MacOS Catalina: Slow by Design?

I've been using linux distros (~5 years of Ubuntu and ~3 years of Arch) before switching to macOS somewhere around 2013-2014. And now years later I'm thinking about moving back. But every time I'm think about this I start with digging about current Linux situation and every time I realise than it is still a horrible system for anything outside of work, especially if you can't really do without a decent UI\UX.

Apple's ecosystem is also an issue. iOS + macOS is still much better than anything on the market (no alternatives really).

PC + WSL + somewhat illicit OS X VM has been a dream for me as a former Mac user.

I use my work machine for work and my personal equipment for everything else. My iPhone is more standalone then they used to be. I don't see any reason why I'd ever connect my personal phone to my work computer. So I don't see many downsides to making the switch.

My mother asked me to help her out with her win 10 installation on her work notebook. This was terrible.

UI is still inconsistent between apps, sometimes it feels like you are using 3 different OS from 3 different time periods. But you can get used to that I guess.

OS settings are still a strange place created to make an average user (or someone who haven't been using the OS for more than a decade) feel as an idiot.

No, amount the Big Three - Windows is the last place I'd look moving too. At least Linux gives me freedom at the expense of UI\UX. Windows give me... well games. I can't thing of any other reason to install linux except competitive gaming.

Switched from macOS this year having used it for about 8 years to first PoP_OS and now Manjaro. Both were great (GNOME environments) and very productive for both development and general use. I really like the streamlined, "get out of your way" UI.

I would say go for it, I'm glad to not be dealing with any of this nonsense, while paying a premium for it.

Give windows 10 and WSL2 a try. With the new terminal and editor it is really a neat setup. macOS is hard to beat in terms of smoothness and looks but unfortunately it gets more and more clunky for working.

Well, I don't have 'work' computer. I have my personal macbook and even more personal iMac.

Obviously in case you work only at the office or you use your computer only (lets say 90% time) for work - than there is no problem.

> iOS + macOS is still much better than anything on the market (no alternatives really).

The Windows + Linux combo is way better for all productivity, gaming and development than the mess macOS has become since Jobs passed away.

I've seen both of them, but the "get out of your way" UI is a limited feature. Apps are still do not respect the rest of it.

You install this new distro (like Elementary if it's still alive) and fall in love with the new Finder clone. But then you install twitter client, torrent client and a dozen of other everyday apps. And they all look terrible. And feel even worse. People still don't care.

As much as I hate certain things about macOS - I'd still chose it over Manjaro for example (haven't really tried PoP)

And not to mentions things like continuity and handoff. I can live without being able to copy paste token from my phone to my computer but this is so convenient T_T

My previous comment on win10 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23274273

I'm too much into gaming this days, PS4 is enough for me.

As for the rest I've commented about win10 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23274273 and Linux distros: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23274492

I still find macOS to have best balance of productivity, development and feel. Windows is still terrible and linux is just for work.

Linux on the desktop has been my daily driver for years (mainly xfce and gnome).

I use linux to watch movies, create music, play games and everything else. What exactly makes it a "horrible system outside of work" for you?

> twitter client, torrent client and a dozen of other everyday apps

I don't install any of that in work machines, and I'd hope most devs don't either, specially if the company owns the device.

If you really need those, why cannot you use the browser?

> continuity and handoff

Why do you need that for development?

Even if your workflow requires it for some strange reason, why don't you use an alternative? There are plenty of ways to pass data between devices.

Makes sense.. especially if you're still hooked into iOS. I had already given up iPhone couple years earlier so was easier I imagine.

I just use messages.google.com and save it as an app shortcut, and Telegram native app, and both work well. And generally am fine with web apps if a native app doesn't look right. But finding the right native app for the desktop environment can be an issue. The GNOME skinned apps are pretty nice.

And Manjaro has the AUM for plenty of available tools and such. But that's more dev focused

Interesting it’s possible that we have different priorities, but I’m not bothered by UI inconsistencies. I use chrome, office, adobe suite, a trading application, games, VSCode, they all have different interfaces that I know how to navigate. I agree that the settings can be tough. Half the time you are in “new” stuff and half the time you’re pulling up the screens from XP. I just google what I need to do though, and never have trouble getting it done.

>Linux on the desktop has been my daily driver for years

Same for me, I've even been a maintainer of one (ONE! lol) AUR package.

>especially if you can't really do without a decent UI\UX.

Outside of a few Electron-base apps and maybe a few native gtk\kde one - everything looks like a work of high schooler. Nobody thinks about the UI\UX.

Compare Things3 and something from linux word. Or Bear. Or Twitterrific\Tweetbot.

But go no further than your system's settings: https://imgur.com/a/p0kl7wM - wtf is this? You have a window that takes 80% of your screen some huge ass controls that still take some 20% of the the whole view. Who thought this was a good idea?

Gnome 3 is even worse (I loved gnome2 back in 2009)

When I used my personal machines for everything, then I isolated my work from everything else. Remote servers are perfect for this, then you can just ssh in from any machine and do your work.

I think you are missing a point here.

tl;dr: I don't have and don't want to have two PCs for two use cases.

I have my personal macbook that I use for work (development) and everything else. I use it when I have to be at the office or when I want to work outside of my apartment. Needless to say I want my personal computer to have applications that I use. For both - work and ... not work.

>> continuity and handoff

>Why do you need that for development?

I don't. I don't use a computer only for development (see above). But even during development something it can come in handy. For example when you are working on a service that has sms auth. Can I just put in 6 digits by hand? Sure. But having them being copied from you phone for you is very convenient.

> priorities

Not priorities but rather attitude maybe? (Not sure if the best word but this is the best I can think of with my english, hopefully it doesn't sound offensive or tactless)

Imagine you have a car. Great engine, relatively comfortable seats, a new set of tires and a body so ugly you want to ram it into a wall everytime you are behind the wheel. It does its job well but you do not enjoy the time with.

Being able to enjoy my time with a device or an OS (or any other thing or person for that matter) is what I want. Obviously sometimes the issue is on my part.

>this

these

Yes, UI consistent mostly in terminal and chromeless applications. Really shows how bad alternative OSes are.

Seriously though with i3, beautiful fonts, so much in the browser it's not bad.

That is definitely not wise.

Many companies lock down devices for good reason. For starters, to prevent employees doing that and risking the entire company.

The issue is that you claimed that "there is no alternative to macOS", but you are talking about your particular use cases (not gaming) and subjective opinions (does not like Win10, does not like Linux).

macOS’ only strength for development is the ability to target iOS. For the majority of developers, a Windows/Linux setup is better because it covers everything. Linux is the best environment for most dev fields. Windows is the best for some of them (graphics, gamedev, C#).

Many companies also take a screenshot of your screen every 10 seconds to "keep you in shape". I'm not taking part in this shit show thankfully. I've had my time in corporations that do this or similar stuff. Never again.

And the only channel I'm connected to the company is the email and selfhosted gitlab. Now tell me how can a twitter client on my working machine harm this. Not in a fictional one in a life time scenario out of Mr Robot.

No, I didn't claim this. Unless you are trying to take one phrase out of context and dance on it.

What I said is that macOS is the only OS that provides the needed balance of everything (except gaming). Other platforms are not alternatives because you have to chose - either you are getting a good dev machine that is not a enjoyable to use for other use cases, or you are getting windows which is not enjoyable for the reasons I've described in the other comment. The only two reasons to chose windows (as I see it) are gaming (and game development maybe) and windows (often enterprise) development.

To sum it up with an analogy and close the topic: a truck is not an alternative to a volvo s60 just because it is also a car and can do even more than a volvo s60.

PS:

>macOS’ only strength for development

This is your second comment where you for some reason ignore most of my comments and focus just on what suits you.

Don't mix privacy and security. Privacy-invading policies have nothing to do with the discussion.

As for examples, you have many, including ones discussed in HN regularly.