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Comment by wayneftw | Hacker News Reader

What Mac-only apps that you use do you consider high quality?

I’m asking because outside of some big ones that I don’t use, like Final Cut Pro or Pro Tools - most of the Mac apps I’ve found are very low on features or “options” (flexibility). They all seem to try and follow Apple’s model of only serving the happy path and completely ignoring anyone who needs more than that - e.g. power users.

Even normal users get annoyed by this tendency, like recently when Apple removed the “mark all as read” option from Mail in iOS.

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Some I personally use and would miss:

  Things 3,
  Scrivener (Mac only for 5-6 years, later had a Windows port),
  Acorn,
  Pixelmator Pro,
  Transmit,
  Capo,
  Omni-Graffle,
  Omni-Project,
  BBEdit,
  Dash,
  Ulysses,
  Final Cut Pro X,
  Logic Pro X,
  Numbers,
  Keynote,
  Soulver,
  Quiver,
  Viscocity,
  NVAlt,

Even others that are ported, like MS Word, I prefer the look and operation of the Mac version...

>most of the Mac apps I’ve found are very low on features or “options” (flexibility). They all seem to try and follow Apple’s model of only serving the happy path and completely ignoring anyone who needs more than that - e.g. power users.

Or you know, "do a thing and do it well", the UNIX philosophy...

Not sure what power user needs aren't met though (especially with the full unix userland available as well)

Coda, though that's being replaced by something new any minute now.

Apple News, though it's still moist behind the ears and needs more features.

Sequel Pro, though if there's a Windows equivalent my IT department hasn't found it yet.

There are a bunch of tiny workhorse utilities like FileChute, EasyBatchPhoto, and Subler. Though there's probably a Windows version of Subler.

There are a number of Mac-only apps that attract people, but it's not the 1990's anymore. People don't use a platform for a "killer app." Most people choose a computer because they like the way it works. macOS works better for a lot of people than Windows or Linux. They may also be partial to the hardware for various reasons.

They all seem to try and follow Apple’s model of only serving the happy path

Apple, and its users focus on getting things done. Productivity is highly valued.

completely ignoring anyone who needs more than that - e.g. power users.

"Power users" is just Nerd for "tweakers and hobbyists." Apple hasn't been interested in that demographic since 1984. If you're a later-day "power user," good for you. Linux awaits.

The only reason I keep a Windows box around is for IE11 compatibility testing. And Linux I only use on servers. That's because the way macOS works makes sense to me. It didn't at first, coming from Windows. But now that I understand the workflow conventions, it makes sense, and I prefer it.

Well, I wouldn’t actually call something like having competent window management, something that macOS is sorely lacking, a “hobbyist” feature.

I don’t buy the argument that Apple wants to let you get things done when their stuff lacks things like that. How is removing a feature like “mark all as read” helping me do that?

And if you think Finder works better than Windows Explorer or other products that emulate Windows Explorer, you’re certainly in the minority.

>Well, I wouldn’t actually call something like having competent window management, something that macOS is sorely lacking, a “hobbyist” feature.

I've used Windows and Linux (several wms), I wouldn't call their window management any more competent (if not less).

If you want a tiling wm for macOs, there are a few.

But managing windows is mostly bikeshedding, and for that something like Linux would serve better...

Cmd+Tab and Cmd+` are great. Maybe it's dumb to you, but that's what keeps me coming back to macOS.

Finder still feels less cluttered to me than Explorer. It isn't quite as simple as Finder vs Explorer, it's the built-in assumptions. For me, Finder + Unix filesystem vs Explorer + Windows filesystem is a no-brainer.

Can you elaborate on your comment "competent window management"?

Being able to maximize a window without having to use 2 hands (to hold down the option key). Snapping. Switching directly back to another apps window. Being able to see a separate icon in my dock for every open window.

If I have to install third-party app to do this stuff, it doesn’t really help me when I go over to some junior developers machine to help them.

The problem is that macOS is what they call “app-centric” and they’re the only ones who do it. It’s not better, but Apple will try to convince everyone that it is, just like when they stuck with the single mouse button for a decade, when clearly multiple button mice were considered the standard.

> “The problem is that macOS is what they call “app-centric” and they’re the only ones who do it.”

Actually, it’s document centric - the Windows approach is “app” centric. It has always been like that, 35 years and counting. It’s arguably a “truer” implementation of a windowed UI, than Windows.

No that is incorrect, macOS is app-centric and it’s really not a truer form of anything in particular other than its self. That’s why you only see one icon in the dock per app and not per window or document. And you cannot switch directly from one document in one application to another document in another application. You have to switch apps first, then you can switch documents/windows.

Windows is window-centric. That’s why when you do alt tab, you see all of the windows. That’s also why you classically see a separate task bar item for each window.

I’d like to hear an argument in support of your view though.

> Sequel Pro, though if there's a Windows equivalent my IT department hasn't found it yet.

TablePlus [1] has a Windows port.

[1] https://tableplus.com

Here are some that I would say cater to power users and are flexible and high quality

* OmniFocus and anything from Omni Group

* Alfred

* Keyboard Maestro

* Drafts

* iStat Menus

* Soulver

* BBEdit

* Hazel

* Marked

* MindNode

and tons more that I have not personally used or found useful.

It's probably also worth noting that BBEdit has been around since the early 1990s and has weathered several transitions.

Scrivener used to be Mac-only, until demand was such that they made a Windows version. It's the Mac app for novel-writers.

I've bought Scrivener twice now and have never actually used it — but it's so beautifully made. I just want it to still be here when I finally get around to it.

* Screenflow

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