Monday, December 21, 2015

Six Windows 10 Features Apple Should Steal

Julio Ojeda-Zapata:

For the longest time, Windows users have been able to position two windows side-by-side on their displays by dragging one to the right and the other to the left until each “snaps” into place. […] Ah, but Windows 10 has already upped the ante. Windows now permits snapping of four windows into a grid, which is useful on big monitors to create a dashboard of sorts. Windows 10 also allows placement of a half-screen window beside two quarter-screen windows.

[…]

But Task View does have one feature I desire in Mission Control: each PC thumbnail incorporates a little clickable “x” that allows me to close it then and there. This is handy when I want to shut down a bunch of apps and windows quickly. While Mission Control lets me switch among open apps, it doesn’t let me quit them with a mouse click.

[…]

Microsoft is offering one of the best standalone news apps I have ever seen. Also known simply as News, it’s a revamping of an earlier app I did not like as much. The new version is vastly improved in appearance and functionality.

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C Grant McCool

I was sad about all the hype over edge snapping in full screen on a Mac. This feature has been standard for Linux and Windows over at least the last five years.

That said, the best Mac purchase I have ever made was for HyperDock, which gives all the functionality Mac OS lacks that any power user would want.

Interesting article that I'm glad I've been pointed to and read. But only feature I'm even slightly interested in is that 'close windows/apps in overview' thing...

For all of OS X's massive deterioration in the past 5 years, still seems to have fundamental advantages in the core things that attract me. But they are weakening.

I do wish there were still a BeOS or other semi-viable 3rd option these days. (And no, LINUX doesn't count for me.)

One feature they should not steal is the instability of Windows 10. I have run Windows 10 in a Parallels VM and had problems with the start menu not working after an update, corruption of the OS requiring reinstallation. I know Windows very well so it's not me mismanaging it.

I also had to disable the Antimalware service on my Surface Pro 3 because it would max out the CPU and the device would get really warm. It would do this while sleeping in my laptop bag. Not so great.

"One feature they should not steal is the instability of Windows 10."

Cupertino has really been doing their best over the past five years to increase instability and basic things not working. But yeah, they're not quite up to Redmond standards yet. Give them time...

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