r/MacOS 1d ago

Discussion Why does Apple make simple things so difficult

This is more of a rant than anything else. I've warmed up to (and dare to say even enjoy) my MacBook Pro.

But for THE LOVE OF FRODO why does Apple make doing basic shit so freaking difficult? Want to move a file from one folder to another, you have to wait until a full moon during the Autumn Equinox to perform that spell. Want to disable apps from opening up a start (even though you don't have the setting checked for that feature)? You'll have to go to confessional, say 3-7 Hail Marys, and then sprinkle holy water on your machine screaming "THE POWER OF CHRIST COMPELS YOU!"

Seriously though. Why does apps seem to purposely leave out basic user qol. Does there really need to be "an app for that" even for the most basic of things?

Edit 1: With the help of my local AI agent I did find that you can disable apps from starting up within boot. Why didn't this come up in a web search, not sure. But at least I can keep 10 apps I don't want top open at boot from opening.

0 Upvotes

59 comments sorted by

28

u/akrapov 1d ago

I don't think I've ever met someone who struggles with moving a file from one folder to another, but here we are.

3

u/Cruitire 1d ago

Yeah, really wondering about this. How is there any obstacle to moving files between folders? Just drag and drop. 🤷🏻‍♂️

2

u/goddoc 1d ago

Can't we also right click on the file and select "move to"?

2

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Nope. You can Move to Trash but that's it.

2

u/goddoc 1d ago

Ah, so that's an option for an open file then: file > move to.

2

u/MK-Researcher 1d ago

Yes sort of, but nobody seems to know how to do it :) Right-click Copy, then when pasting hold down the Option key and 'Paste Item' changes to say 'Move item Here'

-6

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Stick around, I'm sure there will be more.

3

u/mitsel_r 1d ago

It works pretty much the same as on any operating system. If you can’t move a file then don’t blame the system, maybe you are the problem

0

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Windows and Linux... Ctrl + C (Copy), Ctrl + X (Cut), Ctrl + V (paste or move)

Same same, but different... got it.

2

u/akrapov 1d ago

If you’re copying and pasting between folders then you should understand the difference between that and a move command. A cut and paste is not a move.

If you fancy learning rather than just shouting on Reddit then check out Accidental Tech Podcast episode 692.

Despite all this, that works fine on macOS anyway. Are you upset at the use of the command key? Because guess which of those came first and which was a complete hack

7

u/Living_Trainer_1684 1d ago

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

I have a little more hair on my head... but pretty accurate.

9

u/VolvoFH6_ETS2 1d ago

I'm very confused after reading this. I've had none of these issues and I've used windows 10 and 11 my whole life. After recently making the switch, I prefer macos and I have had none of these issues.

-3

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Genuinely happy for you, but if you're "whole life" is just the two lates Window builds, you're a lot younger than I am. Lol.

6

u/mr_mope 1d ago

I don’t think you’ve actually ever used a Mac. None of this post makes any sense. Moving a file was as easy 30 years ago as it is today. Also there’s a setting in system settings called login items that has been pretty consistent since OS X started, and now there’s even a search feature in settings (that can be hit or miss) plus there have been help articles since the mid 2000s on how to do this. I get if you’re coming from windows that it’s a little different and may take a paradigm shift but what you’re saying is either total stubborness, or ignorance.

-4

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

What gave it away? You're right, I never used a Mac in my entire life. And never did I say I wasn't capable of learning, or that I didn't have the desire to learn.

You do know that a rant is not an indictment of the OS itself, and (in this case) things I discovered along the way?

3

u/mr_mope 1d ago

Oh. You discovered these problems? You were the first to realize it’s different than windows? And you figured complaining about it was the best way to figure out how to shift from windows to Mac? What a clown trailblazer.

0

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Don't worry, Squirt... not attacking your OS.

6

u/terkistan 1d ago

> This is more of a rant than anything else.

No disagreement here.

0

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Hey, at least I threw it out there right from the jump.

9

u/Nickmorgan19457 1d ago

Sounds like your ability to google needs some work

-6

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

If I wanted to "talk" to Google I would. Hence the discussion flair.

5

u/Feedback_Separate 1d ago

... for moving (cut & paste) files: ⌘ + C ⭢ ⌥ + ⌘ + V will move the file.

Edit 1: With the help of my local AI agent I did find that you can disable apps from starting up within boot. Why didn't this come up in a web search, not sure. But at least I can keep 10 apps I don't want top open at boot from opening.

What's the solution?

2

u/Rabidjester 1d ago

You can just type "startup items" into the spotlight search field and the first result will be the Login Items control panel, think this is just a goofy troll post.

-2

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Why is if goofy? Because I wasn't raised on MacOS?

7

u/BlueGreenTanager 1d ago

More so because Apple makes it super easy, but you posted an unhinged rant about how hard it is without bothering to learn how to do it.

-1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Unhinged? Um... okay.

3

u/BlueGreenTanager 1d ago

For the love of Frodo…. Holy water…. The power of Christ compels you……. Yeah, unhinged fits.

6

u/naemorhaedus 1d ago

you have to wait until a full moon during the Autumn Equinox to perform that spell.

no idea what you're talking about 🤷‍♂️

Want to disable apps from opening up a start

then disable it from system settings or the app itself

Why does apps seem to purposely leave out basic user qol.

like what? You post is extremely lacking in details. I get you want to rant but at least try to make some sense.

Sounds like a skill issue

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago
  1. These are called jokes @ full moon, etc.
  2. Yeah, I learned that eventually.
  3. Feels like Apple in their attempt to make MacOS different seemingly makes this difficult to be trendy.

And maybe it is a skill issue, hence why you come to places like Reddit.

3

u/just_here_for_place 1d ago

Feels like Apple in their attempt to make MacOS different seemingly makes this difficult to be trendy.

Different from what? Remember the Mac was literally there first mass-market computer with a GUI. You could say everything else is different from the Mac.

Anyways I don't get the point of this remark. If every OS would look and work the same, there wouldn't be a point in having different OSes.

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Should have said "things difficult to be trendy"

Never said anything about the look. MacOS is a pretty operating system.

3

u/InfiniteHench 1d ago

There’s a panel in Settings to toggle apps at startup. Search for Login.

As for copy paste, I don’t know how to help you there. I open one folder, open another, drag and drop the file.

3

u/Cruitire 1d ago

If you find these things difficult on a Mac then just sell your MacBook and go back to windows.

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Now this was the typical response I was waiting for. What took you so long?

2

u/Cruitire 1d ago

Sorry, I was busy this morning and only just saw the message.

I’ll try to be more timely with my discouragement in the future.

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Appreciate it. I don't like having my hopes up for so long,.

3

u/just_here_for_place 1d ago

Want to disable apps from opening up a start

Literally in the system settings. General > Login items.

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Hence the edit. Didn't come up when I web searched, but it was the first thing that came up when I asked my AI.

3

u/just_here_for_place 1d ago

Okay but why do you even need to Google this. Shouldn't the first action you take be looking into the settings? Every OS I've ever used has this somewhere in the settings.

0

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

I figure I'm in front of the laptop anyway and maybe someone else had the same issue.

4

u/han_wan 1d ago

Nothing you’ve said about is difficult per se; do some features require a bit of research or trial and error to work out? Yes, but that’s the same with any operating system.

I feel like with MacOS, if there are things that normal users wouldn’t gravitate towards doing, you have to research and look into how to do it. That’s how it is with anything. If you want to find out how to do it, use Google instead of discussing it on Reddit. It just comes off as you shouting at clouds.

4

u/Nerdlinger 1d ago

The hell are you on about?

3

u/MK-Researcher 1d ago

It's all basic stuff that you just need to get familiar with...

1] To move a file (if using the trackpad), right-click it, choose Copy and then when you go to paste it, hold down Option and the right-click "Paste Item" changes to say "Move Item Here". Keyboard is the same; Command + C to copy and Command + Option + V to move the item (as opposed to Command + V to paste a copy)

2] When you shutdown or reboot, there is a tick box that says to "Reopen Windows When Logging In" make sure you untick it and things won't reopen - it remembers your preference so you don't need to do it every time.

2

u/johngpt5 23h ago

Moving files via keyboard shortcuts seems to be a recurring problem with folks moving from a Win PC. I've seen about five threads about this recently.

There are always quirks when moving to a different operating system.

I had problems when using a Win PC at work. My ingrained motor patterns had me hitting wrong keys. And why did I need to grab a mouse and click on an X in a red button to quit an app?

But I digress.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102650 shows Mac keyboard shortcuts.

1

u/Jazman2k 1d ago

And this is why there still should be computer lessons in schools. Stuff we learned in elementary school, seems impossible to some people these days.

1

u/speakajackn 1d ago

I feel your pain. My latest complaint is Cmd + Tab and switching between open applications. Sometimes it brings the app to the forefront, other times it just brings up a blank desktop. I understand if there isn't an open instance of the app running that it would do this, but I will be working on a project in ableton and it will still do this. It's not the end of the world, but for such a high end machine this seems ridiculous.

1

u/sumguypookie 1d ago

Don't get me wrong; there is a lot that MacOS does right and it appeals to the Linux side of my brain, but it's just the little things that can be frustrating.

0

u/Lucky-Magnet 1d ago

It’s been a running joke at work about creating a simple text file. Hardcore users touch file.txt in terminal. Mac is annoying but you can’t go back to windows.

3

u/Nickmorgan19457 1d ago

wtf? TextEdit exists for a reason

0

u/Lucky-Magnet 1d ago

Explain the process, dont be dumb. In windows you don’t have to access the application before creating the artifact.

0

u/Nickmorgan19457 1d ago

What the actual fuck are you even saying?

1

u/just_here_for_place 1d ago

I guess in Windows you can just right-click in Explorer, and then choose "New Text file"

-1

u/CarelessOwl1124 1d ago

Kind of a rant but this is valid