That's the conclusion I came to. I'm working on resolving the issues with the macOS applications that I use and getting them to run on Windows. In one case it's fixing a Firefox bug; in another, it's writing code to use the same keystroke combination to save region as file for macOS. My issues are cost and thermals and Apple is just awful in those two areas. But they beat the crap out of Windows in UI. I want the UI but can't justify it. So my 2008 Dell Studio XPS is my main system now.
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Flip Flopping between macOS and Windows
- Thread starter LiE_
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That's the conclusion I came to. I'm working on resolving the issues with the macOS applications that I use and getting them to run on Windows. In one case it's fixing a Firefox bug; in another, it's writing code to use the same keystroke combination to save region as file for macOS. My issues are cost and thermals and Apple is just awful in those two areas. But they beat the crap out of Windows in UI. I want the UI but can't justify it. So my 2008 Dell Studio XPS is my main system now.
The vaunted superior of the macOS UI has long ceased to be the dominating factor of Apple excellence since application functionality started moving into the cloud and the UI was a page in a web browser (e.g., Salesforce) that basically looks/behaves the same for everyone.
Google Chrome dogchow on Windows is about as appetizing as Google Chrome dogchow on macOS in 2020 and there will be more overlap in the upcoming months and years.
Today, the primary advantage of the Apple ecosystem is the vertical integration between iDevices, Macs, and iCloud services as well as their digital stores.
Microsoft squandered their dominance when they conceded the mobile space. Even their ongoing efforts in the tablet world (Surface) aren't giving them a foothold or any market space growth because there is pretty much no synergy with smartphones.
I am transitioning my notebook computer from a MacBook Air to an inexpensive Wintel machine. I'm not even trying to replicate the entire Mac desktop experience on Windows. For the iCloud stuff, I simply keep a browser tab logged into www.icloud.com. I don't need full 1-on-1 integration anymore; the iPhone in my pocket is fully connected to that ecosystem.
I don't even have the full MS Office suite on my Wintel PC. I just keep Excel on it.
On my home Mac mini, I dumped my Windows VM. It cuts the overall system administration load especially because I'm running the final version of Mojave not Catalina.
For Windows 10, I'm deferring updates as along as possible. I'm still running Windows 10 Home version 1909. I'm even faking a metered network connection to hold off the version 2004 upgrade as long as possible.
Google Chrome dogchow on Windows is about as appetizing as Google Chrome dogchow on macOS in 2020 and there will be more overlap in the upcoming months and years.
Today, the primary advantage of the Apple ecosystem is the vertical integration between iDevices, Macs, and iCloud services as well as their digital stores.
Microsoft squandered their dominance when they conceded the mobile space. Even their ongoing efforts in the tablet world (Surface) aren't giving them a foothold or any market space growth because there is pretty much no synergy with smartphones.
I am transitioning my notebook computer from a MacBook Air to an inexpensive Wintel machine. I'm not even trying to replicate the entire Mac desktop experience on Windows. For the iCloud stuff, I simply keep a browser tab logged into www.icloud.com. I don't need full 1-on-1 integration anymore; the iPhone in my pocket is fully connected to that ecosystem.
I don't even have the full MS Office suite on my Wintel PC. I just keep Excel on it.
On my home Mac mini, I dumped my Windows VM. It cuts the overall system administration load especially because I'm running the final version of Mojave not Catalina.
For Windows 10, I'm deferring updates as along as possible. I'm still running Windows 10 Home version 1909. I'm even faking a metered network connection to hold off the version 2004 upgrade as long as possible.
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I try to use thick clients wherever possible that store data locally for best performance and for use when internet performance is poor or non-existent. So I prefer thick clients for Reminders, Notes, Email, Calendar, Music, Video, etc. I do use many cloud applications of course. There's no Think or Swim or Active Trader Pro in the cloud these days so we run thick clients for Pro Trading platforms these days.
I'm running on a 2008 Dell Studio XPS and I have Firefox, VLC, Thunderbird, Think or Swim, Slack, Zoom, Emacs, UberConference, Active Trader Pro. I'm running iCloud Apps via Firefox now that I've diagnosed an iCloud Notes Web bug and found a workaround for it (I should see if I can fix it too). I just need a few more pieces and I will be comfortably on Windows with a 12-year-old system that cost me $580 second-hand.
They didn't concede, they lost it outright with missteps, poor decisions, shifting priorities, and general mismanagement.
Not sure how much i agree with the Bootcamp route. It'll play them fine I suppose but wow do the fans ramp up hugely to the point that it gets annoying.
I have a Mac Mini Quad, Macbook Pro 16", Mac Pro 5,1, (had a MacBook Pro 15" that I very recently gave away). Trying currently to get a 1070 to run in Windows on my 5,1 but it's gotten to be that much of a hassle I'm finding myself looking at PC cases.
I have always used both and more Operating Systems, so trying to squeeze any particular one into a spot where one will not satisfy or make me happy just won't work for too long.
It's either, well I'll buy this new mac and then I won't want that. Or, I'll just build a badass PC and I can hackintosh it if I want. For me, neither of those ever really last too long before that want, that desire, that bug bites again and I am starting all over.... now I feel bad, I got this mac, ....but I'm missing something.
So, I had the ability to have both and I stopped letting the notion that I HAD to choose between them win.
So I figured out, I prefer my mac for pretty much my day to day usage, I just still have that desire for games occasionally that a console doesn't necessarily fill.
I like my steam game, I like not being constrained to a particular console or limitation.
I also know, I like the idea of consoles, playing on big screens, I like controllers. So I put together my Windows computer, it connects to my TV, I have a wireless keyboard/mouse combo to get me to the games, then the controller takes over and I can have my Windows gaming big screen fix.
And that's it.
I already had a mac, so my mac is my desktop everyday mac and my PC is my PC.
I am slow, but it took me way too long personally to just do both rather than trying to make one thing rule them all.
I'm also one that has UnRaid as my local NAS, I was running a pfSense box and moved it to the office and am using a UniFi router at home.
I just decided that if possible, if fortunate enough, that I was done with the frustrations and the hassles and I was just going to purchase for the want, the thing I needed, the job I needed to do, rather than trying a find a one-stop-shop to fulfill everything.
It never, ever, worked out very long for me.
So now my home is ridiculously complicated (on the backend, on HOW everything works) and if I pass away before my wife, I hope the techs or geek squaders that come in to try and do anything just rip it out and start over cause they'll never figure out what, where, or why my brain decided to do what it did. it'll be much easier on all of them, I will have had my fun.
It's either, well I'll buy this new mac and then I won't want that. Or, I'll just build a badass PC and I can hackintosh it if I want. For me, neither of those ever really last too long before that want, that desire, that bug bites again and I am starting all over.... now I feel bad, I got this mac, ....but I'm missing something.
So, I had the ability to have both and I stopped letting the notion that I HAD to choose between them win.
So I figured out, I prefer my mac for pretty much my day to day usage, I just still have that desire for games occasionally that a console doesn't necessarily fill.
I like my steam game, I like not being constrained to a particular console or limitation.
I also know, I like the idea of consoles, playing on big screens, I like controllers. So I put together my Windows computer, it connects to my TV, I have a wireless keyboard/mouse combo to get me to the games, then the controller takes over and I can have my Windows gaming big screen fix.
And that's it.
I already had a mac, so my mac is my desktop everyday mac and my PC is my PC.
I am slow, but it took me way too long personally to just do both rather than trying to make one thing rule them all.
I'm also one that has UnRaid as my local NAS, I was running a pfSense box and moved it to the office and am using a UniFi router at home.
I just decided that if possible, if fortunate enough, that I was done with the frustrations and the hassles and I was just going to purchase for the want, the thing I needed, the job I needed to do, rather than trying a find a one-stop-shop to fulfill everything.
It never, ever, worked out very long for me.
So now my home is ridiculously complicated (on the backend, on HOW everything works) and if I pass away before my wife, I hope the techs or geek squaders that come in to try and do anything just rip it out and start over cause they'll never figure out what, where, or why my brain decided to do what it did. it'll be much easier on all of them, I will have had my fun.
The bolded is a healthy way to handle this. If you can be cross platform then go for it. Right now, that's my path. Grateful my iMac works with my job's software, but I know I need a PC around for work and some creative things too, so I've eased up on myself.
If the ARM Macs turn out to be decent and fix many of the existing issues, sure, I'll eventually get one. I'll find what's right for me. It took a few years of argh! and this job to see that being cross platform is the best way to be with tech right now.
I have immense respect for folks who can juggle more than one OS and for Apple's competition.
Whatever works for another person is fine by me.
That's the way ahead, as both W10 & macOS have their own positives and negatives. As much as many think I'm a hater, I still use MBP's and macOS to this day, albeit with older hardware and OS (10.12/10.13). They are all just tools for a job with the wise picking the best tool for job.
If Apple produces a computer that works for me professionally and the OS is stable, I 'll have a look until then I stick with what I've got until they drop. For me they turn revenue so that is the deciding factor, very simple, so W10 it is...
FWIW my well used & abused 2011 15" remains to soldier on, GPU's did have moment a few weeks back
They look to have buried the hatchet once again 😆 Be nice to see this one pass the decade mark 😎
Who knows is a total crapshoot with the 2011 15", that said it still get's it on and holds a very solid 3.1GHz across all cores, no dongles required 😆
Q-6
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*Sigh* After I ordered the Asus ProArt, the job says they are on path to terminate me (We are not compatible, so no love lost there).
So back the unopened Asus goes.
Speaking of Asus, the latest 17” ROG Strix is now available.
And of their Zephyrus line, no surprise, Dave Lee likes the M15 best. I almost ordered one of those instead of the ProArt last week.
My personal cross platform journey is on hold.
So back the unopened Asus goes.
Speaking of Asus, the latest 17” ROG Strix is now available.
And of their Zephyrus line, no surprise, Dave Lee likes the M15 best. I almost ordered one of those instead of the ProArt last week.
My personal cross platform journey is on hold.
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I fixed my problem of screen shots in Windows. I bound PrtSc to snip and sketch (Shift-Windows-S) and wrote a Powershell script to copy the clipboard image to a generated png file on the desktop. The generated filename is similar to the macOS format. So the workflow is push PrtSc, mouse down on one corner of the region, mouse up on the other, click Taskbar button to run the Powershell script.
The macOS version is Shift-Alt-4, select region. I think that the workflows are similar as mine is one keypress and two mouseclicks while macOS is one keypress with three keys and one mouseclick.
The macOS version is Shift-Alt-4, select region. I think that the workflows are similar as mine is one keypress and two mouseclicks while macOS is one keypress with three keys and one mouseclick.
Another update on my ongoing adventures transitioning from the Air 2019 to a current year Wintel ultrabook.
I replaced the Radeon RX 580 card in my Sonnet eGFX Breakaway Box with a GeForce RTX 2070 Super (the reference card from Nvidia); this change makes the eGPU a dedicated device to the Windows machine (Acer Swift 3). The Radeon will be shelved for the time being. (Wow, the 2070 Super is a hefty card!)
Later this year I may build my own Windows PC like I did back in the late Nineties. I want a compact, relatively quiet machine; I have no need for a beastly CPU.
For VR and gaming, those usage cases favor allocating more budget into a better graphics card (which I already have) rather than some monster CPU especially because I'm not playing AAA new releases at 4K/60Hz. I'm not a serious gamer, I'm mostly dabbling with legacy titles. I'm not overclocking my GPU. Hell, I'm deliberately using the GeForce Studio driver on last year's stable & proven hardware for more stability.
My guess is that I'll end up with a mid-tier 6-core/12-thread Ryzen running at factory clock speeds in a mini-ITX case. The GeForce 2070 Super currently in my eGPU will move to the new build.
Like 20+ years ago, there are two components I won't skimp on with my upcoming build: power supply and motherboard (the latter must support PCIe 4.0). The PSU will be a top-quality unit that covers my power needs but I do not want something massively over-specced whose fan will cause hearing damage.
If I do end up building this Windows PC, I'll put the Radeon RX 580 back into the Sonnet and re-attach that to my Mac mini 2018 to get a few more years out of both.
I look forward to reading more about the custom builds that people describe in this forum, they are very helpful for an old fogey like me who hasn't followed the PC hardware universe for a long time. I've also resumed reading the Tom's Hardware website for component reviews which I read back in the late Nineties. Funny some things have changed very little.
Anyhow, thanks guys for making these PC custom build discussions useful!
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Sorry to hear about your unfortunate circumstance. Usually the next opportunity is a better one.
Very kind of you, thanks.
I am very lucky: my previous employer will take me back, they just do not know when the sites I work at will reopen. Grateful I reached out to the former job, and that I learned within a few weeks that this was not the company for me. I will be fine.
Ironically, the box the ProArt was packaged in was badly damaged (An attempt to tape up a huge hole along the bottom and the side of the box looked like it was pushed in). Best Buy had some nerve shipping that out.
I cannot imagine what condition the laptop was in, but when I returned it the Best Buy manager saw the damaged package and blanched. Shook my head as in no way would I accept a $2200 laptop in that package, so it all worked out: Wasn’t meant to be.
So in May I sold my iMac Pro and I bought a powerful PC!! I miss those specs (3950x 16 cores, RTX 2080 Ti, 64gb ram), and I only lasted two months with it. I have the iMac Pro again. I wish I could afford both.
I like to upscale videos, and I guess I could use an eGPU in BootCamp?
I like to upscale videos, and I guess I could use an eGPU in BootCamp?
I switched to Windows ten early this year and it has been great. No crashes and there's far more control over what Windows 10 reports. And it runs well on ancient hardware. Biggest downside is UI consistency. But a 2008 desktop is my daily driver now. I have a MacBook Pro next to it but I use the Windows system far more. It helps that it has 48 GB of RAM. That would cost a lot of $$$ in a MacBook Pro.
I can understand the OP.
From 1993 to 2017, I was pretty much Mac only. In 2018, I bought an Omen by HP laptop computer, which works fairly well, since I increased RAM modules and replaced the spinning drive. I bought a mid-2012 MacBook Pro and gave it a similar treatment, and it's more productive mostly, since there are few games, although video software is better on the Windows 10 machine.
Microsoft's 2020 Windows updates have crippled my machine time and again, while Apple's Catalina updates haven't been as drastic or negative.
From 1993 to 2017, I was pretty much Mac only. In 2018, I bought an Omen by HP laptop computer, which works fairly well, since I increased RAM modules and replaced the spinning drive. I bought a mid-2012 MacBook Pro and gave it a similar treatment, and it's more productive mostly, since there are few games, although video software is better on the Windows 10 machine.
Microsoft's 2020 Windows updates have crippled my machine time and again, while Apple's Catalina updates haven't been as drastic or negative.
Just thought I'd give an update as I'm sure some of you find my struggles amusing 😅
iPad Pro was eventually returned in the 14 days cooling period. I've been using my work laptop exclusively and it's been OK. I cannot easily edit my RAW photos but it is doable. For doing my job it's about 80% there, the screen is just a little cramped and performance is lacking and it shows in some areas.
My mantra hasn't changed, I still want to keep things really simple and I'm waiting until at least the the September keynote before I seriously evaluate my options.
I said in my last update that I wanted a Macbook for my next machine which would be ARM (hopefully). This is still top of the list, but I am also considering just using my work laptop for when I have to go on site. I previously had a 2015 MBP that I used with works BYOD policy and I was a little uncomfortable carrying my expensive laptop around.
I may get an iMac for home which will be where I do the majority of my work and also the larger screen will be so much better all round. I know there are rumours of a 24" iMac redesign, but I don't know if a 24" 4K will be too small, I had the 24" LG Ultrafine and I found it cramped for photo editing. I'll wait until September either way, but I have been looking at the 2020 27" iMac, especially as I can get it at a really good price and there isn't going to be a ARM replacement for the 27" for quite a while.
Here's the current setup for those who enjoy my contrived photos!
iPad Pro was eventually returned in the 14 days cooling period. I've been using my work laptop exclusively and it's been OK. I cannot easily edit my RAW photos but it is doable. For doing my job it's about 80% there, the screen is just a little cramped and performance is lacking and it shows in some areas.
My mantra hasn't changed, I still want to keep things really simple and I'm waiting until at least the the September keynote before I seriously evaluate my options.
I said in my last update that I wanted a Macbook for my next machine which would be ARM (hopefully). This is still top of the list, but I am also considering just using my work laptop for when I have to go on site. I previously had a 2015 MBP that I used with works BYOD policy and I was a little uncomfortable carrying my expensive laptop around.
I may get an iMac for home which will be where I do the majority of my work and also the larger screen will be so much better all round. I know there are rumours of a 24" iMac redesign, but I don't know if a 24" 4K will be too small, I had the 24" LG Ultrafine and I found it cramped for photo editing. I'll wait until September either way, but I have been looking at the 2020 27" iMac, especially as I can get it at a really good price and there isn't going to be a ARM replacement for the 27" for quite a while.
Here's the current setup for those who enjoy my contrived photos!
Careful or you will be like another poster who every couple of months swears NO MORE APPLE then quickly buys and returns various Windows machines as she seems to always receive a "lemon" device. But you are far from that level of indecisionJust thought I'd give an update as I'm sure some of you find my struggles amusing 😅
iPad Pro was eventually returned in the 14 days cooling period. I've been using my work laptop exclusively and it's been OK. I cannot easily edit my RAW photos but it is doable. For doing my job it's about 80% there, the screen is just a little cramped and performance is lacking and it shows in some areas.
My mantra hasn't changed, I still want to keep things really simple and I'm waiting until at least the the September keynote before I seriously evaluate my options.
I said in my last update that I wanted a Macbook for my next machine which would be ARM (hopefully). This is still top of the list, but I am also considering just using my work laptop for when I have to go on site. I previously had a 2015 MBP that I used with works BYOD policy and I was a little uncomfortable carrying my expensive laptop around.
I may get an iMac for home which will be where I do the majority of my work and also the larger screen will be so much better all round. I know there are rumours of a 24" iMac redesign, but I don't know if a 24" 4K will be too small, I had the 24" LG Ultrafine and I found it cramped for photo editing. I'll wait until September either way, but I have been looking at the 2020 27" iMac, especially as I can get it at a really good price and there isn't going to be a ARM replacement for the 27" for quite a while.
Here's the current setup for those who enjoy my contrived photos!
I'm getting more and more comfortable with Windows 10 and find myself going for a day or two at a time without using my MacBook Pro setup on my desk. I'm able to comfortably run iCloud Apps through the browser with good performance. I am still using a MacBook Pro when upstairs (my desktop setups are in the basement) but it's mostly for consumption and the iPad Mini 5 is just as good when screen size isn't an issue.
Wow...I am surprised to read you returned your iPad Pro. Just a short while ago you wrote: "Really love this setup (iPad Pro + SE). This may be the one. "Just thought I'd give an update as I'm sure some of you find my struggles amusing 😅
iPad Pro was eventually returned in the 14 days cooling period. I've been using my work laptop exclusively and it's been OK. I cannot easily edit my RAW photos but it is doable. For doing my job it's about 80% there, the screen is just a little cramped and performance is lacking and it shows in some areas.
My mantra hasn't changed, I still want to keep things really simple and I'm waiting until at least the the September keynote before I seriously evaluate my options.
I said in my last update that I wanted a Macbook for my next machine which would be ARM (hopefully). This is still top of the list, but I am also considering just using my work laptop for when I have to go on site. I previously had a 2015 MBP that I used with works BYOD policy and I was a little uncomfortable carrying my expensive laptop around.
I may get an iMac for home which will be where I do the majority of my work and also the larger screen will be so much better all round. I know there are rumours of a 24" iMac redesign, but I don't know if a 24" 4K will be too small, I had the 24" LG Ultrafine and I found it cramped for photo editing. I'll wait until September either way, but I have been looking at the 2020 27" iMac, especially as I can get it at a really good price and there isn't going to be a ARM replacement for the 27" for quite a while.
Here's the current setup for those who enjoy my contrived photos!
If I can ask, what made you change your mind? I am not judging your choices, I am just curious. My impression is that you are chasing some ideal, "Jony Ivesque" idea of simplicity but actually making your life very complicate, or more complicate than it could be. Am I wrong?
After reflecting very much on it on my own, I have concluded that that the "simple", perfect, "pure" device, does not exist. It's just marketing. We need to live with the real world, with machines which are mass produced to be outdated fast, to fail and be replaced rather than be appreciated and have a lasting meaning. Sure, a Mac is beautiful on the outside, so simple, so clean, so pretty. But when you need to replace the whole top case if a key breaks then...is it so nice? Is it worth it? I guess my priorities and ideals changed over the years.
And future devices, that now look amazing, will eventually have different problems to deal with.
Apple has always been transitioning, both software and hardware wise. I think it's a good thing, but I suspect it's also in part marketing driven: suggesting that the ideal device, the perfect OS, the total integration between devices etc, is always one or two upgrades away keeps us excited and willing to spend a lot of money to replace machines that work very well. And not for real needs, but rather for something closer to an platonic idea of perfect minimalism.
My point is...there will always be a big thing around the corner, the next transition, smaller bezels, faster processors, etc. But to me simplicity is choosing something, committing to it (not saying forever, just a reasonable time), learning strengths and weaknesses, appreciating small details and accepting compromise.
Simpler, happier, more sustainable, even environmentally. And if you cannot do that, choose your favorite windows pc, your favorite mac and an iPad. A bit wasteful, but if it makes you happy, you can use the time to do what you like instead of being obsessed (I mean no disrespect with the word obsessed, I can be obsessive as well) with the choice.
Then, perhaps, you will realize that maybe you tend to use some devices more than others, which will help in future choices.
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Yes, imo, even 24" will be too small for 4k, though with macOS, it does a great job at scaling. My iMac that my wife is using is 5k and I have it scaled up so we can actually see it better.
Well said. I am slowly and reluctantly coming the conclusion I will have to compromise at some point and live with whatever short comings a device has. It's so weird, I'm not like this with any other tech except my computer, maybe because I spend all day on it. I have a Sony 40" TV that I had for 11 years before I upgraded it, and it's still being used in the master bedroom.
The iPad return was an interesting one. The device was really good and I returned it because I planned to buy it again with the back to school offer. However the period between returning and waiting for a refund, I decided to just wait until September. I figured if I get an ARM laptop then I may end up with 2 devices that can do the same and I want to keep things simple.
Yea I ran the 24" Ultrafine at default scaling so I effectively got a very crisp 1080p equivalent. In Lightroom with all the panels open it was just too small. This is why I'm looking at the 27" iMac.
I can get the mid tier 27" iMac for £1,591.20 with a 4 year warranty which is stunning value really, even if I sell it in a few years when the higher end ARM macs have come out.
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That is about 3 months since I made my last attempt at switching off my macOS devices and I am in a similar place as you, I use Windows predominately now. I turn to my MacBook only when I need something portable.
Very happy now on Windows, they all have their place and opinions vary of course but I choose what works best and that is not just Windows, but the hardware too.
I will get an ARM laptop if the thermals are better, battery longer and Apple don't completely screw it up. That seems to be the sweet spot for me these days. PC for most of what I do, MacBook for when I need portability or a task that I would get more out of on macOS.