Mac Gripes

[MyndFyre]

I've been using a work MacBook Pro (one generation old) now for a few days, and it's not QUITE the same as I remember, but there are a still a lot of things I don't like.  Maybe some of you Mac users can help me out here.

I'm using a Logitech LX-710 desktop combo here at the office; it's a wireless keyboard plus laser mouse.  A lot of gripes revolve around input.

I had to download a utility called SteerMouse to get full functionality out of my mouse.  I know the utility wanted me to pay $20 for it even though I was able to download and install it for free; it doesn't say anything about needing to pay for it.  I don't understand Apple's resistance to multi-button mice.  I love my work mouse's natural back- and forward-button capabilities, and my mouse at home has even more functionality. 

More importantly, I don't understand why a lot of my keyboard keys don't work.  I understand why some of them don't, like why the Media button doesn't start iTunes (even though the USB device standard has been, well, standard on Windows for ages), but what about HOME and END???  Why do I have to press two buttons - Command+Left/Command+Right to get to the beginning or end of a line?  Command+Up/Command+Down are a bit more forgivable since Windows has Ctrl+Home/Ctrl+End - but Ctrl+Left/Ctrl+Right are an awesome Windows staple for navigating whitespace.  Oh god, I think I remapped them and now I'm even more confused.

I don't know what my Alt key does anymore.

I mean, I just have this vision of Steve Jobs going, "Let's be non-conformist and really confuse everybody!"

I hate (and I really mean hate) that the only way to resize a window is by gripping the gripper on the bottom right.  That means that in order for me to expand a window on the right side of the screen to take up more space, I have to guess how much space I'll want, move the window left, and then resize it.  Where's the usability there?  Is there a feature to "behave more like Windows" somewhere?

Generally I think my only other complaint is the windows-not-belonging-to-their-application problem.  For instance, when I'm using OmniGraffle (obviously it's an OmniGraffle issue), if I click on the desktop and Finder activates, all of OmniGraffle's tool windows disappear and all I get are its documents.

I just had a weird issue where I made Firefox's green button (what are those buttons called? I know that the red one closes, the yellow one sends-to-dock and green expands, but at least green isn't the traditional Maximize/Restore) totally inaccessible.  It took a couple minutes of voodoo to get that back because the entire window was about this big:

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Which would you all say is better - Parallels or VMWare Fusion?  I'll likely be virtualizing my 64-bit Windows Vista OS from my current notebook.

[Michael]

Why not just remove the Mac OS all together and put on Vista?

[Yegg]

I had to download a utility called SteerMouse to get full functionality out of my mouse.  I know the utility wanted me to pay $20 for it even though I was able to download and install it for free; it doesn't say anything about needing to pay for it.  I don't understand Apple's resistance to multi-button mice.  I love my work mouse's natural back- and forward-button capabilities, and my mouse at home has even more functionality. 

What do you mean by "resistance to multi-button mice?" Apple's standard mouse is multi-button. You have the scroll ball, and you have the main button. If you tap the left side of the button, if left clicks, tap the right side of the button, it right clicks. It's simple. I've also used a wireless, optical, multi-button Logitech mouse with OS X and never had a problem. The mouse I currently use, which is multi-button, wired, is a Slimouse. I've never had to use a third party software to get my mouse functioning.

More importantly, I don't understand why a lot of my keyboard keys don't work.  I understand why some of them don't, like why the Media button doesn't start iTunes (even though the USB device standard has been, well, standard on Windows for ages), but what about HOME and END???  Why do I have to press two buttons - Command+Left/Command+Right to get to the beginning or end of a line?  Command+Up/Command+Down are a bit more forgivable since Windows has Ctrl+Home/Ctrl+End - but Ctrl+Left/Ctrl+Right are an awesome Windows staple for navigating whitespace.  Oh god, I think I remapped them and now I'm even more confused.

I don't know what my Alt key does anymore.

I only use the Apple keyboard with my Apple computers, I just prefer their keyboards. But as far as the key combinations go, I know numerous key combinations on both Windows and OS X and I don't think it's complicated on OS X. I'm used to using OS X so that might be just it. If you took a Windows virgin (never touched Windows in their life, somehow) and put them on a Windows OS, they might be raging for hours trying to get used to it.

I hate (and I really mean hate) that the only way to resize a window is by gripping the gripper on the bottom right.  That means that in order for me to expand a window on the right side of the screen to take up more space, I have to guess how much space I'll want, move the window left, and then resize it.  Where's the usability there?  Is there a feature to "behave more like Windows" somewhere?

I've never had an issue with this. Just move the window to where you need and resize it with the gripper on the bottom right, I don't see how it's that annoying.

Generally I think my only other complaint is the windows-not-belonging-to-their-application problem.  For instance, when I'm using OmniGraffle (obviously it's an OmniGraffle issue), if I click on the desktop and Finder activates, all of OmniGraffle's tool windows disappear and all I get are its documents.

That's a software issue on OmniGraffle part strictly. Interface Builder also behaves this way.

I just had a weird issue where I made Firefox's green button (what are those buttons called? I know that the red one closes, the yellow one sends-to-dock and green expands, but at least green isn't the traditional Maximize/Restore) totally inaccessible.  It took a couple minutes of voodoo to get that back because the entire window was about this big:

Voodoo? Either I was born a guru at witchcraft or that's not a real issue.

Which would you all say is better - Parallels or VMWare Fusion?  I'll likely be virtualizing my 64-bit Windows Vista OS from my current notebook.

I use VMWare Fusion.

Why not just remove the Mac OS all together and put on Vista?

Lol? He's using a work computer. Probably from his job and thus that isn't an option.

[MyndFyre]

What do you mean by "resistance to multi-button mice?" Apple's standard mouse is multi-button. You have the scroll ball, and you have the main button. If you tap the left side of the button, if left clicks, tap the right side of the button, it right clicks. It's simple. I've also used a wireless, optical, multi-button Logitech mouse with OS X and never had a problem. The mouse I currently use, which is multi-button, wired, is a Slimouse. I've never had to use a third party software to get my mouse functioning.

I mean, when I was using my Logitech mouse at the office, it has a back and forward button.  They did exactly what clicking the mouse wheel did.  My home mouse has a back, forward, and zoom extra buttons, as well as a tilt wheel and up- or down-arrow around the wheel.

I only use the Apple keyboard with my Apple computers, I just prefer their keyboards. But as far as the key combinations go, I know numerous key combinations on both Windows and OS X and I don't think it's complicated on OS X. I'm used to using OS X so that might be just it. If you took a Windows virgin (never touched Windows in their life, somehow) and put them on a Windows OS, they might be raging for hours trying to get used to it.

Yeah, I'm sure that's true, is there a way for me to remap accordingly?  I don't want to have to re-purchase all of my input devices.

I've never had an issue with this. Just move the window to where you need and resize it with the gripper on the bottom right, I don't see how it's that annoying.

It's annoying because, instead of just having to click the top-left or just the left of the window frame, I have to go to the top of the window to drag it into place, and then go to the bottom-right of the window.

Voodoo? Either I was born a guru at witchcraft or that's not a real issue.

Well, it happened.

I use VMWare Fusion.

Awesome.  Do you know if there's a way to convert a VMWare Fusion hard disk to a Boot Camp partition?  I want to import my current notebook's hard drive into the Mac.

Why not just remove the Mac OS all together and put on Vista?

I'm thinking about buying a MacBook pro for myself.  But it'd be a waste to buy the MacBook and then NOT run Mac OS X.  Some software is only compatible one way.

[Michael]

Mac uses Intel processors now (http://www.apple.com/macbook/features.html) so shouldn't you have the ability to run Vista on it?

Yeah, it's pointless to buy a MacBook and not use the Mac OS.

Why buy a Mac anyway they seem overpriced to me. You could get more bang for your buck on just a normal windows laptop.

[Yegg]

I only use the Apple keyboard with my Apple computers, I just prefer their keyboards. But as far as the key combinations go, I know numerous key combinations on both Windows and OS X and I don't think it's complicated on OS X. I'm used to using OS X so that might be just it. If you took a Windows virgin (never touched Windows in their life, somehow) and put them on a Windows OS, they might be raging for hours trying to get used to it.

Yeah, I'm sure that's true, is there a way for me to remap accordingly?  I don't want to have to re-purchase all of my input devices.

I'm sure there is, though I've never done it or even looked up how to do it since I've never needed to and no one has ever asked me about it before. There must be something out there, possibly even on Apple's website in the documentation that gives details.

I use VMWare Fusion.

Awesome.  Do you know if there's a way to convert a VMWare Fusion hard disk to a Boot Camp partition?  I want to import my current notebook's hard drive into the Mac.

Not that I know of. I did a quick search and some discussions on the Apple page had people stating they were unsure of any method to convert VMWare Fusion to Boot Camp. And if there were a method, it would definitely be a third party software but one they have never heard about. One site said that you can convert from Boot Camp to VMWare Fusion but can never go back. Suggesting VMWare Fusion -> Boot Camp is either impossible, or just lacks the software right now. VMWare states that it would be better to stick with Fusion as opposed to using Boot Camp to load up Windows.

Mac uses Intel processors now (http://www.apple.com/macbook/features.html) so shouldn't you have the ability to run Vista on it?

Yeah, it's pointless to buy a MacBook and not use the Mac OS.

Why buy a Mac anyway they seem overpriced to me. You could get more bang for your buck on just a normal windows laptop.

They are not overpriced. They use more quality parts inside. If you like, take each part of an Apple computer (go with the MacPro since its the most expensive desktop) and look at each piece and compare it with what is on a site like NewEgg. Make sure specs are 100% identical. Don't go find a 512MB video card that has all the same specs but one that is made by a company other than the one used in the MacPro (or other Apple computer). The only way Macs would be overpriced is if they added cost onto the product from out of nowhere. They don't do that. Add up the cost of each part inside and you'll see that it's not overpriced.

[MyndFyre]

Why buy a Mac anyway they seem overpriced to me. You could get more bang for your buck on just a normal windows laptop.

There are software programs that I would like to use that aren't available for Windows; video editing tools, Safari and FireFox for Mac, and very importantly OmniGraffle, which is one of the best wireframing tools I've had the opportunity to use. 

Not that I know of. I did a quick search and some discussions on the Apple page had people stating they were unsure of any method to convert VMWare Fusion to Boot Camp. And if there were a method, it would definitely be a third party software but one they have never heard about. One site said that you can convert from Boot Camp to VMWare Fusion but can never go back. Suggesting VMWare Fusion -> Boot Camp is either impossible, or just lacks the software right now. VMWare states that it would be better to stick with Fusion as opposed to using Boot Camp to load up Windows.

VMWare *would* say that because they want to boost sales.  ;-) My current notebook is a Vista notebook; I would very much like for Vista to work exactly like it does on my current machine, and I believe it could.  Going between VMWare Fusion and Boot Camp using the same partition should work just fine (Vista's automatic hardware detection is miles beyond XP's), and there are some VMWare-specific things like snapshots that you can't do while you're booting a Boot Camp partition.

[Yegg]

My primary OS is OS X Leopard but I am often doing something in Vista. VMWare Fusion is usually running Vista and I can just go and expect everything to function properly. You may also know that Fusion also provides a full screen mode for the OS running in the VM so that if you're running Vista on Fusion, you can switch to full screen and no one but you would know that it's actually a virtual machine. You would be able to work on Vista without being distracted by anything else, and then switch out of full screen mode to get back to OS X when you need.

[Ishbar]

Yegg is a Mac head.
I feel you on the gripper at the bottom
I HATE that...I don't see why there isn't a default to MAXIMIZE the window, they call that interface intuitive but no, it aint not one darn bit.