Windows is still shitty. After three years of using an M2 MacBook Pro for work and having my own M2 MacBook Air, using a Microsoft Surface laptop is a death by a thousand cuts
> Everything causes the hourglass cursor to pop up - even just clicking on a button in Outlook
As someone who had to use a very slow 10-year-old iMac recently, I would prefer if macOS showed more indicators that it was busy. The macOS UI seems to assume things are near-instant that in that environment weren't even close.
For example it "reopened" XCode after a reboot, and after a while it seemed the system was done doing background stuff. I clicked the System Settings and another app because I was going to need them, then tried to interact with XCode. Then the window turned gray and a spinner showed up that took a few minutes to disappear. It wasn't done at all. It turns out showing a screenshot to seem more responsive only works if you can very quickly back up the lie when necessary.
It isn’t so much a screenshot as it is the system suspending (parts of) apps that aren’t used or visible and aggressively compressing and decompressing memory.
So up until you tried to interact with it, it wasn’t frozen as far as the system was concerned, only then did it ran into an issue and did it convey that issue to you.
I don’t know by heart what the last macOS (or even OS X) version and Xcode version is that would be supported by a decade old iMac, but I can’t imagine it being a pleasant experience.
I have way more issues with MacOS than with windows and here just a small part of issues I must deal with:
- The keyboard layout and shortcuts are non-standard compared to other operating systems.
- Many keyboard shortcuts require more keystrokes than their Windows/Linux counterparts. For example, CMD+SPACE vs. WIN, OPTION+CMD+SPACE vs. WIN+E.
- I experience frequent system crashes—about twice a month, which is significantly more than I've had with high-end Windows laptops.
- Integration with Android devices is lacking due to the absence of apps like Phone Link.
- The window management is subpar. Third-party apps like Rectangle that attempt to improve this are buggy.
- Mouse scrolling defaults are reversed. If adjusted in settings, the touchpad scrolling direction is also inversely affected, without separate configuration options.
- The gaming library is limited.
- I experience glitches with my monitor optimized for Mac. About once every hour, the screen goes blank for a few seconds. This issue doesn't occur with Windows.
- Global environment variables are not available unless an app is initiated via the command line. This means apps started via Spotlight can't have assigned environment variables.
- Docker performance is suboptimal. For instance, a PostgreSQL backup that takes 5 minutes on Windows requires 2 hours on macOS due to slower write speeds to the host filesystem from inside Docker.
- I encounter issues with my non-Apple headset and need to disconnect its dongle from my MacBook approximately once daily to rectify it.
- Docker doesn't run in Parallels VMs. Unlike Windows, where nested virtualization can be enabled with a PowerShell command, macOS doesn't provide this flexibility.
- There's no straightforward method to turn off the laptop monitor when an external monitor is connected, without closing the laptop lid.
- Working with virtual machines is cumbersome. For example, the OS still reacts to some shortcuts even when a VM is in focus.
- Multi-user mode has significant shortcomings. Several brew programs malfunction when multiple users access the system. Docker, especially on the ARM version of macOS, exhibits issues in multi-user scenarios and doesn't function properly in VMs.
- To execute scripts via right-click, one must create a quick action and navigate to a secondary menu—a non-intuitive process.
- Several CLI utilities differ from their Linux counterparts. Making them GNU-compatible requires installing numerous utilities via brew and then prioritizing them over the native commands.
- Finder lacks the robustness and versatility of Windows Explorer.
- Hardware upgrades are exorbitantly priced. For instance, upgrading from 512GB to 2TB SSD costs €700, whereas a 2TB SSD can be found on Amazon for around €70.
- Post macOS updates, certain configurations, like fingerprint authentication for command-line apps, revert to default settings, necessitating frequent reconfigurations.
- macOS doesn't perform well on low-resolution screens, in contrast to Windows.
- The OS is restrictive. Outside of macOS, no other systems can be installed.
- My printer only operates wirelessly. USB-C connectivity fails, forcing me to disconnect from the internet to print.
- When connecting to a printer via WLAN, macOS often disconnects initially, mistaking it as a primary internet connection.
- The ARM architecture still exhibits flaws, especially when interfacing with virtual machines.
- Mouse acceleration isn't as refined as on Windows (excluding the touchpad).
- During Playwright e2e tests, tab navigation gets cluttered with icons from test browsers—a problem absent on Windows.
- An increased number of macOS software options are paid. For instance, while Windows offers free VM tools, macOS users might need to purchase Parallels.
- macOS lacks an official package manager akin to Windows' winget or Debian's apt-get, though third-party options like brew exist.
- The Windows taskbar offers superior functionality to the macOS dock, including hover previews.
- Apple doesn't provide convertible laptops or touchscreen devices.
- Some enterprise features are absent or underdeveloped.
- Legacy software support is limited, which might expedite OS development but poses compatibility challenges.
- The laptop tends to overheat during intense processes, seemingly prioritizing quieter fan operations over cooling efficiency.
- Unpurchased Apple Cloud Plans result in advertisements within System Settings and the Music App.
I think I can help you with a couple of those things if you're interested!
You can remap the keyboard shortcuts in macOS easily. Go to System Settings - Keyboard - Keyboard Shortcuts. The one you specifically mentioned for WIN + E is in the Spotlight section under 'Show Finder search window'. Double-click on the key chord shown and type in what you'd prefer. (Incidentally, the Finder search window is atrocious and I hate everything about it. But I get wanting a shortcut to just open Finder in general.) Another neat thing you can do here is assign keyboard shortcuts to any menu item in any application.
You might also look into BetterTouchTool for gestures, keyboard shortcuts, and a billion other things. One option BTT provides is inverting the scrolling for the mouse only. It's a quick and easy checkbox in the prefer-- settings.
Parallels is good and all, but I personally use VMWare Fusion. It's free and I've not had any issues with it that would compel me to pay a subscription for Parallels.
https://www.amd.com/en/processors/ryzen-surface-edition
1. The fans are constantly going.
2. Everything causes the hourglass cursor to pop up - even just clicking on a button in Outlook
3. It takes awhile for the screen to redraw. Way back in the pre - OS X days, I use to be jealous of how fast Windows drawing was in comparison.
4. Every time my laptop goes to sleep, I have to unplug and replug my external USB C powered external monitor.
5. Did I mention the constant humming of the fans?
6. Even how it handles multiple desktops is inferior to Macs
7. Hopefully I can run WSL2 on my work computer. I can’t imagine being stuck with PowerShell/cmd
I don’t even want to think about how bad the battery life is going to be compared to modern ARM based Macs.
Yes both my MacBook Air and Windows computer have 16 GB RAM