> what I don’t understand is why anyone really wants to use Windows in 2024.
Because I'm Windows power user (30+ years of experience) and novice on MacOS and Linux? Doesn't that count for something? It's not that alternative OSes are terrible, they're just terrible for me. I use shortcuts without thinking, I use TotalCommander all the time and no, there are no 100% replacements that I can just install and continue using with all shortcuts I'm used to. I use Home/End/PgDown/PgUp all the time, and not only that MacBook doesn't have these, it doesn't even have Delete key (opposite of backspace), which I find mind-boggling.
Sorry about little rant. I'm sure people are very productive using MacOS or Linux. But I'm super productive on Windows, everything just flies without thinking. Oh, btw. I'm typing this on MacBook which is a wonderful piece of hardware, and I use it a lot, but even after a year I feel like my hands are tied behind my back when working on it.
I think it's ok for a guy to have his preferences without been judged by his fellow developers. I though we're behind judging for personal preferences in 2024?
The issue with that argument is Windows keeps depreciating existing functionality so old experience is worthless fairly quickly. Nobody has decades of expertise with Windows 11, at this point with how little Windows 3.11 experience still applies. Remember .ini files? Yea how relevant is that today? How about using a DOS prompt recently?
Also: it's hardly improved significantly over the past 25 years! It's as rubbish as ever. If attempting to make the argument that Windows is changing stuff all the time, the command prompt really is the oddest thing to point at.
systems evolve. systemd is nearly fifteen years old and is not hard to use, and it is better than the myriad systems it replaced. that's why it won
this is very much not the same thing especially since you can still find non systemd distros but really, systemd is neither a new nor abrupt nor unilateral change
Linux is not "doing the same thing" except inasmuch that everything that doesn't die changes over time
Remember .ini files? Yea how relevant is that today?
AFAIK there's nothing stopping you from writing software that pulls config info from an ini file. Has something changed?
Edit: I think I've edited ini files to configure video games somewhat recently.
How about using a DOS prompt recently?
I host my command prompt inside a 3rd party program, but I still use the Windows command prompt all the time. I think that's pretty normal for "power users" who haven't moved on to PowerShell (I use PS when I have to, but it's not my go-to).
> writing software that pulls config info from an ini file.
You can write a Linux program that pulls from an INI file or a 3rd party DOS program on MacOS, the question is how this stuff is relevant to being a power Windows user.
You can write a Linux program that pulls from an INI file
What's the API for that look like? In Win32 it's GetPrivateProfileString.
the question is how this stuff is relevant to being a power Windows user.
I gave you an example. I guess you're not aware that many desktop applications continue to support ini files, even if it's not the first line of configuration anymore.
I am well aware of INI files being used by applications on several operating systems. DotNet Core may not be the most popular platform but it’s blurred the lines here.
DOS has similarly been stripped from Windows but 3rd party DOS shells exist on many platforms. Honestly knowing Bash is more Windows specific at this point than DOS. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install
So again, none of your examples are Windows specific at this point.
DOS has similarly been stripped from Windows but 3rd party DOS shells exist on many platforms
Huh? DOS != Command line interpreter or shell. DOS per se hasn't existed for decades, but the command line (Command Prompt) lives on, using pretty much the same syntax.
Honestly knowing Bash is more Windows specific at this point than DOS.
Bash is more Windows-specific than "DOS"?! That makes no sense whatsoever.
I am well aware of INI files being used by applications on several operating systems.
What are you even talking about now? You started the whole ini discussion with "Remember .ini files? Yea how relevant is that today?" So it went from irrelevant to relevant across platforms?
On windows 11 using Microsoft only tools you can list every file in a directory using ls or dir. But Bash is by far a more powerful tool than command prompt making it far more relevant for a power user than some legacy syntax.
> So it went from irrelevant to relevant across platforms?
The point INI files and DOS come up but aren’t some Windows specific knowledge at this point.
> I use Home/End/PgDown/PgUp all the time, and not only that MacBook doesn't have these, it doesn't even have Delete key (opposite of backspace), which I find mind-boggling
Fn + Delete, deletes forwards
Command + arrow keys moves cursor to beginning/end of paragraph/doc. Option jumps by word. And you can combine them with Shift for selection.
Spacebar scrolls a full page.
If you want the actual Home/End/PgDown/PgUp you can get them by combining Fn with arrow or F keys, depending on your keyboard, but I never use them.
I said I'm MacOs novice, but I'm not that green, of course I immediately searched for shortcuts. And these are not a replacement for a single key, especially since I'm often combining these keys with Ctrl and Shift. At least on Windows where I'm doing real productive work.
What if you plug lets say typical Logitech external keyboard, MacOS literally doesn't support those functionalities? (Windows guy for 30 years too without any Apple experience, the productivity I can get on filesystem stuff just with Total commander compared to literally everybody else in the office is quite something)
Apple's own external keyboard has these missing keys, so I assume they work as on Windows. But they're not available on MacBook keyboard. Truth to be told, Home/End/PgUp/PgDown are also not available on many new Win laptops, but at least separate Delete is always there. And there"s choice, you can always pick up ThinkPad if it's important.
That was just one example of why I don't feel at home on Mac. But TotalCommander must be #1 thing I miss. I investigated several Mac file managers, settled for Crax Commander, but I'm so spoilled by TC that nothing comes close.
Same, I have been on Windows for over two decades. Now I'm migrating away. M$ pretty much broke every good things that were rock solid before.Just like you, there are something I don't have an alternative yet, so still have to hang on a bit, but I feel I might just have to bite the bullet and ditch it.
I can sort of understand this sentiment. I question how much of that experience translates past 10 years or so. There is also the issue of windows simply being wildly unstable for me. I am also a long time windows user. Every 6 months or so my windows install destroys itself. I've never had this happen on my Mac & Linux has not failed me like this in over ten years. At this point, I only use windows to play games with old friends, and it still manages to self destruct with minimal software installed.
I have the exact same experience with the Linux desktop. At some random point, it simply caves into itself and something very trivial such as sound or Bluetooth simply breaks beyond repair. It's happened so many times that I've stopped trying it. "A Linux evening" is no longer fun or interesting to me.
Incidentally, my Windows installations never self destruct, and I have used the product on several versions in the last 25+ years (since W95). My Linux installations however have, for example by standard updates.
Because I'm Windows power user (30+ years of experience) and novice on MacOS and Linux? Doesn't that count for something? It's not that alternative OSes are terrible, they're just terrible for me. I use shortcuts without thinking, I use TotalCommander all the time and no, there are no 100% replacements that I can just install and continue using with all shortcuts I'm used to. I use Home/End/PgDown/PgUp all the time, and not only that MacBook doesn't have these, it doesn't even have Delete key (opposite of backspace), which I find mind-boggling.
Sorry about little rant. I'm sure people are very productive using MacOS or Linux. But I'm super productive on Windows, everything just flies without thinking. Oh, btw. I'm typing this on MacBook which is a wonderful piece of hardware, and I use it a lot, but even after a year I feel like my hands are tied behind my back when working on it.
I think it's ok for a guy to have his preferences without been judged by his fellow developers. I though we're behind judging for personal preferences in 2024?