Ten things I hate about the Mac and love about Windows
What I Hate About The Mac
1) USB Devices Always Wake the Computer - If my computer is sleeping, and I unplug my iPod to go out, why does my computer wake up? Why, why, why? Same if I’m unplugging my display/USB hub to use my computer as a laptop. The computer should NOT wake up.
2) USB Drives Can’t Simply Be Unplugged - In a similar vein to the first one, I should be able to yank out my USB drive and go. Why do I have to eject the drive first? I don’t on Windows…
3) No Cut and Paste in the Finder - Before I start, I understand the motivation for utilizing drag and drop. And for the most part, I love using drag an drop. But when I’m moving a file from one folder nested in Adam/Documents/Important/Files/Taxes/NotReallyTaxes/Games/MoveThis.file all the way to Adam/Movies/Films/A-F/Crappy Movies/ThisFileWas.moved, Drag and Drop isn’t the best option. Even if it isn’t called cut and paste (I’m aware of the problem with the name scheme), call it “Sticky Move” or “Smart Move” or something. Just include it.
4) No Universal Uninstaller - I love that applications in OS X are for the most part self contained. You can drag to a folder to install, and uninstall by dragging to trash. But for applications like Adobe Photoshop CS3, or Apple’s own Final Cut Studio, they are not self contained and to properly uninstall, one needs to resort to third party apps like AppDelete and AppZapper. Windows has an uninstaller (albeit a hit or miss one) built in. Why can’t OS X? It wouldn’t be used that much, but when it is needed, it would be invaluable.
5) Empty Trash is Severely Crippled - If I drop a file into the trash that an application is using, the trash won’t empty. It will throw up a message saying that “Trash cannot empty because such and such is in use.” This is all fine and well, unless, as I find happens much too often, none of your open applications seem to be using it. I have quit all my apps too many times to count only to find that the file was still “in use.” Is it too much to ask for OS X to at least tell me what process is using it? Then I could kill it with Activity Monitor.
What I Love About Windows
1) Ability To Install Almost Any Software - What’s the oldest software you can run natively on a new Mac? About three years. What’s the oldest software you can run natively on Windows? Way over 10 years. I had an OS9 version of Photoshop Elements. Ran in Classic on my Power PC Mac, Didn’t run at all on my Intel Mac. The Windows version (bundled on the same CD) Ran like a charm on Windows XP.
2) Maximize Done Right - I know that the green button in OS X isn’t technically a Maximize button, but I don’t know what it is. In iTunes and Calculator, its a mode switcher. In Safari, it’s a resizer. In iPhoto, iMovie, Aperture, and Firefox, it’s a maximizer. In Windows, it has, does, and always will expand the window to full screen. I understand why maximization isn’t practical in todays world of huge screens, but neither is a multi purpose vague button marked with a plus that may, in fact, make the window smaller.
3) Access to the Innards - Quick and Easy. I can delete any System File without being told I don’t have privileges even though I’m the freakin’ administrator. Great for tinkerers.
4) Easy Force Quit - By and large, it takes three clicks of “Force Quit” in OS X to actually make it force quit. In Windows,as long as you can get the Task Manager up, you can quit anything. It’s as easy as Ctrl-Alt-Del.
5) Settings are Remembered - OS X, If I leave my Finder window in the corner, I want it to stay in the corner. Windows knows this, you can learn too. Thanks.
What gripes do you have with OS X? What do you love about Windows? How about the other way around? Sound off below!
Keep up with the latest Apple news! - 
Subscribe to our feed →
i really don’t understand how no-one else has realised that command-c and command-v copy and paste in finder just as easily as windows ctrl-c and ctrl-v. it’s almost exactly the same, yet no-one here has found that??
on April 26, 2008 at 06:40 AM - LINKand force-quitting is almost impossible windows - you can click and click and click and it just won’t quit :(
however i do prefer the customability and wider range of products/games available for windows
Nick—Not sure what you are talking about. If you are referring to the cut and paste in finder thing, then you’ll notice I’m talking about the lack of a CUT feature Specifically in the Finder. I’m well aware of command C and command V.
on April 26, 2008 at 09:48 AM - LINKEveryone needs to chill about this Mac and PC/Windows debate. They both pretty much do the same thing, but sometimes they do it in slightly different ways.
One can highlight the benefits of a Mac and deride PCs or Windows, and others will do the opposite. Howver, at the end of the day, browsing the internet, opening/deleting applications, media, pictures, editing, music, usb in/out, and games can be done on both systems. however, if you love a Mac, you are going to be more forgiving when it crashes and when you can’t play a game on it, but if you love windows, then you will be less likely to feel the few seconds it takes to boot up or shut down.
In the grand scheme of things, it makes absolutely no difference.
on April 29, 2008 at 03:58 AM - LINKMy 2 pet hates are:
1. ‘Save As’ Default location is .. the last place you did a ‘Save As’ to. That’s silly. If I open a letter to my bank manager dated last week - and save it as a new letter (today), I don’t want it save under ‘car maintenance’!!
2. ‘Print’ dialog doesn’t include page size. I have to go to ‘Page Setup’. Then I go to print preview - and, oh dear, I got the paper size wrong - so then I have to back to page setup - and so on! What a pain!
on May 15, 2008 at 07:31 AM - LINK