Sandman
2021-09-19 20:47:38 UTC
So, now and then I wonder about the other side, what if I actually tried to
switch to Windows? Could it work?
I mean, the obvious answer is no, since even if we disregard our advocacy
bullet points, we're talking about 37 years of Mac usage, and that kind of
history really do create a way you are used to "how things work".
My main development tool is PHPStorm, which is a java application and runs on
Windows as well, naturally. On top of that, I just need a web browser and a
web server. Now, Apache+mariadDB can be installed on Windows, but I would
think that a safer bet would be Docker for that. So in theory my main
development environment could be more or less replicated on Windows.
So then there is the system, while MacOS and Windows certainly have different
approaches to a great number of things, most of that amounts to relearning
stuff and conventions I guess.
But in the end, Windows is no Unix, and the Unix underpinnings of OSX is
freaking awesome to have at your disposal. And while relearning how virtual
desktops work or how you install and uninstall applications is one thing -
yanking out some 30+ years of unix and linux conditioning isn't an easy task.
It's like moving from emacs to vim, really. Nothing is the same, or even
similar.
And then there's all the little details, things you never think about.
Something like the Automator app, that can create big workflows out of GUI
applications. For instance, I have a "Upload reciept" action when I print a
document, that uploads the reciepts to my web server, saves it in a database
and gives me the option of filling out information about it. AppleScript may
not be modern or even easy to use, but when it does work, it's pretty
awesome. If I hit F19 on my keyboard, an applescript goes through a list of
apps and if any one of them is running, plays or pauses it. So I can listen
to music on Spotify, watch Netflix, youtube, whatever and I hit that button
and it pauses. For the record, yes the Apple keyboard does have a play/pause
button but the app has to support it, and many do, but some don't. Hey
AppleScript :)
So the only reason to even contemplate this for the sake of contemplating
this is gaming of course - the only thing Windows actually does better. I
have a gaming computer in my office, but I do think about how it could be if
that also was my work computer. I don't know, I'm probably just fantasising,
it's late here in Sweden :)
switch to Windows? Could it work?
I mean, the obvious answer is no, since even if we disregard our advocacy
bullet points, we're talking about 37 years of Mac usage, and that kind of
history really do create a way you are used to "how things work".
My main development tool is PHPStorm, which is a java application and runs on
Windows as well, naturally. On top of that, I just need a web browser and a
web server. Now, Apache+mariadDB can be installed on Windows, but I would
think that a safer bet would be Docker for that. So in theory my main
development environment could be more or less replicated on Windows.
So then there is the system, while MacOS and Windows certainly have different
approaches to a great number of things, most of that amounts to relearning
stuff and conventions I guess.
But in the end, Windows is no Unix, and the Unix underpinnings of OSX is
freaking awesome to have at your disposal. And while relearning how virtual
desktops work or how you install and uninstall applications is one thing -
yanking out some 30+ years of unix and linux conditioning isn't an easy task.
It's like moving from emacs to vim, really. Nothing is the same, or even
similar.
And then there's all the little details, things you never think about.
Something like the Automator app, that can create big workflows out of GUI
applications. For instance, I have a "Upload reciept" action when I print a
document, that uploads the reciepts to my web server, saves it in a database
and gives me the option of filling out information about it. AppleScript may
not be modern or even easy to use, but when it does work, it's pretty
awesome. If I hit F19 on my keyboard, an applescript goes through a list of
apps and if any one of them is running, plays or pauses it. So I can listen
to music on Spotify, watch Netflix, youtube, whatever and I hit that button
and it pauses. For the record, yes the Apple keyboard does have a play/pause
button but the app has to support it, and many do, but some don't. Hey
AppleScript :)
So the only reason to even contemplate this for the sake of contemplating
this is gaming of course - the only thing Windows actually does better. I
have a gaming computer in my office, but I do think about how it could be if
that also was my work computer. I don't know, I'm probably just fantasising,
it's late here in Sweden :)
--
Sandman
Sandman