I hate Macs!

As you know, I'm a Mac user.

I find Mac fanboys as irritating as the next person. I use Macs for a reason and that reason is that I prefer their hardware, the interface and the software that I ran on OS X when I first started producing music. I like Windows for certain tasks and I like Linux distributions for the customisability options and general stability when configured correctly.

There is an 'eject' button on Macs, incidentally. It's on the keyboard.

In my experience, the worst fanboys are Android/iOS fanboys. I use Windows Phone so I stay well out of that one.
 
There is an 'eject' button on Macs, incidentally. It's on the keyboard.
Unless you need/want a different keyboard. Might be because you want something that works for your own ergonomics, might be because you don't like the way the mac keys work or look. I'm not a fan of the tiny block keys myself. Anyway, it's dumb to put the physical button there, in my opinion, I suppose.

In my experience, the worst fanboys are Android/iOS fanboys. I use Windows Phone so I stay well out of that one.
Ironically, phone users are the least likely to have any actual reasons for why they think one is better than the other. There's an odd reversal of ground where iOS and competitors are concerned, because unlike PC software, hand-held software tends to be more available on apple's side. Even so, the usage seems similar. I actually own an Ipad someone gave me. It's pretty much a toy or for really casual stuff, which is typically what I find most macs being used for. Other than that, I might see them if I pick up a client who does graphics work, or audio stuff; but as you allude to, it's usually because that's what they learned on. Steve-o was very smart to work hard at putting macs in the school environment as well as capitalize on the very short window when macs had a few advantages over other OS'es in those areas.
 
Very true with the keyboards. I like my Mac keyboards an awful lot - especially the one on my laptop - but I certainly can see why that would be an issue.

I'm with you on the mice, most of the time. I have one of the capacitive Apple mice and I have specific software that allows me to re-assign (and override) the standard gestures, as well as adding new ones. It's not a perfect mouse though by any means and is ergonomically flawed. The trackpad on my laptop is superb and I'm always irritated having to use a PC laptop because the trackpad is usually very poor. Again, I have re-assigned the gestures and have specific gestures programmed to work in specific applications. For instance, if I swipe up with four fingers in a web browser, it opens a new tab. The trackpad is something that I would sorely miss if I switched to a PC laptop and I use it for playing games when I dual-boot - I've clocked up 300 hours on Fallout 3 and New Vegas with just the trackpad.

Naturally, those are all very personal preferences.

In my limited experience (i.e. family), touchscreen phones in general have made interacting with them generally much easier. My Mum and Dad were hopeless with their old phones and both bought iPhones. Now they can actually make use of them. My Dad has an iPad that he uses every day and used for work (interfacing into his office) before he retired and that changed things enormously for him - it was a real-World case of a gadget hugely improving his quality of life.

I don't know if they'd get on as well with Android devices but then again, they've never tried so I can't comment. I can imagine that a well-built Android tablet with the same applications (or equivalent) available would be as satisfying and simple for them to use but they like iPhones now and I'm not going to try and tear them away from their bubble.

Of all the phone systems that I've used (and some I've owned (Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Blackberry (the old versions), Symbian, etc.)) I've found Windows Phone to be the easiest of them all. It's also much more limited in terms of customisability but it's rare that I actually enjoy using a phone - and I enjoy using mine. Again, that's my personal experience.

I like to think that I actually have good reason to use the systems and gadgets that I use. I'm not fashion or trend-conscious (I like good design, mind) but when people justify their system usage purely based on fashion or trend, that irritates me.

I grew up on MS-DOS, so it's not necessarily a case of what I learned when I was younger but being around technology all of my life makes adapting to new ideas relatively easy.

I still can't work Windows 8 without screaming at it, though.
 
It's not always for looks, in fact, probably more often, it's supposedly for ease of use. I'll give you a few examples and hope a fight doesn't break out...

For example. Windows has always been very context-driven. Windows is designed with the requirement of more than one button on the mouse. This is because if you right-click almost anything in windows, you'll get a menu of options or popular actions related to what you're clicking on. Steve decided that multiple button mouses might be confusing and ugly so the OS is designed around one, and most models do not have extra buttons. Far less context driven, and generally tries to hide the extra options and controls. Speaking of mice. Talk about form over function. Just about every apple mouse ever designed has been really terrible. From mouses where the whole top is one huge un-comfortable button, to hand-cramping little tiny pucks, most serious users go buy 3rd party mouses and then map the "command" button to another one. Even so, the command menus are much less prominent and capable than how windows is designed for efficiency.

Another example is the way that unlike nearly every other device on the planet that accepts CD media, there's no damn button to eject it. Dragging an icon to "the trash" is really counter-intuitive and much more work, yet steve made the decision and most macs don't allow you to easily do this. Not a deal breaker for most, and as I said, Microsoft is trying to copy them a bit too much. Like the way they hide the damn shut down button and options in win 8. Clunky, hard to find and use... Not intuitive to anyone with computer experience.

If you're going to work in the industry, get rid of the apple-fan-boi persona. It's one of the most annoying things we deal with when we come across the odd admin who prefers macs, they really can't shut up about how great their macs are, usually right before they install windows on dual-boot so they can actually use some business software. You can certainly prefer macs, just try not to be annoying, and be honest about the limitations and financial drawbacks of the system.

I agree that Apple mice leave a lot to be desired. That's one case where it's obvious they were trying to make the mouse look good and took it too far. In any case, the trackpad on my Air is great, and definitely better than any PC trackpad I've ever used. Scrolling is smooth with two-finger swiping and a two-finger click is my right click. I've never come across a PC trackpad that offers that kind of control, but perhaps that's an issue with Windows. I'm not sure.

Let me be clear—I don't unconditionally love everything about Apple. I like what they do. They make products that work well for my needs, and yeah, they tend to look nice. The adaptive toolbar at the top is indispensable and the ways in which I can navigate and control applications through simple commands are incredibly useful (Mission Control, anyone?). I think it's a great general purpose operating system. Does it hold up in a professional environment? Can't say, I'm not there yet.

Still, I'm trying to figure out what the limitations are. I personally don't find the command menus (right click) limiting, but I'm just a dude in college. I haven't come across any wildly technical scenarios in my experience yet, but surely soon. So I can't help but think that you're referring to things beyond my knowledge, but I'd appreciate more specifics, or a concrete example. I'll sit here and soak it up...
 
I'm with you on the mice, most of the time.

Absolutely. One-button mice are and have always been a crime against nature. Hate the dadgum things, refuse to use 'em. Luckily, OS X comes right out of the box with great support for third-party multibutton mice, or I'd have had a much harder time transitioning over from the Suns. I've been a 3-button mouse person since the early days of SunOS on my first Sun 1 in about '83, and that is simply the way my brain works to this day. Luckily, HP still makes a proper 3-button USB optical mouse (model M-UY-101, for those who care). It is a plug-and-play device on OS X, especially since so many of the applications I use run under X. Even with my laptop, I carry a small 2-button-plus-wheel mouse, and I can do what I need to do (although that scroll wheel is a pain in the butt as the middle button: it always scrolls a little bit when clicked on). Just give me the ability to select and adjust selection with the left and middle buttons, and pop up a context/command menu with that right click, and I'm pretty much good to go.

For native Mac apps, I guess one of these days I'll have to try to get used to this newfangled multitouch trackpad stuff. It hasn't been germane for me thus far. It strikes me as more of a curiosity than anything else, since most of my machines are back at Snow Leopard in any case. I use it to zoom on my phone, and that's about it. Computers ought to act like computers, not like phones, IMNSHO.

But then again, I'm a dinosaur. When Sun was developing the Sparcstation 1, there was an unofficial team tee shirt made that made the management quite uncomfortable, and wearing it around the place was discouraged. At the time, the corporate slogan was "The network is the computer!". The tee shirt said "The network is a piece of wire, the *computer* is the computer: we are sorry if this has caused you any inconvenience..."
 
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Going back a few posts ...

Yep Watso, big fan of a context sensitive menus called by right click. Not only is it a big time saver, it's bailed me out countless times when I've forgotten or not known the path to a function. I miss that functionality on my Android phone almost as much as I miss the Android's lack of copy and paste.

I still find use of PC (or Mac if I was a Mac user) for surfing the web far easier and faster than with the phone. Not to mention writing forum posts ...

comp_primitive-internet.jpg
 
Still, I'm trying to figure out what the limitations are

I'm trying, but I'll be very general so it can't be mis-construed.

A mac is almost totally limited in terms of both hardware, and software choice, you simply can't use most of what's out there. Additionally, I find apple devices are typically more limited in terms of OS/software options, customization and personalization. I remember some time ago I was really shocked to find out that a user was not able to change the way windows and menus looked.(have they added this, yet?) It's so simple in Windows, and I find that most windows computers (for better or worse) are much more a reflection on the end-users personality than they are a reflection of Steve Job's personality.

Curse and blessing. All depends what you need. For a whole lot of people, they won't ever need to do any of the huge number of things macs can't do and if they find the interface easier in some way, they should get a mac. The extra expense is worth it for them.
 
Yep Watso, big fan of a context sensitive menus called by right click. Not only is it a big time saver, it's bailed me out countless times when I've forgotten or not known the path to a function. I miss that functionality on my Android phone almost as much as I miss the Android's lack of copy and paste.

Couldn't agree more. It's one of the primary reasons I switched. The mac "command" button/system is nowhere near as well integrated or useful. I grew up in a environment with access to both. For a long time, I preferred to use macs. Once I saw how much more easy and efficient it was to get things done on a PC, I switched. Mostly it was the revelation that I don't have to remember options, because it's always in the context menus if it's important. Overall I find menus much easier and intuitive in the windows world. I don't have to go looking for things. I'm lazy. I like shortcuts and tons of options for getting the same thing done. For the most part, although I'm good at a *nix command bash, I find the majority of the GUIs out there to be sort of clunky and un-intuitive in similar ways to how macs work.
 
C:/Dos

C:/Dos/Run

Run/Dos/Run

Apologies for the obvious Simpsons reference.

I think that working on the SPARC systems is beyond cool. I really do.

At least dos doesn't show me an infuriatingly childish and patronizing "sad mac" when something goes wrong. Actually, building over unix and allowing bash access was one of my favorite things apple ever did. I like to be able to manage some things myself.
 
I'm trying, but I'll be very general so it can't be mis-construed.

A mac is almost totally limited in terms of both hardware, and software choice, you simply can't use most of what's out there. Additionally, I find apple devices are typically more limited in terms of OS/software options, customization and personalization. I remember some time ago I was really shocked to find out that a user was not able to change the way windows and menus looked.(have they added this, yet?) It's so simple in Windows, and I find that most windows computers (for better or worse) are much more a reflection on the end-users personality than they are a reflection of Steve Job's personality.

Curse and blessing. All depends what you need. For a whole lot of people, they won't ever need to do any of the huge number of things macs can't do and if they find the interface easier in some way, they should get a mac. The extra expense is worth it for them.

Well, I guess I'll just take your word for it until I learn first hand. But yeah, I remember messing around with custom appearance on XP wishing I could do the same on a Mac. You still can't. Eh, not a huge deal breaker though.
 
You can but it's not easy. I used to have Snow Leopard looking very different from the stock install but it wasn't worth maintaining between updates. With Mountain Lion I have no idea - I haven't bothered trying.

To be honest, most custom desktop themes are hideous.
 
I'm using Windows 8 right now. My old laptop kept overheating and I finally broke down and bought a new one.

I was pretty lost with it for about a day - couldn't even figure out how to shut it down, or get out of certain screens - mainly all the 'apps' they're trying to get you to use. As usual, they're trying (too late) to play catch up with the trend setting hipsters.
Getting along pretty well with it now, but some things still don't seem spot on with it.
Block out all the junk, and you're good to go.

My only experience with Macs was when I had to use them at the university in the dark ages, and didn't click with them. At that time, your choice was pretty much Mac, Amiga or Atari. There were almost no music related programs for pc's.

First 'computer' I bought was a Yamaha CX5M - a dedicated music computer that had its programs on cartridges and had built in midi. Primitive, but I was pretty productive with it.
Switched to Atari because there were some very cool programs available for it at that time, and it also had built in midi. Got hooked on Cubase with the Atari.
When Cubase became available on pc's, I made the switch, and have been using them since then.

I've considered trying to put together a desktop pc that can run XP, because I've got several costly interfaces that run on that and use pci slots. But I don't know if motherboards with pci slots are even available anymore.

Not going anywhere with this - just rambling. LOL
 
I use Windows because the cost to quality ratio on Macs is very poor... and I hate the idea of being lumped in with all the 16 year old hipsters begging their parents for a $2000 Macbook so they can browse Facebook all day with it.

I just have yet to hear a good reason to pay more for the Mac... these are the ones that I hear most often:

No viruses? You won't get them on Windows either if you aren't being dumb.
Better for graphic design/music production? I do both with absolutely no problems.
Sleeker/lighter? I'm a grown man... I don't mind lugging a bigger computer around. Hell, we all play drums... we're used to it.
Easier to use? I've come to find that people mean it's simpler (and more limited).

If it makes any Mac fans feel better, I'm moving to Linux when I finally replace my current gaming laptop. Haha. Windows 8 blows and I've been wanting to make the jump for a while anyway.

This is all, of course, MY opinion and many of you have very valid reasons for your own.
 
I'm trying, but I'll be very general so it can't be mis-construed.

A mac is almost totally limited in terms of both hardware, and software choice, you simply can't use most of what's out there. Additionally, I find apple devices are typically more limited in terms of OS/software options, customization and personalization. I remember some time ago I was really shocked to find out that a user was not able to change the way windows and menus looked.(have they added this, yet?) It's so simple in Windows, and I find that most windows computers (for better or worse) are much more a reflection on the end-users personality than they are a reflection of Steve Job's personality.

Curse and blessing. All depends what you need. For a whole lot of people, they won't ever need to do any of the huge number of things macs can't do and if they find the interface easier in some way, they should get a mac. The extra expense is worth it for them.

So true. I got spoiled with the Aero view in Windows Vista and how attractive it is. I'm surprised the interfaces for the Mac look so dated and primitive. Yes, Aero view sucks up more processing power, but looks matter and Windows just tries harder. Two months into using my Mac, I am not at all impressed at how clunky and limited the experience is. I got spoiled with Windows.

The outside case of the Mac looks better. When you open it up, though, things go downhill from there.
 
I use Windows because the cost to quality ratio on Macs is very poor...

In decades of corporate work as an AV tech handling powerpoint (etc.) presentations on all makes of hardware, I've never found this to be true. Currently my company uses Apple hardware running the OS of the client's choice for all of our AV work. There is no more solidly built laptop than the pre-retina display Mac Book Pro, and the internal hardware and motherboard is as good or better than the best laptops of any brand.
 
My old MacBook, well it had been ailing for quite awhile. Last week it finally died, so I took it to Onyx, and Anin confirmed that it was dead.

They sold me a new fancy up to date MacBook Pro, moved all my data to my new computer and sent me on my way. I'm having a hell of a time getting used to this thing. It's so fast! And it has these things that pop up for no reason at all, menus and such, and it's driving me bazooka.

At times the screen suddenly and for no reason that I can discern zooms into something that's impossible to make out and it's hell itself to get it back to where it was.

I know that these are features that users wanted, but to me they're a recurring nuisance. I know that eventually I'll come to master these tools, but right now I need to use this computer, dammit, so please get all these things out of my way.

I'm already missing the simplicity of my old MacBook.
 
I have windows 8 with a passion.

I had some video files made on a WIndows 7 machine, and I wanted to put them on my kids computer so he could watch them.

But windows 8 won't play mpeg2 files that were a default format on window 7!!!

No, you have to download this patch and that patch for a more advanced machine to do what an old machine did without issues. UGH!!
 
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