Anyone switched to Windows PCs?

[xraydoc]

I've moved to Surface Book 2.

Negatives:
- the trackpad is really good but you really have to press quite a bit to click (after the MBP especially), Apple still has the best
- the CPU is kinda eh
- no USB C and no USB C charging (power banks work, but wall plugs do not)

Positives:
- best keyboard I've ever tried
- INSANE battery life, I was doing my masters degree and at the end of the day everyone was asking everyone else "do you have a charger for the MBP?". Meanwhile, I was sitting at like 40% battery.
- great build quality
- GTX 1050 in the 13-inch model is wonderful
- USB A port
- SD card slot
- one of the best webcams on the laptops
- great speakers
- very bright, good looking and not a very reflective screen
- 2 in 1 gives you a lot of options to use it
- no touch bar, no Bridge OS crashes, no stuck keys, no crackling speakers
- Windows version of MagSafe
- a second camera for taking pictures on the tablet

Overall a wonderful machine, can't wait for SB 3.
[doublepost=1542270045][/doublepost]

I would disagree on that. Check out the iMac Pro repair videos on youtube, it tells you more than enough.
As for regular laptops - you can get same day repairs for most Windows machines. Meanwhile, Apple takes away your laptop for several days, cause the best laptop support company glued all things together for better customer service

Actually the SB2 does have USB-C and USB-C charging. I currently use a SB2 as my only device (laptop, tablet and desktop replacement w/ 4K monitor) and routinely charge it via the 60W USB-C connection on my monitor.

 

[Pangalactic]

Actually the SB2 does have USB-C and USB-C charging. I currently use a SB2 as my only device (laptop, tablet and desktop replacement w/ 4K monitor) and routinely charge it via the 60W USB-C connection on my monitor.

Yes, I meant Thunderbolt 3, Not USB C, my bad

 

[OLDGUYWITHAHIFI]

I use both. I try not to get too entrenched in any one camp or the other. Both have plusses and minuses.

But I do utilize the Apple Eco system to its fullest.

 

[LostAggie]

The Surface Laptop 2 is on sale for $999 at Best Buy today. Still don’t like the glare of the screen or that soft material on the keyboard deck. The $300 would be awesome in the pocket but I just love how all my items work together.

 

[idonthatethemac]

I was sucked into the Mac ecosystem when my employer handed me a 2014 MBP and it was a beautiful piece of machine. I had started to buy in the whole experience. But after I switched jobs, I was in the market for a new machine. I was thinking of going 2017 MBP before the refresh in July. But all the highlighted keyboard issues (there was no 4 year replacement thing at the time), touch bar and of course the prohibitive cost + applecare+ cost. I just couldn't justify the cost in my head and I chickened out of buying the MBP (before the refresh).

I went with Dell XPS 9570 with i7-8750k,256 SSD,1050ti,4kscreen and 16gb RAM for $1854 (with Tax). I was really surprised to see Win 10 as before that I was on Win 7 (which was quite stable and didn't have the issues observed in Vista or 8). It looked and felt great, easy to use. However, for my requirements, its easier to have a Linux environment. so after a bit of trial and error, I was able to dual boot with Win and Ubuntu and this thing is really screaming fast on either of them.

With Ubuntu now, I don't even miss the mac ecosystem now. So happy with the purchase and the switch.

 

[nicho]

the fingerprint sensor doesn't work 100% of the time (I usually type the 4-number PIN code anyways, a much faster way to log in),

Sounds like a good security feature.

 

[MBAir2010]

I

With Ubuntu now, I don't even miss the mac ecosystem now. So happy with the purchase and the switch.

is ubuntu easy to maintain and install? foobar is excellent for music, i omly use that app for the ipod an dipad, the sound is wider and you can hear the actual bass being played. but not on a mac el cap! i might get the Dell Xp something is silver because im tired of fighting all my apple products

 

[Queen6]

Started walking away from Apple 2016, so far never looked back nor regretted the decision. I need to get a job done, deliver to the client. Apple is simply incapable of offering adequate hardware & software for my professional needs. Add on the increased unreliability, reduced usability and overly greedy margins the value of a Mac has never been less in my eyes. If I wanted a Mac that out performs my current W10 primary notebook I'd need to purchase an iMac Pro, what a joke.

Since switching to W10 I have incurred zero issues the OS literally "Just Works" gets out of my way and let's me focus on the work at hand. Yes W10 has a steeper learning curve, and more complex set up, however as the end user you also have magnitudes more freedom of choice. Get it right and W10 will present no issues and an abundance of choice.

Over two decades with the Mac, OS X once had such tremendous potential sadly only to be focused on trivia and lifestyle product hardware with built in obsolescence by default. What a waste...

Any doubts such a sub forum would have been unconceivable a few years ago on MR, today a necessity all thanks to Apple

Q-6

 

[MBAir2010]

everyday i have issues with all my apple products, the most secure one is the touch from 2010 but the internet is horrible on that device. hello Dell!

 

[tromboneaholic]

everyday i have issues with all my apple products, the most secure one is the touch from 2010 but the internet is horrible on that device. hello Dell!

I'd advise doing a little bit of research before buying anything from Dell.
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/computers/dell_svc.html

 

[JamesMay82]

I suggest you give Windows 10 a go. It's very different from previous versions and definitely is the best windows version by far.

I actually tried it awhile back with via boot camp and its much better than old windows but I still don't like the look of it. Which is a vague answer but I think its all the system wide fonts they use that I don't like the look of and the start menu seems a little confusing/not intuitive.

I don't like all the standard software on windows for photos, music and movies. Saying that, I've just moved away from osx photos to Lightroom so that might help with a future switch back to windows maybe.

 

[Dave245]

After being with Mac since 2011 i'm highly thinking about making the switch, i'm thinking of getting a Surface Pro 6, Surface Book 2 or the Surface Laptop 2, my 2011 Macbook Pro died a couple of months back and while i like the look of the Macbook Air 2018, it has the third generation keyboard. My iPad Pro 2017 12.9" has started playing up (rebooting itself every day, sometimes multiple times), also it would be great to have one device instead of having a laptop and tablet (ie Macbook and iPad Pro), i still plan on keeping my 2012 iMac around i'm just looking at other options outside of the Apple ecosystem.

 

[Spankey]

I will say this. I am loving my Mac Mini because Windows has been working flawlessly through Bootcamp. I don't need to "switch" to Windows at all. I am using it more, yes. When I do go back into Mac OS the OS I love is still there, but with some app and driver shortcomings.

I have been looking at a dedicated Windows laptop, but Mac OS is a better mobile experience. Flexibility is a great thing. You don't have that if you go all in Windows.

 

[cube]

There's no more cMBP, so I moved on.

 

[idonthatethemac]

is ubuntu easy to maintain and install? foobar is excellent for music, i omly use that app for the ipod an dipad, the sound is wider and you can hear the actual bass being played. but not on a mac el cap! i might get the Dell Xp something is silver because im tired of fighting all my apple products

I have never used foobar before. I will try it out and let you know. I used to be a Windows guy until 2014 when my employer handed me the mac.

Ubuntu is a bit of a learning curve for me (I did run into issues a few days ago. I updated the kernel headers and modules to the latest version, that somehow didn't sit well with something.. probably BIOS updates I ran and after login it would hang, and I had to roll back to the earlier versions).

I am more of a Redhat/Centos type distros even on the macbook. I usually run the Centos VMs. So I wasn't really using the macbook for its intended purpose anyway. Even on this machine when I am working on different configurations, I still use Centos VMs.

I am just happy i didn't spend the insane Apple prices and the Apple tax and still got a much better configurations (when I bought it in June or even now). One thing I don't like about XPS 15 is the "up the nose" webcam which I almost never use anyway.

 

[SDColorado]

I am just happy i didn't spend the insane Apple prices and the Apple tax and still got a much better configurations (when I bought it in June or even now). One thing I don't like about XPS 15 is the "up the nose" webcam which I almost never use anyway.

The camera was the main thing I didn't like about the XPS15 too, not only the position of it, but it is also a lousy camera. If you really don't use it much then so what. But if you do its a poor location and a poor image. I am not sure why they couldn't have added just an ever so slightly bigger bezel on the top and put the camera there. Or at least use a good camera if your gonna stick it down there.

Otherwise, I really like what the XPS15 brings to the table, especially in the black finish available online

 

[phillytim]

The camera was the main thing I didn't like about the XPS15 too, not only the position of it, but it is also a lousy camera. If you really don't use it much then so what. But if you do its a poor location and a poor image. I am not sure why they couldn't have added just an ever so slightly bigger bezel on the top and put the camera there. Or at least use a good camera if your gonna stick it down there.

Otherwise, I really like what the XPS15 brings to the table, especially in the black finish available online

That crappy XPS camera is a deal-breaker for me. A good portion of my use for a laptop is for videoconferencing while I'm working on something. The XPS models have such a gorgeous screen that I want, but I'm not going to force people to look up my nose for it - and I'm not compelled to inconvenience myself with an add-on camera either.

 

[idonthatethemac]

That crappy XPS camera is a deal-breaker for me. A good portion of my use for a laptop is for videoconferencing while I'm working on something. The XPS models have such a gorgeous screen that I want, but I'm not going to force people to look up my nose for it - and I'm not compelled to inconvenience myself with an add-on camera either.

This is personal device and I don't need to do video conferencing yet. But if I have to, I would go with Logitech HD webcams for like $20-30. Agreed, it will be an inconvenience if I have to travel with that webcam all the time. But hey.. with the MBP, I did put up with dongles (ethernet, display etc).. I loved the Macbook and I was more sad to leave the MBP then the employer.

But anyway, Its the 4k screen and the NVidia 1050ti GPU combined with 8th gen 6-core processor that were the biggest draw. I went with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. Most importantly, they are upgradable unlike the MBPs (post 2016 ones).

And after Ubuntu-ing the XPS, i barely miss the MBP now (especially for my use-case i.e).

 

[jinnyman]

Because of Apple’s failed Mac Pro, I’ve become a proud owner of Windows PC desktop.
My i9-9900k rocks. And adding, expanding has never been this easier.
I’m perfectly ok with Windows 10. It does what I want to do.

 

[phillytim]

But anyway, Its the 4k screen and the NVidia 1050ti GPU combined with 8th gen 6-core processor that were the biggest draw. I went with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. Most importantly, they are upgradable unlike the MBPs (post 2016 ones).

Upgradability is definitely FTW!!!!! My post-MBP laptop *will* be upgradable, for sure.

 

[shelt]

I have a dual boot system (10.12.6 Hackintosh + Win 10) and it works great. I also just picked up an XPS 15 (for 45% less than an identically spec'd MBP...). IMO, Win10 is quite good actually, and I used to be a long-term Apple fanboy. Once they moved to a glued-appliance business model with more and more walled-garden services, I moved on.

I prefer and rely heavily on Google services, so no issues there. There are certain things I even prefer in Windows. For instance, you can make Chrome "apps" using Settings/More/Create Shortcut. I have them set up for Android Messages, my favorite radio station player, Xfinity web player, etc. This isn't possible in MacOS Chrome. I like the Win10 notification system better. The Ubuntu framework is good enough for my minimal Linux needs.

There are several Win only apps I now have access to. My main cross-platform apps work fine - Lightroom, Photoshop, Dropbox, Office, Google Docs, Telegram, Whatsapp, etc. I can boot into either OS and have access to all of my data in the appropriate native file systems because it's all sync'd with Dropbox and Resilio.

I prefer MacOS and it's Unix structure overall, but the gap has narrowed considerably. The only thing I really miss in Win10 is the swiss army knife Preview app. It's so easy to edit/annotate PDFs, convert image formats, and do other quick and dirty editing in an easy workflow. Foxit Reader (free) covers most of my PDF needs, but a true Windows version of Preview would be great. My only other slight miss is the simplicity of Time Machine, but that's no biggy.

 

[Rockadile]

I actually tried it awhile back with via boot camp and its much better than old windows but I still don't like the look of it. Which is a vague answer but I think its all the system wide fonts they use that I don't like the look of and the start menu seems a little confusing/not intuitive.

I don't like all the standard software on windows for photos, music and movies. Saying that, I've just moved away from osx photos to Lightroom so that might help with a future switch back to windows maybe.

There are third party programs to customize everything if you really hate the stock Win 10 look.
I made mine similar to Mac OS like the browser buttons, dark mode color, app dock.
Check out the developer "Stardock" if you want to customize the look.

 

[silver_mtb]

I did--After using Mac computers almost exclusively for over 25 years for my personal rig (except for some job-supplied laptops). I have just about had it with Tim Cook's version of Apple.

The new iPad Pros fold up like a grahm cracker, hell they are arriving from the factory bent! And still uses a phone OS, and they are too expensive. (Keeping my 10.5 iPad Pro as long as possible)

The new iPhones have no fingerprint scanner, PWM issues, 1-hand usability issues, LTE connectivity issues, and many more things I do not like about them, and they are too expensive. (keeping my jet black 7, which I bought after seeing the then newly released X last year)

The new Macbook pros, well I am not typing up a 5,000 word dissertation on all the issues those machines have...and they are too expensive.

So I sort of went the opposite direction from Macbook pros...not a Lenovo ThinkPad, not a Dell XPS, not a Razer Blade, and definitely not a Microsoft Surface/Book...I went with just about the highest power-to-price ratio in a thin and light laptop by getting this year's MSI GS63!

- Intel 8th gen. 8750 6-core CPU 2.2
- 16 GB ram
- Nvidia GTX 1060 6GB
- 256 GB m2 SSD (and pulled the additional 1TB spinner for storage and installed a 512 Samsung EVO) so two separate SSD drives in the lappy.
- Every Port I could ever need--dongle-free living is great. (Three USB 3.0 A, one USB 2.0 A, HDMI, Thunderbold 3, mini displayport, ethernet, card reader, separate headphone and mic ports)


The weight is 4.39 lbs and it is .7 inches thick which is quite thin and light for a kick ass rig that will play games on ultra settings on my 2560 X 1440 24 inch external display with no heat issues. I did easily undervolt the CPU just a bit (can't do that with a MBP, even though better cooling is desperately needed in it). I am just a light gamer, and I like the reboot of old-man games: Quake Champions and DOOM.

I did not get this rig simply to play games. I am also a visual designer, front end developer and do some video editing and a wee bit of motion graphics, so I wanted power for other reasons. Also, I simply like a very fast computer, even if just web browsing. And it is built for sustained powerful use as it has rather large cooling vents on sides, top and bottom of chassis and well thought out heat pipes. I can work the crap out of this machine and it barely gets hot.

This laptop is, arguably, more powerful than virtually every single Macbook Pro one could purchase (CPU plus GPU combined power) and even with the 2nd SSD I installed got it all for less than $1,500.

I am not a MacOS snob, but do prefer MacOS over windows 10, but not enough to make me buy a gimped laptop for $3-7K.

The build quality is not as good as a MBP, but it is an all aluminum case and it has really nice looks. As does the newer and even better MSI GS65.

The display is the only thing I am not super stoked about as it is 1920 X 1080 and not the greatest color, but it is usually connect to an external display anyhow.

 

[thisismyusername]

Yup. I switched to a Windows PC quite a few years ago. I'd love to switch back to a Mac but it's always the same dilemma when I consider it. I could spend $1000 to upgrade my current Windows PC or spend more than double that to get a Mac with equivalent specs... and I'd be left with something that can't be upgraded in the future.

I can justify paying the Apple tax when it comes to iPhones and iPads and maybe even their laptops but it's not worth it when it comes to their desktop offerings, especially considering their ridiculous storage upgrade prices.

 

[MBAir2010]

I will say this. I am loving my Mac Mini because Windows has been working flawlessly through Bootcamp. I don't need to "switch" to Windows at all. I am using it more, yes. When I do go back into Mac OS the OS I love is still there, but with some app and driver shortcomings.

I have been looking at a dedicated Windows laptop, but Mac OS is a better mobile experience. Flexibility is a great thing. You don't have that if you go all in Windows.

how was the install process? so far i downloaded the OS and kinda busy to baby sit this operation the next few days. any advice on running windows 10 on El crapitan would be much appreciated!