Bye, Bye for now Apple, it has been fun!

[j26]

I tried switching to PC last year being a Macbook user for many years. Didnt like the thick boy the 16inch pro has become. Mostly using laptop for coding web apps the performance of a pro is not needed but the big screen is.

Bought a galaxy book 3 16” and what a dissapointment. Great screen but apart from that speakers, flimsy chassi, flimsy hinge, off center keyboard and worst of all the trackbad that was awful. Bought it in April last year and was back in apple camp as soon as 15 inch air was released.

Lesson learned.

That's one manufacturers specific product. With Windows there are options from bargain basement to high end. Apple build quality is certainly better than most manufacturers, but there are some very high quality machines out there. Personally I think the quality of Microsoft hardware is very good.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

The difference is I already can, and do, use multiple App Stores (Play Store, Samsung Store, App Gallery), and even have one app that I download directly from the manufacturer (DJI). I, and developers, can avoid the fees entirely.

Sure, but if it’s really a “moral” issue as so many people want to make it out to be, is it really much better that Google wants to be locked down but can’t because they haven’t been in the past?
Because all of googles actions suggest that they want android to be just as locked down as iOS, but because they chose a different path 16 years ago, they can’t just reverse it now.
To me, that’s no better, and criticizing one while not criticizing the other is pretty hypocritical.
Same goes for the pricing thing, people criticizing Apple over having phones over $1000, when Samsung and Google have $2000 phones.

 

[j26]

Sure, but if it’s really a “moral” issue as so many people want to make it out to be, is it really much better that Google wants to be locked down but can’t because they haven’t been in the past?
Because all of googles actions suggest that they want android to be just as locked down as iOS, but because they chose a different path 16 years ago, they can’t just reverse it now.
To me, that’s no better, and criticizing one while not criticizing the other is pretty hypocritical.
Same goes for the pricing thing, people criticizing Apple over having phones over $1000, when Samsung and Google have $2000 phones.

Since the genie is out of the bottle for Google, the moral argument is moot - they can't stuff it back in anyway, and now there are rules to prevent them from even trying to.
As for phone pricing - I agree with you. Flagship android phones are no cheaper than iPhone. The only difference is the variety of manufacturers and styles/use profiles.

 

[Lioness~]

Correct! Mac pricing is evil.

Do I like paying high(er) prices for RAM and storage prices? I don’t.

That said, the premium is still worth it for the Apple experience, for me. That may change one day, but it hasn’t.

I hate the argument that anyone is “forced” to buy/pay for anything, as well as making pricing out to be a moral issue. We’re not talking about life-saving insulin here, we’re talking about computers/devices/services.

Call Apple’s pricing high, or unreasonable, or greedy…but “evil”? Get some perspective.

I dislike Tim strongly. and I'll never forgive Steve for giving away Apple's leadership to him.
Yup, the shareholders have earned from it. Maybe not the customers of today.
I buy a lot more reluctantly from Apple today, but I still do, as I need my devices.

Evil is an interesting subject - I stay with saying that it exists far more hidden than what we think.
But we can only stay with our own ethics and morality, and let evil wherever it's hidden produce the karma it creates - because it does.

 

[CrysisDeu]

especially because CarPlay seems to me better than Android Auto

This is going to change.. when apple car is ditched and android phones makers going into making cars

 

[CrysisDeu]

The big Apple Odyssey, all of the hardcore Apple fans are hating the recent Apple.

 

[turbineseaplane]

You know what has helped me immensely just recently?

I re-jiggered my Hack (i7 8700 + RX 6600 + SN770 2TB NVMe) and my 2015 rMBP 15" and I put them both on Monterey

And oh my god am I overjoyed!

I also switched back to iTunes on Windows 11 and macOS (with Retroactive) and I have the library syncing perfectly across all 3 installs and my TrueNAS via ResilioSync

It's magic

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE having "System Preferences" back (vs the new iOS style abomination of "settings")

I think I'm going to be on Monterey for a good on while.
It's SO fast and smooth on my 2015 MBP and my Hack

 

[turbineseaplane]

Mac sales are down double digits YOY and it’s going to continue until they can deliver.

100%
They need to stop the overcharging on component upgrades if they are going to sell fully locked down appliances

 

[turbineseaplane]

With the death of bootcamp, Macs can no longer be the only computer to be fully compatible with both worlds. For anyone who must have some Windows capability too, that was a tremendous benefit loss.

This is what led me to pick up an RX 6600 this weekend and resurrect my Hack
It's just too darned handy to have a dual boot macOS + Windows 11 machine for me

I'm not ready to give it up, and with moving back to Monterey I'm happy as a clam and stable as an aircraft carrier on glassy water.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Nice post and I share some similar view points. There's days it would be nice to have Windows but for the day-to-day, there's very few Windows laptops that match the quality of any MacBook. I'm so used to little or no fan noise, amazing battery life, full power regardless of charging, resell value, and we all know the rest. I had a Surface Pro that blue screened out of the box and then heard the fan spin up just browsing the web and realized why I left. If I did go back to Windows it would be a PC, but those are obviously not silent either.

As far as Android phone or tablet, the only one I would consider is a Googles due to Samsungs bloatware. However, Pixel long term use proves to be questionable and with Google's volatility you just never know how responsive they are going to be when it comes to issues. Their tablet isn't really geared toward being an iPad competitor.

Ecosystem really plays the biggest part. Apple makes it way too convenient for a lot of things and the only alternative to a similar "walled garden" is Google and they are just making a lot of bad moves lately.

I have some good news on this front! My Surface Pro 9 may not even have fans--I am not sure because I never hear them! Now, my gaming laptop definitely has fans and I definitely hear them, but they are much quieter than previous generations with due to the 4060...

A ton of us really longtime Apple users resonate with the OP

I know I do. Amazing how little I miss my mac, and when my surface pro frustrates me as a tablet, I try to go back to my iPad for about a minute before the OS frustrates me.

Apple is no longer interested in users or devices. It’s interested in selling services and shiny devices on which those services run. That’s it. The End.

Well put, this really does seem to be the case.

This sounds totally like you will return soonishly.

You ain’t through with it.

I wouldn't count on it. Maybe when the M1 was new? Just wait until Snapdragon gets here and there is zero reason to even switch...

 

[eltoslightfoot]

Meanwhile, I've never had a Mac of any type. I've always used Windows computers and somehow find them easier/more comfortable to use. I upload most of my important files I need on the move to Google Drive and then use that on my phone and iPad when I need them and it works for me. My current HP has a touchscreen and a stylus and after using it once, I stuck it back in the box. For me the 1st generation pencil is far superior. I have started glancing at the Microsoft Surface and wondering what it might be like in place of a laptop and iPad...

Okay, I am going to be extremely fair on this one. I really, really like my Surface Pro 9. But I mostly use it at various desks as a laptop--more or less. This weekend, I was installing a fan motor in a mini split and needed to watch youtube videos on it as a tablet while installing the part, and it kind of sucks. So if I had to use it 90% of the time as a tablet, I wouldn't be using it. I would either crawl back to my iPad Pro, or go with an Android tablet.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

I respect the OPs opinions, but vehemently disagree. As someone who was a Windows and Microsoft user, I know how easy the Apple ecosystem is to live in. Things do - by and large - 'just work'.

With Windows I was always dealing with a software or hardware problem. The two-finger scroll on the trackpad stopped working. The battery required replacing. Two of the keys came off. Microsoft Edge updated itself twice a week, and always confused me with its new look. Outlook was upgraded and made worse, with compulsory ads. I was constantly being reminded that Bing was not my default search engine, of the benefits of an Office 365 subscription and how near I was to my OneDrive capacity even though it was only 80%.

I could go on - brevity isn't the characteristic of this thread, I see - but now on my Mac I can just get on, uninterrupted. Good luck, OP. I have a feeling you'll be back, as the title of your thread acknowledged....

Man, I also respect your opinions, but I have had more issues with my Mac machines than my Windows machines. I also run debloat programs so maybe that is it? But I have had zero hardware issues (I also didn't buy schlock tech?), very few software issues (I also only use Firefox--not Edge?) I have seen more ads with Apple than Microsoft?

Oh. And all the restarts. Sometimes an update required a restart as part of a bigger restart...

This really hasn't been a problem in years...

 

[canadianreader]

Windows as a daily driver is a big no for me but Linux maybe the closest environment to macOS

 

[one more]

With Windows I was always dealing with a software or hardware problem.

Agreed, I even invented a formula for it. With Windows I was spending about 70% of time making it work (or troubleshooting) and 30% of actually using the thing, whereas with Macs it was the opposite - about 70% of using it and 30% - in troubleshooting. 😉

 

[henrikhelmers]

I think some of the lock-ins are harder to change than others. I can't imagine switching out of Apple Photos, not just because of Shared Photo Library (which is fantastic), but all the edits and metadata.

For now I have embraced the lock-in, but with the leverage that Apple is building they could charge an obscene amount and I would still pay.

I think the only viable solution is some kind of regulation (from EU probably) to force major platforms to maintain a level of compatibility.

The market would be healthier if switching was a realistic option for more users.

 

[maflynn]

And I LOVE LOVE LOVE having "System Preferences" back (vs the new iOS style abomination of "settings")

I agree completely what apple did with system preferences is an absolute crime

 

[k1121j]

I’m close to the same, downgrading from a pro to MBA or just switching all together to a PC at this point. Choices !!!

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

TLDR, I tried but lost after first few lines. A summary would be nice. I don’t get emotional about my devices, I haven’t bought a Mac desktop/workstation for over a decade. I have love hate relationship with my Linux/Windows workstation. But upgradability, specifically GPU is important to me.But for my use cases there are no credible alternatives for my MBP, iPad Pro and iPhone. Do what works, if Apple isn’t for you, buy something else. You do t owe an explanation to any one, neither does Apple or other vendors for not offering what you wnat.

But this is still the subforum 'Alternatives to Mac hardware' so why not discuss/explain that? That is exactly what the OP is doing and what this subforum is for.

 

[Bustermd]

You're free to use whatever device suits your needs.

I like Windows. Windows 10 and 11 are great, actually better than macOS in my opinion. I've actually tried to switch back several times. The thing that has honestly limited me is not "ecosystem" or any of those buzzwords which are mostly marketing gibberish anyway. Its that most Windows computers are terrible hardware-wise. Period. And to get a machine comparable to even an entry level macbook air, you have to spend as much or more. And even if you spend premium $$$ you still are prone to hardware issues and get something loaded with bloatware (see Dell XPS and Razer laptop issues which are well documented). I'm not interested in more impressive specs on paper - I'm interested in functionality. Like I said, your mileage may vary.

My ideal setup might be a windows desktop that I build and a Macbook Pro. That being said, I don't have room for a giant tower with loud fans on my desk. My Mac Mini takes up 1/50 of the space and is just as useful for my needs, while not making a sound.

Also, I hope the irony of using HP as an example is not lost on anyone. HP, the company that remotely bricks your printer if your ink is low isn't exactly pro-consumer.

 

[BanjoDudeAhoy]

Well, good for you, and I understand your reasons.
Personally, I’ve not had any issues with Mac/Windows working together.

On the other hand, merely trying to connect Bluetooth devices to Windows causes me sooooo much of headache on a regular basis, it’s not even funny. Then there’s functionality within Windows that sometimes works and other times just doesn’t, the crashes and blue screens…

Therefore, my impression does not match yours of Windows having gotten better. I have to use it for work for about 10 hours per day, and I honestly feel it’s gotten progressively worse since Windows 7. Windows 11 started off nice enough but I now find it awful and regret installing it on my Windows laptop.

Again, though: good for you. If this works for you, then I’m happy for you

 

[eltoslightfoot]

You're free to use whatever device suits your needs.

I like Windows. Windows 10 and 11 are great, actually better than macOS in my opinion. I've actually tried to switch back several times. The thing that has honestly limited me is not "ecosystem" or any of those buzzwords which are mostly marketing gibberish anyway. Its that most Windows computers are terrible hardware-wise. Period. And to get a machine comparable to even an entry level macbook air, you have to spend as much or more. And even if you spend premium $$$ you still are prone to hardware issues and get something loaded with bloatware (see Dell XPS and Razer laptop issues which are well documented). I'm not interested in more impressive specs on paper - I'm interested in functionality. Like I said, your mileage may vary.

This is a relatively interesting take. I don't agree that most Windows computers are terrible--or at least that word "most" is doing a lot of work in that sentence above. I have owned and built many Windows PCs and laptops. You have brands such as Framework that make the literal antithesis of the modern Mac in that every single part is replaceable. You have the Microsoft Surface lineup, which may have cost issues, but quality is not an issue. And due to the refurbed market, you can save literal thousands over an equivalent Macbook.

I will grant you on the bloatware thing, but it is trivially easy to remove and the first thing I do.

And as far as functionality? How about AI? How about gaming? Linux compatibility?

 

[scorpio vega]

A ton of us really longtime Apple users resonate with the OP

No. We don’t

 

[scorpio vega]

I laughed aloud when I read android tablet. Whew. I guess have a good one.

I for one loving the garden and the lack of worry.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

No. We don’t

Who is 'we'?. Surely you only mean to speak for yourself?

 

[scorpio vega]

Who is 'we'?. Surely you mean 'you'?

I and the many macrumors users who aren’t unhappy at all.

I’m a long time user like many here and are just fine. I do enjoy windows and my surface pro but less so.

But good for Op I guess lol 😂