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Comment by FredPret | Hacker News Reader

I became a new MacOS user when the M1 was released.

One thing I really like is that it's so much more similar to Linux than Windows. Many of my favourite Linux server tools also run on Mac. They're either included or are a "brew install x" away.

Everything from cron to nginx (for local web dev) works like a charm. Combine this with the extreme ease of doing office-type work on a Macbook: Excel works, printing / scanning works. Add in multi-day battery life and a kickass CPU. Price this the same or lower than the equivalent Windows machine. It's a learning curve to go from Windows to MacOS, but well worth it, and a total no-brainer for most non-gamers.

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Every time I click the play button on my keyboard, Apple Music launches and asks if I want to start a subscription. There's no (normal) way to make it so that play will launch, or even reliably play, Spotify.

MacOS is covered in non-removable Apple adware like this but somehow always gets a pass.

... yes apparently I can install an app that force quits Music every time it launches, or I can modify system permissions, but...why can't I just uninstall it?

That's odd, I just tried mine and it controls VLC just fine.

Mine plays whatever was playing last, including youtube in Chrome. Brutal! Now I just click on the play icon in the top menu instead - that shows a list of all play button targets and you can pick which one should play.

Mine usually works great, controlling whatever program or video I'm watching, but 10% of the time it just decides to go control a completely different AV program in the background, for no discernible reason.

I don't have that issue with play buttons on Windows. Never tried media keys on linux.

If a video is already open in VLC, yes. It's a little annoying how the button will launch Music if there's nothing to play. I don't give them a pass for this, it's just still a lottt less annoying than Windows.

Apple is full of weird choices that are off-putting to newcomers, intrusive ads, bugs. For some reason in German, they use a non-standard keyboard layout and they don't sell a standard one.

But it's still better than Windows.

I just wish Apple would fix their idiosyncrasies, I may have gone into the eco-system more fully. I guess they don't need the business of undecided people.

people can't manage to block "malware" on a Windows system but somehow manage to use a dev tools? and the idea that a Mac costs the same or less as a dell/hp is ludicrous. the cheapest MacBook air is $1000, while a Windows laptop is $500. sorry to destroy your ideology but at least be honest and say I prefer a Mac and can afford it suck windows can pound sand.

Equivalent hardware. $500 does not buy you a Mac Air level laptop.

And I am talking about power users, not the hypothetical grandma. Although grandma is ALSO better served by a Macbook.

Regarding hardware for grandma, you misspelled iPad.

Correct, grandma should use an iPad. Big screen, big fonts, plays Wordle, does Facetime, doesn't even have a terminal.

I love my iPad for video and games like chess. Even some people who draw like theirs for that.

+1 and it's very hard for Grandma's iPad to accrue malware, which is a welcome change.

> people can't manage to block "malware" on a Windows system but somehow manage to use a dev tools?

Yes, cause maybe it's a work machine and they don't want to (or aren't allowed to) screw with the system, whether it's by messing with the registry or especially installing some debloater.

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