366: There’s Nothing You Can Fix in a Day

Partitioning

Partitioning storage on Macs, particularly with APFS, presents both challenges and opportunities. Casey Liss shares his experience of creating multiple partitions for different types of files, questioning if this practice is outdated with APFS 1. John Siracusa explains that APFS allows for flexible space allocation, making traditional partitioning less necessary 2. He notes, "APFS makes this so much better because you can essentially not make those decisions," highlighting the ease of creating and managing containers 2.

   

Software Bugs

Software bugs in macOS, particularly in the Finder, have been a source of frustration. John Siracusa describes unexpected progress bars when moving files, questioning changes in the OS that could cause such issues 3. Marco Arment expresses disappointment with the persistent bugs in iOS 13 and Catalina, noting, "upgrading has had a cost, and I still have yet to find any benefit" 4. These issues highlight the need for more stable software updates.

   

Catalina

Upgrading to macOS Catalina has led to numerous user frustrations. Casey Liss regrets installing Catalina, citing issues like the "machine gun trackpad" that weren't present in Mojave 5. Marco Arment adds that using Catalina on a desktop reveals more "paper cuts," or minor annoyances, than on a laptop 6. Despite these challenges, the need to run new software like Xcode beta often necessitates such upgrades 4.

   

Developer APIs

Developers face significant challenges with macOS APIs, particularly in retrieving desktop images. John Siracusa laments the lack of straightforward APIs for accessing desktop images, describing the process as "peeking through the keyholes" 7. He explains the complications of dealing with dynamic desktop backgrounds and the difficulty in obtaining the correct image URL 8. These frustrations underscore the need for more developer-friendly tools in macOS.