macOS isnt perfect but every day with Windows 11 makes me want to use my MacBook full-time

Date:
Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:02:32 +0000

Description:
I always preferred Windows to macOS, but Microsoft is doing a good job of making me hate Windows 11.

FULL STORY ======================================================================

Ive been using Windows since the days of Windows 3.1, and over the years Ive learned to love it despite its numerous idiosyncrasies. Im so used to the
way Windows works, that when things break, or dont work at all, I can usually overlook those annoyances, and can come up with a fix or a workaround.

This is the main reason why Ive never been tempted to switch to Linux or
macOS . Even if things break less often with those operating systems (especially macOS), when things do go wrong, it takes me far longer to troubleshoot and fix it. While its not a ringing endorsement, Ive stuck with Windows because I know how it works.

However, with Windows 11 , Microsoft is making me seriously consider moving over to macOS as my main operating system. The fact that I kept using Windows through such nadirs as Windows ME and Windows 8 proves that I can put up with a lot but even I have a limit. (Image credit: Sergey Zaykov / Shutterstock / Microsoft) Pushy behaviour

So, why has Microsoft gone too far with Windows 11? Its not because Windows
11 itself is a bad OS it runs fine, and is pretty solid for a Windows release. So far, it doesnt seem to be plagued by as many faulty updates as Windows 10 had (in fact, macOS Sonoma seems to be suffering from more troublesome updates ).

Instead, its Microsofts pushy behaviour that has annoyed me. From trying to get me to sign up to various services when Im installing Windows 11 (or
trying to get me to change my default web browser when updating), to rather desperate-feeling pleas for me to give the Edge browser a chance while Im using it to download Chrome, it feels like Microsoft is becoming rather overbearing and Ive had enough.

I wrote a few weeks ago about how Microsofts attempts to get me to sign up to OneDrive actually put me off doing so for quite a long time and once I did sign up, I found it to be a really good service. But Microsoft's pushiness made me not want to give it a try.

The same might be true about Edge, the web browser that comes pre-installed with Windows 11. I know a few people who really rate it, and thanks to Google Chromes propensity to gobble up all my RAM , I could be open to switching.

However, Microsoft is so determined to get me to use Edge by using tactics like pop-ups, windows suggesting I change my default browser, and making websites open in Edge from certain apps despite my default browser being Chrome, that I refuse to use it. Its not that Im stubborn (OK, it kind of
is), but I dont want to reward that kind of behavior.

The latest annoyance came today. I was using Windows 11, and a garish new pop-up popped up on my desktop. It was large and ugly, and it blocked a
number of other notifications. Worst of all, it didnt disappear I had to manually get it to leave my desktop. (Image credit: Microsoft)

The pop-up was about GPT-4, the artificial intelligence technology that
powers AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Microsofts own Copilot . We reported on this new pop-up last week , but this was the first time I had seen it appear on my PC. Like my colleague, Darren, who wrote about the pop-up, I was not impressed.

Not only was it ugly and obtrusive, but it wasnt exactly clear what would happen if I clicked the Yes button. If I had, the default search engine in Chrome would have been changed to Microsofts far less popular Bing search engine. A Bing plug-in is also installed into Chrome, making a web browser that can already feel bloated even worse.

Needless to say, I was not impressed with this new pop-up. I clicked No, thanks and it disappeared, but I fear that wont be the last I see of it. Turning to macOS

While Microsoft might argue that Windows 11 is a free update, that doesnt
mean it has free reign to try to force me to use its other products and services. Its a particularly poor look, as I am finding myself using my 13-inch MacBook Pro a lot more these days.

As with Windows 11, my MacBook Pro got a free operating system upgrade to macOS Sonoma late last year. Unlike Windows 11, however, Im rarely made to feel like I am renting or borrowing macOS Sonoma.

Sure, theres the initial suggestion to keep the Safari browser rather than switch to Chrome, or to log into my Apple ID to sync my devices, but they are less common and less intrusive. Crucially, it seems like Apple takes no for
an answer it doesnt feel like it keeps trying to get me to switch back to
the default Safari browser , unlike Microsoft and Edge.

The end result is a much more enjoyable experience, and fewer pop-ups means
my concentration isnt impacted either. While I still feel Windows does a lot of things better than macOS, and I know Microsofts OS inside and out, I am beginning to dread firing up my Windows 11 PC after using my MacBook for a while.

If Microsoft continues to fill Windows 11 with pushy adverts and sneaky pop-ups, I may stop using my PC for anything other than playing games, and
use my MacBook instead. And Im sure I wont be the only one. You might also like... I left Windows 11 for a MacBook Pro and it's the best tech relationship I've ever had Windows 11s next big update is almost ready to
roll but most people wont get it for a long time yet Now is the perfect time for Microsoft to resurrect Windows 8 - for one simple reason



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/macos-isnt-perfect-but-every-day-w ith-windows-11-makes-me-want-to-use-my-macbook-full-time


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