Marco Alka

Software Engineer, Technical Consultant & Mentor

Sep 13, 2017

Well clearly mac and windows are more powerful than both of these

Based on what info or statistics? Actually, Linux handles quite a few things more efficiently than the NT Kernel. It's not by chance that *NIX is the preferred server kernel (by big corporations; Facebook, Google, Apple - they all use Linux and Unix).

Linux is for people, who love to tailor their tools to their preferences and needs. Linux is a lot more powerful in that respect. Most distributions come with a selection of desktop environments in their installers. How many does Windows offer? 1. Between how many can you choose on macOS? 1 (again). That's pathetic! I want KDE. I love to switch out all the icons, rearrange all the panels and menus and create my unique look and feel. Others prefer Gnome. There are people with very old computers, and there are desktop environments which revive that old hardware (like LXDE). They look gorgeous!

Did you know, that there is a big felt UX performance difference, too? On Windows (and to this day, I still use Windows alongside Gentoo Linux), when running a program which consumes 100% CPU, everything else feels sloppy and laggy. On Linux, I don't even feel a thing while using the GUI normally (stuff, like browsing the net and folders and doing simple operations). It's smooth as butter.

Taking a look at configuration management, *NIX are actually a lot more powerful than Windows. It is the Unix way to store all configs in one big fat folder. They are not hidden behind complex GUIs. They are text files you fill up and copy to hundreds of computers. That might sound more tedious for desktop computers, but actually, I really love that all I have to do is copy /etc in order to get back my old working environment. I love that I don't have to search or read manuals. I just go to the config file and do the changes I need. Usually, the config files are fairly well documented :)

Think about the way you install software. On Windows, you download the software and run an installer. On NIX, you tell your package manager to install whatever you need (no need to search or download or execute). And then you tell your package manager to update everything every time you start the computer. And it will do so automatically, no matter how small and forgotten that piece of software is. How could NIX ever be inferior to Windows in that regard? I only grant macOS some slack here, because they have the "App Store package manager" by now...

Don't forget about R&D. Since Linux is FOSS, it is very easy for independent developers and companies to write some Kernel source with a new algorithm (for example a new file system) and test it on an actual OS on an actual computer with actual users. Did you know? Companies, like Google, AMD and NVIDIA often first do a test on Linux, then port that to Windows. It's things like SCTP, which were first out on BSD and Linux and to this day still haven't been natively integrated into Windows. And you call Windows superior?

Again, how is Windows superior? How is macOS superior? Because of the shiny ads on TV? Think again.

Linux distros have their own share of problems which don't exist on MacOS. They are mostly related to user experience and software support. My primary OS is Linux Mint and I use it 90% of the time. I had a brief period of using MacOS when I had Macbook Pro in company. Bottom line: I talk from experience not from "shiny ads on TV".

So, Linux has easily most terrible Hi-DPI support, even Windows did it much better and is usable in most of cases. MacOS is leading in this, basically almost any app will look good at any high resolution since you can configure scaling at OS level. Try to use FullHD resolution on 13.3'' laptop with Linux, not usable for most of people, and scaling options are really bad. Easiest "solution" is to lower your display resolution which is stupid. So no fix here.

Chromium based browsers lack proper support for hardware video decoding. Many video chips (basically ALL Intel integrated graphics used in every ultrabook in last 5 years) are not supported in Chrome so when you watch videos anywhere your CPU will be used for software encoding, although your iGPU has all types of video decoders. That means your CPU will get more load, be hotter, fans go on and battery life is affected. On Windows and MacOS you can watch YouTube videos and listen music for much longer time without high CPU usage and fans turning on, your machine lasts longer and is cold and silent. In order to "fix" this you have to get a custom build of Chromium which enables proper hardware video acceleration. Nothing official yet, although there is a pull request so it could become official in Chromium in the next few months.

A lot of software is non existed or lacks features that are implemented on Windows and Macos version. Productivity software like whole Adobe CC suite, Microsoft Office, Google Drive Sync client, proper fully featured Skype that is not web application. Also, there is no alternative to MacOS's Spotlight. Also, there is a whole lot smaller productivity apps related to form filling or smart clipboard history software that MacOS has.

And let's not talk about new hardware and drivers compatibility. If you're using Linux it's best to avoid new hardware since there is big chance something won't work properly (be it CPU, GPU, WiFi chip or some external device). It can manifest in subtle but very annoying issues like screen tearing or weird UI stuttering. Yuck.

These are important issues that are not resolved on Linux. I have to deal with them on Linux, I have to invest time and effort to fix or research them and spend hours to find proper solution or workaround (if any). In my opinion MacOS is the best OS for developers. Not that you can't work with Linux, but they have old and stupid problems that are affecting almost everyone. It comes down whether you can live with lost hours on debugging and finding fixes. I can so I'm using Linux, but we have to be aware of these thing and criticize them objectively.

Ivan Bernatović

Linux distros have their own share of problems which don't exist on MacOS.

Remember I am a macOS user.

Another excuse for not justifying the use of Linux. Denying the existence of problems in macOS and of Windows is absurd. Sorry, but it is an illusion. macOS and Windows has still problems, you just do not admit. Recently Apple had problems with battery failures and processor overheating. You can say macOS is free of viruses, and Linux is not free of viruses, but you found absurd excuses for not justifying or maybe you have been victim of bad information from misinformed fanboys who spread excuses and lies.

Hear, many months ago, Intel-based processors macOS and iOS had suffered of hacking attacks, causing the vulnerability of privacy, and macOS has suffered viruses attacks the last 3 years. Windows is not free of problems and viruses either.

So, Linux has easily most terrible Hi-DPI support, even Windows did it much better and is usable in most of cases. MacOS is leading in this, basically almost any app will look good at any high resolution since you can configure scaling at OS level. Try to use FullHD resolution on 13.3'' laptop with Linux, not usable for most of people, and scaling options are really bad. Easiest "solution" is to lower your display resolution which is stupid. So no fix here.

I began to analyse your words and to realise, in spite of no intentions to offend you, but you acted a lot like a fanboy find excuses, what it is not good. By the Force's love, do not act like. The Linux users at subreddit UnixPorn shared their Full HD resolution screenshots. In Indonesia, there was a college lab which ran a train which passed through several computers with Ubuntu, in a command line via terminal. It meant that it was possible to apply Hi-DPI support for Linux.

Chromium based browsers lack proper support for hardware video decoding. Many video chips (basically ALL Intel integrated graphics used in every ultrabook in last 5 years) are not supported in Chrome so when you watch videos anywhere your CPU will be used for software encoding, although your iGPU has all types of video decoders.

There is an option of forcing to enable (see here), although Google do not support or have no plans. Firefox and other alternatives, as Vivaldi, support it. Why are you limited yourself to Chromium? I use several browsers.

A lot of software is non existed or lacks features that are implemented on Windows and Macos version. Productivity software like whole Adobe CC suite, Microsoft Office, Google Drive Sync client, proper fully featured Skype that is not web application.

Another excuse. There is a latest and newest Skype native app for Linux, Microsoft did not abandon/drop it. There is already Insync, is a Google Drive Sync alternative. I use it daily.

Also, there is no alternative to MacOS's Spotlight.

More another excuse. Fourth excuse. Ah, much drama. Stop with not justifying the use of Linux or and the misinformation. There is Cerebro in GNOME and a native Spotlight in KDE called Krunner in the which I can check date conversion, convert currencies, measures and make calculations, open URL with browser.

Also, there is a whole lot smaller productivity apps related to form filling or smart clipboard history software that MacOS has.

Fifth excuse. Did you hear of Lastpass and Autokey? KDE has a native clipboard called Klipper.

In my opinion MacOS is the best OS for developers. Not that you can't work with Linux, but they have old and stupid problems that are affecting almost everyone. It comes down whether you can live with lost hours on debugging and finding fixes. I can so I'm using Linux, but we have to be aware of these thing and criticize them objectively.

Another and last excuse. Please be careful, it is a fanboy excuse. It is one of the known excuses and it is interpreted as a fanboy excuse. The macOS, as I have cited above, also had old and stupid problems, as principally with Intel-based processors vulnerability, you could not disable the verification of the apps. I am a macOS users and lived with lost hours, trying to fix many problems on macOS.

No intentions to offend, but stop being an Aline in the Wonderland. Stop with spreading excuses and misinformations! It is not good!

If macOS was the best OS, it would have already come with ready C#, C++ (without having to install XCode), Go, Haskell, Python 3 and Ruby and TeX would be quicker. Only with Homebrew, macOS would become the best. But not totally. Because I am not deluded, like you, I know all OSes has problems.

In conclusion, I analysed your argues, I can see you are not already to be self-sufficient. At sometimes, a non-self-sufficient is always deluded denialist, misinformed and arranges absurd excuses for avoiding Linux and claiming that macOS and Windows are the best jut because they are powerful or do not have problems.

macOS, Linux and Windows can not be powerful because they do not have everything we need.

Finally, if you think macOS is the best, please stop using Linux, then stay with macOS. And stop dictating the people that yours is better than theirs and they have to use yours.

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