automator, as far as I know.
5. The BSD roots of Mac OS make it far more versatile than Windows, in that the program ecosystem is far bigger than just that of Apple-specific stuff. For example, the one Windows developer on a project I'm working on at the moment is really struggling to get Docker working properly, whereas everyone else has had literally zero problems with it, on Mac OS and Linux. The same goes with Ruby, nodeJS, etc... - most tools are just horrible on Windows, sadly.
6. Games are mostly rubbish on Mac OS.
7. Mac OS is the only OS that has a really good, coherent, well-supported high DPI approach. Windows is a very distant second, and Linux is pretty hit and miss, even in mainstream distros like Ubuntu.

Apple as a computer OS manufacturer have clearly lost their way, so I'm in the process of migrating to Linux. I have tried to work on Windows, but unfortunately it's extraordinarily hard; this may improve with the Linux subsystem, but that is still embryonic, slow and flaky. There isn't even a good terminal emulator for Windows yet (though Hyper is promising).

The things I value the most from each OS are:

1. Snappiness, support for games, and foobar2000 from Windows.
2. Coherence, Transmit, Airmail (best of a bad bunch), high-DPI support from Mac OS.
3. The underpinnings, configuration, flexibility, remote access, automation and (terminal) speed of Linux. Oh, and that it can run on your own hardware, which I really miss in the Apple ecosystem.

None are perfect for me, and obviously my criteria will differ from other people's, but hey.

General feeling I'm getting from responses so far is that macOS is a good media machine to chill out with when at home and doing some light browsing/small tasks, and these people have a Windows machine on standby if they need anything serious done.
Which considering how expensive Apple hardware is - doesn't make sense.

I'm a Windows user and ironically bought a MBP around 2 weeks ago, and I'm trying my hardest to get along with macOS.

Things I like

I have an iPhone, and being able to sync apps between devices is cool such as Reminders, Notes etc.

General interface is prettier (quite minor but nice touch).

I'm a minimalist and although I run my Windows machine very regimented, I like the simplicity of macOS.

Things I don't like

Why do I have to enter a Terminal command to repeat keys when held down by default?

Windows management is horrible, yes you have Mission Control with a 3 finger gesture but then you still have to pick out the window you need which if there are a lot, is exhausting.
Also, if I want to close down multiple Windows there's no easy way to do this, why can't it be added to Mission Control? I've found an app called Hyperdock which basically replicates Windows Taskbar by giving you a preview of windows and the ability to close when you hover over the Dock icon for the app, also lets you snap windows but its annoying this can't be done natively through macOS.

ceaton88 said:

General feeling I'm getting from responses so far is that macOS is a good media machine to chill out with when at home and doing some light browsing/small tasks, and these people have a Windows machine on standby if they need anything serious done.

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Where on earth do you get that idea from? Everything serious I do is done on macOS. The only thing I use Windows for is gaming.

I can't even print to my HP printer using Windows, even after a reinstall. Works from my iPhone and both Mac's every time. Windows doesn't even have a terminal tool.

Don't keep debating which ones best. Everyone's wasting their time doing that.

Every OS on the market today free or paid works really well for every occasion.

By the way I'm a macOS / Apple fan. I always have been. lol

3 times i went back to windows; but on the 4th attempt i had learned enough to stick with it. Now, about 3 years on - i love OSX!

I have a windows 10 machine at work and find it horrific.

Each to their own though....

never had an issue with either OS, regularly swap between them and linux as well. It's just an interface to get to other programs really