I have been with Proton for like 5 years and each year they grant me a ginormous amount of extra storage space at no additional cost just because, recommended!
"The system feels like its designed for mono-tasking, not multitasking" As someone that uses a Mac for work, I 100% agree. I've since adapted, but hopefully I can get Linux next time I need a laptop refresh.
While the window management is a bit weird when it comes to the maximize and minimize buttons and a native window snapping feature would certainly be nice, I find the criticism super nit-picky. How can someone who uses Linux day in and day out refuse to simply use the short-cuts or trackpad gestures and insist on the admittedly least practical way of window management? Why is it preferable to create a new desktop if you accidentally swipe too far on Linux? Also, why not use the side-by-side fullscreen mode? And my finder does support copy and paste. Something is very odd here. Then again, I have happily used my Mac for almost a decade for every day tasks such as web-browsing and Spotify all the way up to development of scientific software, photo editing, and writing a dissertation. I guess, I use the window management in a completely different way since I cannot remember intentionally minimizing anything in quite a while or even clicking the maximize button. I have set up my most used apps on separate desktops (some side by side, some by themselves) and switching between them with a simple swipe or shortcut is as fast as you can get even on my aging 2014 MBP. On the one "crowded" desktop, I find Mission Control to be quick and comfortable. Even with some legitimate criticisms, it is still among the best daily driver machines beating my much newer company laptop significantly. I'm a lot more worried about the weird stage manager thing on iPad and newer Macs. THAT is a terrible hack on top of everything else with no clear purpose beyond what was already possible before that looks like a second dock with window thumbnails IMHO. Let's hope that this will not become the default. You didn't touch on these issues at all. And lately, it feels like Apple is running out of ideas which shows in super-gimmicky features such as using your iPhone as your webcam, video call presenter overlays, and remote controlling your iPad. Had these resources been put into polishing some issues and simple optimizations... OK, this would not help with advertising "magical experiences" but one can dream... That being said, I can definitely see benefits of Linux over Macs and use it one my other machine because it gives me more control and options when it comes to typical server tasks, emulation, and some development software if you are willing to actually research how this stuff works. I have even toyed with the idea of installing some Gnome distro on my Mac but there is no real reason beyond curiosity to do it. Maybe, when I upgrade my machine in a couple years... In the end, it is a matter of preference, I guess. However, it still feels like the verdict that would be reached in this video was predetermined since I find the usability criticisms relatively weak. And preferring the Slimbook hardware over the modern Apple hardware because of a few hundred grams really didn't help in that regard. I mean, having a milled metal chassis is part of why these machines feel more premium and last basically forever...
I was forced to use MacOS for a web developer job, so I feel your pain. I can't see why it's on as a high pedestal, other than mindless startup, camera hardware, and the exclusive software. It's too limited, it's too expensive, and hand-holdy.
The only thing that's good imo is their hardware, nothing more. If I didn't have to use Adobe I'd be on Linux for sure. But yeah for powerusers Windows is 10x better. And so is Linux.
I have not used macOS a lot, but I strongly suspect it is due to some "candy crush effect". Anything on the interface moves so smoothly it's addictive and the display has great colors, it makes everything appealing, pictures, icons, etc...
@@zeisure9554 Yeah I agree. I've never been a fan of Apple software, but their hardware designs are always really cool and premium (except the notch of course - that's unacceptable).
In the settings: 1. You can tell macOS to always show the menu bar, also in fullscreen 2. There is an option called "spring loading delay" which can be reduced so dragging and triggering timeouts on directories and tabs gets faster, so you don't have to wait so long when dragging things around. Also: - There are tiling window managers that allow resizing multiple windows (e.g. Amethyst) - To cut and paste a file, you have to copy the item and paste it via cmd+opt+v (you can see this when you right click and hold option after copying a file)
@@obed818 you can watch the video, he has some fair points. It's interesting to see the first impression of a Linux user who has accessability for the unexperienced user in mind. To his defense Apple does a lot of things differently, so you have to look it up. Would still be good if he did more homework by searching if things are possible and how they are possible. There is a lot of stuff that is hidden behind the coat, even a lot of features that some would miss on other operating systems. Still, macOS lacks some other features out of the box, like a good tiling manager. It's a mixed bag.
Copy cut paste is just abysmal on mac, you are initiali coping the file, no cut option, and if you do the OTHER command for paste (used to move copied file) then it works as cut. So unintuitive and stupid.
@@Ajdin87 Not really when you think about it. MacOS has no "cut and paste", it rather has "copy or move". You can get used to it, but I agree that it is confusing when coming from Linux or Windows, so not trying to defend them on this one.
The window snap feature really has become a must-have OS feature. Windows has tried to expand on it-- and I definitely think it can be improved-- but those little pop-ups with the different configurations aren't doing it for me.
Or try windows fancy zones from windows power toys. Power toys are internal development tools for Microsoft that they let the public use. Sometimes they become core windows feature like custom keyboard shortcuts.
@@karlgunterwunsch1950 I never use window snapping on macOS and never miss it, because window management is so easy that I have no need of it. I _do_ use window snapping/tiling on Windows 10 [at work] because it’s such a pain to navigate and manipulate windows once you have more than a dozen or so open. But auto-snapping-where it just grabs and resizes my window if I drag too close to an edge or corner? That is absolutely obnoxious! I go back and forth every few weeks or months between turning it off because the autosnap is daily annoying me when I’m just trying to move a window to a better position, and turning it on because the lack of being able to move a window to the other monitor is frustrating me multiple times per day. Even when I intentionally enable it on Windows 10/11, I use the snapping and tiling features more often by accident (because I accidentally type the wrong keyboard shortcut) than intentionally. If I could turn on the “send to other monitor” keyboard shortcuts but disable all the rest of the window snapping/tiling features (both keyboard shortcuts and auto-snapping hot zones), I would in a heartbeat.
I used a mac for almost 2 years at a former job since that was what IT sent to everybody. I eventually got used to it, and some of the keyboard shortcuts were nice for what I needed to use them for, but I remember the relief I felt when I went to a job that let me use Linux instead so I could set it up how I wanted.
sounds like my previous job, got a slim client with regulations and blocked addresses. It was something that slipped out short moments when i tried to help people (in a between the line hidden message withouth information). The boss was a dickhead so he did run the place like a meat grinder though so if you didnt fit it was "off with their heads".. withouth warning. It worked at samsung support, the level 1 meatshield work.
Just the fact that the M1 has no fan noise and an all-day battery makes it far superior to any linux or windows laptop even if you forget the OS. I really hated macs as a previous windows user when I got my first one for work but then the whole Apple ecosystem just convinced me. Everything works super smooth and easy between all my devices and I don't have DRM/codec issues with services like I have on linux. I use linux for work, don't get me wrong, but solely through the SSH terminal client.
0@@jaqian I have zero issues with my bacobooks in the past 15 years. I prefer to use them instead of the linux desktop due to the compatibility with current DRM for example. Or printer etc. compatability.
@@dingdong2103Are you seriously suggesting that apple has superior printer compatability to linux? That point alone makes me serioisly doubt you actually have printer experience with linux and arent just talking out the A.
A few corrections - 4:12 This can be sped up by changing the spring loading speed in system settings. 5:47 This can be overcome by enabling three-finger drag in settings (as can a lot of similar limitations).
three-finger drag is the best touchpad feature ever and I miss it on Linux Laptops. Also nice is the possibility to select text with a three finger swipe
@@akPasta I find it weird that Apple placed that feature under "Accessibility Settings", considering how incredibly useful it is even for people with no motor impairments.
@@ThePC007 that's why I never found that feature way later while using OSX, I never knew that was on the accessibility settings, it made sense for me for that setting to be on the mousetrack settings 😅
I did the same but only lasted 2 days using a MacBook! It was a horrid experience and I felt like Apple was constantly telling me, "This is the way WE think you should use this laptop..." - I felt too controlled!
An entirely fair review. I'm a Mac guy and it works great for me. The issues you had would never be a problem for me, because I don't use my machine that way.
I started using a macbook transitioning from an ubuntu laptop. At first the experience was not that great like confusions with when to use control, option and command but as time went on i grew comfortable with it. I really like the hardware aspect of the mac with a really good screen, touchpad and keyboard. Also for the software I do not use a secondary screen and use full screen apps with workspaces. I have configured the touchpad shortcuts to easily swipe between workspaces and it is really a good experience. I setup workspaces in order for what i need and am quickly able to swipe between them. This is a bit hard to do on other linux desktops and is a bit finicky if achieved via extensions. Overall I like my macbook to work with now.
@@jothain I can't use Linux as my main OS because PC is my main platform of games(all games work and VR games), I'm a game programmer(all tools are in windows and work better in windows) and there is a lot of things I like in Windows, some better then Linux, but some worst(a lot worst). I always use Linux in my laptop, don't use much because I don't have a lot of reasons to but I really like to watch the evolution of Linux and test the different desktops and distros. What I really want to see is Popos Comic.
@@the.dorgas bit similar thing here. I'm not dev,but I use quite a bit of CAD/CAM software and it's just usually too much hassle to make them work in Linux. Also game a bit and because of those I mostly use Windows. All os's have their ups and downs. But I really like using Linux on like homeserver and such. Also it's remarkable how much Linux has improved in couple decades. These days you after all can run most software on it, that's if one has will to tinker and possibly as last resort have beefier hardware to run virtualization etc. Oh and it's been interesting last couple years when devices like Steam deck have gained quite a bit of userbase
Thank you! I am a Linux enthusiast who went to the Mac systems because half my software needs are proprietary, and Windows is a nightmare to work with. I totally agree with all of your points about the software customisability issues and illogical limitations. Here are a few 'hacks' to make some of it simpler - 1. In System settings - accessibility - Trackpad, you can set up three finger drag. This will allow you to move stuff without having to click and drag 2. There's a fantastic free app called Spectacle that does the Window snapping for you (and has simple, powerful keyboard shortcuts) For me the reflective screen hasn't been much of a problem, but you could perhaps install a matte screen guard to fix that. I also switched my hard drive cables to Micro B 3.0 - USB C 3.1 Gen 2, and got dual ended pen drives with USB C, so I rarely need to use Dongles (although I do carry one for the odd USB-A need). Numpad is definitely a much needed missed item. I also use getmacapps site when setting up system for first time.. it installed most of my basic apps, the rest I DMG / Apple Store as needed. Mac OS definitely lacks the finesse and customisability of Linux. But you get to work with most of it. I might return to Linux full time some day. But the stupid-ass proprietary stuff keeps me tied. Windows is a no-go though, for sure
I feel those pain points since day one, for those who are sort of forced to use MacOS (Mobile developer) here are some tips that might make your life a bit easier: 1. Install Homebrew it’s a sort of Linux equivalent to Flatpack 2. Enable three finger drag and drop (Hidden under accessibility) 3. Enable tap to click (No more force click) 4. Turn on the config that groups all opened app windows under the app icon 5. Window management is the weakest point, so something like Magnet might help (Or try the new stage manager) 6. Don’t use Chrome as your daily browser it consumes CPU and RAM like there is no tomorrow at least on intel MacBooks. 7. To move (cut and paste) use cmd + c then option + cmd + v at target location There are more settings that can be fine tuned(Yes privacy related too) that will help you make the daily use a bit less frustrating.
There is definitely cut/copy and paste for files/folders in OSX. If you want to maximise a window (not full screen it) - double click the title bar of the window.
I have to use macOS for my job. For 50 hours a week, I'm forced into the Apple experience. I can't tell you how relieved I am at the end of the day when I can switch to some other UI, *any* other UI. I mean, consistent keystrokes... that's all I ask for. And maybe when I close a window, don't have all the other windows for that app pop up to the top. Oh and maybe when Finder needs to pop up a dialog box, have it do so on the same monitor where the Finder window I'm working with is located. And maybe have it always pop up on *top* instead of underneath other windows. Oh and maybe support Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, and, oh I don't know, Delete when you want to delete a selction of files? I mean, seriously, Apple... you've been doing this for 40 years, and this is the best you could come up with? *sigh*
Some issues that can be mitigated: - You can move files on Finder using Command + Opt + V on the paste moment - Using Opt and clicking on maximize is the same of double clicking - Three fingers can be configured to function as click and drag
Cringe. You make me wanna become a “mad apple fanfolks” out of spite lol. Mac is pretty annoying. I only use it for travel with the banger battery life
@taylorkoepp3048it's not about how genius you are, it's about how Apple controls their users to not do anything with the owner's MacBook. Not just Mac products, iOS too like why lock the file manager functionality.
As someone who’s used both MacOS and Linux (Mint Cinnamon, Ubuntu Gnome & unity) I found the Mac UI a different work flow to understand vs. Linux to become productive. Creating new desktops is not that difficult (I do prefer Keyboard shortcuts though) and drag and drop of files is not as difficult as you Made it sound. But having said that, If the proper commercial software I user were available on Linux i would be running Linux Mint as my main, hands down. As it is, Mint is a side project computer where I run DBs and K8s as warranted. Let me freak you out a little now. I’ve maintained (and to this day) the best OS combo could dream up and would want to use is Windows UI (Win 7 that is) running atop Linux. That is Mint. 😜. BTW I am a full MacOS user with my phone and iPad in the Apple eco-system. Its pretty good. And the closest to a Linux experience with a polished UI that runs “commercial” software. And I’ve been running it for about 8 years now.
@@akashsahu933 Depends on what you want to do. I learned just by using it, and if there was something I do on Windows or Linux but didn’t understand on Mac, I set out to find the answer. MacOS UI is very nice once you get accustomed to it. But for me, a lot of the tweaks I needed were also at the .zshrc file level (aka .bashrc .bash_profile )
As someone who has to deal with Macs because a bunch of people at work love them, it still makes my mind boggle how even now things like their native window management is still terrible.
I used it for 6 months and I hate MacOS 🙂 Horrible UI and some features that not working "as expecting" makes me crazy. External hardware also not always works as expected... But the worst thing is that windows management. I feel like I move to 90's xD
@@TheLinuxEXP I have the exact same feeling. Multitasking sucks. I also have strange problems in my development workflow which somehow resolve when I do a reboot.
@@blubblurb learn to isolate your environment. Here we use devocontainers and everything works fine for the 3 platforms, same environment everywhere, same experience.
@@R0MUl0 Works if you do backend stuff but I also do Android and iOS development. The Android development I can do on Linux fortunately but the iOS stuff I have to do on the Mac, I don't see how I could isolate it using containers.
@@TheLinuxEXP Actually, that's how I feel about Windows because it seems that it wants you to maximize every app so you focus on one at the time. On macOS you can "maximize to fit" (Option-click the green window widget) so you can still interact with multiple windows from different apps. You can also move background windows without moving the foreground window by using Command-drag to move an out of focus window.
Love Apple Silicon Hardware now. I personally enjoy MacOS, it definitely has its issues, but all OS'es have their issues. Still waiting on Asahi Linux to be all settled, and having the option to eventually install any Linux on this hardware still has me excited and holding onto my M1 Pro 16"
sadly your SSD will probably die before it becomes a thing. Louis Rossman talked about how the 16" macbooks are uncureable in that regard in his video "How MOST 16" Macbook Pros often kill themselves & why they're unfixable" - you can have someone replace the BGA-soldered SSD and the capacitor, sure, but it'll just happen again. so make sure you keep backups
@@glebglubcorrect. Mac hardware is nice until it stops working. Then they tell you to upgrade or suffer. I guess it's too hard to find people willing to fix electronics. Except for the electronics repair companies... But they aren't allowed to have schematics, parts, or software required to make said repairs. Way to treat your customers, apple. 🙄
@@MickenCZProfi lmao I’ve used the latest gen. Still find my way back to Mac every time I try and as soon as this thing can game, I’d be comfortable with it being my only device.
What a timing, Nick. I am just configuring my new laptop with Linux after 11 months on macOS. And most of the things you said are my experience. I'am really happy to be back to my beloved KDE again and check all the changes we had since then.
I use Magnet for the window positioning and Home Brew as package manager. That eases not all, but some of your pains with Mac. I definitely agree that the file manager and the maximise window problem are annoying.
I understand your point with multitasking, but this isn’t really an issue for me anymore since I’m using a tiling window manager. This way I can jump between applications and use them on different screens (since I work with multiple screens I usually just have one window open per screen). With this essential addition Mac works for me. The integration with other Apple devices is thought through, the hardware is great and it allows me to use programs and drivers that Linux don’t support while offering a similar terminal experience. For me mac os combines important features of linux while ditching the crap windows does.
Only when I switched to Mac, I understood why different desktops exist, and switching between them is very easy by single swap. I use computers for 20 years now. But never used different desktops, niether on windows or linux, but Mac OS is build for that, and once you set up your desktop, "multitasking" is much better than on any other operating system.
I think it depends on the person, I can multitask on Mac OS very smoothly with lots of applications, and the system still works fine even after using up all the ram.
Oh, heck yeah! My old MacBook Air handles multiple tasks /way/ better than my much newer, much more powerful MSWindows laptop with triple the processor cores and double the RAM. An individual task can more easily slow down the Air - a spreadsheet with 10s of thousands of lookup functions takes a measurable amount of time to open, and sometimes switching sheets within it has a noticeable delay, while a comparable spreadsheet on the work computer might take a bit to open but then is responsive in use. But I can have roughly double the number of programs open, each with more documents/windows open, on the Air before I even notice any slowdowns and realize I should close some things I’m not using. Safari is also significantly better than Chrome or Edge at handling lots of open tabs. When my Air starts slowing down and I realize I’d better clean up Safari, I typically discover I have several hundred tabs open-usually around 300-600. Meaning that it was functioning just fine and I didn’t notice anything with {several hundred minus a handful} tabs open. That said, there are increasing numbers of single webpages that absolutely slow my 2016-era Air to a crawl, all by themselves, while my work laptop handles them without breaking a sweat. The work laptop clearly has way more power and is newer, but MSWindows just doesn’t multitask nearly as well as macOS IME. Most Linuxen are even better than macOS at this, however. At least in my experience.
@@NoradNoxtusHow and why would you care? Mac os just works. You don't screw it up by installing random packages. I use Mac Os and Fedora. The UX of macs are just better, because apple throws billions of dollar at it
You might want to look into what the options key does, as MacOS kinda hides things behind it. Like moving files with cmd+c/cmd+opt+v in my earlier comment. Like move files does show in the menus while holding options Holding options then clicking display settings, changes the icons to a full list of available Refresh rates and resolutions
To be fair, you have to actually know how to use it? You know like every OS that exists. There are more keybindings and gestures and hidden settings then anyone will ever know, but you have to actually want to try to learn something new. Defaults on any OS are for the Npcs
@@ghost-user559 Yeah, I was shocked how many of the issues outlined in the video could be solved by just changing a single setting in the settings menu. Changing default settings and installing some productivity software is something you need to do on any OS as a power user.
@@ThePC007 Yeah it’s always ironic to me that the main argument against MacOS I hear is “you need third party apps just to make it work”, while those same people use Linux, an operating system that comes with nothing native except a kernel, and is entirely based upon third parties to make an actual operating system functional lol.
The lack of proper virtual desktop / multi window / windows snap support compared to Ubuntu or even Windows 11 which does this really well with snap layouts, was the reason I gave my work their MacBook Pro back and asked for a Lenovo ThinkPad running Ubuntu 23
As a long time user of Mac exploring Linux as of pretty recently, I was directed to this channel. I don’t really know what to make of this particular video. It just comes off as a demonstration of MacOS incompetence rather than a fair condemnation of the OS. Many of the criticisms mentioned in the video have ways of being addressed or approached, just not in ways that might be obvious to a Linux user.
@@4theluvofmusic Look, the hardware is good, sure. But the software is targeted for people who would never touch their configuration in their life, so its not meant for sane people who value their money and have values against shit companies like apple
M1 Pro user here! I use mine for software development and more or less have found solutions to all of your productivity complaints. For the window management, I use yabai and skhd, turning the shoddy window management into a tiling window manager that can be customized to whatever you like. It still does get annoying when the auto-tiling doesn't go where you want it to be, but it's certainly a lot better than stock. You could also set shortcuts to go to each desktop. So I usually have multiple desktops tiled exactly to what I want at any given point. And as for the apps, I straight up ignore the app store and install most my apps through the brew package manager.
Honestly you mentioned almost every problem i have with macos when i have ro use it for work/school. You know your desktop has issues when it looses to windows in multitasking.
I use macOS and Linux... I don't understand why the cut, copy, and paste options were disabled in the Finder for you, because they've always worked for me (I just tried it now to be certain) -- maybe a permissions issue in that folder? I completely agree with your comments on window tiling, though. I think Sonoma will fix a lot of these issues, which is very welcome. The big draw with mac is its integrations with the apple ecosystem. getting messages and calls on my mac is a huge time saver for me, since I don't need to keep picking up my phone. And as you mention, AirDrop and the shared clipboard has helped my workflow quite a bit. I would miss those features now, having gotten used to them.
I "daily drove" Mac for 3 years about a decade ago, and it was great - but going back to it in 2024 (because I want to do some iOS development), it really feels like it hasn't moved on at all. It basically feels like almost the exact same OS, and has been comprehensively overtaken by both Windows and Linux for productivity and UI quality-of-life. I couldn't agree more with your "It's built for monotasking" statement, that's exactly my feeling I still like Mac, and I think the laptops particularly are great when you just want to sit on a train and do one thing, or work on a university assignment... but for modern computer use and multitasking it's falling behind
Once Asahi Linux can get everything sorted out with Apple Silicon (and pass it upstream to mainline kernels) native Linux on these things could be AMAZING!
A lot of these software issues can be worked around with third party programs but there really is no excuse for these features being absent out of the box (window management especially). I love my Mac but I miss the customization and true configurability of Linux so much If you still have the Mac I’d love to see your opinion on homebrew, Amethyst, and UTM, because I use all of those programs daily and they make MacOS usable for me
so you use macOS and custom mod it in a way? by installing 3rd party tools. Isnt that the same as people do with windows 10/11 to make is usefull or better?
@@BeckyAnn6879 I have never heard an actual Mac user in real life complain about the lack of window snapping. As far as I'm concerned, window snapping only solves a fictional problem. Neither Linux or Windows has smart zoom a much more useful basic UI feature.
I have the exact same gripes with MacOS. I tried three times over 10 years, and just couldn't work with it. MacOS, just like iOS, seems to get in your face at every operation shouting "LOOK AT ME!" when you want to get something done, with more clicks or taps to complete an action. That said, it did feel more solid and purposely crafted than Gnome/KDE or Android. What that purpose is, I'm not sure, but I think it goes all the way back to their original unitask Mac and featurephone-esque iPhone roots. (Still can't get at the photos from the file manager or USB on iOS? WHY?)
3:20 change the setting to never hide/show the menubar CMD+OPTION+V at destination to cut/paste file 4:12 change spring loading delay to a shorter time period 4:35 use homebrew/macports you can use 3 fingers to drag windows, I believe that's in accessibility settings 12:30 I've had good experiences using UTM for x86 emulation
My gripes exactly, Nick. My company gave me a multi-kEuro MBP 16, I ended up (just last week) setting up my XPS running Linux so that I can work on it. I'm so fed up with MacOS, I'm willing to use my personal PC just to be able to use my preferred OS. I realize that I'm lucky, not everyone has this possibility. But with zero-trust policies getting more and more popular, I hope that employers realize how empowering it can be for employees to choose their OS (and HW, if possible). Everything is in the cloud anyway, and for most development software, everything exists for Linux (as a Java dev, zero problems finding the stuff I need). As for visual consistency, clearly MacOs doesn't pay the price of fragmentation (same story as OEM Android vs iOS). We have GTK cause people love it, we have QT cause others like you and I love that instead. MacOS doesn't have this problem (except for the occasional Java swing UI, which gets native window decorations - something GTK and QT are also very capable of). As for Firefox specifically, since I have set my KDE Titlebar behavior to minimize the window on middle click, I absolutely NEED to have native window titles for all apps. Luckily Firefox has a somewhat hidden setting/checkbox called "Title Bar". It's accessible by right clicking the space to the right of the URL bar, and clicking Customize Toolbar.... Then you'll find said checkbox in the bottom left corner. It still won't get rid of the GTK-y context menus, but makes the app feel much more QT-native already.
for gui app installation, at least for many open source ones you can use the homebrew and/or the macports package managers, they are great for this, and they are not recompiled linux apps, but rather their fully fledged mac ports for many of them. EDIT: There is also a nix port for macOS.
You can use tree finger drag if you enable it. I never use the fullscreen feature, I just double-click on the titlebar. For some reason some years back, Apple made it so that you have to drag your mouse to the top in order to see the virtual-desktops, but the nice thing is that you can swipe between them on one monitor without it affection any of the other monitors. So I can have a youtube video on one monitor and still swipe between desktops on my main monitor.
@@katrinabryce 4 is compulsory when u use three finger drag. I hate having to physically press the trackpad. I double tap for right click and use three finger to drag.
Excellent video and even though I don't use my ageing MacBookPro 2010 for the stuff you produce, your review more than validates my decision to dump Mac OS a few years back when Apple left my pretty decent machine behind with regards to software and OS support! My MacBookPro is now thoroughly enjoying a new lease of life with Linux and in particular, Gnome.
The floaty windows on macOS is a problem. There's a $10 app called Magnet that is currently the #1 Productivity app. (I don't use it, so I don't know if it's good.) So, clearly window management is lacking on macOS. Yet, I'm currently stuck with Mac. I've been keeping a list of blockers… *BLOCKERS* • Apple Arcade • Disk Utility • Hype • Keynote (iWork) • Final Cut Pro • Messages • Music (Ecosystem trap) • Notes (iCloud features) • Numbers (iWork) • Pages (iWork) • Photos • Pixelmator Pro (Image Editing) • Time Machine • Xcode • Widgets That last one is my app, and I probably could port it, but I doubt if it would make money as a Linux app. 😊 *macOS Features* • Screenshots • iPhone Messages *Ready To Go* • Audacity (Audio Editing) • Blender • DB Browser for SQLite • FileZilla (FTP) • Handbrake (Video Transcoder) • Inkscape • Thunderbird (Email) • Visual Studio Code While there are lots of Linux alternatives for the iWork suite of apps, I like how it works on Mac. The iCloud integration is great and it works across macOS / iOS / iPadOS. Even if I switched to Linux as the operating system, Apple hardware is really good. Apple Silicon is amazing! Yet, I just put Ubuntu on a 2017 MacBook Air. It runs great. That gave the Mac new life, since Apple isn't giving it the latest major versions of macOS. So, perhaps Asahi Linux is a good middle ground.
@@lovemadeinjapan The comment was made over a year ago, so things are different in macOS land. Window tiling is now a default part of the operating system. That's nice! 🙂 I like Linux, and I use it for specific tasks, but I still prefer macOS on my main computer. I tried using a Raspberry Pi to see if I could replace any of my Apple gadgets. I wasn't very successful. 😕
Some of these limitations are wild. Even as a windows daily driver user and software developer, I can't imagine not having some of the basic features of window management and copy/cut/pasting files around in a *file manager*.
One thing I love on MacBooks is the « drag with three fingers » feature. After I discovered it years ago, I stopped using a mouse for my laptop. Can it be replicated on Linux? Also, a glossy screen is certainly more reflective, but it retains contrast better than a matte display. And this is very handy for visual creators. So it’s a trade off. But, would be nice that Apple offered a matte version, like they did before.
One thing I don't like on macos is that full screen creates a new desktop that I never asked for, so if I go full screen, the next desktop doesn't have the apps I expect. Gnome and KDE both have their own desktop switching gestures built in, but I find it easy to do with the keyboard (I bind it to ctrl-super-right/left) like it is on windows
@@chinter just press option when you maximize a window and in most cases it does the trick. For desktops, just use 3/4 fingers gesture. Depending if you have the three fingers drag activated or not.
@@vladartiomav2473 Double clicking on the window's top decoration does the same thing as option-click so that works for me. I have 3 fingers activated on my M1 (which is my main portable device and will continue to be for years!). I am just saying other OS's aren't behind in that area. I have some other complaints, but just like TLE, they are personal preferences rather than actual general flaws in the design and I prefer gnome or windows style of window organization and grouping
5:44 - there is actually an option to do the double-tap drag and drop, but I think sometime in the mid 2010's got hidden under the accessibility settings or something like that. Don't remember exactly where, but it used to be easier to find. God forbid people actually use the configuration options built into the operating system, Apple...
I'm going to be that guy, but so many of your problems could have been fixed by looking through the settings, but I will concede that if you have to trawl for them it is annoying, and also use homebrew or nix package managers and you can also use a tiling windows manager, also three finger swipe to the top.
@@TheLinuxEXP for window snapping, hold the option key and you can snap left or right without being in full screen. Holding the option key often gives you an alternative set of options.
@@TheLinuxEXP just realised that the focus follows mouse is enabled in the windows manager I use on Mac, called amethyst, which is what for me personally makes the Mac the most productive OS as a mix of full screened apps and tiled workspaces works really well.
While gloss screens are a pain for reflections, they are essential for image clarity and accuracy of colours given that matte coatings are a deliberately applied fuzz filter
For virtualisation on Apple Silicone Macs, you can use UTM. It's just an absolute killer, everything works perfectly. And super easy to use. It knows how to virtualize the OS for native ARM architecture, and emulate a bunch of other architectures (x86, SPARC, Power, MIPS - you name it). Under the hood, as I understand it, it uses either the Apple virtualization framework with Rosetta or QEMU. The program is so cool that it looks at the level of the famous paid ones, and at the same time it is completely free.
For someone who uses home, insert, end, page up and page down keys a lot. It is a pain to use a mac many times. Not to forget using a normal monitor or an ultrawide usually gives u blurry text which you have no easy way to fix.
I totally agree with your review, the build quality and design of macbooks are fantastic, but on the software side they are just outdated and missing basic features
When I was doing desktop support (I was the only one who apparently got along with the PR dept that used macs), it was a real epiphany when Adobe was getting slammed over flash and other stuff at the time by Jobs. When I'd mention it to get opinions, the PR people would completely shut down - with one only half joking it was like the parents were fighting. They were ideologues for both to that degree.
OK for the double tap and drag on a trackpad thing? It's a bit of a faff to enable but on every Mac system I own, I go to System Preferences/Settings -> Accessibility -> Pointer -> Trackpad Options... -> enable "Use trackpad for dragging" and set "Dragging style" to "Three Finger Drag" then, I just "Grab" the thing I want to drag and move it around. It's a lot more useful to me than double tap and drag. (bonus tip: the "With Drag Lock" style works for the double tap and drag) ------ I learned about virtual desktops in macOS Leopard, so I've always been used to the way macOS handles them. It works better for me, so it's never been a problem. ------ Re: the Mac is meant more for mono-tasking vs multi-tasking - the full-screen and side-by-side full-screen app snapping plays into that. It works well for my ADHD ass, helping me focus in on the thing I'm doing. ------ Also, Steermouse works way better than the Linux "equivalents" I've found. Ratbag-based implementations come the closest IMO but could use some improvement that I have no idea how to contribute to.
In many ways, Linux (especially with KDE) beats macOS for me. For my job and other tasks that benefit from deep mono-tasking, I always reach for my Mac
I just ended a 2.5-month try of a Mac after using Windows since the 90s. The Studio Max. I agree with everything and more. The Studio wasn't good at multitasking. Great with Davinchi but with my photo software it slowed way down if I did batch processing and tried doing anything else. Slower than my 2018 PC. Because of Costco's 90-day return policy, I was able to return it and do a new monster PC build. Like your Mac, the Studio was quiet and ran cool but it seemed to be at the sacrifice of performance. I'm looking forward to the time a single board mini PC with a small discrete GPU can handle my workflow like my new toaster oven PC. i9-13900k, RTX4090, etc... Got all of the parts on Prime day and saved several $100s.
The thing about Apple products is, if you are not going to be using the entire ecosystem, just having one or two devices (maybe except iPhone and iPads) is like paying a super expensive price for sub par products for that price range
@@telephoto I would argue it’s just Ui/ux most of the time. Pages is awesome and powerful, so is GarageBand and iMovie, and so is numbers and keynote. Even the command line is just bash or zsh. It’s really just the interface people don’t always mesh with. Overall native software is really powerful and generally free. It’s just not what some people are used to.
@@ghost-user559 I thought that would be obvious since the video does go over how robust the MacBook is. But again if you want to get the true value out of your Apple product you have to use with the entire Apple ecosystem or you're missing some key features and comforts others who use the entire ecosystem enjoy
@@mrbloodyhyphen-5657 Yeah I agree it opens up the full potential of each device when you own more of the ecosystem. I have an iPhone, iPad, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro, so I totally understand that side of the argument. But I only got that ecosystem slowly over the years because of the quality of the software itself and the value of both the apps and the hardware quality. I disagree that it’s a subpar device. Upgradability is the issue with the modern models, and the gpus don’t compare to a dedicated desktop PC, but the hardware is not subpar. Thunderbolt is excellent, the screens and color gamut’s are excellent. Touchpads are industry leading, so are built in speakers. Battery life is best in class as is efficiency, and native apps are powerful and mostly free. It has its compromises, but even just a MacBook Pro is enough to have a very competent home business or creative workstation. It’s just not the right tool for everyone, it’s proprietary and it’s not cheap. But it’s definitely not sub par for what it excels at.
I use all 3 of the major OSs on a regular basis and have to say that Mac is my favorite, when on a laptop. The way that it handles spaces and gestures works for my brain. I focus on one thing at a time and swipe between my windows. That being said it is not perfect. The lack of native snapping (Rectangle is decent for it, but built in would be better) and the fact that it reorders spaces when interacting with notifications are my main gripes. The animations could also be a touch faster. As for some of the items you mentioned, with the vanishing global menu bar in full screen, that is a setting you can turn off. There is also the 3 finger gesture for click and drag (I LOVE this one).
I'm using Linux only for server side stuff nowadays, for personal and development macOS is a beast, super fast to use and configure, and finally I can update/upgrade apps anytime without fear of breaking everything. And if something break the backup system is amazingly easy to use. I work everyday on terminal Iterm2 and it is sharp as hell, I'm very productive without fear of a breaking package. Of course the price is expensive too, but I think it worth to work on real issues not on my OS issues.
I use both platforms. But have to say (not well known shortcut), you can enlarge an app using the option key held down when clicking the green icon. Also, you can cut and paste, by clicking copy and then holding down the option key when pasting and choosing Move.
I've been using Mac OS for almost 15 years mainly for work (I'm a software developer) and the UI annoyances list goes on and on. The dock is a waste of screen space: you can't pick a specific window, is impossible to use with keyboard shortcuts and you can't place things like widgets on it. The task switcher is also a pain; if you need to jump from one window to another, you have to use the up and down keys. Additionally, an extra step is required to pick the icon if it is for the current app (which is always the first).
@@AFFL1CTED1 I don't work developing software for OSX / iOS (I'm a front end developer). In all my jobs they give me a Mac and I don't have the option of changing it to another operating system due to the proprietary remote management and VPN tools that I must use due to security policies. Personally I use Arch Linux and I am delighted with it.
As for virtualization, have you tried out UTM? It's based on QEMU, and I've used it for native virtualization, not x86 emulation, but it's pretty good!
UTM is a life saver for me on the Mac Book I recently got for proprietary Apple software I use for work related tasks. I use the the VMs to write and test code without having to lug around multiple machines. However, as mentioned in this video moving into full screen on a Mac can be a huge pain, especially with VMs.
The M1 is by far the biggest reason to get a Macbook. I really wish it was available for other platforms. I also feel like the Mac UI was better 10 years ago. I can never quite put my finger on what's different, but there's just too many things that are just slightly more awkward than they should be.
The M1/M2 is also the biggest reason NOT to buy a Mac. No more Intel means, no more, bootcamp, means no more Windows which means no Fortnite or other X86 software.
First let me say, almost every “flaw” I heard you mention is possible using shortcut keys. Also, I used Linux for many years even on a laptop years ago when I was younger and had the time to play with things to make them work and had fun setting different things up. As a grown-up with other things to do than play around with the latest window manager, distro and or “cool app” I just want my Tool to work and not be subject to 10 Zero Day CVEs every month or be forced to pay for yet another Windows license. To each his own.
I almost quit a job because a Mac. I asked to my project manager to provide a linux based laptop in order to perform my duties. So, I totally agree with your remarks here. The worst thing I found in that Mac was the screen. Almost like a mirror.
Before I started my own company - in my last job - we were also given macbooks. The hardware was really good but I couldn't stand the mac ecosystem. I ended up reflashing the whole system with linux instead. That way I got the sleek look of the macbook with all the hardware but an operating system that doesn't drive me crazy. I will say though - the lack of USB ports is awful as an embedded developer.
I use Linux on desktop and a macbook because it's great for what I do. Most of your points I completely agree, the window management thing is a tiny bit better with a tiling wm(yabai) but it has its issues like not handling minimum/maximum window size well. The only part I wasn't sure about was the trackpad click, honestly I found myself completely unsure if they had a fake click or the trackpad did actually sink down, unless this is something with the 16 inch model(I run 14), I thought the click emulation on the trackpad was perfect.
For cutting and pasting files just do Cmd + C then Cmd + Opt + V. And in general, if you hold Option and you look in the menus all around the OS, you'll find that you get options that are not normally visible without the Option key. For creating a new virtual desktop you don't need (at least on Mac OS 13 / Ventura) to go at the top with your cursor. Just go right to the top right corner and click the plus button. To resize or to drag a window, as I said in another comment, just activate the feature to be able to drag with three fingers and you don't even need to click or double tap anymore to do anything on your laptop. Bonus tip: to reveal the desktop, just use your thumb and three other fingers and pinch out, like when you zoom in/out.
I've been using virtual desktops since the nineties (starting with fvwm) and I've always created a fixed set of them exactly once. A single key press switches to any of the 9 vdesktops, which is what I use the numpad for. No need for ever having to create or destroy them, and switching apps is essentially just hitting a single key (most apps get their dedicated vdesktop). Just for the case where I have a bunch of windows open in a single desktop, there is the mac-like exposé function KDE has that shows you all the windows rendered in real time so you an visually pick one. But that is a pretty rare occurrence.
@@stragulus on Mac I also rarely create new desktops. I just set it and forget about it. The possibility to automatically put a program on a specific desktop sounds nice though 👌 But the truth is, I rarely shutdown my MacBook. I almost always just close it and it goes to sleep. So I pretty never need to arrange my windows, it’s always at the same place that I left it. Out of all three systems I use (Linux, windows, Mac OS), the Mac is the most stable, I mean it can survive very long time in sleep mode. I can leave it without rebooting for literally months, and even if there are some glitches I just reboot the finder or do a « sudo purge » to free up cached ram and I’m pretty good . I know Linux can be pretty stable too, but on the laptop side, I’m not so convinced. Maybe more on a server side, where there’s less GUI stuff.
@@vladartiomav2473 You are correct on the sleep issues with linux. It's gotten much better over the years with more standard hardware, but not as good as windows or mac in my personal experience with lenovo laptops.
During the pandemic, I had the option of bringing my $10K Mac from work for home office, but instead I opted to use my $1300 personal Linux box, even buying some extra RAM to run some intensive programs. The Mac UI, as described here, slowed down my productivity.
I’ve never used a silicon Mac, but yabai works pretty well on Monterey for window management. Also, if you’re into using terminal instead of the gui, the file manager doesn’t really matter. Bottom line, if you already have an iPhone and you just want a laptop for leisure you’ll probably really like the MacBook. Also, if you’re into developing for exclusively apple products you’ll probably really like Xcode.
@@JM-tj5qm fair point, but I should have been more specific. When I say leisure, I meant more like web-surfing, reading ebooks, youtube, netflix, travel, etc. Stuff your parents do with a computer lol. So yeah that's my bad. Secondly, If you want to game I would typically really try to steer people away from laptops all together. But hey, that's just my opinion. I do really think though that if you already own a couple apple products, their integration is insanely intuitive. My dad, who is fairly tech challenged, has an iphone, ipad, macbook, smart house stuff and it all works and syncs together crazy well with little effort.
Window and file management has room for improvement, for sure. For almost everything else, I prefer MacOS. A lot of welcome functionality is available in 3rd party apps. Often free ones. That's a pain for new users though. MacOS can run several package managers though. You missed that part.
Font hinting improves things a little and it's certainly crazy on linux that it's not on by default. However, even with this enabled, fonts on linux look worse than they do on MacOS or even windows.
3-finger trackpad drag is mandatory for me on macOS, I hate having to awkwardly click-down and hold while I drag. Easily enabled: System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control > Use trackpad for dragging and select Three Finger Drag under Dragging Style. It's instant with no delay between drags. Neither Windows nor Linux has figured out the trackpad quite like macOS.
Honestly, you did everything the hard way. To add a new space, simply drag a window to the right edge of your screen and you have a new space. To tile, simply click-hold the green button and snap to a side. To move between spaces, 3-finger swipe left or right. 3-finger swipe up for mission control. Turn on space for docking spaces to the side of your screen. Very simple and easy. I personally don't like snapping tiling as it often snaps when i am just moving the window to the top of my screen. None of these are difficult to learn. It feels very infantile and small minded to complain about these things when Linux is missing core usable features such as viewing files in icon view when uploading photos to a web store or drive.
He did so many things the hard way: No copy or paste in the Finder menu? He needs to select something first if he wants the copy and paste to display in the menu. Another thing he complained about was the delay in dragging and dropping, but there's a setting where the drag and drop can be set to a range of values, including instantaneous, for example.
I think you are doing the same thing you accuse him of doing. I can go into an icon view just fine when uploading pictures on firefox or to another drive (I assume you mean like google drive or remote storage, it works for that and for local drives). Seems like you were doing things the harder way because you didn't have the information or it wasn't intuitive enough to know from being on it, just like the creator.
If you are using KDE Plasma desktop, then you can view files in icon view while uploading, as Plasma allows the browser access to the desktop file manager. most other Linux desktops do not allow icon view, as they don't allow the browser to access the root file manager. I actually replaced Cinnamon desktop in Linux Mint just to get this feature back. @@32Rats
I'm a linux user and sometimes I have to use MacOS to work and the OS desktop experience is horrible, if you don't end up installing brew you can't work decently, small minded adjective doesn't work here. On the other hand, in the case of the iPhone, it is wonderful and far exceeds that of Android in usability.
Back in the day, I used a linux desktop, but switched to windows as I was often tasked to support that OS. So it is really great to hear, how the linux desktop enviroment evolved. But it is totally strange, that MacOS lacks in that regard that much. The GUI, drag & drop was even it's strong point under ancient MacOS 6.
Interesting with the touchpad. That’s the one thing I’d like to transfer to Linux. Virtualisation is… ok. Docket runs Rosetta now and qemu is reasonably friendly to use with UTM if you like a GUI. Not snappy though
The main selling point for me is that it just works out of the box. I've always had issues with Linux with something not working properly (even with hardware claiming to be fully compatible.) The UI is a different paradigm. I hate going to Windows or Linux (if not in the terminal), same can be said from a Windows or Linux user trying something else. For the app part, there is Brew (and even Nix now.) That's the first thing I do when I have a new machine. Then I can just ask it to install all my Unix tools and regular GUI apps (brew cask). For a laptop, the most important thing for me is power efficiency. And here there is just no competition. I can work the whole day without being plugged (I've been working in parks quite a bit thanks to that.) But if you don't need portability and a desktop is ok with you, then sure I would also look into a custom build and a Linux system. And bite the bullet for the UI I don't like. In the end it's tools to do the work I have to do.
about taking your call on your mac, on any Linux distro, if you connect to your phone via bluetooth your computer becomes a bluetooth headset, allowing you to take calls from your phone, and even listen to music. I use this a lot when I'm on my pc (which happens to be 90% of the time), since I have a good headset with a good mic.
I use all of the bunch, Win for gaming, Mac for writing and Ubuntu for writing as well. I like all of them. The ever lasting battery on the MacBook though 😊 I share your privacy concerns, CSAM is not forgotten. (btw try the command key, there are more options with that, you could even try to click on the windows borders.)
Great review but i wish you could've explored some of the ecosystem integration that Apple offer and compared it to the Linux world(perhaps with Nextcloud). But i know you also had a video on ecosystems in general :)
I use brew package manager to install applications, I rarely use the App store. Also, for running arm64 VMs, I use UTM and it works great. I'm a developer and normally work on Linux, but recently I've transitioned to an M1 Air and find it pretty useful, but still prefer Linux for any real development work tbh
That's a solid review, and I'm all-in on the Apple ecosystem. While some of your issues were about missing features (specifically, window tiling), many of the other problems were a matter of experience, comfort, and usability - things that long-time Apple users know how to use, and would find changing to Linux or Windows as understandably frustrating, in kind. That said, many of your gripes result from Apple trying to converge macOS with iPadOS in past few releases - in the worst possible ways. Hopefully, they'll see the light, and bring the iPad *up* to the Mac-level standards, rather than continuing to hobble the desktop in the name of unified experience. All that said, for me, the value proposition of the Mac comes down to this: I get a BSD-based operating system, with an X11 server, and support for all the F/OSS applications out there, coupled with mainstream application support (the Adobe suite, MS Office, 3D tools tools, etc. *and* some really great Mac-only apps, too). Also, Apple's support is top-notch (especially if you pay for AppleCare). So, while it's certainly more expensive than some other options, I'm past the point in my life where I *want* to build, maintain, and support my own system (regardless of my capabilities to do so). That said, to each their own. I respect your honest and well-considered opinions on the Mac - but it's nice to see you return to Linux for your own comfort and ease of creating amazing content!
Cut and paste is there btw. Instead of choosing to cut at step 1 of the process, you do it when pasting. So instead of: Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V It’s: Cmd + C and then Cmd + Shift + V for cut paste (or just Cmd + V for copy and paste)
I primarily use macOS but that’s because I cannot stand the insanity of Windows and I have software I use that only has Windows or Mac builds. A lot of the macOS GUI criticisms are completely valid. Apple caters to the lowest common denominator which unfortunately means power users get looked over. I’ve been complaining for years that they should have a “power user mode” that gives you the ability to do more. But at the end of the day, as a UNIX admin, I just love that I have a UNIX core. It’s just nice to have a platform that has the same tools I use elsewhere. But I’ll end with the same thing I tell everyone: at the end of the day, a computer is just a tool to help you get a job done. Some people can do their work with a claw hammer but some people are just fine with a tack hammer. Both can drive nails, but use the one for the nails YOU have.
I was forced to use Windows in a previous job and just couldn't stand it. Makes no sense to me. In the end I used it only to run Ubuntu under WSL and do everything I had to do in the terminal. For browsing and other GUI work I used my personal Linux machine with Barrier installed on both to share mouse and keyboard. At least the unix side of MacOS is real rather than emulated - though I switched back to bash from the default zsh because after 20+ years of unix I have a bunch of personal legacy scripts and settings that don't quite work in zsh.
@@slebetman I also didn't make the switch to zsh because of script capatibility. Everyone I know who is forced to do Web development in Windows uses WSL.
I can't wait to hear about your experience with Asahi! Non-x86 PCs intrigue me a lot. I'm particularly curious about the experience of running all sorts of x86 software on these machines.
I use an M1 for a year and Intel based programs run faster than they ran on my previous macbook, 2015 intel based. It needs a bit of time, like 5sec the very first time you start up, but after that as the software translates the intel code it runs native speed. VM and linux does not work on the hardware, but you can run docker and it works.
@@PeterVerhas I appreciate your insight, but I'm mainly interested in the Linux side of things. Sure, mainline ARM distros don't work on it yet (until Asahi code is upstreamed), but Asahi should run fine. Right?
@@Kris-od3sj Sure, if you like and need Linux, then MacOS is not Linux. It is a BSD. What I do not like in your video is that it shows an attitude as if you were focusing on whatever you could find to roast it instead of wanting to learn. 17 years ago, we switched from Windows and Linux mixed environment as software developers to MacOS because: - we had the money, and the Toshiba notebooks were old - and we saw that Windows users we met as partners hated the tool they worked with and always talked about their problems - Linux users loved their operating system and always talked about their struggles installing the kernel and device drivers and so on - MacOS users never discussed the machine or OS; they focused on work. When we asked about device drivers and UI bugs, they shrug and said: what? "I do not care. I use the machine and I work." Being a small software company owner, it seemed reasonable. Since then, I am more and more using Apple infrastructure. It is overpriced, but they go extreme mileage making their tools usable. Many times I see that people coming from Windows have old habits and struggle to adapt to the MacOS ways, but most of the time, I can clearly see that the other way they got accustomed to is only logical because they got accustomed to that and the MacOS UI is more logical for people who have no prior experience with anything else. For example, when you mentioned the video file and directory copy-paste, I realized that I have not used that in the last two decades, and I did not miss it, though it is undoubtedly available. I use the terminal, drag and drop, or press F6 to move a file in ForkLift. But I totally understand when someone has a long history of muscle memory. I started to use programming in Hungary more than 40 years ago, and although I live in Switzerland and rarely write Hungarian text, I still use the weird and awkward Windows Hungarian keyboard mapping.
@@Kris-od3sj Not entirely heat issues and screen max bright, if you follow Asahi they will point out issues they have also a few Vlog on it. Not sure I want to fry my $xxxx machine just yet.
I use my macbook with a 32:9 huge super ultra wide monitor, yeah u gotta use rectangle also I use 3rd party alt-tab too and windows shortcuts, to me it's an amazing multi-task machine, compared to Windows of course, Linux is so bespoke and you took all the advantages of it. As a web dev, being able to carry tablet like form factor of M2 Air, along with great desk setup, did it for me. I am more than happy.
I love my gnome desktop that i've customized to my workflow so much. Pop OS is going to be so amazing when cosmic is finally done. Can't imagine working without pop shell. I get all the benefits of a tiling wm without any of the hours of work needed to set it up and all the benefits of gnome inutitive workspace usage. Just boot my computer open everything i'll ever need and drag it to a proper workspace
As for Virtualbox, I think Oracle gave up. The m1/arm version was in beta for a year or so, and never worked. For the latest vbox released last week, the arm version is missing. Parallels is paid, that’s fair. Otherwise kind of confused by your trouble. Initially there were weird issues with Linux bootloaders not being mapped properly in memory(?) but it’s been fine for the last 6-8 months? You can’t run x86 VMs, but I use parallels 18 all the time to run ARM Linux.
Thank you! I own a System76 Galago Pro and a M1 Max Macbook Pro and agree with everything you stated. I would like to add one more thing, even though it is frustrating to setup my desktop configuration: multiple windows, workspaces, third party programs etc. on my Mac vs the Galago Pro, but once complete, my mac can go through way more sleep cycles! (Like that energizer bunny :D) On my Galago Pro, something will crap out eventually: application freezes, Desktop DE slows down, total battery drain if I don't use laptop for a couple of days etc. Though things have been improving in the Linux laptop world thanks to the likes of Slimbook, Tuxedo, System 76 so I'm hopeful.
I think that's a really good choice of sponsor. I don't use them myself but I did check them out and they are very privacy conciose. I use an Email client (Thunderbird) and I'm to cheep to get the paid version which is required to use an email client.
Loved the video! I would like to see a part 2 where software solutions are attempted to be found and how viable that path is. Ex: More Window Management, Package Managers like Brew etc.
Brew used to work really great but with the switch to Arm, many packages aren't yet available (or werent about a year ago when I tried to set it up for dev use).
30+ years Mac user here… absolutely agree with you. I just had the pleasure… and it really felt good, to wipe out my old 3 Intel machines. Now they feel like new, and since completely switching to Linux I have no regrets, and I’m super satisfied with the total control I have. Never looking back to Mac!
As both a macOS and Linux user, I have to say that macOS provides the superior user experience for me. I appreciate the seamless integration between apps on my Macs, iPad and iPhone and the hardware can’t be beat. Where Linux does outshine Apple is in the areas of customizability and privacy protection.
A lot of the stuff you found missing from the Mac can be added on as extras and with open-source/community project: Amethyst for window tiling, and of course Homebrew for application installation/updating (from outside the Mac App Store, which unlike with Windows people actually use).
Then here comes the question: why should we do all the tinkering to make it usable when macOS is a “commercially successful” OS while Linux is literally about DIY?
@@arlecamille Well, it’s all a matter of taste! But let’s say there’s really a spectrum running from totally immutable to totally DIY - these are not just two simplistic categories. Let each person figure out where they want to land.
Installation: the Apple app store doesnt allow GPL apps. Why Firefox is missing is beyond me - maybe MPL just sounds too close 🤷 Virtual desktops: on KDE is even easier - to move a window to a new virtual desktop, open the window actions menu, choose "desktops" and "new".
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I get that they sponsored you but didnt protonmail leak the ip of some users recently?
@@urimcSwiss court orders can force companies to disclose data to requesting law enforcement agencies
I have been with Proton for like 5 years and each year they grant me a ginormous amount of extra storage space at no additional cost just because, recommended!
I've been using Protonmail for a few years now and I find it very secure and a great email service with more storage than I can use.
"The system feels like its designed for mono-tasking, not multitasking"
As someone that uses a Mac for work, I 100% agree. I've since adapted, but hopefully I can get Linux next time I need a laptop refresh.
While the window management is a bit weird when it comes to the maximize and minimize buttons and a native window snapping feature would certainly be nice, I find the criticism super nit-picky. How can someone who uses Linux day in and day out refuse to simply use the short-cuts or trackpad gestures and insist on the admittedly least practical way of window management? Why is it preferable to create a new desktop if you accidentally swipe too far on Linux? Also, why not use the side-by-side fullscreen mode? And my finder does support copy and paste. Something is very odd here. Then again, I have happily used my Mac for almost a decade for every day tasks such as web-browsing and Spotify all the way up to development of scientific software, photo editing, and writing a dissertation.
I guess, I use the window management in a completely different way since I cannot remember intentionally minimizing anything in quite a while or even clicking the maximize button. I have set up my most used apps on separate desktops (some side by side, some by themselves) and switching between them with a simple swipe or shortcut is as fast as you can get even on my aging 2014 MBP. On the one "crowded" desktop, I find Mission Control to be quick and comfortable. Even with some legitimate criticisms, it is still among the best daily driver machines beating my much newer company laptop significantly.
I'm a lot more worried about the weird stage manager thing on iPad and newer Macs. THAT is a terrible hack on top of everything else with no clear purpose beyond what was already possible before that looks like a second dock with window thumbnails IMHO. Let's hope that this will not become the default. You didn't touch on these issues at all. And lately, it feels like Apple is running out of ideas which shows in super-gimmicky features such as using your iPhone as your webcam, video call presenter overlays, and remote controlling your iPad. Had these resources been put into polishing some issues and simple optimizations... OK, this would not help with advertising "magical experiences" but one can dream...
That being said, I can definitely see benefits of Linux over Macs and use it one my other machine because it gives me more control and options when it comes to typical server tasks, emulation, and some development software if you are willing to actually research how this stuff works. I have even toyed with the idea of installing some Gnome distro on my Mac but there is no real reason beyond curiosity to do it. Maybe, when I upgrade my machine in a couple years...
In the end, it is a matter of preference, I guess. However, it still feels like the verdict that would be reached in this video was predetermined since I find the usability criticisms relatively weak. And preferring the Slimbook hardware over the modern Apple hardware because of a few hundred grams really didn't help in that regard. I mean, having a milled metal chassis is part of why these machines feel more premium and last basically forever...
@@gruensein Less functionality is less functionality.
@@gruenseinDroidCam released in 2010, I find it useful. Apple had to catch-up and they have honestly improved with face tracking.
Have you tried Raycast? It is free and has useful built-in commands for window management and more.
just get windows
I was forced to use MacOS for a web developer job, so I feel your pain.
I can't see why it's on as a high pedestal, other than mindless startup, camera hardware, and the exclusive software.
It's too limited, it's too expensive, and hand-holdy.
The only thing that's good imo is their hardware, nothing more. If I didn't have to use Adobe I'd be on Linux for sure. But yeah for powerusers Windows is 10x better. And so is Linux.
I have not used macOS a lot, but I strongly suspect it is due to some "candy crush effect".
Anything on the interface moves so smoothly it's addictive and the display has great colors, it makes everything appealing, pictures, icons, etc...
It used to be a lot better than Windows IMO. Started going backwards after Snow Leopard.
@@zeisure9554 Yeah I agree. I've never been a fan of Apple software, but their hardware designs are always really cool and premium (except the notch of course - that's unacceptable).
Marketing
Incredible hardware plagued by inferior software.
Yep!
as a macbook user i'm still hoping windows on apple silicon is a thing
@@lqweiiiWell now you can run windows on your mac silicon parralelly.
@@lqweiii You already can with parallels and windows for arm. I guess you mean dual booting though.
@@Hornet135 parallels sucks, i've tried once and don't like gw
In the settings:
1. You can tell macOS to always show the menu bar, also in fullscreen
2. There is an option called "spring loading delay" which can be reduced so dragging and triggering timeouts on directories and tabs gets faster, so you don't have to wait so long when dragging things around.
Also:
- There are tiling window managers that allow resizing multiple windows (e.g. Amethyst)
- To cut and paste a file, you have to copy the item and paste it via cmd+opt+v (you can see this when you right click and hold option after copying a file)
Lol im not going to look at this video if the man doesn’t even know cmd+v, weird for a linux users
@@obed818 he said cmd + option + v which is the equivalent of cut and paste and to be fair, it is less known
@@obed818 you can watch the video, he has some fair points. It's interesting to see the first impression of a Linux user who has accessability for the unexperienced user in mind. To his defense Apple does a lot of things differently, so you have to look it up. Would still be good if he did more homework by searching if things are possible and how they are possible. There is a lot of stuff that is hidden behind the coat, even a lot of features that some would miss on other operating systems. Still, macOS lacks some other features out of the box, like a good tiling manager. It's a mixed bag.
Copy cut paste is just abysmal on mac, you are initiali coping the file, no cut option, and if you do the OTHER command for paste (used to move copied file) then it works as cut.
So unintuitive and stupid.
@@Ajdin87 Not really when you think about it. MacOS has no "cut and paste", it rather has "copy or move". You can get used to it, but I agree that it is confusing when coming from Linux or Windows, so not trying to defend them on this one.
The window snap feature really has become a must-have OS feature.
Windows has tried to expand on it-- and I definitely think it can be improved-- but those little pop-ups with the different configurations aren't doing it for me.
Try using the Windows + Z shortcut to trigger them - I've found them very useful
Or try windows fancy zones from windows power toys. Power toys are internal development tools for Microsoft that they let the public use. Sometimes they become core windows feature like custom keyboard shortcuts.
There is nothing I hate more than the window snap features. They are the first to go whenever I configure any system for my personal use.
@@karlgunterwunsch1950 I never use window snapping on macOS and never miss it, because window management is so easy that I have no need of it.
I _do_ use window snapping/tiling on Windows 10 [at work] because it’s such a pain to navigate and manipulate windows once you have more than a dozen or so open. But auto-snapping-where it just grabs and resizes my window if I drag too close to an edge or corner? That is absolutely obnoxious! I go back and forth every few weeks or months between turning it off because the autosnap is daily annoying me when I’m just trying to move a window to a better position, and turning it on because the lack of being able to move a window to the other monitor is frustrating me multiple times per day.
Even when I intentionally enable it on Windows 10/11, I use the snapping and tiling features more often by accident (because I accidentally type the wrong keyboard shortcut) than intentionally. If I could turn on the “send to other monitor” keyboard shortcuts but disable all the rest of the window snapping/tiling features (both keyboard shortcuts and auto-snapping hot zones), I would in a heartbeat.
@@karlgunterwunsch1950why? What problems do you run into?
I used a mac for almost 2 years at a former job since that was what IT sent to everybody. I eventually got used to it, and some of the keyboard shortcuts were nice for what I needed to use them for, but I remember the relief I felt when I went to a job that let me use Linux instead so I could set it up how I wanted.
sounds like my previous job, got a slim client with regulations and blocked addresses. It was something that slipped out short moments when i tried to help people (in a between the line hidden message withouth information).
The boss was a dickhead so he did run the place like a meat grinder though so if you didnt fit it was "off with their heads".. withouth warning.
It worked at samsung support, the level 1 meatshield work.
Just the fact that the M1 has no fan noise and an all-day battery makes it far superior to any linux or windows laptop even if you forget the OS. I really hated macs as a previous windows user when I got my first one for work but then the whole Apple ecosystem just convinced me. Everything works super smooth and easy between all my devices and I don't have DRM/codec issues with services like I have on linux. I use linux for work, don't get me wrong, but solely through the SSH terminal client.
@@dingdong2103All laptops are great if you forget the OS but not much use tho 😂
0@@jaqian I have zero issues with my bacobooks in the past 15 years. I prefer to use them instead of the linux desktop due to the compatibility with current DRM for example. Or printer etc. compatability.
@@dingdong2103Are you seriously suggesting that apple has superior printer compatability to linux?
That point alone makes me serioisly doubt you actually have printer experience with linux and arent just talking out the A.
A few corrections - 4:12 This can be sped up by changing the spring loading speed in system settings. 5:47 This can be overcome by enabling three-finger drag in settings (as can a lot of similar limitations).
three-finger drag is the best touchpad feature ever and I miss it on Linux Laptops. Also nice is the possibility to select text with a three finger swipe
@@akPasta I find it weird that Apple placed that feature under "Accessibility Settings", considering how incredibly useful it is even for people with no motor impairments.
If I recall correctly, force-click drag is enabled by default.
@@ThePC007 that's why I never found that feature way later while using OSX, I never knew that was on the accessibility settings, it made sense for me for that setting to be on the mousetrack settings 😅
He's not interested in learning anything.
I did the same but only lasted 2 days using a MacBook! It was a horrid experience and I felt like Apple was constantly telling me, "This is the way WE think you should use this laptop..." - I felt too controlled!
Thats the point, MAC is still doing the things like the dont care the others, and pay for that.
This is why I converted an old 2015 Macbook Air to Linux... Right now Linux Mint Mate but I think Debian 12 GNOME is comming its way
I guess you also use the toilet your own way. Face on the seat.
@@warthunder1969 the world becomes a better place when we convert Apple/Mac and WeenDoze machines to Linux, especially Linux Mint Mate.
@@hugoedelarosa you're just angry because you have to pay double the price for a simple thing like a mouse or a charging cable.
An entirely fair review. I'm a Mac guy and it works great for me. The issues you had would never be a problem for me, because I don't use my machine that way.
I started using a macbook transitioning from an ubuntu laptop. At first the experience was not that great like confusions with when to use control, option and command but as time went on i grew comfortable with it. I really like the hardware aspect of the mac with a really good screen, touchpad and keyboard. Also for the software I do not use a secondary screen and use full screen apps with workspaces. I have configured the touchpad shortcuts to easily swipe between workspaces and it is really a good experience. I setup workspaces in order for what i need and am quickly able to swipe between them. This is a bit hard to do on other linux desktops and is a bit finicky if achieved via extensions. Overall I like my macbook to work with now.
I would like to see you do the same with Windows 11, including games.
It’s planned!
Guarantee one key thing he will deem to be better with a Win 11 machine than the macbook: He'll be able to run Linux on it at full speed.
Well Windows at least does basics like file explorer and window management really well.
@@jothain I can't use Linux as my main OS because PC is my main platform of games(all games work and VR games), I'm a game programmer(all tools are in windows and work better in windows) and there is a lot of things I like in Windows, some better then Linux, but some worst(a lot worst).
I always use Linux in my laptop, don't use much because I don't have a lot of reasons to but I really like to watch the evolution of Linux and test the different desktops and distros. What I really want to see is Popos Comic.
@@the.dorgas bit similar thing here. I'm not dev,but I use quite a bit of CAD/CAM software and it's just usually too much hassle to make them work in Linux. Also game a bit and because of those I mostly use Windows. All os's have their ups and downs. But I really like using Linux on like homeserver and such. Also it's remarkable how much Linux has improved in couple decades. These days you after all can run most software on it, that's if one has will to tinker and possibly as last resort have beefier hardware to run virtualization etc.
Oh and it's been interesting last couple years when devices like Steam deck have gained quite a bit of userbase
Thank you! I am a Linux enthusiast who went to the Mac systems because half my software needs are proprietary, and Windows is a nightmare to work with. I totally agree with all of your points about the software customisability issues and illogical limitations. Here are a few 'hacks' to make some of it simpler -
1. In System settings - accessibility - Trackpad, you can set up three finger drag. This will allow you to move stuff without having to click and drag
2. There's a fantastic free app called Spectacle that does the Window snapping for you (and has simple, powerful keyboard shortcuts)
For me the reflective screen hasn't been much of a problem, but you could perhaps install a matte screen guard to fix that. I also switched my hard drive cables to Micro B 3.0 - USB C 3.1 Gen 2, and got dual ended pen drives with USB C, so I rarely need to use Dongles (although I do carry one for the odd USB-A need). Numpad is definitely a much needed missed item. I also use getmacapps site when setting up system for first time.. it installed most of my basic apps, the rest I DMG / Apple Store as needed.
Mac OS definitely lacks the finesse and customisability of Linux. But you get to work with most of it. I might return to Linux full time some day. But the stupid-ass proprietary stuff keeps me tied. Windows is a no-go though, for sure
you are lame
I feel those pain points since day one, for those who are sort of forced to use MacOS (Mobile developer) here are some tips that might make your life a bit easier:
1. Install Homebrew it’s a sort of Linux equivalent to Flatpack
2. Enable three finger drag and drop (Hidden under accessibility)
3. Enable tap to click (No more force click)
4. Turn on the config that groups all opened app windows under the app icon
5. Window management is the weakest point, so something like Magnet might help (Or try the new stage manager)
6. Don’t use Chrome as your daily browser it consumes CPU and RAM like there is no tomorrow at least on intel MacBooks.
7. To move (cut and paste) use cmd + c then option + cmd + v at target location
There are more settings that can be fine tuned(Yes privacy related too) that will help you make the daily use a bit less frustrating.
I was kinda surprised that he wasn't using Homebrew. It's really awesome and as a Linux user you should feel right at home using it.
Tips #2 and #3 are my first suggestions for all new mac users
Homebrew felt a bit hacky to me. I tend to use MacPorts or build stuff myself and install with stow
Why is it *option* + command + v???
I don't get the ate with force click
You are the first person that I know that doesn’t like the Apple Magic Trackpad.
A boomer
There is definitely cut/copy and paste for files/folders in OSX. If you want to maximise a window (not full screen it) - double click the title bar of the window.
It's more like Copy(cmd+c) -> paste/cut(cmd+v/cmd+opt+v)
I have to use macOS for my job. For 50 hours a week, I'm forced into the Apple experience. I can't tell you how relieved I am at the end of the day when I can switch to some other UI, *any* other UI. I mean, consistent keystrokes... that's all I ask for. And maybe when I close a window, don't have all the other windows for that app pop up to the top. Oh and maybe when Finder needs to pop up a dialog box, have it do so on the same monitor where the Finder window I'm working with is located. And maybe have it always pop up on *top* instead of underneath other windows. Oh and maybe support Home, End, Page Up, Page Down, and, oh I don't know, Delete when you want to delete a selction of files? I mean, seriously, Apple... you've been doing this for 40 years, and this is the best you could come up with? *sigh*
Some issues that can be mitigated:
- You can move files on Finder using Command + Opt + V on the paste moment
- Using Opt and clicking on maximize is the same of double clicking
- Three fingers can be configured to function as click and drag
You better brace yourself for all the mad Apple fanfolks
Oh yeah they always come with 0 arguments and the worst of takes. I generally just mute them 😂
@@TheLinuxEXP Because they want to believe that extra thousands of dollars they spent on an logo were worth it
Yeh most mac users are just computer normies who wana look cool while they check their email and social media at Starbucks
Cringe. You make me wanna become a “mad apple fanfolks” out of spite lol. Mac is pretty annoying. I only use it for travel with the banger battery life
@taylorkoepp3048it's not about how genius you are, it's about how Apple controls their users to not do anything with the owner's MacBook. Not just Mac products, iOS too like why lock the file manager functionality.
As someone who’s used both MacOS and Linux (Mint Cinnamon, Ubuntu Gnome & unity) I found the Mac UI a different work flow to understand vs. Linux to become productive. Creating new desktops is not that difficult (I do prefer Keyboard shortcuts though) and drag and drop of files is not as difficult as you Made it sound. But having said that, If the proper commercial software I user were available on Linux i would be running Linux Mint as my main, hands down. As it is, Mint is a side project computer where I run DBs and K8s as warranted.
Let me freak you out a little now. I’ve maintained (and to this day) the best OS combo could dream up and would want to use is Windows UI (Win 7 that is) running atop Linux. That is Mint. 😜.
BTW I am a full MacOS user with my phone and iPad in the Apple eco-system. Its pretty good. And the closest to a Linux experience with a polished UI that runs “commercial” software. And I’ve been running it for about 8 years now.
"different work flow to understand". Where can i learn this ?
@@akashsahu933 Depends on what you want to do. I learned just by using it, and if there was something I do on Windows or Linux but didn’t understand on Mac, I set out to find the answer. MacOS UI is very nice once you get accustomed to it. But for me, a lot of the tweaks I needed were also at the .zshrc file level (aka .bashrc .bash_profile )
As someone who has to deal with Macs because a bunch of people at work love them, it still makes my mind boggle how even now things like their native window management is still terrible.
I used it for 6 months and I hate MacOS 🙂 Horrible UI and some features that not working "as expecting" makes me crazy. External hardware also not always works as expected... But the worst thing is that windows management. I feel like I move to 90's xD
It feels designed for using one app at a time, without any interaction with other apps
@@TheLinuxEXP I have the exact same feeling. Multitasking sucks. I also have strange problems in my development workflow which somehow resolve when I do a reboot.
@@blubblurb learn to isolate your environment. Here we use devocontainers and everything works fine for the 3 platforms, same environment everywhere, same experience.
@@R0MUl0 Works if you do backend stuff but I also do Android and iOS development.
The Android development I can do on Linux fortunately but the iOS stuff I have to do on the Mac, I don't see how I could isolate it using containers.
@@TheLinuxEXP Actually, that's how I feel about Windows because it seems that it wants you to maximize every app so you focus on one at the time. On macOS you can "maximize to fit" (Option-click the green window widget) so you can still interact with multiple windows from different apps. You can also move background windows without moving the foreground window by using Command-drag to move an out of focus window.
Love Apple Silicon Hardware now. I personally enjoy MacOS, it definitely has its issues, but all OS'es have their issues. Still waiting on Asahi Linux to be all settled, and having the option to eventually install any Linux on this hardware still has me excited and holding onto my M1 Pro 16"
Linux + Apple silicon will be a deadly combination
sadly your SSD will probably die before it becomes a thing. Louis Rossman talked about how the 16" macbooks are uncureable in that regard in his video "How MOST 16" Macbook Pros often kill themselves & why they're unfixable" - you can have someone replace the BGA-soldered SSD and the capacitor, sure, but it'll just happen again. so make sure you keep backups
@@glebglubcorrect. Mac hardware is nice until it stops working. Then they tell you to upgrade or suffer. I guess it's too hard to find people willing to fix electronics. Except for the electronics repair companies... But they aren't allowed to have schematics, parts, or software required to make said repairs. Way to treat your customers, apple. 🙄
Just get the latest cpus from AMD, they aren't really any worse when it comes to performance and efficiency.
@@MickenCZProfi lmao I’ve used the latest gen. Still find my way back to Mac every time I try and as soon as this thing can game, I’d be comfortable with it being my only device.
What a timing, Nick. I am just configuring my new laptop with Linux after 11 months on macOS. And most of the things you said are my experience. I'am really happy to be back to my beloved KDE again and check all the changes we had since then.
FYI, cut and paste exists, it’s just not advertised (which is dumb). Cmd+c to copy. Then cmd+option+v
Do you know how to get intel hd graphics control panel in Linux mint?
I use Magnet for the window positioning and Home Brew as package manager. That eases not all, but some of your pains with Mac. I definitely agree that the file manager and the maximise window problem are annoying.
Magnet is always the first thing I install on a new Mac. Should be part of the OS, but it's cheap, and unobtrusive... I won't run a Mac without it.
I understand your point with multitasking, but this isn’t really an issue for me anymore since I’m using a tiling window manager. This way I can jump between applications and use them on different screens (since I work with multiple screens I usually just have one window open per screen). With this essential addition Mac works for me. The integration with other Apple devices is thought through, the hardware is great and it allows me to use programs and drivers that Linux don’t support while offering a similar terminal experience. For me mac os combines important features of linux while ditching the crap windows does.
Only when I switched to Mac, I understood why different desktops exist, and switching between them is very easy by single swap. I use computers for 20 years now. But never used different desktops, niether on windows or linux, but Mac OS is build for that, and once you set up your desktop, "multitasking" is much better than on any other operating system.
You re biased. What about all the crap.a new Mac update does?
Google." Iphone not recognized mac os"
I think it depends on the person, I can multitask on Mac OS very smoothly with lots of applications, and the system still works fine even after using up all the ram.
Oh, heck yeah! My old MacBook Air handles multiple tasks /way/ better than my much newer, much more powerful MSWindows laptop with triple the processor cores and double the RAM.
An individual task can more easily slow down the Air - a spreadsheet with 10s of thousands of lookup functions takes a measurable amount of time to open, and sometimes switching sheets within it has a noticeable delay, while a comparable spreadsheet on the work computer might take a bit to open but then is responsive in use. But I can have roughly double the number of programs open, each with more documents/windows open, on the Air before I even notice any slowdowns and realize I should close some things I’m not using.
Safari is also significantly better than Chrome or Edge at handling lots of open tabs. When my Air starts slowing down and I realize I’d better clean up Safari, I typically discover I have several hundred tabs open-usually around 300-600. Meaning that it was functioning just fine and I didn’t notice anything with {several hundred minus a handful} tabs open. That said, there are increasing numbers of single webpages that absolutely slow my 2016-era Air to a crawl, all by themselves, while my work laptop handles them without breaking a sweat. The work laptop clearly has way more power and is newer, but MSWindows just doesn’t multitask nearly as well as macOS IME.
Most Linuxen are even better than macOS at this, however. At least in my experience.
you're still limited fundamentally by the os
@@NoradNoxtus It's not my case, what limits you?
@@NoradNoxtusHow and why would you care? Mac os just works. You don't screw it up by installing random packages.
I use Mac Os and Fedora. The UX of macs are just better, because apple throws billions of dollar at it
You might want to look into what the options key does, as MacOS kinda hides things behind it.
Like moving files with cmd+c/cmd+opt+v in my earlier comment.
Like move files does show in the menus while holding options
Holding options then clicking display settings, changes the icons to a full list of available Refresh rates and resolutions
I’m only 5 minutes in and I’m shocked by how clunky the UX seems. I’ve always assumed MacOS’s UX was one of its main upsides. Guess not tho lol.
Bloated af UI lol
It's made for the non savy user like the iphones are. It works great for them but feels very restrictive for everyone else.
To be fair, you have to actually know how to use it? You know like every OS that exists.
There are more keybindings and gestures and hidden settings then anyone will ever know, but you have to actually want to try to learn something new.
Defaults on any OS are for the Npcs
@@ghost-user559 Yeah, I was shocked how many of the issues outlined in the video could be solved by just changing a single setting in the settings menu.
Changing default settings and installing some productivity software is something you need to do on any OS as a power user.
@@ThePC007 Yeah it’s always ironic to me that the main argument against MacOS I hear is “you need third party apps just to make it work”, while those same people use Linux, an operating system that comes with nothing native except a kernel, and is entirely based upon third parties to make an actual operating system functional lol.
The lack of proper virtual desktop / multi window / windows snap support compared to Ubuntu or even Windows 11 which does this really well with snap layouts, was the reason I gave my work their MacBook Pro back and asked for a Lenovo ThinkPad running Ubuntu 23
As a long time user of Mac exploring Linux as of pretty recently, I was directed to this channel. I don’t really know what to make of this particular video. It just comes off as a demonstration of MacOS incompetence rather than a fair condemnation of the OS. Many of the criticisms mentioned in the video have ways of being addressed or approached, just not in ways that might be obvious to a Linux user.
Any longtime Mac user will find a way to defend Macs.
@@sergioyichiong7269 Any longtime Mac hater will find a way to dismiss valid points brought up by Mac users.
@@4theluvofmusic Look, the hardware is good, sure. But the software is targeted for people who would never touch their configuration in their life, so its not meant for sane people who value their money and have values against shit companies like apple
@@4theluvofmusic you haben't made a single point unlike OP, you played yourself
@@seanhdka making those points isn't my job. I've just used a Mac long enough to know better.
M1 Pro user here! I use mine for software development and more or less have found solutions to all of your productivity complaints.
For the window management, I use yabai and skhd, turning the shoddy window management into a tiling window manager that can be customized to whatever you like. It still does get annoying when the auto-tiling doesn't go where you want it to be, but it's certainly a lot better than stock. You could also set shortcuts to go to each desktop. So I usually have multiple desktops tiled exactly to what I want at any given point.
And as for the apps, I straight up ignore the app store and install most my apps through the brew package manager.
I'll have to check out Yabai. I use Amethyst from time to time. I have keyboard shortcuts setup to snap my windows with Raycast for daily use.
Honestly you mentioned almost every problem i have with macos when i have ro use it for work/school. You know your desktop has issues when it looses to windows in multitasking.
I use macOS and Linux... I don't understand why the cut, copy, and paste options were disabled in the Finder for you, because they've always worked for me (I just tried it now to be certain) -- maybe a permissions issue in that folder?
I completely agree with your comments on window tiling, though. I think Sonoma will fix a lot of these issues, which is very welcome.
The big draw with mac is its integrations with the apple ecosystem. getting messages and calls on my mac is a huge time saver for me, since I don't need to keep picking up my phone. And as you mention, AirDrop and the shared clipboard has helped my workflow quite a bit. I would miss those features now, having gotten used to them.
Since I switched to using OSX stage manager, I barely use multiple workspaces or tiling. Also just use brew to install things
I "daily drove" Mac for 3 years about a decade ago, and it was great - but going back to it in 2024 (because I want to do some iOS development), it really feels like it hasn't moved on at all. It basically feels like almost the exact same OS, and has been comprehensively overtaken by both Windows and Linux for productivity and UI quality-of-life. I couldn't agree more with your "It's built for monotasking" statement, that's exactly my feeling
I still like Mac, and I think the laptops particularly are great when you just want to sit on a train and do one thing, or work on a university assignment... but for modern computer use and multitasking it's falling behind
Once Asahi Linux can get everything sorted out with Apple Silicon (and pass it upstream to mainline kernels) native Linux on these things could be AMAZING!
It apparently has a bit better battery life than macOS. Not sure these chips need it, but...
A lot of these software issues can be worked around with third party programs but there really is no excuse for these features being absent out of the box (window management especially). I love my Mac but I miss the customization and true configurability of Linux so much
If you still have the Mac I’d love to see your opinion on homebrew, Amethyst, and UTM, because I use all of those programs daily and they make MacOS usable for me
You might also like Raycast.
It's counterproductive to have to use third-party programs to solve problems that even Windows can solve natively.
so you use macOS and custom mod it in a way? by installing 3rd party tools. Isnt that the same as people do with windows 10/11 to make is usefull or better?
@@BeckyAnn6879 I have never heard an actual Mac user in real life complain about the lack of window snapping. As far as I'm concerned, window snapping only solves a fictional problem. Neither Linux or Windows has smart zoom a much more useful basic UI feature.
@@lokelaufeyson9931 Except, no mod can actually fix Windows' poor user experience.
I have the exact same gripes with MacOS. I tried three times over 10 years, and just couldn't work with it. MacOS, just like iOS, seems to get in your face at every operation shouting "LOOK AT ME!" when you want to get something done, with more clicks or taps to complete an action. That said, it did feel more solid and purposely crafted than Gnome/KDE or Android. What that purpose is, I'm not sure, but I think it goes all the way back to their original unitask Mac and featurephone-esque iPhone roots. (Still can't get at the photos from the file manager or USB on iOS? WHY?)
It took me about 6 months to start to like the OSX. Now a few years later I could never even imagine going back to windows.
3:20 change the setting to never hide/show the menubar
CMD+OPTION+V at destination to cut/paste file
4:12 change spring loading delay to a shorter time period
4:35 use homebrew/macports
you can use 3 fingers to drag windows, I believe that's in accessibility settings
12:30 I've had good experiences using UTM for x86 emulation
I think main idea was to make a clickbate video :)
My gripes exactly, Nick.
My company gave me a multi-kEuro MBP 16, I ended up (just last week) setting up my XPS running Linux so that I can work on it. I'm so fed up with MacOS, I'm willing to use my personal PC just to be able to use my preferred OS.
I realize that I'm lucky, not everyone has this possibility. But with zero-trust policies getting more and more popular, I hope that employers realize how empowering it can be for employees to choose their OS (and HW, if possible). Everything is in the cloud anyway, and for most development software, everything exists for Linux (as a Java dev, zero problems finding the stuff I need).
As for visual consistency, clearly MacOs doesn't pay the price of fragmentation (same story as OEM Android vs iOS).
We have GTK cause people love it, we have QT cause others like you and I love that instead. MacOS doesn't have this problem (except for the occasional Java swing UI, which gets native window decorations - something GTK and QT are also very capable of).
As for Firefox specifically, since I have set my KDE Titlebar behavior to minimize the window on middle click, I absolutely NEED to have native window titles for all apps.
Luckily Firefox has a somewhat hidden setting/checkbox called "Title Bar". It's accessible by right clicking the space to the right of the URL bar, and clicking Customize Toolbar.... Then you'll find said checkbox in the bottom left corner.
It still won't get rid of the GTK-y context menus, but makes the app feel much more QT-native already.
for gui app installation, at least for many open source ones you can use the homebrew and/or the macports package managers, they are great for this, and they are not recompiled linux apps, but rather their fully fledged mac ports for many of them.
EDIT: There is also a nix port for macOS.
You can use tree finger drag if you enable it. I never use the fullscreen feature, I just double-click on the titlebar.
For some reason some years back, Apple made it so that you have to drag your mouse to the top in order to see the virtual-desktops, but the nice thing is that you can swipe between them on one monitor without it affection any of the other monitors. So I can have a youtube video on one monitor and still swipe between desktops on my main monitor.
same. it takes time to adapt like any other OS.
three finger drag is awesome. thought it's hidden in accessibility.
You can just use control 1,2,3,4 etc to switch between virtual desktops
@@ghost-user559 i just use four finger swipe on touchpad.
@@bbajr You can do it with 3 fingers, but I generally find it more convenient to use 4.
@@katrinabryce 4 is compulsory when u use three finger drag. I hate having to physically press the trackpad. I double tap for right click and use three finger to drag.
Excellent video and even though I don't use my ageing MacBookPro 2010 for the stuff you produce, your review more than validates my decision to dump Mac OS a few years back when Apple left my pretty decent machine behind with regards to software and OS support! My MacBookPro is now thoroughly enjoying a new lease of life with Linux and in particular, Gnome.
The floaty windows on macOS is a problem. There's a $10 app called Magnet that is currently the #1 Productivity app. (I don't use it, so I don't know if it's good.) So, clearly window management is lacking on macOS.
Yet, I'm currently stuck with Mac. I've been keeping a list of blockers…
*BLOCKERS*
• Apple Arcade
• Disk Utility
• Hype
• Keynote (iWork)
• Final Cut Pro
• Messages
• Music (Ecosystem trap)
• Notes (iCloud features)
• Numbers (iWork)
• Pages (iWork)
• Photos
• Pixelmator Pro (Image Editing)
• Time Machine
• Xcode
• Widgets
That last one is my app, and I probably could port it, but I doubt if it would make money as a Linux app. 😊
*macOS Features*
• Screenshots
• iPhone Messages
*Ready To Go*
• Audacity (Audio Editing)
• Blender
• DB Browser for SQLite
• FileZilla (FTP)
• Handbrake (Video Transcoder)
• Inkscape
• Thunderbird (Email)
• Visual Studio Code
While there are lots of Linux alternatives for the iWork suite of apps, I like how it works on Mac. The iCloud integration is great and it works across macOS / iOS / iPadOS.
Even if I switched to Linux as the operating system, Apple hardware is really good. Apple Silicon is amazing! Yet, I just put Ubuntu on a 2017 MacBook Air. It runs great. That gave the Mac new life, since Apple isn't giving it the latest major versions of macOS. So, perhaps Asahi Linux is a good middle ground.
Tiles is free. I see absolutely no problem in installing a tool like that when Linux demands way more work for optimizing the interface.
@@lovemadeinjapan The comment was made over a year ago, so things are different in macOS land. Window tiling is now a default part of the operating system. That's nice! 🙂
I like Linux, and I use it for specific tasks, but I still prefer macOS on my main computer. I tried using a Raspberry Pi to see if I could replace any of my Apple gadgets. I wasn't very successful. 😕
Some of these limitations are wild. Even as a windows daily driver user and software developer, I can't imagine not having some of the basic features of window management and copy/cut/pasting files around in a *file manager*.
One thing I love on MacBooks is the « drag with three fingers » feature. After I discovered it years ago, I stopped using a mouse for my laptop.
Can it be replicated on Linux?
Also, a glossy screen is certainly more reflective, but it retains contrast better than a matte display. And this is very handy for visual creators. So it’s a trade off.
But, would be nice that Apple offered a matte version, like they did before.
One thing I don't like on macos is that full screen creates a new desktop that I never asked for, so if I go full screen, the next desktop doesn't have the apps I expect. Gnome and KDE both have their own desktop switching gestures built in, but I find it easy to do with the keyboard (I bind it to ctrl-super-right/left) like it is on windows
@@chinter just press option when you maximize a window and in most cases it does the trick.
For desktops, just use 3/4 fingers gesture. Depending if you have the three fingers drag activated or not.
@@vladartiomav2473 Double clicking on the window's top decoration does the same thing as option-click so that works for me.
I have 3 fingers activated on my M1 (which is my main portable device and will continue to be for years!). I am just saying other OS's aren't behind in that area. I have some other complaints, but just like TLE, they are personal preferences rather than actual general flaws in the design and I prefer gnome or windows style of window organization and grouping
5:44 - there is actually an option to do the double-tap drag and drop, but I think sometime in the mid 2010's got hidden under the accessibility settings or something like that. Don't remember exactly where, but it used to be easier to find. God forbid people actually use the configuration options built into the operating system, Apple...
I'm going to be that guy, but so many of your problems could have been fixed by looking through the settings, but I will concede that if you have to trawl for them it is annoying, and also use homebrew or nix package managers and you can also use a tiling windows manager, also three finger swipe to the top.
There are no settings for most of my issues here, believe me, I looked!
@@TheLinuxEXP for window snapping, hold the option key and you can snap left or right without being in full screen. Holding the option key often gives you an alternative set of options.
I use Alpine btw.
@@TheLinuxEXP just realised that the focus follows mouse is enabled in the windows manager I use on Mac, called amethyst, which is what for me personally makes the Mac the most productive OS as a mix of full screened apps and tiled workspaces works really well.
While gloss screens are a pain for reflections, they are essential for image clarity and accuracy of colours given that matte coatings are a deliberately applied fuzz filter
For virtualisation on Apple Silicone Macs, you can use UTM. It's just an absolute killer, everything works perfectly. And super easy to use. It knows how to virtualize the OS for native ARM architecture, and emulate a bunch of other architectures (x86, SPARC, Power, MIPS - you name it). Under the hood, as I understand it, it uses either the Apple virtualization framework with Rosetta or QEMU.
The program is so cool that it looks at the level of the famous paid ones, and at the same time it is completely free.
For someone who uses home, insert, end, page up and page down keys a lot. It is a pain to use a mac many times. Not to forget using a normal monitor or an ultrawide usually gives u blurry text which you have no easy way to fix.
I totally agree with your review, the build quality and design of macbooks are fantastic, but on the software side they are just outdated and missing basic features
When I was doing desktop support (I was the only one who apparently got along with the PR dept that used macs), it was a real epiphany when Adobe was getting slammed over flash and other stuff at the time by Jobs. When I'd mention it to get opinions, the PR people would completely shut down - with one only half joking it was like the parents were fighting. They were ideologues for both to that degree.
OK for the double tap and drag on a trackpad thing? It's a bit of a faff to enable but on every Mac system I own, I go to System Preferences/Settings -> Accessibility -> Pointer -> Trackpad Options... -> enable "Use trackpad for dragging" and set "Dragging style" to "Three Finger Drag"
then, I just "Grab" the thing I want to drag and move it around. It's a lot more useful to me than double tap and drag.
(bonus tip: the "With Drag Lock" style works for the double tap and drag)
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I learned about virtual desktops in macOS Leopard, so I've always been used to the way macOS handles them. It works better for me, so it's never been a problem.
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Re: the Mac is meant more for mono-tasking vs multi-tasking - the full-screen and side-by-side full-screen app snapping plays into that. It works well for my ADHD ass, helping me focus in on the thing I'm doing.
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Also, Steermouse works way better than the Linux "equivalents" I've found. Ratbag-based implementations come the closest IMO but could use some improvement that I have no idea how to contribute to.
In many ways, Linux (especially with KDE) beats macOS for me. For my job and other tasks that benefit from deep mono-tasking, I always reach for my Mac
I just ended a 2.5-month try of a Mac after using Windows since the 90s. The Studio Max. I agree with everything and more. The Studio wasn't good at multitasking. Great with Davinchi but with my photo software it slowed way down if I did batch processing and tried doing anything else. Slower than my 2018 PC. Because of Costco's 90-day return policy, I was able to return it and do a new monster PC build. Like your Mac, the Studio was quiet and ran cool but it seemed to be at the sacrifice of performance. I'm looking forward to the time a single board mini PC with a small discrete GPU can handle my workflow like my new toaster oven PC. i9-13900k, RTX4090, etc... Got all of the parts on Prime day and saved several $100s.
You don’t use DaVinci on a mac like that. If you aren’t using Final Cut, you aren’t getting the best out of that computer
It actually did Davinchi quite well but my rendering speeds are way faster with the RTX4090. I only do light editing. @@MiraiChiaki
@@lavapix you can do all of that with Final Cut
Putting asahi on a m1 mac us a game changer because you get a fast arm chip and long batterie life and a nice KDE desktop
Unfortunately, I tried and I didn't have working speakers. It's good, just not ready for most users.
The thing about Apple products is, if you are not going to be using the entire ecosystem, just having one or two devices (maybe except iPhone and iPads) is like paying a super expensive price for sub par products for that price range
Name a laptop with better battery life?
except the product isn’t subpar, it’s just the software
@@telephoto I would argue it’s just Ui/ux most of the time. Pages is awesome and powerful, so is GarageBand and iMovie, and so is numbers and keynote. Even the command line is just bash or zsh. It’s really just the interface people don’t always mesh with. Overall native software is really powerful and generally free. It’s just not what some people are used to.
@@ghost-user559 I thought that would be obvious since the video does go over how robust the MacBook is. But again if you want to get the true value out of your Apple product you have to use with the entire Apple ecosystem or you're missing some key features and comforts others who use the entire ecosystem enjoy
@@mrbloodyhyphen-5657 Yeah I agree it opens up the full potential of each device when you own more of the ecosystem. I have an iPhone, iPad, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro, so I totally understand that side of the argument. But I only got that ecosystem slowly over the years because of the quality of the software itself and the value of both the apps and the hardware quality. I disagree that it’s a subpar device.
Upgradability is the issue with the modern models, and the gpus don’t compare to a dedicated desktop PC, but the hardware is not subpar. Thunderbolt is excellent, the screens and color gamut’s are excellent. Touchpads are industry leading, so are built in speakers. Battery life is best in class as is efficiency, and native apps are powerful and mostly free. It has its compromises, but even just a MacBook Pro is enough to have a very competent home business or creative workstation. It’s just not the right tool for everyone, it’s proprietary and it’s not cheap. But it’s definitely not sub par for what it excels at.
I use all 3 of the major OSs on a regular basis and have to say that Mac is my favorite, when on a laptop. The way that it handles spaces and gestures works for my brain. I focus on one thing at a time and swipe between my windows. That being said it is not perfect. The lack of native snapping (Rectangle is decent for it, but built in would be better) and the fact that it reorders spaces when interacting with notifications are my main gripes. The animations could also be a touch faster.
As for some of the items you mentioned, with the vanishing global menu bar in full screen, that is a setting you can turn off. There is also the 3 finger gesture for click and drag (I LOVE this one).
I think you can disable the spaces rearranging. Mine don’t move anymore. It’s a setting but I can’t remember where it is in Ventura.
I'm using Linux only for server side stuff nowadays, for personal and development macOS is a beast, super fast to use and configure, and finally I can update/upgrade apps anytime without fear of breaking everything. And if something break the backup system is amazingly easy to use. I work everyday on terminal Iterm2 and it is sharp as hell, I'm very productive without fear of a breaking package. Of course the price is expensive too, but I think it worth to work on real issues not on my OS issues.
I use both platforms. But have to say (not well known shortcut), you can enlarge an app using the option key held down when clicking the green icon. Also, you can cut and paste, by clicking copy and then holding down the option key when pasting and choosing Move.
I ran ubuntu in parralels on m1 laptop and it works great. the hardware quality of apple products is awesome. Wish they did the drivers for linux
Hi! Have you tried UTM? I found it better and its open source.🙂
I've been using Mac OS for almost 15 years mainly for work (I'm a software developer) and the UI annoyances list goes on and on. The dock is a waste of screen space: you can't pick a specific window, is impossible to use with keyboard shortcuts and you can't place things like widgets on it. The task switcher is also a pain; if you need to jump from one window to another, you have to use the up and down keys. Additionally, an extra step is required to pick the icon if it is for the current app (which is always the first).
there is a tool to fix that, its called alt tab and replaces the task switcher (cmd + tab) with a windows style one
@@kreavitawastaken alt/option+tilde switches windows.
I've been using Mac OS since version 9 and don't know of this task switcher you speak of.
Are you developing osx/ios software? May I ask why you use a Mac vs Windows or Linux for development?
@@AFFL1CTED1 I don't work developing software for OSX / iOS (I'm a front end developer). In all my jobs they give me a Mac and I don't have the option of changing it to another operating system due to the proprietary remote management and VPN tools that I must use due to security policies. Personally I use Arch Linux and I am delighted with it.
As for virtualization, have you tried out UTM? It's based on QEMU, and I've used it for native virtualization, not x86 emulation, but it's pretty good!
I just wanted to comment same thing, works very well for arm based os, I even tried emulation of x86 but it is really slow and sluggish
Docker has support for Rosetta2 these days. Runs much quicker than the old qemu set up. Need to use X, VNC or similar for GUI stuff though.
UTM is a life saver for me on the Mac Book I recently got for proprietary Apple software I use for work related tasks. I use the the VMs to write and test code without having to lug around multiple machines. However, as mentioned in this video moving into full screen on a Mac can be a huge pain, especially with VMs.
The M1 is by far the biggest reason to get a Macbook. I really wish it was available for other platforms.
I also feel like the Mac UI was better 10 years ago. I can never quite put my finger on what's different, but there's just too many things that are just slightly more awkward than they should be.
The M1/M2 is also the biggest reason NOT to buy a Mac. No more Intel means, no more, bootcamp, means no more Windows which means no Fortnite or other X86 software.
Try parallel desktop, it works fine for me...@@markitzero7408
First let me say, almost every “flaw” I heard you mention is possible using shortcut keys. Also, I used Linux for many years even on a laptop years ago when I was younger and had the time to play with things to make them work and had fun setting different things up. As a grown-up with other things to do than play around with the latest window manager, distro and or “cool app” I just want my Tool to work and not be subject to 10 Zero Day CVEs every month or be forced to pay for yet another Windows license. To each his own.
Even though it's possible, for most users tiling windows and seamlessly using multi window is a must
lmao this dude is defending a company
MacOS fixes a bunch of what is wrong with Linux and at the same time 'breaks' some things that is right with Linux.
It's like python. Offers stability by sacrificing everything else.
lol no
It certainly doesn't fix monitor management.
@@jeremyjjbrown what is wrong with monitor management?
@ActionGamerAaronwell it depends on the person I prefer more Mac osx desktop than all linux desktop environments.
I almost quit a job because a Mac. I asked to my project manager to provide a linux based laptop in order to perform my duties. So, I totally agree with your remarks here. The worst thing I found in that Mac was the screen. Almost like a mirror.
Reflective screen is a productivity feature, it discourages employees from jacking off on the job, lest they see their own face while ejaculating.
@@ultru3525bruh😹😹😹
@@ultru3525uhhhhh based???
@@ultru3525 a problem with that: mac users _do_ jack off to their own face.
Before I started my own company - in my last job - we were also given macbooks. The hardware was really good but I couldn't stand the mac ecosystem. I ended up reflashing the whole system with linux instead. That way I got the sleek look of the macbook with all the hardware but an operating system that doesn't drive me crazy. I will say though - the lack of USB ports is awful as an embedded developer.
I use Linux on desktop and a macbook because it's great for what I do. Most of your points I completely agree, the window management thing is a tiny bit better with a tiling wm(yabai) but it has its issues like not handling minimum/maximum window size well. The only part I wasn't sure about was the trackpad click, honestly I found myself completely unsure if they had a fake click or the trackpad did actually sink down, unless this is something with the 16 inch model(I run 14), I thought the click emulation on the trackpad was perfect.
For cutting and pasting files just do Cmd + C then Cmd + Opt + V.
And in general, if you hold Option and you look in the menus all around the OS, you'll find that you get options that are not normally visible without the Option key.
For creating a new virtual desktop you don't need (at least on Mac OS 13 / Ventura) to go at the top with your cursor. Just go right to the top right corner and click the plus button.
To resize or to drag a window, as I said in another comment, just activate the feature to be able to drag with three fingers and you don't even need to click or double tap anymore to do anything on your laptop.
Bonus tip: to reveal the desktop, just use your thumb and three other fingers and pinch out, like when you zoom in/out.
I've been using virtual desktops since the nineties (starting with fvwm) and I've always created a fixed set of them exactly once. A single key press switches to any of the 9 vdesktops, which is what I use the numpad for. No need for ever having to create or destroy them, and switching apps is essentially just hitting a single key (most apps get their dedicated vdesktop). Just for the case where I have a bunch of windows open in a single desktop, there is the mac-like exposé function KDE has that shows you all the windows rendered in real time so you an visually pick one. But that is a pretty rare occurrence.
@@stragulus on Mac I also rarely create new desktops. I just set it and forget about it.
The possibility to automatically put a program on a specific desktop sounds nice though 👌
But the truth is, I rarely shutdown my MacBook. I almost always just close it and it goes to sleep.
So I pretty never need to arrange my windows, it’s always at the same place that I left it.
Out of all three systems I use (Linux, windows, Mac OS), the Mac is the most stable, I mean it can survive very long time in sleep mode.
I can leave it without rebooting for literally months, and even if there are some glitches I just reboot the finder or do a « sudo purge » to free up cached ram and I’m pretty good .
I know Linux can be pretty stable too, but on the laptop side, I’m not so convinced. Maybe more on a server side, where there’s less GUI stuff.
@@vladartiomav2473 You are correct on the sleep issues with linux. It's gotten much better over the years with more standard hardware, but not as good as windows or mac in my personal experience with lenovo laptops.
During the pandemic, I had the option of bringing my $10K Mac from work for home office, but instead I opted to use my $1300 personal Linux box, even buying some extra RAM to run some intensive programs. The Mac UI, as described here, slowed down my productivity.
I’ve never used a silicon Mac, but yabai works pretty well on Monterey for window management. Also, if you’re into using terminal instead of the gui, the file manager doesn’t really matter.
Bottom line, if you already have an iPhone and you just want a laptop for leisure you’ll probably really like the MacBook. Also, if you’re into developing for exclusively apple products you’ll probably really like Xcode.
If you wanted a laptop for leisure wouldn't you want something that can actually run games?
@@JM-tj5qm fair point, but I should have been more specific. When I say leisure, I meant more like web-surfing, reading ebooks, youtube, netflix, travel, etc. Stuff your parents do with a computer lol. So yeah that's my bad. Secondly, If you want to game I would typically really try to steer people away from laptops all together. But hey, that's just my opinion. I do really think though that if you already own a couple apple products, their integration is insanely intuitive. My dad, who is fairly tech challenged, has an iphone, ipad, macbook, smart house stuff and it all works and syncs together crazy well with little effort.
@@JM-tj5qm plus, unless gaming is like one of your top 5 hobbies, I think the new macs are actually fine for light gaming tbh.
Window and file management has room for improvement, for sure. For almost everything else, I prefer MacOS. A lot of welcome functionality is available in 3rd party apps. Often free ones. That's a pain for new users though. MacOS can run several package managers though. You missed that part.
Still better for new users than getting bombarded with startup programs on windows
@@thatrawk I don't see how it's welcoming, when basic features are missing tbh.
@@thatrawk I wouldn't wish Windows on anyone
6:04 you can set font hinting and a few other options in .Xresources, ik it's a bit arcane but for me it made font rendering smooth
Font hinting improves things a little and it's certainly crazy on linux that it's not on by default. However, even with this enabled, fonts on linux look worse than they do on MacOS or even windows.
3-finger trackpad drag is mandatory for me on macOS, I hate having to awkwardly click-down and hold while I drag. Easily enabled: System Settings > Accessibility > Pointer Control > Use trackpad for dragging and select Three Finger Drag under Dragging Style. It's instant with no delay between drags. Neither Windows nor Linux has figured out the trackpad quite like macOS.
You CAN cut and paste, but it's really goofy. First command-c as if you were copying, but to cut you have to do command-alt-v. Yeah... really goofy
Honestly, you did everything the hard way. To add a new space, simply drag a window to the right edge of your screen and you have a new space. To tile, simply click-hold the green button and snap to a side. To move between spaces, 3-finger swipe left or right. 3-finger swipe up for mission control. Turn on space for docking spaces to the side of your screen. Very simple and easy. I personally don't like snapping tiling as it often snaps when i am just moving the window to the top of my screen. None of these are difficult to learn. It feels very infantile and small minded to complain about these things when Linux is missing core usable features such as viewing files in icon view when uploading photos to a web store or drive.
He did so many things the hard way: No copy or paste in the Finder menu? He needs to select something first if he wants the copy and paste to display in the menu. Another thing he complained about was the delay in dragging and dropping, but there's a setting where the drag and drop can be set to a range of values, including instantaneous, for example.
I think you are doing the same thing you accuse him of doing. I can go into an icon view just fine when uploading pictures on firefox or to another drive (I assume you mean like google drive or remote storage, it works for that and for local drives). Seems like you were doing things the harder way because you didn't have the information or it wasn't intuitive enough to know from being on it, just like the creator.
If you are using KDE Plasma desktop, then you can view files in icon view while uploading, as Plasma allows the browser access to the desktop file manager. most other Linux desktops do not allow icon view, as they don't allow the browser to access the root file manager. I actually replaced Cinnamon desktop in Linux Mint just to get this feature back. @@32Rats
I'm a linux user and sometimes I have to use MacOS to work and the OS desktop experience is horrible, if you don't end up installing brew you can't work decently, small minded adjective doesn't work here. On the other hand, in the case of the iPhone, it is wonderful and far exceeds that of Android in usability.
Thank you, it was frustrating watching this man talk and complain about things he doesn't even know how to use.
Back in the day, I used a linux desktop, but switched to windows as I was often tasked to support that OS. So it is really great to hear, how the linux desktop enviroment evolved. But it is totally strange, that MacOS lacks in that regard that much. The GUI, drag & drop was even it's strong point under ancient MacOS 6.
Interesting with the touchpad. That’s the one thing I’d like to transfer to Linux. Virtualisation is… ok. Docket runs Rosetta now and qemu is reasonably friendly to use with UTM if you like a GUI. Not snappy though
The main selling point for me is that it just works out of the box. I've always had issues with Linux with something not working properly (even with hardware claiming to be fully compatible.)
The UI is a different paradigm. I hate going to Windows or Linux (if not in the terminal), same can be said from a Windows or Linux user trying something else.
For the app part, there is Brew (and even Nix now.) That's the first thing I do when I have a new machine. Then I can just ask it to install all my Unix tools and regular GUI apps (brew cask).
For a laptop, the most important thing for me is power efficiency. And here there is just no competition. I can work the whole day without being plugged (I've been working in parks quite a bit thanks to that.)
But if you don't need portability and a desktop is ok with you, then sure I would also look into a custom build and a Linux system. And bite the bullet for the UI I don't like. In the end it's tools to do the work I have to do.
about taking your call on your mac, on any Linux distro, if you connect to your phone via bluetooth your computer becomes a bluetooth headset, allowing you to take calls from your phone, and even listen to music. I use this a lot when I'm on my pc (which happens to be 90% of the time), since I have a good headset with a good mic.
I use all of the bunch, Win for gaming, Mac for writing and Ubuntu for writing as well. I like all of them. The ever lasting battery on the MacBook though 😊 I share your privacy concerns, CSAM is not forgotten. (btw try the command key, there are more options with that, you could even try to click on the windows borders.)
Great review but i wish you could've explored some of the ecosystem integration that Apple offer and compared it to the Linux world(perhaps with Nextcloud). But i know you also had a video on ecosystems in general :)
I use brew package manager to install applications, I rarely use the App store. Also, for running arm64 VMs, I use UTM and it works great. I'm a developer and normally work on Linux, but recently I've transitioned to an M1 Air and find it pretty useful, but still prefer Linux for any real development work tbh
That's a solid review, and I'm all-in on the Apple ecosystem. While some of your issues were about missing features (specifically, window tiling), many of the other problems were a matter of experience, comfort, and usability - things that long-time Apple users know how to use, and would find changing to Linux or Windows as understandably frustrating, in kind. That said, many of your gripes result from Apple trying to converge macOS with iPadOS in past few releases - in the worst possible ways. Hopefully, they'll see the light, and bring the iPad *up* to the Mac-level standards, rather than continuing to hobble the desktop in the name of unified experience.
All that said, for me, the value proposition of the Mac comes down to this: I get a BSD-based operating system, with an X11 server, and support for all the F/OSS applications out there, coupled with mainstream application support (the Adobe suite, MS Office, 3D tools tools, etc. *and* some really great Mac-only apps, too). Also, Apple's support is top-notch (especially if you pay for AppleCare). So, while it's certainly more expensive than some other options, I'm past the point in my life where I *want* to build, maintain, and support my own system (regardless of my capabilities to do so).
That said, to each their own. I respect your honest and well-considered opinions on the Mac - but it's nice to see you return to Linux for your own comfort and ease of creating amazing content!
Cut and paste is there btw.
Instead of choosing to cut at step 1 of the process, you do it when pasting.
So instead of:
Ctrl + X and Ctrl + V
It’s:
Cmd + C and then Cmd + Shift + V for cut paste (or just Cmd + V for copy and paste)
That’s absolutely obscure and impossible to discover
I primarily use macOS but that’s because I cannot stand the insanity of Windows and I have software I use that only has Windows or Mac builds. A lot of the macOS GUI criticisms are completely valid. Apple caters to the lowest common denominator which unfortunately means power users get looked over. I’ve been complaining for years that they should have a “power user mode” that gives you the ability to do more. But at the end of the day, as a UNIX admin, I just love that I have a UNIX core. It’s just nice to have a platform that has the same tools I use elsewhere. But I’ll end with the same thing I tell everyone: at the end of the day, a computer is just a tool to help you get a job done. Some people can do their work with a claw hammer but some people are just fine with a tack hammer. Both can drive nails, but use the one for the nails YOU have.
The UNIX kernel IO stack is more efficient than Linux's.
I was forced to use Windows in a previous job and just couldn't stand it. Makes no sense to me. In the end I used it only to run Ubuntu under WSL and do everything I had to do in the terminal. For browsing and other GUI work I used my personal Linux machine with Barrier installed on both to share mouse and keyboard. At least the unix side of MacOS is real rather than emulated - though I switched back to bash from the default zsh because after 20+ years of unix I have a bunch of personal legacy scripts and settings that don't quite work in zsh.
@@slebetman I also didn't make the switch to zsh because of script capatibility. Everyone I know who is forced to do Web development in Windows uses WSL.
I can't wait to hear about your experience with Asahi!
Non-x86 PCs intrigue me a lot. I'm particularly curious about the experience of running all sorts of x86 software on these machines.
I use an M1 for a year and Intel based programs run faster than they ran on my previous macbook, 2015 intel based. It needs a bit of time, like 5sec the very first time you start up, but after that as the software translates the intel code it runs native speed.
VM and linux does not work on the hardware, but you can run docker and it works.
@@PeterVerhas I appreciate your insight, but I'm mainly interested in the Linux side of things.
Sure, mainline ARM distros don't work on it yet (until Asahi code is upstreamed), but Asahi should run fine. Right?
@@Kris-od3sj Sure, if you like and need Linux, then MacOS is not Linux. It is a BSD. What I do not like in your video is that it shows an attitude as if you were focusing on whatever you could find to roast it instead of wanting to learn. 17 years ago, we switched from Windows and Linux mixed environment as software developers to MacOS because:
- we had the money, and the Toshiba notebooks were old
- and we saw that Windows users we met as partners hated the tool they worked with and always talked about their problems
- Linux users loved their operating system and always talked about their struggles installing the kernel and device drivers and so on
- MacOS users never discussed the machine or OS; they focused on work. When we asked about device drivers and UI bugs, they shrug and said: what? "I do not care. I use the machine and I work."
Being a small software company owner, it seemed reasonable.
Since then, I am more and more using Apple infrastructure. It is overpriced, but they go extreme mileage making their tools usable. Many times I see that people coming from Windows have old habits and struggle to adapt to the MacOS ways, but most of the time, I can clearly see that the other way they got accustomed to is only logical because they got accustomed to that and the MacOS UI is more logical for people who have no prior experience with anything else. For example, when you mentioned the video file and directory copy-paste, I realized that I have not used that in the last two decades, and I did not miss it, though it is undoubtedly available. I use the terminal, drag and drop, or press F6 to move a file in ForkLift.
But I totally understand when someone has a long history of muscle memory. I started to use programming in Hungary more than 40 years ago, and although I live in Switzerland and rarely write Hungarian text, I still use the weird and awkward Windows Hungarian keyboard mapping.
@@Kris-od3sj Not entirely heat issues and screen max bright, if you follow Asahi they will point out issues they have also a few Vlog on it. Not sure I want to fry my $xxxx machine just yet.
i can see the appeal of a mac for most people, even devs for light applications. but personally i just need more, especially in the GPU department
I use my macbook with a 32:9 huge super ultra wide monitor, yeah u gotta use rectangle also I use 3rd party alt-tab too and windows shortcuts, to me it's an amazing multi-task machine, compared to Windows of course, Linux is so bespoke and you took all the advantages of it. As a web dev, being able to carry tablet like form factor of M2 Air, along with great desk setup, did it for me. I am more than happy.
I love my gnome desktop that i've customized to my workflow so much. Pop OS is going to be so amazing when cosmic is finally done. Can't imagine working without pop shell. I get all the benefits of a tiling wm without any of the hours of work needed to set it up and all the benefits of gnome inutitive workspace usage. Just boot my computer open everything i'll ever need and drag it to a proper workspace
As for Virtualbox, I think Oracle gave up. The m1/arm version was in beta for a year or so, and never worked. For the latest vbox released last week, the arm version is missing. Parallels is paid, that’s fair. Otherwise kind of confused by your trouble. Initially there were weird issues with Linux bootloaders not being mapped properly in memory(?) but it’s been fine for the last 6-8 months? You can’t run x86 VMs, but I use parallels 18 all the time to run ARM Linux.
Thank you! I own a System76 Galago Pro and a M1 Max Macbook Pro and agree with everything you stated. I would like to add one more thing, even though it is frustrating to setup my desktop configuration: multiple windows, workspaces, third party programs etc. on my Mac vs the Galago Pro, but once complete, my mac can go through way more sleep cycles! (Like that energizer bunny :D) On my Galago Pro, something will crap out eventually: application freezes, Desktop DE slows down, total battery drain if I don't use laptop for a couple of days etc. Though things have been improving in the Linux laptop world thanks to the likes of Slimbook, Tuxedo, System 76 so I'm hopeful.
Did you try hot corners? Or 3 finger swiping between full screen apps
I think that's a really good choice of sponsor. I don't use them myself but I did check them out and they are very privacy conciose. I use an Email client (Thunderbird) and I'm to cheep to get the paid version which is required to use an email client.
Loved the video! I would like to see a part 2 where software solutions are attempted to be found and how viable that path is. Ex: More Window Management, Package Managers like Brew etc.
Brew used to work really great but with the switch to Arm, many packages aren't yet available (or werent about a year ago when I tried to set it up for dev use).
@@dingdong2103Packages that haven't jumped to Apple Silicon by this time is probably as good as abandonware 😂😂
30+ years Mac user here… absolutely agree with you. I just had the pleasure… and it really felt good, to wipe out my old 3 Intel machines. Now they feel like new, and since completely switching to Linux I have no regrets, and I’m super satisfied with the total control I have. Never looking back to Mac!
How's the driver support? Some of the 2nd hand old Intel Macbooks are quite cheap now and I've been considering getting one as a Linux machine
As both a macOS and Linux user, I have to say that macOS provides the superior user experience for me. I appreciate the seamless integration between apps on my Macs, iPad and iPhone and the hardware can’t be beat. Where Linux does outshine Apple is in the areas of customizability and privacy protection.
A lot of the stuff you found missing from the Mac can be added on as extras and with open-source/community project: Amethyst for window tiling, and of course Homebrew for application installation/updating (from outside the Mac App Store, which unlike with Windows people actually use).
Then here comes the question: why should we do all the tinkering to make it usable when macOS is a “commercially successful” OS while Linux is literally about DIY?
@@arlecamille Well, it’s all a matter of taste! But let’s say there’s really a spectrum running from totally immutable to totally DIY - these are not just two simplistic categories. Let each person figure out where they want to land.
Installation: the Apple app store doesnt allow GPL apps. Why Firefox is missing is beyond me - maybe MPL just sounds too close 🤷
Virtual desktops: on KDE is even easier - to move a window to a new virtual desktop, open the window actions menu, choose "desktops" and "new".