Went back to the dark side!

[rgj]

Living well with a MacBook Pro after life with Windows

The thing with my MacBook Pro is that hardware-wise, it's much better than all Windows computers I had, and it's not just because it's more expensive: I had a desktop HP for almost the same price, and although it served me for years, it didn't have the same quality. As for Windows laptops, all had issues: with batteries, that so far my late-2011 MBP hasn't had (a Sony laptop that still works fine, but has no useful battery anymore); with the keyboard letters vanishing (an HP, also overheating in CT); going completely dead right after the warranty expired (Acer, no more of that brand for me, anything, ever); and with Windows itself, always buggy, crashing, attacked--besides the best antiviruses.

I have used Windows since v. 3.1, still use Windows7 with Parallels for maybe three programs or so, but besides my 8GB memory shared with OSX, it slows everything to a crawl when I open it. I am a web developer and almost everything I need is both Mac- and Windows-based, but when I have to choose, it's the Mac that's more stable, so my Adobe software, for example, is Mac-based. What I don't like in OSX is the file management interface: Windows File Manager is so much faster than Finder, and simpler. It would be nice to be able to open two programs side-by-side as easy as in Windows. And I miss having all the access that someone who once built his own computers had, but this is ancient story now.

 

[chscag]

Windows File Manager is so much faster than Finder, and simpler.

I disagree. Then why are there numerous third party applications that substitute for the Windows file manager? And it's the same reason there are also numerous substitutes for the Finder. I have two that I use: "Path Finder" and "muCommander".

Now if you had stated that the original Windows File Manager (winfile.exe) was easier to use, I would agree.

 

[rgj]

I'm saying that based on my experience with Windows 7 on Parallels: it's way faster than Finder and my external drive connected to the wireless router never disappears from the list of devices, that's an annoyance. I never used any alternative replacement for File Manager or Finder, so I wouldn't know about that. But for several times when I had to find a photo among thousands in that external drive, I had to go from Finder to File Manager, as they would take forever to show. Sometimes File Manager also doesn't show thumbnails at a certain size, so both have problems. In addition to that, my extra long experience with Windows may make it feel more familiar, so it can be a biased opinion

 

[Merthod]

Yes I don't like the Mac file manager either nor having my dock filled with items.

Innovation from Apple comes little by little. Although Windows 8 is considered a failure and its tablet version more so, I like how Windows risked to eliminate the start button as trying to innovate.

In my experience Linux is for the ones who love customization and can do it, Windows for the ones who like customization to an extent and Mac for the plug and play and minimal customization.

 

[Augphoto]

My Opinion

There is no perfect OS for everyone. Personal choice is why there are Windows, OSX, Linux (multiple strains) and even some others (OS/2) out there. Like V6Pony, my experience with OSX has been much better than with Windows. No worry about viruses, little malware, and if you use the products in Apple's ecology, very little in the way of crashing. But if it's not for you, go to what you like. For me, that's OSX.

Could not of said it better!

 

[urbanman2004]

Yeah you're kind of late on SSDs. IJS

 

[jeremy14]

I've used both Macs and Windows for 25 years. I have always considered Macs far superior to Windows and far more intuitive.

 

[toMACsh]

I know that Finder has lots of detractors, but I've never had an issue with it. Yes, I've been forced to use Windows, and I don't mind Windows Explorer either. I learned how to work with each one and adapted to both. No big deal.

 

[cwa107]

I am big on advanced file managers and was a little taken aback by how limited Finder was when I first switched. It's always been very basic, but I find that TotalFinder helps out tremendously. It's unobtrusive and has a lot of nice features (particularly file cut/copy/paste).

TotalFinder brings tabs to your native Finder and more!

 

[chas_m]

Here's the thing: I shouldn't need "an advanced file manager." I'm not the one who's supposed to be doing the work; the computer is. That's why I bought it.

I appreciate and respect that not everyone's workflow is exactly the same, which is why I'm glad there are alternatives available for those that need them, but I think Apple got file management right in its own implementation. The reason I bought a Mac in the first place was that I was tired of micro-managing the computer, in effect being its servant instead of the other way around.

OS X is not without flaw, but despite my wide diversity of uses for my machine, file management has been a complete non-issue after the briefest of periods setting up folders and smart folders. Had we had tags back then, I wouldn't even have to have done as much as the pittance I did.

 

[Ken1222]

I am in my late 50s and used Windows my entire computing life.
In July 2011, I bought an iMac, iPad, and iPhone. I have never had a system crash, and am currently on my second iPhone and third iPad. I love the iPad Air!!
Yes, there are several things that bug me in iOS and OSX, but generally speaking they are a pleasure to use compared to my Windows environment at work, especially for an "average user" such as myself.