Applications that are better on Windows 10?

[sigmadog]

Longtime Mac user here (since 1990), but I've recently been exploring Windows 10 (via Parallels Desktop 11) and I really like it.

My main work applications are Mac and that's not going to change (Corel Painter, Filemaker and Adobe CS6 – because I don't want to pay a subscription). But what applications do you use that you prefer on Windows (or that is Windows only)?

Asking because I collect software like Charlie Sheen collects STDs.

 

[Steeley]

I'm racking my brain to think of any that are better as opposed to just the same.

Excel comes to mind.

I like using Flipboard on iOS and it's available as a Windows Store app.

I prefer using MakeMKV on Windows simply because I have a Bluray drive on my PC.

Notepad++ is a great app and I don't think it's on OS X.

I like using Cortana too. I know Parallels allowed for it specially.

If you're an AutoCAD user then the Windows version is a lot more familiar and in my opinion better than the new OS X version.

That's about it, aside from gaming stuff that I can think of.

 

[maflynn]

Games are generally better, there's more of them and the performance is superior in Windows over OS X.
Microsoft Office in general is faster and more stable.

Windows App store seems to have more selections then the Mac App store, though I don't think I've really bought/used much from the Windows App store, personally.

UltraEdit is a better product on Windows, There's also Beyond Compare, though I think that's now on OS X. PhraseExpander is better then what I have on OS X (Text Expender)

 

[Truefan31]

basically games run better, maybe office suite also

 

[strawbale]

Most third party apps that come with an electronic gadget are Win-only, e.g. a datalogger that comes with your weatherstation etc.

 

[grahamperrin]

Microsoft Outlook on Windows (not necessarily version 10). .

From my records of an incident involving Outlook 15: "thousands of bad messages were added to the Inbox … during initial use of the latest Outlook for Mac. …".

 

[maflynn]

Most third party apps that come with an electronic gadget are Win-only, e.g. a datalogger that comes with your weatherstation etc.

Yeah, I noticed this as well.

Another big difference is peripherals, the drivers being supplied for printers and scanners. I have an older Epson scanner, that Epson no longer updates - at least they don't update the OS X drivers. Windows on the other hand is up to date. What bothers me the most with that thy direct me to use Image Capture which is built into OS X. Their own software was so much more powerful, flexible and produced much better results. I now boot into windows if I need to do any scanning.

 

[AFEPPL]

Office suite has additional features for windows. the ignore email thread is my fave
Itunes I'm finding more stable on windows, but generally; yes, they are all a muchness.

Also really enjoying W10 vs OS X. I've replaced a mini already with W10. The internal debate is still on as to which direction my laptops will go.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Most things will probably run better on windows. Except for a small population of Mac only apps, most are windows ports. Even the best chosen cross-platform tech and it used well used will have some tradeoffs. These were meant to be windows apps, cross platform a secondary thing added.


This is not mac os only event, non native Linux ported applications can have this issue. You have translation going on as it where. This eats up some time. And is not always perfect.


Games as mentioned show the difference more clearly. And its not always the direct x translations. there can be disparity in even open gl based games. Windows can run open gl better. Some would say well apple didn't design for games. Okay...for arguments sake lets give them that. Why can open gl work better on windows still stands as a big question. Its not the default graphics platform (as it is for mac os), windows I'd wager would like to see it never existing since a competitor so they aren't going crazy over optimization for it, , and 3rd party tends to throw this on the card more as an afterthought than driving need for the card. Push comes to shove they know this card is going in a windows PC and chances better than average it will run a direct X based game so that is the focus.

 

[strawbale]

Yeah, I noticed this as well.

Another big difference is peripherals, the drivers being supplied for printers and scanners. I have an older Epson scanner, that Epson no longer updates - at least they don't update the OS X drivers. Windows on the other hand is up to date. What bothers me the most with that thy direct me to use Image Capture which is built into OS X. Their own software was so much more powerful, flexible and produced much better results. I now boot into windows if I need to do any scanning.

I know.
Had to replace our AIO printer some weeks ago and had great trouble finding a suitable (as well as affordable) candidate that would work with all 3 Macs in the house (10.5/10.6/10.11). Luckily managed to get a Canon MG4250 that does the job and has (some) linux drivers too.

 

[sigmadog]

It's been a while since I checked, but I recall most, if not all, of the astronomy software that can control a telescope is Windows based. This may no longer be the case, but when I was looking several years ago it was a bit frustrating.

 

[campyguy]

Outlook, since 2003 up to 2016 makes the MS Mac team just look bad IMHO. MS Project has more options than Merlin, but Merlin is much cheaper and IMHO its output looks better than Project - but Project is pretty much everywhere in my field). Another MS app - Excel - I've "lived in Excel" for 20+ years, and the Win version is what I turn to every single time when I need the app (I pretty much can't stand the Mac Excel app's interface and dumbed-down control set).

It's been a while since I checked, but I recall most, if not all, of the astronomy software that can control a telescope is Windows based. This may no longer be the case, but when I was looking several years ago it was a bit frustrating.

My GF has been using Starrynight Pro Plus for years, she upgraded from the Pro version just for the Maxim DL Plugin - she controls her telescope from her rMBP. I'm fine with just looking on with the CSAP 7 version - she's the geek here...
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I have an older Epson scanner, that Epson no longer updates

Ditto, in two of my offices - Hamrick's VueScan fixed that for us (we have drivers for both Macs and Windows, and we get more granular control with VueScan as well over the stock drivers), check to see if your unit is on the list: https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/epson.html

 

[maflynn]

Ditto, in two of my offices - Hamrick's VueScan fixed that for us (we have drivers for both Macs and Windows, and we get more granular control with VueScan as well over the stock drivers), check to see if your unit is on the list: https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/epson.html

Thanks, I'll check them out.

 

[sigmadog]

Hamrick's VueScan fixed that for us (we have drivers for both Macs and Windows, and we get more granular control with VueScan as well over the stock drivers), check to see if your unit is on the list: https://www.hamrick.com/vuescan/epson.html

I'll vouch for VueScan on the Mac, too. I used to have constant problems with scanning software until I bought VueScan. It's got great features and never lets me down. Haven't tried it on the Windows side, yet.

 

[snorkelman]

On the PC Xara Studio/CorelXara/XaraExtreme whatever name it currently has never got a mac port which is a crying shame

on the mac side VM Fusion wins out over its PC counterpart if you have a VM needing hardware lock dongles (as does parrallels)

 

[Asher ross]

There are many applications that are better on Windows

Trello
Drawboard PDF
Code Writer
Skype
Plex
VLC Media Player
Adobe Photoshop Express
and many more..

 

[maflynn]

on the mac side VM Fusion wins out over its PC counterpart if you have a VM needing hardware lock dongles (as does parrallels)

I'm not sure I understand this comment.

You reference Vmware Fusion, is better then Vmware Workstation, then mention Parallels with lock dongles. Since Parallels is a different product from Vmware, I'm a little confused.

I think Vmware workstation is more feature rich then Fusion, at least the last time I've used it.

 

[snorkelman]

I'm not sure I understand this comment.

You reference Vmware Fusion, is better then Vmware Workstation, then mention Parallels with lock dongles. Since Parallels is a different product from Vmware, I'm a little confused.

I think Vmware workstation is more feature rich then Fusion, at least the last time I've used it.

both VMWare Fusion and Parallels on the mac are capable of handling Virtual Machines that need to access hardlock dongles (eg Alladin HASP units used to protect certain applications)

VMWare Workstation on current PCs on the other hand gives nothing but grief trying to do the same (cant obtain or retain exclusive access to the device, disconnects when you switch focus between the Virtual machine and the host, fails to reestablish a link after the host has gone into power saving mode or after restarts of the virtual machine)

We ended up with brand new shiny imacs that do nothing but run ancient XP-only software in a VM all day

Although the comparison was between Fusion and Workstation I threw Parrallels in there just in case folks got the impression that Fusion was the only hypervisor capable of doing it