An odd thing happens when people jump on the Mac bandwagon – they are so excited to be a part of it that they often don’t acknowledge the “darkside” of the product. So, out of fairness, here’s what I dislike about being a Mac user:
10. Function Keys
You’d think this would be insanely powerful … and they are, sometimes. The problem is that my external keyboard’s function keys are different from the MacBook Pro’s onboard keys – so there’s a descrepancy there. Plus some of the software I use (mostly Notes and a 5250 emulation for our ERP system) require funciton keys to do things … so I find myself adding lots of toolbar buttons to compensate for the fact that I can’t keep my keyboard buttons straight.
9. Windows
Despite my best efforts, the fact of the matter is that I still need to keep Windows around for stuff. Certainly my Notes Admin/Dev clients (although the web Admin client is GREAT). But whenever I’m dealing with Microsoft software (Office) or heavy network/file interaction, I find that doing my work in Windows goes MUCH faster. (Using MS Word alone is far easier/faster/better in Windows. Sadly.)
8. Permissions
It seems that the longer you use your Mac, the more likely you are to run into an error (usually when installing an upgrade) that tells you that you don’t have permission to write to your drive. For me, its not a question of setup (I’m the admin, and I usually get this when doing 3-4 upgrades in a row). To fix it, I need to run exhaustive permission repair utilities which take a long time to fix something that really wasn’t a problem caused by anything I did.
7. Tasks
There is a task manager type utility in the OSX but its not on all the time. Menu bar software helps show you what’s going on, but it seems like there should be a built-in, easy way to look at what software decided to hijack your system resources at any given time without going to find a tool to do it. I use some add-on software to do it, but it just seems like something the O/S should have availabe at a moment’s notice.
6. Network Drives
Connecting to a network drive is goofy and painful. If anyone is aware of software that makes it easier – let me know!
5. Eject
Every time you take out a USB or Firewire drive, you need to “eject” it. Technically, you should probably be doing it in Windows too, but the Mac yells at you (popup warning that looks severe) and holds a grudge (doesn’t let you plug it back in until you reboot). For people like me who always have a USB backup drive, Firewire media drive and USB memory stick plugged in — AND — take my Mac to lots of meetings when its not at my desk… the “eject” process takes WAY longer than it should and doesn’t seem needed… until you want to plug things in without rebooting. Doh!
4. Finder
I’ll admit it: I miss Windows Explorer. Finder is great, but its tough to deal with when you move files around quite a bit. Its also hard to determine where you are exactly in the file system (without doing some extra clicking on title bars and such).
3. “Does it work on a Mac?”
If you own a Mac, you’ve asked that question. A lot. Most of the software you need works on the Mac or has a Mac-counterpart. However, you find that some of the “handy” stuff isn’t supported on the Mac yet (Lotus Quickr sidebar, I’m looking at you) or is just a bit goofy when you use it on the Mac (MS Word, I’m looking at you).
2. Cost
Mac’s are more expensive. There’s no getting around it. You could argue that they last longer, but I argue that the longer you have one the more you are likely to encounter problem #1…
1. Support
You’re only good option for support is the Apple store. Which requires a reservation. Which means that you’ll be helped within 2 hours of that reservation time, but you need to be there on-time. Which means that once they run through troubleshooting you’ve already done, they’ll want to keep it in the store and give it to a tech. Which means that you’ll get it back in (based on my experience) 5-7 days. Which means you’re without your work machine that long. Once its back, its always fixed completely, whcih is great. Its just been a painful week. In business terms: that’s not good enough. (One additional note, I’ve seen two examples now where the paperwork printed at the store contains any passwords you gave the Apple people when you dropped off the machine. Niiice. Perhaps that could be something they have to look up on their system only and not put on paper? I’m just sayin’.)
To wrap up, I’m not doing a 10 things I love post because I don’t know how to pick only 10. 
July 28th, 2009 at 9:29 am
For some reason, I kept hearing cool music as I read this top 7, er 10 list.
July 28th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Hey I will start on the Top 10 “Why you should love Mac”
10.Reliable
9.install takes less time
8.uninstall is EASY
7.Running MS Windows in “Parallels4″ make live easier when you need apps that dont run on Mac.it even make is seamless in interface > Demo here http://www.parallels.com/eu/products/desktop/pd40_tutorial-en_US/
6.its looks lot better then MS
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
I don’t understand why people complain about 1. Please give me an example of another computer company where you can make a reservation and just bring in your computer and someone will try to fix it for you? Dell, HP? Where are the Microsoft stores? I have had nothing but GREAT experiences at the Apple Store. When I hear people bitch about them I remember the times I have seen people make asses of themselves at the stores by being completely unreasonable. Case in point, a guy who was using Boot Camp BEFORE IT WAS OUT OF BETA and had trouble installing Windows and wanted help or he would return his MacBook Pro. Kept talking about how he had heard Apple was so great and Mac’s were so great but here he couldn’t get Windows to install on unsupported BETA software and Apple wouldn’t help him and he was going to say bad things about Apple wah wah wah. The clerk told him they didn’t support this software, please go on-line to the forums and ask a question, but he whined and bitched enough he finally gave in. Total jerk.
And you CAN get help even if you don’t live near an Apple store. Ever hear of Apple Experts? Thought not.
http://www.apple.com/support/expert/
Go here and log in and somebody chats with you and tries to fix your problem. They can’t fix everything, but have helped me out several times. Cost. Nothing. Nada. They don’t ask for a serial number or a credit card, etc.
Is Apple perfect. Far from it, and I criticize them when deserved. For example, their policy on release notes is shameful, terrible. But you can get LOTS of support from Apple.
Also, try the forums on Apple. Search them, I have found TONS of useful stuff there. Look, not every problem requires you to go to an Apple store and have someone hold you hand. Some do.
Also, there is some place on Apple’s web site that list Apple Authorized repair centers by zip code.
Sorry for venting, I know you like your Mac, but this thing about the Apple Store is my pet peeve.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:07 am
I have some comments on your points.. I think you live to much in a windows world. When working with a Mac you have to get used to some things…But when working on a mac you should also have noticed that some things are much more logical than on windows. Worked wwith Windows 7 for a few hours….and didn’t understand anything of that…That pretty painfull as i used to work with XP.. This means the upgrade form XP to Windows 7 is verry hard…
1 There is a lot of support on the web….Ever tried to call a helpdesk at MS? Then they say you heve to contact your harware vendor….I hate the OEMS
2 The price is higher…but mac is cheaper. I sold my 3,5 year iMac for about 660 EURO….ever tried that with a windows PC of 3.5 years old?
3 I agree…sometimes there are programs which are not availible. And I do miss the admin client and the quickr plugin. But I also do miss al lot of things on Windows
4 You have to get used to it, but there are free alternatives….ever tried the windows 7 explorer…
5 Also windows Yells about this..So here is no diffrence..Only in Windows it’s verry hard to eject ellegantly. It’s always complaining that it is in use. One of my big windows frustrations.
6 Don’t have that experience.. I do had an experience when coping a 4kb ID file form windows 7 to Windows 2008. It would not copy because windows 2008 thought my file was 13TB….Who is doing the file calculations at MS?
7 you have activity monitoring built in your mac http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activity_Monitor
8 I don’t have the problems you mention. but there are several free tools to help you with this kind of tasks.. Every system needs maintenance…At least mac OS is upgradable…also on major releases. You can use Mac Helpmate. http://www.macworkshops.com/machelpmate/
9 I personaly think that MS office 2008 is more friendly than office 2007. But Alo openOffice an Symphony are great alternatives. The only programs i use in a windows VM are domino admin and developer…for quickr i use pandabear.
10 especcialy in the notes client it’s nort working as it should. But you can program these keys for all your applications.
July 29th, 2009 at 6:00 am
- Windows I use Parallels. If I had mac version of Admin/designer then I would no longer need windows.
- Finder I don’t use that much anymore. I use a combination of Spotlight and coverflow.
- Support. I haven’t had to do apple yet as you have. Dell Premium support is very good though. They come out and just fix it. No messing. Dell Standard support was a nightmare for me last time I used it though. One of the main reasons I stopped buying Dell PCs.
- Cost is more, but the level of headaches with the machine vs a windows machine it is worth the lack of pain.
Annoyances.
- Copying. It feels very clunky. Especially if you have more then one copy going on.
- Putting up with “Don’t you know macs suck” people. Seriously. Either they haven’t used one or used one 10 years ago.
July 30th, 2009 at 9:49 am
@Bryan – I think the key difference might be that I use my MacBookPro entirely for business. I LOVE the Apple store for my home Mac needs, but for my “business” machine, their support falls short compared to what I’ve experienced with Dell, Lenovo (IBM) and others. Assuming you pay for the support (Dell, Lenovo/IBM, etc.) they come to you and fix the problem, usually within a short period of time (again, based on the support level you purchase).
The issue isn’t so much the quality of Apple support, its the process. Making a reservation = OK. Going to a store = I can deal w/ that. Consistently waiting well beyond my reservation time = BAD. Having to leave it with them for a week = REALLY bad. (Again, in comparison to calling Dell/Lenovo, doing some base troubleshooting and getting a tech to come to me with the right parts within a day.)
Results may vary. But on the 3 MBP’s I’ve had (as well as a few others at the office) we all have more bad stories than good when it comes to “support” – most of which is timeliness and convenience related).
October 19th, 2009 at 8:13 am
[...] there’s the list of the 10 things I dislike about my Mac. Most of which have no signs of “going away” any time [...]
October 19th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Hmmm sounds like another technology we all know and love…. somebody say Notes?