Mac OS... No Thanks!

[steves1977uk]

After reading this forum post of the issues in the latest Mac OS X 10.15, it makes Windows a doddle... https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/ma ... s.2183833/

Don't think I could stand it!

Steve

[Gnomatic]

I'm not an Apple guy either. Their whole walled garden approach can go die in a fire.

[wheelie junkie]

Um, it is only at developer and public beta, I've been running public beta for months and not had any problems other than a couple of 3rd party apps which their developers haven't updated. Some real improvements in Accessibility especially onscreen keyboard, finder improvements so you can see iphone/ipad files, separate APFS disks for system and data and 64 bit only apps which some developers won't update which is a pain but not Apples fault. Running 10.15 continually at times and it can be weeks before I restart. Rock solid for what I use a computer for. It still can be improved and I use the feedback assistant and actually get replies to suggestions, the Accessibility team are trying to make progress for those who can't operate a computer "normally"

Each to their own but for me as a high level tetraplegic Apple are really trying and now lead windows especially with onscreen keyboard, if you can use your hands it might be different.

[Burgerman]

Windows has highly customisable on screen keyboard and custom layout etc for a decade at least. Its the same operating system used on windows tablets. It apears if you want it or if you use a tablet. So I dont understand the keyboard comments? You can also use the touch keyboard. With or without a mouse. And the accessibility options. And sticky keys, etc etc. bThis laptop has a keyboard and a touch screen. I use a highly customisable on screen keyboard whenever I am tired or cant be bothered to type. On screen keyboard? Seriously?
It also can use ai and auto complete sentences, auto grammar, auto spell correct, auto capitalise, etc. And theres a lot of settings that can be aplication or input device specific, and a lot more. Since about 2005.


youtu.be/rcjltV0p4k8

Theres also the TOUCH keyboard specifically designed for small touch devices, is also completely customisable, mapable, on the taskbar system area. You can also use this with a mouse, map any or all keys, add special functions, sticky keys, and all the rest too. Or touch it with a finger. Or mouse. As well. And theres hundreds of downloadable on screen special purpose keyboards...

[wheelie junkie]

I can't even get the windows onscreen keyboard to be a different colour, there doesn't seem to be a way to edit layouts. There might be 3rd party apps but as far as operating systems go OSX is free and has an excellent onscreen keyboard editor all built in to the OS, dwell click built into OS and can be customised, has its own custom dictionary with the predictions in keyboard. No need for any additional apps. Touch ID to log in to my computer, no need to give support workers my password. All really useful when you can't use your hands.

[Burgerman]

>>I can't even get the windows onscreen keyboard to be a different colour,
I can... But not easy. Needs registry edit. Why would you?

>>there doesn't seem to be a way to edit layouts.
I already have... I call mine US Custom. You download a little microsoft keyboard making free software. Or you can only choose common layouts or country specific layouts.

>>>There might be 3rd party apps but as far as operating systems go OSX is free and has an excellent onscreen keyboard editor all built in to the OS, dwell click built into OS and can be customised, has its own custom dictionary with the predictions in keyboard. No need for any additional apps. Touch ID to log in to my computer, no need to give support workers my password. All really useful when you can't use your hands.

Yes windows already does that. All of that. Free. And more. For at least a decade. You dont need any 3rd party aps. Even though you can do that.

Since you prefer to pay instead, heres the microsoft store (dummy) way of doing that. Although it may actually be free. I cant be bothered to look. Because theres other easier ways to get the same software without doing it the "proper' way...


youtu.be/87bt7GBM02M

[wheelie junkie]

I'm sure that there are options but for onscreen keyboard it is hard to beat, I can have layouts for each app with the keyboard can be individual, different dwell panels and I can't see where that is. Apple are way head of Windows when it comes to Accessibility, Windows rely upon 3rd party apps Apple don't and are listening to suggestions. I'm quite happy with that no reason to use Windows other than for 2 or 3 apps. 10.15 beta is working for me but can be improved and I continue to send suggestions, hopefully they keep improving from the feedback. It doesn't suit everyone but it suits me, I'll not be trying to convert anyone

[Burgerman]

>>>I'm sure that there are options but for onscreen keyboard it is hard to beat, I can have layouts for each app with the keyboard can be individual, different dwell panels and I can't see where that is.

Same... As many layouts and custom setups, sticky keys (your dwell) per application as you want.

>>>Apple are way head of Windows when it comes to Accessibility, Windows rely upon 3rd party apps

No it does not! All that I have mentioned, including predictive text and sentences, and tons of other stuff, and all the AI thing, is already part of windows. No need for any 3rd party aps. Although they exist if you need them.

>>>Apple don't and are listening to suggestions.

Windows already listened. All this is already in windows for at least a decade. You just need to know how to work it.

[wheelie junkie]

Is there an editor for onscreen keyboards in Windows? It would be useful to know where it is so I can make the default keyboard smaller by removing keys. Screen real estate is taken up by the default.

[steves1977uk]

Does this help?... https://winaero.com/blog/change-touch-k ... indows-10/

Steve

[wheelie junkie]

Not really, it changes preset layouts. I can add or remove keys, assign keys to open apps or run actions like cut, copy, save. Include a virtual touch keyboard strip which changes with the app. See what I am typing in a strip on the keyboard because keyboard takes up screen real estate and inevitably covers whatever you are typing nto. Honestly, Windows is years behind in this kind of thing you can't even change the onscreen keyboard from black to white. It is not a feature many will use so gets no attention, for people who do need it you want to be able to customise. Apple haven't got it perfect but the last year have put time into listening and improving.

[Burgerman]

Is there an editor for onscreen keyboards in Windows? It would be useful to know where it is so I can make the default keyboard smaller by removing keys. Screen real estate is taken up by the default.

Yes. Windows. Free. You can download as a free .exe file, or get it through windows store if you like that kind of rubbish. I already used it to make my custom keyboard. Of course the real answer is a proper screen. A full sized keyboard on my 55 inch 4k monitor takes up 3% of the pixels...

[wheelie junkie]

I'd love to have a big screen unfortunately I don't have enough head movement to move a head mouse across it. Tried my 27 inch iMac when I came home, struggled to get headmouse cam low enough and then couldn't get to screen edges. Just another quirk of a high level break.

I'll have to try and find that editor, Googling didn't work.

[Dan]

I'd love to have a big screen unfortunately I don't have enough head movement to move a head mouse across it.

Did you ever try an eye controlled mouse? I have no clue how well they work.


youtu.be/6mBlgcnqttg

[wheelie junkie]

Yeah, tried that, really difficult to read webpages, pause too long and it'll click something. Head mouse you keep your head still and can read more easily.

[steves1977uk]

Interesting video from Linus Tech Tips...


youtu.be/947op8yKJRY

Steve

[wheelie junkie]

Don't think that I have ever bought a Mac based upon CPU speed, memory yes but I don't need a fast computer for what I do. I've got 10 year old imacs and macbooks still working reliably. If they are easy to use for my wife I'm happy although she now uses the ipad pro more than her imac. Probably like many mac users we just use and leave speeds to the geeks who think that it is important, tech speed dick waving v's posing with a grey Apple logo'd box. Each to their own.

[Burgerman]

Its just worse. And more restrictive. And slower. And more expensive. And less compatible. It cant run much thats useful. And causes reliability issues. Otherwise its great because it says apple on it. You have been very successfully marketed.

[steves1977uk]

*Ahem*... https://www.neowin.net/news/google-admi ... ac-devices Yeah a great OS that is when a 3rd party app can break the Filing System! Never heard of a 3rd party application screwing the FS on Windows in my 28yrs+ using it. But hey whatever floats your boat! Guess I just fail to see what's great about Mac OS...

Steve

[Burgerman]

Marvelous!

On the other hand google is an advertising company why would anyone ever install that spyware on their computer? Or anything apple for the same reason. Both exist to sell you stuff. Firefox all the way. Of the proper version of windows. (LTSC). Works better and hogs less memory too. Try opening a load of web pages with googles browser... It EATS memory. And phones home. Firefox uses a fair bit, but not a patch on google.

[wheelie junkie]

It is just simpler to use, no need for device manager, com ports, drivers I've got no desire to waste my life with computer tech, it is just a box which does what I want and is easy to use. I'll leave computer geeks to their pc's, cores, speed, cooling and spend my time using the mac to earn money to pay for the next one. Ultra reliable and I know that it will do what I need day after day. I can't recall a major problem in over 25 years of mac use probably because the machine can do way more than I ask of it but excel, word, lightroom, skype, safari, mail don't need a lot to run.

[steves1977uk]

Fair enough, but I like my PC's to be fast and customisable, same with our chairs. For example, would you buy a chair with limited programming options (Dynamic Linix system) or would you get one that you could fine tune the settings to suit you (R-Net system)?

Steve

[Burgerman]

Quite!

And:

It is just simpler to use, no need for device manager, com ports, drivers I've got no desire to waste my life with computer tech, it is just a box which does what I want and is easy to use.

But it doesent though does it... Thats why you have to go in circles, have sideways pictures and have to try and run windows on top AS WELL to do anything useful... And pay more for the privelidge!



Its like this. You have an aeroplane. You dont want to understand the details, so you think it should all just be automated so any dummy can just get in and fly it. Thats possible. But a real pilot will run rings around you in any extreme situation, in any failure mode, and in any dogfight. Or anything unplanned. You can often dumb things down enough, so that any idiot can understand and use it, but you cant do that and still retain all the adjustability, and capability, and flexibility of a real system designed with all that usefulness still in there. The difference is that in windows you need some knowledge and experience. Or you are in trouble and have all the newby issues. But if you do, then its way better. If you dont then you are up the creek. As usual, in everything in life knowledge is power.

[wheelie junkie]

But I've never had a sideways picture neither has the missus who will admit she is useless with technology. It is a non problem for me, it works perfectly. Others? Who knows,?

I don't expect it to take one picture for me, don't buy a phone for the camera, the trusty Sony RX100 is the tool for that. Out on Tuesday took 5 shots with phone, 40 with Sony. I'll process them on the mac which works brilliantly with Lightroom.

[Burgerman]

Sony RX100 stores the images the correct way up. As shot. ike all decent cameras. So that will be fine if emailed or displayed on the web, regardless of exif or otherwise. As should your iphone... But its apple! So it doesent.

[wheelie junkie]

Sony RX100 stores the images the correct way up. As shot. ike all decent cameras. So that will be fine if emailed or displayed on the web, regardless of exif or otherwise. As should your iphone... But its apple! So it doesent.

But the phone stores them correctly if you use it correctly, photos from phone automatically transfer to my mac and photos app and are always the correct rotation, if I want to upload I export with stripped out exif data and they'll upload to whatever site perfectly. I'm not trying to use a phone as camera, photo editor and uploading device other than occasionally for social media. Later versions of photos for OSX don't even have a direct share to facebook or twitter, you have to export then upload, they won't be rotated doing that. I'm sure some do have the problem but Apple have done for reasons only they know probably to save processing on the phone. They'll still sell millions of them despite it. The power of marketing.

[Burgerman]

Yes as I said. Inferior product hardware in many cases, performance limited by crappy cooling, and very hard or ompossible to repair with glues holding stuff together even on PCs and laptops, and unavailable parts. And they do less, are less configurable, and run less stuff (which is why you use windows running on top of the mac software). And they are more expensive! All sold on the fanboy apple "sex appeal" bullshit, even though they perform worse. So you have been marketed by a very clever company. That stuff doesent work on me.

It used to work on my ex. She saw the light when the latest iphone was even MORE expensive. And she couldnt just add some music to it, or set the wifi properly, etc. She now has a samsung. And it works properly for half the price.

[steves1977uk]

The Apple marketing BS doesn't work with me either, when there's far superior products for half the price and does much more, and also has better build quality. Apple seems to thrive on the younger generation who sees Apple products as a fashion accessory, as BM said.

Steve

[Gnomatic]

Sony RX100 stores the images the correct way up. As shot. ike all decent cameras. So that will be fine if emailed or displayed on the web, regardless of exif or otherwise. As should your iphone... But its apple! So it doesent.

But the phone stores them correctly if you use it correctly, photos from phone automatically transfer to my mac and photos app and are always the correct rotation, if I want to upload I export with stripped out exif data and they'll upload to whatever site perfectly.

With an Android all my photos are synced with Google Photos. I can login my Google account on my PC and all my photos etc are right there. I can edit them or post them to social media right there if I want.(I rarely do)

But the big thing is I want to copy some music or movies or audiobooks etc onto my phone, I just plug it into my PC and have direct access to my phone's storage. Simply copy/paste the media I and I'm good to go. No maddening third party software needed like iTunes(which can go die in a fire) to simply transfer some media ect over. Its like being handcuffed. Its this walled garden approach that's always been at the core of Apple's DNA that I cannot stand and why I'll never own Apple products.

[Scooterman]

I'm having intermittent display issues with my 6 year old macbook pro retina, so may have to buy a new laptop soon. Unless apple fix it for free. They did last time as they said it was a manufacturing fault and it's the same fault this time, but I can't see them doing it again especially as it's 6 years old.

So this time round I was thinking of the new macbook air, but it's £1,099 so several hundred pounds over what I'd like to spend

Any ideas of a windows alternative???

It's got to be 12",13", or 14" display max, lightweight as it always sat on my legs on a lap tray, and I also I need to be able to grab it and lift it easily one handed. Think chunky tablet but with keyboard and more functionality. I'm not a fan of tablets as I touch type and it's hopeless on a tablet.

Requirements:

Grab and go, so lightweight.

Solid stage hard drive (no noisy fan to annoy me )

128Gb HDD is more than enough for me.

I use laptop for mobility programming, browsing web, basic word proccessor & spreadsheets, VLC player, Calibre eBook converter, that's about it.

I don't do photo or video editing, and definitely don't play games as they make me feel