Nobody likes change. If you hate it so much, go back.
Sure, it has its issues, but people who've been using it for a while are VASTLY more qualified to comment on that. If I'm used to skateboarding and I hate my first experience driving a car, should Toyota make a gap in the floor so I can push along with my foot?
At least MacOS is big enough that people don't launch gigantic misguided attempts at a replacement and derail their lives, like that guy who tried to make a "distraction-free" Slack alternative.
Right? It would take about 15 seconds to learn how to set the default Finder behavior to arrange icons by name.
If I wrote a similar post as a Mac user a week into trying Linux it would be about 10 miles long.
1) When I accidentally bump the middle mouse button, it barfs up my clipboard contents where I didn't want it to. Linux knows about normal cut/copy/paste conventions but for some reason does it wrong here. Because Linux is hot garbage, obviously.
Here's a video of me spending several minutes trying one solution, realizing it nuked the middle mouse button completely and I can no longer middle click to open tabs, sorting out how to undo that, finding another solution, installing xbindkeys xsel and xdotool, setting up ~/.xbindkeysrc, realizing it doesn't work after I reboot, and then going back to google to figure out what systemd is and how to make something run on startup.
Sure, but the biggest difference is you jump into Linux knowing it has rough edges, and lots of options for fixing the thing that bothers you, versus Mac, which everyone touts as "just works". You expect Mac to be polished.
Also, more of a comment to the parent comment and not you directly, but asking existing Mac users if Mac is good is actually opposite of who is qualified to answer the question. Of course Mac users will say they enjoy MacOS, survivorship bias. Most of them still compare Mac to what windows/linux was 15 years ago, and have tried anything else recently.
I'd say Mac you get into knowing that it has opinions and not a lot of customization options. Coming from Linux, yeah that's going to be an adjustment.
That being said, the author has gone out of their way to take the customization options that it does have and set them up in a way they don't like, apparently just to have something to complain about.
By default, the tab bar isn't shown when there's only one tab, so they've gone and enabled that. The path bar at the bottom is also not enabled by default. All you would normally have is the selected folder in the sidebar (when applicable), and the current folder in the title bar. But you can turn on other options if you want to complain about them existing.
But then he's steadfastly refused to change the icon organization settings, just to make sure he can complain about that too.
I don't think the author is coming into this with a healthy attitude for trying a new OS. I get along just fine in Mac, Windows, and (occasionally) Linux, and despite the occasional adjustment to different conventions I've never felt a need to write an angry blog post about how garbage anything different from my default is.
EDIT - taking a look at that screenshot again, it's from before the Big Sur redesign, so at least 3 releases old, and apparently from before the author ever used a mac. So he's gone and dug up someone else's old screenshot just to have something to whine about or what?
Is there a way to actually send Apple feedback on these “issues” somewhere. Also, I’m sure you could make a post similar this for Windows, Linux, and everything in between.
What's the OS equivalent of a tourist hating on the country they're visiting because they do it so much better back home? Because that's what someone who's used macOS a whole year before writing this article reminds me of. Or maybe something something Chesterton's Fence would be more apt.
It is really funny to see comments like this from Apple fans here. As if pointing to a much worse OS(in their view) excuses all the drawback in MacOS.
There is so much things that break, corner cases, basic features missing, unintuitive user interface in MacOS. It probably was good long back, but I don't think that is the case at present.
Most of these "issues" are because the user doesn't understand how MacOS works and is too used to how another operating system works. So let's call it "hot garbage".
I could have argued most of the authors points, had Medium let me sign in :shakes_fists:
It's odd that (at the time of writing) HN commenters are so defensive about an article like this ("if you hate it so much, go back"). Perhaps it's because of the provocative title?
The fact that there are rough edges on other platforms is irrelevant, as is that "the user doesn't understand how macOS works". That the author hit these issues, was frustrated by them, and wasn't able to quickly identify a workaround, suggests that there is an opportunity for improvement, whether it's a functional or usability bug. Perhaps macOS isn't "hot garbage", but it's also got flaws that may be worthy of discussion by a community of hackers and product folk.
You nailed it: things aren't improving and that's the core issue to me. I was often met with, "that's just how macs works" or "it's not a problem for me" but I rarely got helpful suggestions.
thenewuser1 said it best: pointing to others' flaws doesn't excuse your own. BMW improves their cars. They don't say, "just wait until you drive a shitty Honda".
Most of this blog (rant) is complaining about default behaviour which is trivially changeable, or comparison to other operating system shortcuts. For example, the author states as objective fact that Finder’s “enter” to rename and “command + down” to move into a folder is awkward, but I find Windows’ ALT + F2 to rename awkward and I don’t run around making subjective opinion appear as objective fact.
I think this blog speaks more to the authors inability to read a manual, or explore the settings pane with attention given how many of these problems are solveable with a Preferences change either via the GUI or command line.
I've read many manuals. For one point I even link to Apple's official documentation. Much of my article is behaviour I cannot change (including some I left out, such as command+tab grouping windows from apps and not being limited to the current workspace).
any information worker should at least try linux and cut over to only using linux asap ... sure I have tried all the various releases of Windows and OSX however linux just works especially if you are a developer who values ease of use and unlimited flexibility ... get a junker laptop which noone uses and teach yourself how to burn a linux OS onto a memory stick then boot from this to try out then install linux onto that box ... the first several days/weeks will be challenging however once you cut over and master the basics and become fluent this effort will be time well spent ... many linux distros are available though Ubuntu is a good onramp if not an excellent dailydriver ... and yes OSX is hot garbage
I think the author, as some comments mentioned already, is just complaining due to the lack of experience and knowledge on how to tune the system.
My story with MacOS is this: After almost 20 years of using Linux on the desktop and for work, I had to change two years ago to MacOS due to requirements of my employer (not really, I just got sick of having to use Linux “illegally” in a partition on the shitty Dell Laptop with Windows that the company provided me initially with and then my manager suggested me to get a Macbook pro).
It was odd at the beginning but once I got the habit and understanding on how doing things, I have to say that is so far the most reliable desktop os I have used ever. It behaves always as I expect. No ugly surprises, no desktop crashes etc.
The only pain points I can complain are:
- Inconsistent behaviour on maximizing/minimizing windows.
- Cannot change at once the wallpapers of all virtual desktops.
- Lack of keyboard shortcuts for certain things.
- Missing GNU cli tools (despite this is something that can be addresses via brew for a big part of them)
- The fact that you have to stick with what Apple wants you to stick with (This means, no deep customisations of the system)
- I personally don’t like to have the windows menu on the top bar, I prefer the per-windows approach.
Despite the mentioned points, I still thinking that its good things overpasses the bad.
(I actually ended up buying a Macbook pro for myself)
25 comments
[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 63.2 ms ] threadAnd there it is.
Nobody likes change. If you hate it so much, go back.
Sure, it has its issues, but people who've been using it for a while are VASTLY more qualified to comment on that. If I'm used to skateboarding and I hate my first experience driving a car, should Toyota make a gap in the floor so I can push along with my foot?
At least MacOS is big enough that people don't launch gigantic misguided attempts at a replacement and derail their lives, like that guy who tried to make a "distraction-free" Slack alternative.
If I wrote a similar post as a Mac user a week into trying Linux it would be about 10 miles long.
1) When I accidentally bump the middle mouse button, it barfs up my clipboard contents where I didn't want it to. Linux knows about normal cut/copy/paste conventions but for some reason does it wrong here. Because Linux is hot garbage, obviously.
Here's a video of me spending several minutes trying one solution, realizing it nuked the middle mouse button completely and I can no longer middle click to open tabs, sorting out how to undo that, finding another solution, installing xbindkeys xsel and xdotool, setting up ~/.xbindkeysrc, realizing it doesn't work after I reboot, and then going back to google to figure out what systemd is and how to make something run on startup.
2) etc...
That being said, the author has gone out of their way to take the customization options that it does have and set them up in a way they don't like, apparently just to have something to complain about.
Take this screenshot: https://miro.medium.com/max/700/1*YT_A3adukXXku33P2htLUw.jpe...
By default, the tab bar isn't shown when there's only one tab, so they've gone and enabled that. The path bar at the bottom is also not enabled by default. All you would normally have is the selected folder in the sidebar (when applicable), and the current folder in the title bar. But you can turn on other options if you want to complain about them existing.
But then he's steadfastly refused to change the icon organization settings, just to make sure he can complain about that too.
I don't think the author is coming into this with a healthy attitude for trying a new OS. I get along just fine in Mac, Windows, and (occasionally) Linux, and despite the occasional adjustment to different conventions I've never felt a need to write an angry blog post about how garbage anything different from my default is.
EDIT - taking a look at that screenshot again, it's from before the Big Sur redesign, so at least 3 releases old, and apparently from before the author ever used a mac. So he's gone and dug up someone else's old screenshot just to have something to whine about or what?
Apologies for taking the flame bait, oh well.
Although I agree with many things he stated. 15+ years on Mac I still think Windows's default layout and file alignment better than Finders.
It is really funny to see comments like this from Apple fans here. As if pointing to a much worse OS(in their view) excuses all the drawback in MacOS.
There is so much things that break, corner cases, basic features missing, unintuitive user interface in MacOS. It probably was good long back, but I don't think that is the case at present.
I could have argued most of the authors points, had Medium let me sign in :shakes_fists:
The fact that there are rough edges on other platforms is irrelevant, as is that "the user doesn't understand how macOS works". That the author hit these issues, was frustrated by them, and wasn't able to quickly identify a workaround, suggests that there is an opportunity for improvement, whether it's a functional or usability bug. Perhaps macOS isn't "hot garbage", but it's also got flaws that may be worthy of discussion by a community of hackers and product folk.
thenewuser1 said it best: pointing to others' flaws doesn't excuse your own. BMW improves their cars. They don't say, "just wait until you drive a shitty Honda".
I think this blog speaks more to the authors inability to read a manual, or explore the settings pane with attention given how many of these problems are solveable with a Preferences change either via the GUI or command line.
I've read many manuals. For one point I even link to Apple's official documentation. Much of my article is behaviour I cannot change (including some I left out, such as command+tab grouping windows from apps and not being limited to the current workspace).
My story with MacOS is this: After almost 20 years of using Linux on the desktop and for work, I had to change two years ago to MacOS due to requirements of my employer (not really, I just got sick of having to use Linux “illegally” in a partition on the shitty Dell Laptop with Windows that the company provided me initially with and then my manager suggested me to get a Macbook pro).
It was odd at the beginning but once I got the habit and understanding on how doing things, I have to say that is so far the most reliable desktop os I have used ever. It behaves always as I expect. No ugly surprises, no desktop crashes etc.
The only pain points I can complain are: - Inconsistent behaviour on maximizing/minimizing windows.
- Cannot change at once the wallpapers of all virtual desktops.
- Lack of keyboard shortcuts for certain things.
- Missing GNU cli tools (despite this is something that can be addresses via brew for a big part of them)
- The fact that you have to stick with what Apple wants you to stick with (This means, no deep customisations of the system)
- I personally don’t like to have the windows menu on the top bar, I prefer the per-windows approach.
Despite the mentioned points, I still thinking that its good things overpasses the bad.
(I actually ended up buying a Macbook pro for myself)