Why would I want to use OSX over Win7 or *nix?

[sourceninja]

Fair enough. May I ask you... what are you doing with it now?

Also, after having just read your post above.. are you dropping it all together?

With debian? I manage about 85 debian virtual servers and about 5 physical ones.

Apple products? My work supplies me with my choice of hardware, so I have the macbook pro in my sig as well as a iphone4 and ipad1, and magicpad (which I love). I'll probably ride this hardware out until it is up for replacement, at that point I'm looking at moving to an android phone and some kind of *nix notebook.

I currently use my macbook for web development (python, php, drupal, javascript, etc), and devops work on a day to day basis. All I really need is a nice web browser (chrome), a decent text editor (textmate or something similar), a strong terminal (terminator or terminal.app), and a powerful and scriptable UI (OSX is really strong in this regard with applescript).

 

[MrX8503]

i remember i had to use a MS Mouse with the original Mac Mini to make it as usable as Windows. the hockey puck mouse was crap

I never used the hockey puck, but with the mighty mouse you can have it right click even though its a single button mouse. You have to change it in settings.

 

[TheStu]

that's what made it annoying. pre-lion i had to go to bottom bar thingy to close an app. unlike windows where i just hit the X. it was as bad as the unclosable IE on the old Pocket PC devices

No, you just had to have the application selected and hit CMD+Q, or go to the Menubar and hit Application Name - Quit.

If you hit the X, the window would close, but the application might keep going a little in the background, meaning the next launch would be quicker (obviated by SSDs).

 

[BrianGo]

It takes some adjusting anytime you switch OS's but each person has their own preference. I am more comfortable using OSX now but it took me a month to adjust. Have you considered running a VM to have both OS's running simultaneously?

 

[repoman0]

It takes some adjusting anytime you switch OS's but each person has their own preference. I am more comfortable using OSX now but it took me a month to adjust. Have you considered running a VM to have both OS's running simultaneously?

I have, most likely it would be OSX native with a Windows 7 VM.

Anyway if I can get a good deal on a 2500k I will be upgrading and giving OSX a try! Newegg has a decent compatible Gigabyte Z68 motherboard with USB3.0 and SATA3.0 for $135, if I can get a 2500k for $160 like the recent microcenter deal that's only about $150 out of pocket after selling my AMD stuff.

Thanks for the replies everyone. 🙂

 

[runawayprisoner]

Apple is anti-consumer rights and anti-innovation.

I do not have control of the devices I buy, and the apple products I do have control over I am losing control on a update by update basis. Further more, apple abuses the patent system to hurt innovation while at the same time stealing ideas from others and integrating those ideas into their own products.

Apple thinks that taking any existing idea, and adding i, cloud, or phone to it makes it unique and patent worthy. They are hurting innovation on a massive scale. I support intellectual property when it is unique and noteworthy, but most of apples patents are not that (most patents in general are not that). But patents are only a small part of why I hate apple. Their hatred of customers and developers is a much larger reason. Hurting customer freedom by pulling apps off the app store that they felt competed just a bit too much with them, intentionally crippling older devices so you will want an upgrade, locking me out of my own device so I can't do development without paying a tax, and only giving customers features ONLY AFTER those people they claim are stealing from them implement the feature. How long did we need to wait for multitasking? Why can't my iphone 4 run Siri?


I was the biggest apple fan you have ever met. I have personally made the iphone and ipad supported products for my company and am responsible for over 50 macbook pro purchases. I'm fed up with being treated like a felon for wanting to use their products.

I want freedom to run my software on my devices, to access my data how I want it, and to be free from a treadmill of forced upgrades for support. Apple refuses to give us tools to manager our products, refuses to play nice with developers, and just in general see's it's customers and cash cows that need milking instead of supporters who need quality products.

Their last OS release was a joke, iOS5 has added more bugs and crashes to my phone and ipad then I have ever seen in the last 3 phones I've owned, and my experience as a developer has essentially made me embarrassed I ever suggested them as a solution to anyone.

I think most of those complaints have to do with iOS rather than OSX.

But in any case, I'm assuming you haven't heard of Apple's Enterprise program?
http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/enterprise/

Or perhaps... just the regular Developer program? Both allow you to have full access and control over all of your company's iOS devices. Provided you don't mind having to write some tools from the ground up, that is.

Judging from that you're saying Apple treats its developers like crap, I'd assume that you haven't. Give it a try and see if you're still of the same opinion.

 

[Zaap]

My opinion: either OSX or Windows 7 are perfectly viable solutions, depending on one's personal prefs and needs.

I'd use OSX over Windows for Mac-only software. For example: Final Cut Pro, Motion, Logic Pro, etc. You can't run those on anything else. Yes, there are alternatives on Windows, but IMHO Apple does many things better.

If all one does is the basics with a computer- email, web, word processing, casual gaming, etc. then don't buy into either camp's hype about being the 'best'- either platform will suit just fine. Each side amps the other's weaknesses to try and claim superiority but most of the 'arguments' are played out. Try both OSX and Windows 7 and decide which suits you best. Better yet, use both.

Now the other thing: Linux.

It's taken me years to come to this conclusion, but I finally have: Linux, in any of its various forms, is NOT on par with OSX or Windows, as a consumer-friendly desktop OS. People have told me that, I didn't want to hear it, but alas, it's true.

Linux for arcane server use- yes. Linux as a consumer desktop OS- no!

I'm sure there are those who will deny it, those still steeped in command line BS that they don't want to admit is mostly useless hooey that they've invested way too much time with.

It's taken me time, but I've noticed the same pattern on countless machines, different distros, different versions: a Linux install for a desktop use will start out fine, but if you actually use it for long periods of time, update things, install apps, USE the system: it WILL break. Under the surface the whole damn thing is fragile as an eggshell unless locked down. (Which is why you'll suffer through ridiculous permission issues like you're an intruder on your own system).

Eventually you'll get tired of looking up some arcane command line hooey just to do something simple that a superior way has long since been figured out.

Eventually you'll notice that even at it's best, you'll be using a system that visually is really like a cheap clone of Windows 98 with a WRETCHED theme over it. (And yes, this includes all the WRETCHED 3D crap).

Eventually you'll notice that, no, even when they think they do, Linux UI devs have ZERO sense of style. Eventually you'll get sick of fugly Kcrud or Gcrap versions of applications you actually need, and realize that, no, they don't actually compare to their far superior commercial counterparts on OSX or Windows.

Eventually you'll realize some arcane package system to install files actually ISN'T very practical in 2011, and that, no, none of the package management tools compare to anything on Windows or Mac.

Eventually, you'll realize that 'free' really means "you'll waste a lot of time", which isn't actually free' so you might as well use a REAL desktop OS that you'll pay for upfront.

There. It had to be said!

 

[Patranus]

ZMy opinion: either OSX or Windows 7 are perfectly viable solutions, depending on one's personal prefs and needs.

I'd use OSX over Windows for Mac-only software. For example: Final Cut Pro, Motion, Logic Pro, etc. You can't run those on anything else. Yes, there are alternatives on Windows, but IMHO Apple does many things better.

If all one does is the basics with a computer- email, web, word processing, casual gaming, etc. then don't buy into either camp's hype about being the 'best'- either platform will suit just fine. Each side amps the other's weaknesses to try and claim superiority but most of the 'arguments' are played out. Try both OSX and Windows 7 and decide which suits you best. Better yet, use both.

Now the other thing: Linux.

It's taken me years to come to this conclusion, but I finally have: Linux, in any of its various forms, is NOT on par with OSX or Windows, as a consumer-friendly desktop OS. People have told me that, I didn't want to hear it, but alas, it's true.

Linux for arcane server use- yes. Linux as a consumer desktop OS- no!

I'm sure there are those who will deny it, those still steeped in command line BS that they don't want to admit is mostly useless hooey that they've invested way too much time with.

It's taken me time, but I've noticed the same pattern on countless machines, different distros, different versions: a Linux install for a desktop use will start out fine, but if you actually use it for long periods of time, update things, install apps, USE the system: it WILL break. Under the surface the whole damn thing is fragile as an eggshell unless locked down. (Which is why you'll suffer through ridiculous permission issues like you're an intruder on your own system).

Eventually you'll get tired of looking up some arcane command line hooey just to do something simple that a superior way has long since been figured out.

Eventually you'll notice that even at it's best, you'll be using a system that visually is really like a cheap clone of Windows 98 with a WRETCHED theme over it. (And yes, this includes all the WRETCHED 3D crap).

Eventually you'll notice that, no, even when they think they do, Linux UI devs have ZERO sense of style. Eventually you'll get sick of fugly Kcrud or Gcrap versions of applications you actually need, and realize that, no, they don't actually compare to their far superior commercial counterparts on OSX or Windows.

Eventually you'll realize some arcane package system to install files actually ISN'T very practical in 2011, and that, no, none of the package management tools compare to anything on Windows or Mac.

Eventually, you'll realize that 'free' really means "you'll waste a lot of time", which isn't actually free' so you might as well use a REAL desktop OS that you'll pay for upfront.

There. It had to be said!

Couldn't agree more.

I use both Windows 7 and OS X (prefer OS X) but they are simply both tools to complete a job. Whichever tool completes that job with the least amount of effort is the most effective.

Its kinda how I feel about Android. I can do 100% of what I want with Android but invest significant amount of time modify stuff, downloading programs, installing custom roms, ect. or I can use iOS which can do 90% of what I want to do out of the box.

 

[JasonCoder]

I dig OSX as well. Lots of polish and ease use is hard to beat. But for Win7 there are alternatives for almost each of your points (in case anyone cares):

Things I like about OSX are...

1) Misson Control on OSX Lion. I now use it more than Spaces, simply because of the multitouch gesture support, which I use a lot. Also as embarrassing as it sounds, I'm also enjoying Launchpad now that I have a dozen applications installed, and Launchpad gives me a good way to view them all at once while allowing me to sort them into the right category.

Bins and Fences. Google them. They can be "game changers" (CHECK THE GAME TAPE(Jay Mohr, anyone?)) for a Windows power user.

There are also virtual desktop managers around for Win7. Probably easier to install than my experience with Compiz on my Ubuntu laptop. OSX is probably easier out of the box.

2) Multitouch gestures or keyboard shortcuts to activate Mission Control. I learned about the keyboard shortcuts recently, and have not missed Spaces much thanks to them. Also the multitouch gestures allow for pinch to zoom and two-finger pan, which I use almost every minute I'm on a Mac. It makes that big of a difference while viewing photos and PDFs. Unfortunately, I've heard that it may or may not work on a Hackintosh setup.

Microsoft Touch Mouse: gestures and multitouch support for Win7.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/products/touch-mouse/microsite/

3) No worry about virus or trojan or malware or adware or any of the sort. The only thing I have to look out for... is getting phished, or getting hacked, but having no virus, trojan, or malware to worry about is a big load off. No more antivirus in the background or on specific days of the week.

Don't turn UAC off and don't run as Administrator. You will never need AV software again. Personally haven't used any in over a decade. It's a snake oil business based upon fear.

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2007/08/trojans-rootkits-and-the-culture-of-fear.html

4) It comes pre-installed with Calendar and Mail, two of the applications that I use the most daily. Finding alternatives on Windows 7 has proven to be a pain, especially for Calendar. For Mail, pretty much anything else works, but they are not all integrated seamlessly with the Calendar application, which... brings me back to OSX all over again.

If you like the apps, you like the apps. It's impossible to tell someone to use one of the 1000's of freeware Windows email clients out there if they really like Mail/Outlook/Entourage. That said, guess who is the largest 3rd party software developer on the planet for the Mac? They make Outlook.

5) iTunes works better on OSX than it does on Windows, and it's not available on Linux. And... I have an iPhone 4, so... this one is also a requirement. On a side note, it's also because I have gotten accustomed to managing and sorting my music in iTunes, and can't, for the life of me, go back to the file-within-folder system.

No argument here. iTunes on Windows is an utter disappointment.

6) It's easier to do a whole-system backup than Windows 7, or at least I don't have to fiddle with third-party applications to get the job done.

System restore points, Volume Shadow Copy and the out of the box System Image tool - this last is trivial to use. Also $29 backup software (Acronis) that can't be beat. But really you should have a backup strategy that includes offsite/cloud backup copies. That way if your shit gets hit by an F5 cyclone you aren't up a creek. An encrypted (free(BitLocker)) 2nd drive is the way to go.

7) This is something Windows 8 will have, so I don't think it's fair to mention it, but OSX supports mounting disk images directly as virtual drives.

Win7 has it now, but not out of the box. Daemon Tools for Windows is one of the dozens of software packages (free) that do this and it's super easy. What Win7 does have out of the box is mounting virtual disks (vhd), booting directly into virtual machines not to mention the free WinXP mode.

Flame away if you want but this isn't an evangelism post. I don't work for Microsoft, family has more iDevices than we should and I like Macs. Currently lusting after a 17" MBP...

 

[runawayprisoner]

Bins and Fences. Google them. They can be "game changers" (CHECK THE GAME TAPE(Jay Mohr, anyone?)) for a Windows power user.

There are also virtual desktop managers around for Win7. Probably easier to install than my experience with Compiz on my Ubuntu laptop. OSX is probably easier out of the box.

Bins and Fences are really nothing like Mission Control. What they are is more like the Dock of OSX rather than Mission Control. What Mission Control does is akin to what Window + Tab does, but it doesn't stack all applications, and it shows all applications on the current desktop with a stack of all open windows of each application. Minimized windows are not shown, but that's trivial.

Microsoft Touch Mouse: gestures and multitouch support for Win7.

http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/en-us/products/touch-mouse/microsite/

By multitouch, I mean things like pinch the trackpad to zoom the current view, or swipe with three or four fingers to activate Mission Control and explode all current running windows to see. Having to use a mouse along with my laptop is quite... unproductive in some cases. Plus not all applications support the Microsoft Touch Mouse as far as I see, but all applications under OSX support the multitouch trackpad and mouse just fine.

Don't turn UAC off and don't run as Administrator. You will never need AV software again. Personally haven't used any in over a decade. It's a snake oil business based upon fear.

That's impossible, because certain things like web servers and simulators on my computer do require administrator privileges.

Also I can grant administrator privileges to anything under Mac OSX just fine without fear that it's going to bite me back.

If you like the apps, you like the apps. It's impossible to tell someone to use one of the 1000's of freeware Windows email clients out there if they really like Mail/Outlook/Entourage. That said, guess who is the largest 3rd party software developer on the planet for the Mac? They make Outlook.

Is Outlook included with Windows by default? I sure can't find it in Windows 7. It's included with my install of Microsoft Office for sure. On the other hand, Mail comes default with OSX, and does not require me to connect to the internet or go to some website to download it. It just asks me for the type of account, a login, and I'm in. Also "largest" is by financial asset, not by influence. I'm sure Microsoft does make some very good Mac applications (their Office suite is unbeatable in my opinions), but they sure aren't among the most influential Mac developers.

No argument here. iTunes on Windows is an utter disappointment.

Ironically, third-party does make better iTunes alternatives on Windows. They run better than iTunes, but they still require that iTunes be installed. In any case, on Mac, I get the best of both.

System restore points, Volume Shadow Copy and the out of the box System Image tool - this last is trivial to use. Also $29 backup software (Acronis) that can't be beat. But really you should have a backup strategy that includes offsite/cloud backup copies. That way if your shit gets hit by an F5 cyclone you aren't up a creek. An encrypted (free(BitLocker)) 2nd drive is the way to go.

Well, on Lion, there is a restore partition that is installed along with the OS. It provides a graphical partitioning tool (Disk Utility) that can also be used to make a 1-1 copy of the entire drive onto another partition on an external drive, and that 1-1 copy can also be booted right off that external drive.

There is 0 fiddling, and nothing has to be done.

Not to mention the benefits of a journaling file system:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journaling_file_system

Win7 has it now, but not out of the box. Daemon Tools for Windows is one of the dozens of software packages (free) that do this and it's super easy. What Win7 does have out of the box is mounting virtual disks (vhd), booting directly into virtual machines not to mention the free WinXP mode.

Free Win XP mode is not available in all versions of Windows 7, or at least I can't find it in Home Premium.

OSX can also mount ISO along with their DMG file format, and they can also burn those images directly to either DVD or USB. And they don't require fiddling with creating virtual drive. Each mounted image gets its own virtual drive automatically.

Flame away if you want but this isn't an evangelism post. I don't work for Microsoft, family has more iDevices than we should and I like Macs. Currently lusting after a 17" MBP...

No. Why would I flame away? Given your response, I think you haven't had a lot of time with OSX, so I took the liberty to provide more information.

Personally, I don't have a preference in general. Both OSX and Windows have their own strengths. The listed reasons are what I specifically prefer OSX for, but otherwise, I use both Windows and OSX equally on my MBP... on a daily basis, and with the same tasks and almost the same applications, too.