MacOS vs. Windows: Six Areas Where Apple Could Level Up
For years, many have admired macOS for its elegant design and innovative approach. Yet even the most polished system has its quirks, especially when compared to the productivity-driven ethos of Windows. In a recent critique, several key areas were identified where macOS could take cues from Windows to enhance its desktop experience. Let’s dive into these six suggestions and explore how addressing them could make macOS even more compelling.
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• 1. More Permissive Security: Stop Asking for My Password
macOS prides itself on robust security, but sometimes that security feels like it’s punching above its weight. Users are repeatedly prompted for passwords—even for routine tasks like installing free apps or applying system updates. The inconsistency is especially striking: sometimes you’re asked for the Mac’s local password, other times for your Apple ID, and on a few occasions, Touch ID is available for some tasks but not others. This patchwork approach to authentication can be frustrating when you’re trying to quickly get work done.
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• 2. Seamless Permissions: Grant Access Without Restarting Apps
Another pain point for macOS users arises with permissions management. Picture joining an online meeting, attempting to share your screen, and then having to close and reopen your app because the permission change didn’t take effect immediately. This requirement to restart an application just to enable a feature (like screen sharing) undermines productivity and throws a wrench into smooth multitasking.
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• 3. Basic Tools That Feel Missing: Enhancing Screenshot Editing
macOS has long been celebrated for its intuitive tools, yet when it comes to something as everyday as editing screenshots, the system seems to drop the ball. While macOS offers Preview for basic markup, it lacks some of the quick-edit features that Windows users have come to expect. Windows 11’s Snipping Tool, for example, provides easy-to-use options such as text recognition for redacting personal details and cropping images to maintain specific aspect ratios.
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• 4. A Proper App Launcher: Rethinking Launchpad for Desktops
The traditional role of an app launcher on a desktop environment is to provide quick, intuitive access to installed applications. Here, macOS stumbles with Launchpad. Designed with a look more fitting for mobile devices than a desktop, Launchpad forces a full-screen takeover, complete with overly large padding and limited interaction options. Right-click functionality is missing, and the layout simply doesn’t take advantage of larger displays—especially on ultrawide monitors.
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• 5. Better Window Management: Embracing Multitasking on a New Level
Productivity is at the heart of any desktop operating system, yet macOS window management can feel more like an afterthought than a core feature. The dock shows open applications rather than individual windows, forcing users to right-click icons to navigate between them. The Command + Tab switcher, while useful, offers no detailed view of multiple windows from a single application.
Contrast this with Windows 11’s Snap Layouts—a polished, user-friendly approach that not only accommodates multiple applications but also offers smart resizing and layout options. macOS’s recent introduction of half-screen snapping feels rudimentary in comparison:
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• 6. Easily Accessible Menus: Connecting Options to the Task at Hand
The menu bar has long been the unsung hero of macOS, offering a clean, unified space for application options. Yet its fixed position in the top left of the screen can ironically become a hindrance—especially on large displays. For desktop users, having to move the cursor to a corner far from the application window in order to access its menu feels inefficient, even archaic.
Consider this: on a vast ultrawide monitor, the gap between your working area and the persistent menu bar can be significant. A more dynamic approach—one that perhaps ties the menu location to the active window or makes it appear contextually above the application—could greatly lessen the need for excessive cursor travel. This small tweak might seem cosmetic, but in the world of high-efficiency computing, every pixel and every click counts.
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Conclusion: Bridging the Gap Between MacOS and Windows
Despite all its charm, macOS isn’t immune to user frustrations—particularly when viewed through the lens of Windows users who appreciate granular control over multitasking, seamless tool integration, and highly accessible, productivity-enhancing features. The six areas discussed here highlight where macOS could evolve: from smarter security and permission management to a more desktop-friendly app launcher and window management system.
By embracing these improvements, Apple could not only enhance the macOS experience for its loyal users but also win over those who have long admired Windows for its practicality and efficiency. In today’s competitive operating system landscape, even subtle enhancements can make a world of difference. And while macOS already offers a unique, sophisticated ecosystem, smoothing out these rough edges would solidify its position as a truly world-class desktop OS.
Whether you’re a die-hard macOS devotee or a dedicated Windows user contemplating new horizons, recognizing these potential improvements gives us all a chance to appreciate what works—and what might work even better—in the perpetual evolution of desktop computing.
Source: XDA Developers https://www.xda-developers.com/features-macos-needs-better-than-windows/
For years, many have admired macOS for its elegant design and innovative approach. Yet even the most polished system has its quirks, especially when compared to the productivity-driven ethos of Windows. In a recent critique, several key areas were identified where macOS could take cues from Windows to enhance its desktop experience. Let’s dive into these six suggestions and explore how addressing them could make macOS even more compelling.
────────────────────────────
• 1. More Permissive Security: Stop Asking for My Password
macOS prides itself on robust security, but sometimes that security feels like it’s punching above its weight. Users are repeatedly prompted for passwords—even for routine tasks like installing free apps or applying system updates. The inconsistency is especially striking: sometimes you’re asked for the Mac’s local password, other times for your Apple ID, and on a few occasions, Touch ID is available for some tasks but not others. This patchwork approach to authentication can be frustrating when you’re trying to quickly get work done.
- Imagine trying to install a critical update only to be halted several times by quirky authentication prompts.
- In contrast, modern Windows security, despite its own UAC dialogs, tends to offer a more streamlined experience once configured properly.
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• 2. Seamless Permissions: Grant Access Without Restarting Apps
Another pain point for macOS users arises with permissions management. Picture joining an online meeting, attempting to share your screen, and then having to close and reopen your app because the permission change didn’t take effect immediately. This requirement to restart an application just to enable a feature (like screen sharing) undermines productivity and throws a wrench into smooth multitasking.
- Current behavior interrupts workflows at a critical moment.
- Windows, on the other hand, tends to handle permission changes more dynamically, allowing users to adapt quickly without the extra step of restarting their programs.
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• 3. Basic Tools That Feel Missing: Enhancing Screenshot Editing
macOS has long been celebrated for its intuitive tools, yet when it comes to something as everyday as editing screenshots, the system seems to drop the ball. While macOS offers Preview for basic markup, it lacks some of the quick-edit features that Windows users have come to expect. Windows 11’s Snipping Tool, for example, provides easy-to-use options such as text recognition for redacting personal details and cropping images to maintain specific aspect ratios.
- The absence of these straightforward editing options means you sometimes need to rely on third-party apps.
- Even simple tasks—like applying a quick blur over sensitive information—could be streamlined with native functionality.
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• 4. A Proper App Launcher: Rethinking Launchpad for Desktops
The traditional role of an app launcher on a desktop environment is to provide quick, intuitive access to installed applications. Here, macOS stumbles with Launchpad. Designed with a look more fitting for mobile devices than a desktop, Launchpad forces a full-screen takeover, complete with overly large padding and limited interaction options. Right-click functionality is missing, and the layout simply doesn’t take advantage of larger displays—especially on ultrawide monitors.
- Think of it as using a smartphone’s home screen on your expansive desktop.
- Instead of a flyout or a more contextual menu, users encounter a static, cumbersome grid that feels out of place on a non-touch device.
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• 5. Better Window Management: Embracing Multitasking on a New Level
Productivity is at the heart of any desktop operating system, yet macOS window management can feel more like an afterthought than a core feature. The dock shows open applications rather than individual windows, forcing users to right-click icons to navigate between them. The Command + Tab switcher, while useful, offers no detailed view of multiple windows from a single application.
Contrast this with Windows 11’s Snap Layouts—a polished, user-friendly approach that not only accommodates multiple applications but also offers smart resizing and layout options. macOS’s recent introduction of half-screen snapping feels rudimentary in comparison:
- There’s no provision to resize two windows simultaneously for a tailored split-screen view.
- Users must manually adjust each window, a minor inconvenience that adds up over the course of a busy workday.
────────────────────────────
• 6. Easily Accessible Menus: Connecting Options to the Task at Hand
The menu bar has long been the unsung hero of macOS, offering a clean, unified space for application options. Yet its fixed position in the top left of the screen can ironically become a hindrance—especially on large displays. For desktop users, having to move the cursor to a corner far from the application window in order to access its menu feels inefficient, even archaic.
Consider this: on a vast ultrawide monitor, the gap between your working area and the persistent menu bar can be significant. A more dynamic approach—one that perhaps ties the menu location to the active window or makes it appear contextually above the application—could greatly lessen the need for excessive cursor travel. This small tweak might seem cosmetic, but in the world of high-efficiency computing, every pixel and every click counts.
────────────────────────────
Conclusion: Bridging the Gap Between MacOS and Windows
Despite all its charm, macOS isn’t immune to user frustrations—particularly when viewed through the lens of Windows users who appreciate granular control over multitasking, seamless tool integration, and highly accessible, productivity-enhancing features. The six areas discussed here highlight where macOS could evolve: from smarter security and permission management to a more desktop-friendly app launcher and window management system.
By embracing these improvements, Apple could not only enhance the macOS experience for its loyal users but also win over those who have long admired Windows for its practicality and efficiency. In today’s competitive operating system landscape, even subtle enhancements can make a world of difference. And while macOS already offers a unique, sophisticated ecosystem, smoothing out these rough edges would solidify its position as a truly world-class desktop OS.
Whether you’re a die-hard macOS devotee or a dedicated Windows user contemplating new horizons, recognizing these potential improvements gives us all a chance to appreciate what works—and what might work even better—in the perpetual evolution of desktop computing.
Source: XDA Developers https://www.xda-developers.com/features-macos-needs-better-than-windows/
