HN Reader

My older Dell XPS Windows 10 laptop was due for an upgrade, and it was new enough that it supports Windows 11. Microsoft's end-of-life of 10, constant prodding to upgrade and Dell's terrible redesign of the XPS series made me look at my options.

I ended up with an M4 MacBook Air and couldn't be happier.

As a person who switched from windows to mac (while linux being an all-time constant) for other reasons, it still feels like a weird migration because windows is a system full of glaring bugs that everyone experiences but knows how to work around while mac is (feels like) a system absent of huge flaws but there are many more smaller bugs that very small number of users experience that are seemingly impossible to work around.

One thing that's driving me crazy:

So for example you have 5 virtual desktops on Mac, and you use a keyboard shortcut to move left and right. So, if you start from the 1st and go to the 3rd and then immediately try to go back to the 2nd (1->3->2), animations need to complete on the 3rd until you can change direction. Doesn't happen if you start from the 2nd and go to the 4th then change direction to move to the 3rd(2->4->3). Same when beginning from the 5th to the 3rd then back to 4th (5->3->4). Doesn't happen with 4->2->3. Also, the windows which are visible on all desktops are shown until the animation is complete then the last focused windows on that desktop will be shown. And even with reduced motion, some fade animation is still there. Infuriating stuff for otherwise a magical experience.

The biggest issue with Windows 11 for me is the noticeable performance lag in basic apps like Notepad and File Explorer. Simple tasks, like opening files or navigating folders, feel sluggish, and I can visibly see windows rendering in slow motion. I’ve heard this might be due to Windows 11’s UI elements being redrawn over lower level UI. I’m considering switching to Linux as my daily driver.

My 89 year old mother switched to Mac. She's not that techy but when Microsoft depreciated her Windows 10 system she asked friends what's good and now has a Macbook. I'm not sure this has been a good move from Microsoft.

Hmm, considering this is on mac rumours, the title does make sense. But it sounds like the more accurate title would be "Windows 10 Deadline Expedites Fleet Renewels". The +17% in lenovo shipments, along with increases for HP and Asus, will all come with Windows 11 installation count bumps, presumeably. That would be the windows 10 deadline working as intended... damnit!

When Windows 8 and the start page came out, I convinced a lot of my end users (most of my 75 end users did over time) to switch as they'd have to learn something new anyway.

Now with Windows 10 going away, they are picking up the stragglers.

Made my life easier.

What an own goal by Microsoft.

I hear Intel in unhappy because enterprise fleets are replacing win 10 with macs.

Apple is well positioned for this, it has never been so cheap to own a Mac before, and the price/performance you get at that price is unprecedented.

Interesting that environmental organisations are not protesting at Microsoft HQ. It's a massive middle finger to nature.

Don't worry the bugs of Tahoe will turn it back down :)

The Windows hullabaloo actually made me want to move off Mac and try Linux. I tried daily driving Bazzite and Omarchy. It's funny how the smallest things can cause resistance to change. For me, the lack of inertial scrolling with mouse wheel and the different copy/paste shortcuts were the dealbreakers. Even though the tiling windows, lack of bloat etc was super nice

It is really weird but at first it made me think of Bootcamp&Windows would be back etc.

If Apple had released the rumoured budget macbook using the A-series chipset and take a shot at Microsoft in the marketing, I think they would see a surge of orders and converts.

Don't expect macOS quality to be any better though, especially if buying laptops running Tahoe.

Windows Vista by all accounts was far worse, and people definitely switched to Mac then because one of the best laptop Windows XP could be installed on flawlessly at the time was a MacBook Pro.