Best feature of OSX?

What do you consider the best feature of OSX, or what is the reason that you prefer OSX over windows

No Windows SUCKS!!! stuff just wondering whats the main reason you prefer OSX, be it security or whatever

Reason I ask is that both Windows and OSX are both basically the same in what you can do on them, I dont think there is something you can do on OSX and not Windows or Windows on OSX

 

I prefer in general the way you work in OS X. It seems more logical to me.

 

I love spaces. Its so nice to use. I also do like security. No viruses yet. Thats a very good thing.

 

I like that OS X looks sexy even after a fresh install. With Windows XP/Vista, you'd have to download and install multiple programs from Stardock and find different skins to make it look reasonably attractive. That and I like that most programs can be removed simply by deleting them, without the need for an uninstaller or deleting registry entries and stuff.

 

Yeah I hate that too if I install a program just to try it out, there is a bunch of crap left over when I uninstall it.

 

Everything. Seriously, the only thing that keeps me buying Windows PCs is variety. With Apple, you have to conform to Job's tastes or bugger off.

Apple thinks gaming notebooks are dumb. Apple thinks games are dumb. If it were not for those two things I would be happy with a G4 PowerBook.

We have a Core Duo iMac for important stuff (pictures, movies, etc.) and then I have a PC notebook most of the time (I change notebooks like the seasons). I find fixing the problems I create when goofing around with my PC stuff to be almost as fun as games. But I have a pretty sick sense of humor.

 

In my opinion, the one feature of Mac I could go for is the Spotlight search. Other than that....blah.

 

That would probably be my sentiment as well; some of it is a bit hard to put in words, but I still feel a difference in how I work with and interact with my Vista machine at home and my OS X machine at work.

Admittedly there are some specific things about OS X that I do like more; I'd probably say Expose is one of the big ones (I like the way it expands all the windows out so they are all viewable, compared to Vista's Flip3d, and also that it works fairly easily for just a particular app's group of windows or all windows that are open).

Outside of that, I generally tend to like the way a lot of third party Mac apps are designed and work more; stuff like Scrivener, BBEdit, Transmit, Coda, etc. are apps I just prefer the design and functionality of over the equivalent apps I use on Windows. It's a bit hard to explain this one as well, but there do seem to be differences I guess in how people put together and design apps for OS X than Windows, specifically Mac-specific developers (like Panic, Ambrosia Software, Bare Bones Software, etc.).

 

I LOOVE Expose.

Extremely useful. I always switch through my windows, and to me, it's easier than Command Tab (or ctrl tab if you're in windows).

 

I like its management of memory. It handles memory very well in such a way that there are few leaks.

 

I think the single best feature is security. I don't have to worry -- yet -- about malware, scans, etc. Plus, like Sam, I just plain like the system.

@OP: good thread. I like the "No Windows Sucks" notation.

 

The interface & the way things work.
As far as features it'd be the dock.

 

I like the stability of OS X. I'll keep my MBP running for weeks, if not months without ever restarting or running into any issues. I'm also a big fan of the Dock and how it functions along with the consistency across applications as far as the design. Everything is very streamlined.

That isn't to say OS X doesn't have its downfalls. The inconsistency in how the expand and close button works is annoying. I completely understand how both work in OS X and they are inconsistent if you ask me. Also, the lack of customizability. It's definitely "Apple's way or the highway". Fortunately, Apple's way and my way are pretty similar for the most part (although there's a few things I don't quite like and wish I could change).

 

To be fair, although OS X itself isn't terribly customizable, it isn't so closed down that it is impossible to customize. For the most part, many independent software devs have come up with all sorts of utilities and tweaks to modify all sorts of different aspects of OS X...... even just with Leopard alone we've seen a variety of "tweaks"/etc. to change or modify aspects of the OS, such as Hazel's enhancements to the Stacks functionality: http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php

In some cases of course, people have documented other little tweaks that can be performed to change things (some well-documented here: http://lifehacker.com/344376/customize-your-mac-with-leopard-power-tweaks )

This of course isn't something that makes OS X better than Windows, as Windows of course has tons of tweaks and modifications as well; mainly just saying that for many of the annoyances out there that you might have about OS X, odds are that someone has come up with some way to fix it.

-Zadillo

 

Ummm. Yeah. It's actually Alt+Tab traditionally, and Windows+Tab with the Vista Flip3D.

 

I really like the open source community that comes with OS X(being Unix), while still getting great support from Apple. That and the general ease of use of everything.

 

Expose has my vote. And also ctrl+option+command+8

 

Expose is very nice. I use ichat and safari in the same space and switching between the two i very easy.

 

It's funny I've only been using OSX for two days and I can already come up with a huge list.

But here's a few of my favorites already;

Expose (esp the active screen corners)
Deleting stuff vs MSFT's way of uninstall
Dashboard
Its simplicity and elegance in doing day to day tasks, it's just brilliant.

Nothing to do with OSX but part of the draw for me was the beautiful hardware that have a lot of thought put into designing them (backlit keyboard and light sensor, magsafe power cable etc...)

Ok I'll stop now.

 

For me, I have no reason to strongly prefer OSX over Vista or vice versa, especially functionally. On the other hand, for the most part, I just find its many small features conform to my personal preferences more. They're not better in any way than Vista - just different.

It's the little things that add up to just an overall enjoyable experience.

For example, I love that the "maximize" button in OSX is really a "zoom" button - but most people hate this. It's not really any better than Windows, just different.

I also love how you can scroll windows that aren't in focus - you can't do this in Windows. In fact, you can't even scroll subwindows that aren't in focus (e.g. Explorer) - but then again, some people prefer it that way.

Same with Expose and Aero program-select, Dashboard v. Sidebar, etc...

Then again, there are tiny little things that OSX does that bugs me and where I think Windows is far better to (i.e. file browsing/copying behavior, whereas OSX is better with file-moving behavior).

It's a trade-off if some of those little things that make the user experience so enjoyable are worth the occasional major headache....but that's true of Windows as well.

 

Best Features Of OSX
1. Spaces
2. Very clean look
3. No bloatware or need to install drivers for every piece of hardware on a clean install.
4. Rock solid, especially with the things I do to computers in general.
5. Speedy
6. Spotlight finds my stuff a lot more efficiently than Vista's built-in search. I use this to launch applications rather than the dock though. Its a personal preference thing.

 

Do you guys consider every new version of OSX a major upgrade.

Reason I ask is I remember reading about something Jobs had said about how Microsoft was so slow In getting Vista to the market and in the meantime they had shipped like 3 new operating systems.

 

It depends on the version, but I'd consider the major releases to have all been fairly major upgrades (especially since Panther 10.3, and definitely including Tiger 10.4 and Leopard 10.5).

In most all cases they have added some major improvements to interface elements, but more importantly have made major changes to the underlying architecture (Core Image in Tiger 10.4, Core Animation and fully 64-bit in Leopard 10.5, etc.).

 

But is it enough to consider it a new OS, I mean in the end its still OSX.

 

Yeah leopard is 64 bit so it takes full advantage of intel core 2 duos and can see 4 gigs of ram which is nice to have.

 

And Vista is still Windows. A major upgrade doesn't necessarily mean it's a "new OS". The "major" part means that you're talking about major changes/enhancements to the underlying architecture (a focus of both Vista and Leopard, for example) and/or significant new UI functions/etc.

 

I guess what I am asking is was it totally redesigned.

Do not quote me but from what I understand, although Vista still "looks" like windows, its really been redesigned from the ground up.

Same with OSX, it stills looks like OSX, but has it been completely redesigned?

 

Completely redesigned? No. But neither has Vista; Vista still has plenty of core aspects from the same NT kernel that was used in Windows 2000 and XP. Vista is not an OS built from the ground up, if that's what you're implying.

Leopard has gone through major architectural changes under the hood, the biggest one being made completely 64-bit.

If you're really curious about the details, you'd really need to look into some of the developers docs/etc. about Leopard and the underlying changes.

-Zadillo

 

OSX has not been completely redesigned, its just that there are bran new features and functions that were not introduced in Tiger.

As a quick example, spaces are completely new to Mac.

 

Right, but again, it's not just about features. Every single framework and foundation in OS X was made 64-bit in Leopard, for example. Not to mention the introduction of Core Animation.

 

The way it manages window drawing is also re-written.

I jumped from 10.3 to 10.5, so it was a very big upgrade. Tons of new features were added since then.

But I would consider every whole point revision a new OS, with the exception of 10.1 over 10.0 (Which shoulda still been called a beta).

 

Yeah, Mac OS X's each new "cat" I would consider as an upgrade to the OS, just as Windows XP --> Vista is an upgrade to Windows. Apple seems to love holding on to OS X as a brand name, as it looks cooler than OS 11 or OS 9 .

 

Well, at the heart it's still Unix right?
Linux is also unix. It's not a new OS, but it's a major upgrade.

 

I've always liked how they name each release a different cat..going to run out eventually though, lol, whats next OSX "Tabby"

 

No, its:

OS X S
OS X T
OS X E
OS X V
OS X E II.

OS X J
OS X O
OS X B
OS X S II.

 

Linux isn't Unix, just built to be Unix-like.

I know, I know... picky. ;P OS X is based on BSD if I'm not mistaken and the Mach kernel.

 

Sorry, I know it's an old thread -- but...

What does this mean?

And what do you mean by this?

 

I think OS X 10.6 "Siamese" would have a certain ring to it.

 

What I like best about OSX are the following (in no particular order):

1. Fast
2. Easy to use
3. Spaces! If only Vista had it...
4. No need for Anti-Virus
5. The preference pane's are very well laid out. Everything is organized there. I had my MBP setup the way I want to use it in under 10 minutes. Wish I could say the same about XP/Vista.
6. This isn't really an OSX-specific thing, but I like how the built in software like the calendar and address book are integrated with other apps like Safari. I can easily add dates to calendar and addresses to the address book without having to open up those apps first. Again, I wish this was available in Windows.

 

Scrolling in a window that is not in focus means that whenever your mouse pointer is over a window you can scroll in that window without it becoming your focus. It only applies to separate windows of the same application however. This is actually rather useful, especially in Finder. I would hardly call it a "defining" feature, but it's not a bad one

 

Hmmm. I'm trying to think of a case where I've got separate windows open of the same app, but can't come up with any. Got any examples?

Thanks!

 

The Dock and the Dashboard hands-down!

The fact that I don't have to worry about defragmenting, cleaning, or virus also makes having a Mac much more "easy" in general.

Every time I go to my old PC to get a picture or just play a game, it frustrates me that it takes 15 minutes for it to be completely on.

And Macs are just so prrretty!

 

Can someone tell me if Mac's Dock is any different from putting icons in the Taskbar in Windows XP?

A lot of people seem to say that they prefer the Dock to the Start menu, but I'm wondering why more people don't just add their favorite apps to the taskbar (which makes for one-click access to your fav apps in Windows).

 

Well, sometimes its not only functionality...its also how appealing does it look? Questions like that that I feel are in Mac OS X's Dock's favour.

 

But does it behave differently than the way the Taskbar icons perform in Windows? Or is it basically the same thing? (I've never used the Dock.)

 

The Dock visually looks better (in my opinion) and it's not in the way, kinda like when you set your taskbar to only appear when you put your pointer at the bottom of your window.
Google it or go to the Apple Web site for an image, if you like the look, I know there is something similar for PC.

 

I like the dock. Thats why I have it installed in both Linux and Windows. Rocketdock nearly perfectly emulates it, including the new stack feature. It also only uses about 1-2 megs of memory.

 

I love iLife. Most people see me as a PC guy, but I've used two different Macs for over 3 years, starting with a G3 iBook, then a G4 iBook.

Loved them, but like my Dell more.

 

ive said it before, and ill say it again...

i thoroughly enjoy disk utility, in both tiger and leopard. the ability to create images out of the box, and just the whole interaction is A++ from me.

i cant say enough about it.

thats one thing i always hated in xp, you always needed all sorts of other programs to do stuff.

Leopard seems to have added a new sparse image file type too, for time machine, which is great for people with large archives that are .dmg's and updated regulary.

thank you apple.

 

Lets' see (not in any specific order)

1. The Finder & multiple Finder views with one click
2. Cover Flow and Spacebar to Preview images, docs, etc... (Leopard)
3. Installing Apps (drag, drop, done)
4. No tweaking necessary to get it to play nice
5. Dock

If I could build a Mac like I do PCs for the same money and game on it like I do PCs I'd own a Mac. But I have been using Macs at work for about 7-8 years and quite like it. Current machine is a G5 PPC Dual 2.5GHz.