Joshua Strobl :verified: on Nostr: Used work-issued Macbook Pro for a full work day for the first time today and it was ...
Used work-issued Macbook Pro for a full work day for the first time today and it was quite the struggle. This probably deserves to be in a blog post, but I'm like 80% of the way through a rewrite and redesign of that, so you'll have to tough it out with a big Mastodon post.
⌨️ Keyboard
My custom keyboard layout (using QMK) didn't work. { (FI_LCBR) was reporting as < (equivalent being FI_LABK), NO_EURO (€) was reporting as ^, etc. So I had to suffer through using the keyboard on the laptop. The keyboard itself is fine, but as many of you know I've been using Colemak DH since late 2021 on a custom Corne keyboard, so not only did I not have my handy auto-shifting keys (long-press on a key for 200ms inputs the alternative e.g. } instead of { ) and very custom layers, but was using QWERTY too. My brain...it hurt. 🧠 💥 I am aware I could have switched the layout itself, but that would have made the experience worse because of the resulting inconsistent key labels (qwfpb would be labeled qwerty as an example).
I had to install a different application (recommended by a colleague) called Karabiner-Elements in get any sort of sensible keybinds set up without having to do finger gymnastics (looking at you Control + Option + key, and Option + Shift instead of a dedicated AltGr) and macOS refused to accept any of my attempts at macroing desktop workspace swapping when using mouse button 4 and 5 + any modifier.
🎛️ Window Switching
Had to look up how to switch between windows of a given application (it's Ctrl + down arrow btw). The tab switcher switches between applications. There isn't an option for showing all windows of a given app in the switcher. You have to use a dedicated keyboard shortcut or the dock to only show the windows of a given app, and then select the one you want. Very much used to the Budgie way which is you switch between windows rather than applications. I'm wanting to find a given window (e.g. specific project open in VS Code), the app itself isn't relevant.
⁉️ Window management
Another complaint about the macOS experience is I had to install Rectangle for Mac to do move and window resizing. By default, windows in macOS are fullscreened and you have to option+click for it to just be maximized. Rectangle enables you to do any sort of sensible window snapping, window centering, and maximizing with keyboard shortcuts.
👍 The Good!
That isn't to say it was all bad.
In terms of hardware: There is something to be said about the tight vertical integration of the Mac hardware and macOS itself.
The machine was silent no matter what I was doing, whereas my usual ThinkPad will needlessly ramp its fans (omg you alt+tabbed, let's make sure that CPU doesn't overheat!) The Macbook Pro also puts my desktop to shame when it comes to noise profile (even with a fan curve that prioritizes being quiet). Not surprising, it's vastly more efficient and sips power, but ya know...hits you differently once you're using it.
The camera on the Macbook Pro 2021 is also seriously good. My ThinkPad's either overexposes or underexposes, whereas the Macbook makes me look like a normal human being in a normally lit room.
Software: macOS is just insanely smooth. Animations never stuttered. Workspace switching, which I basically never would use otherwise, felt like I was gliding between spaces. Text rendering puts even the best hinting and antialiasing to shame on Linux. Fractional scaling looked great. Auto Unlock with my Apple Watch is also pretty dope.
💔 Things I missed during the day
Flatpak for all the things. Nice setup with toolbx. Lots of those things that I've incrementally worked on with my workflow over time, as I have been daily driving Linux for 15 years now whereas I've used macOS on one device for one day.
Also admittedly missed the trackpoint on the ThinkPad, but fortunately I can alternate as much as I want between these two laptops 😁
⭐ Experience rating
It's made-up Josh points, I would give today a 5/10. The keyboard was the biggest negative, second is lack of proper window switching.
⌨️ Keyboard
My custom keyboard layout (using QMK) didn't work. { (FI_LCBR) was reporting as < (equivalent being FI_LABK), NO_EURO (€) was reporting as ^, etc. So I had to suffer through using the keyboard on the laptop. The keyboard itself is fine, but as many of you know I've been using Colemak DH since late 2021 on a custom Corne keyboard, so not only did I not have my handy auto-shifting keys (long-press on a key for 200ms inputs the alternative e.g. } instead of { ) and very custom layers, but was using QWERTY too. My brain...it hurt. 🧠 💥 I am aware I could have switched the layout itself, but that would have made the experience worse because of the resulting inconsistent key labels (qwfpb would be labeled qwerty as an example).
I had to install a different application (recommended by a colleague) called Karabiner-Elements in get any sort of sensible keybinds set up without having to do finger gymnastics (looking at you Control + Option + key, and Option + Shift instead of a dedicated AltGr) and macOS refused to accept any of my attempts at macroing desktop workspace swapping when using mouse button 4 and 5 + any modifier.
🎛️ Window Switching
Had to look up how to switch between windows of a given application (it's Ctrl + down arrow btw). The tab switcher switches between applications. There isn't an option for showing all windows of a given app in the switcher. You have to use a dedicated keyboard shortcut or the dock to only show the windows of a given app, and then select the one you want. Very much used to the Budgie way which is you switch between windows rather than applications. I'm wanting to find a given window (e.g. specific project open in VS Code), the app itself isn't relevant.
⁉️ Window management
Another complaint about the macOS experience is I had to install Rectangle for Mac to do move and window resizing. By default, windows in macOS are fullscreened and you have to option+click for it to just be maximized. Rectangle enables you to do any sort of sensible window snapping, window centering, and maximizing with keyboard shortcuts.
👍 The Good!
That isn't to say it was all bad.
In terms of hardware: There is something to be said about the tight vertical integration of the Mac hardware and macOS itself.
The machine was silent no matter what I was doing, whereas my usual ThinkPad will needlessly ramp its fans (omg you alt+tabbed, let's make sure that CPU doesn't overheat!) The Macbook Pro also puts my desktop to shame when it comes to noise profile (even with a fan curve that prioritizes being quiet). Not surprising, it's vastly more efficient and sips power, but ya know...hits you differently once you're using it.
The camera on the Macbook Pro 2021 is also seriously good. My ThinkPad's either overexposes or underexposes, whereas the Macbook makes me look like a normal human being in a normally lit room.
Software: macOS is just insanely smooth. Animations never stuttered. Workspace switching, which I basically never would use otherwise, felt like I was gliding between spaces. Text rendering puts even the best hinting and antialiasing to shame on Linux. Fractional scaling looked great. Auto Unlock with my Apple Watch is also pretty dope.
💔 Things I missed during the day
Flatpak for all the things. Nice setup with toolbx. Lots of those things that I've incrementally worked on with my workflow over time, as I have been daily driving Linux for 15 years now whereas I've used macOS on one device for one day.
Also admittedly missed the trackpoint on the ThinkPad, but fortunately I can alternate as much as I want between these two laptops 😁
⭐ Experience rating
It's made-up Josh points, I would give today a 5/10. The keyboard was the biggest negative, second is lack of proper window switching.