MacOS Monterey

[prod]

I was dead set on getting a 16" MacBook Pro (M1 Pro, 32GB memory, 1TB storage) next month, but the issues I've been having with my M1 MacBook Air are making me reconsider. I'm having daily issues that are really getting in my way, whereas a lifetime on Windows experienced as near as zero issues.

• The most irritating: the input and output sound settings frequently show nothing at all. Can't configure my microphone for Zoom calls until I reboot.
• The system just locking up. Can't reboot via software, need to hold down the power button. Probably a few times a week.
• The Dock is a glitchy piece of **** compared to the Taskbar imo. When I'm in full screen I get the Dock sometimes appearing like a lost child, or those tooltip app names being stuck in place because the Dock seems to be hidden slightly south of the viewable area. Or a portion of an enlarged app because I like that expanding zoom effect (which I've turned off because of how irritating this can be). The rather wonderful uBar app is also busted imo because of how glitchy the Dock is (basically can't F off properly, thereby ruining uBar which acts like a Taskbar).
• I still hate Finder with a burning, raging passion. How can Apple be okay with this thing.

What version you on? 12.2 has been great for me so far. 12.1 was a ball ache.

Think I’m on 7days uptime atm, no issues so far

 

[AfricanTech]

I warned you in the beginning to stick to vanilla and not install all this system modifying crap. Almost guaranteed it’s one of those things causing your dock and fullscreen issues as I’ve never experienced it.

As for the Zoom problems, uninstall their piece of **** app and use it in the browser. Those issue are directly linked to their piece of **** app taking over the audio drivers. Uninstall it and the problem goes away, we have this problem with every single machine which installs the Zoom app and it ****s up other things like Google Meets etc as well intercepting the audio mid stream.

Don’t remember what your Finder issues were, maybe remind me and I can help think of a workflow around it. Personally have no issue with it but been at it for decades.

I remember that post

Took your advice and uninstalled most of the 3rd party stuff - was good advice - improved stability markedly.

PS Zoom app on PC also gives me sound issues

 

[SauRoNZA]

I remember that post

Took your advice and uninstalled most of the 3rd party stuff - was good advice - improved stability markedly.

PS Zoom app on PC also gives me sound issues

It really is a piece of crap app that.

 

[Bryn]

I warned you in the beginning to stick to vanilla and not install all this system modifying crap. Almost guaranteed it’s one of those things causing your dock and fullscreen issues as I’ve never experienced it.

As for the Zoom problems, uninstall their piece of **** app and use it in the browser. Those issue are directly linked to their piece of **** app taking over the audio drivers. Uninstall it and the problem goes away, we have this problem with every single machine which installs the Zoom app and it ****s up other things like Google Meets etc as well intercepting the audio mid stream.

Don’t remember what your Finder issues were, maybe remind me and I can help think of a workflow around it. Personally have no issue with it but been at it for decades.

Doesn't help me because I'm hosting the meeting half the time, and I've never seen an option to host a meet in my web browser. I've just joined a US company full time and they use Zoom, so I need to use it.

uBar is not installed. I was just saying it sucks that it can't work, for the singular reason that the Dock can't be made to properly F off. Besides that, uBar worked amazingly well. I've run CleanMyMac X a few times and it claims to have removed unwanted leftovers.

The lack of an address bar in Finder is the most infuriating thing. But it can't remember sorting options specific to folders, it looks ugly as hell, has no list view like Windows (side-scrolling columns), has the most useless search I've ever seen (but Alfred can pick up the slack there), has to be constantly resized because the stupid thing can't remember how I last resized it, and probably a gazillion small things that irritate me every seconds I use it.

Finder is so bad that wherever possible, I will rather use Alfred to find or open anything.

Out of interest is your Dock in the default position or moved to the side?

I've always had the Dock in the middle. With uBar I tried the side but nothing worked.

What version you on? 12.2 has been great for me so far. 12.1 was a ball ache.

Think I’m on 7days uptime atm, no issues so far

12.2 as well.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Doesn't help me because I'm hosting the meeting half the time, and I've never seen an option to host a meet in my web browser. I've just joined a US company full time and they use Zoom, so I need to use it.

uBar is not installed. I was just saying it sucks that it can't work, for the singular reason that the Dock can't be made to properly F off. Besides that, uBar worked amazingly well. I've run CleanMyMac X a few times and it claims to have removed unwanted leftovers.

The lack of an address bar in Finder is the most infuriating thing. But it can't remember sorting options specific to folders, it looks ugly as hell, has no list view like Windows (side-scrolling columns), has the most useless search I've ever seen (but Alfred can pick up the slack there), has to be constantly resized because the stupid thing can't remember how I last resized it, and probably a gazillion small things that irritate me every seconds I use it.

Finder is so bad that wherever possible, I will rather use Alfred to find or open anything.


I've always had the Dock in the middle. With uBar I tried the side but nothing worked.


12.2 as well.

Command + Shift + G is your address bar.

I don’t ever use Search because I’ve already hit Spotlight before even thinking about it.

Quite honestly and maybe it’s just me but I don’t find myself spending much time in Finder to get so annoyed by it. Or maybe I’m just getting directly where I need to be much faster with shortcuts like the above.

Not sure about Zoom and hosting meetings, that is a tricky one. I assumed you could do everything in browser as I’ve not heard this complaint before.

 

[purple face]

has anyone else been asked this?

 

[purple face]

 

[SauRoNZA]

View attachment 1240002

What’s the problem? They have new terms all the time.

 

[creeper]

Interesting glitch I found with WhatsApp and Teams on a Mac. After using WhatsApp call on the Mac, it seems that WhatsApp doesn’t release the camera and thus blocks Teams to use the video. If you restart, Teams work again

 

[Bryn]

Command + Shift + G is your address bar.

I don’t ever use Search because I’ve already hit Spotlight before even thinking about it.

Quite honestly and maybe it’s just me but I don’t find myself spending much time in Finder to get so annoyed by it. Or maybe I’m just getting directly where I need to be much faster with shortcuts like the above.

Not sure about Zoom and hosting meetings, that is a tricky one. I assumed you could do everything in browser as I’ve not heard this complaint before.

Cmd+shift+G isn't a replacement for an address bar because it displays the last location it was used for, rather than the current location. Fairly useless for quickly storing a particular location so that you can whiz straight to it with subsequent file selectors. Having to constantly switch to Finder so I can drag a file or folder over another Finder window is a pain in the ass.

Dropbox is worse for Mac. Google Drive is worse for Mac. The file views, remembered states and available options in general are worse with Finder compared to File Explorer. What surprises me even more is that a third party hasn't come out with a decent Finder replacement. The only ones I've seen are somehow even worse.

The issue with input and output sound devices not being listed is not related to Zoom btw. I opened Zoom for the first time just now before a meeting, and before doing so opened the system settings to verify that there wasn't an issue yet. Except the issue was there, and the system had been rebooted since last running Zoom (and Zoom doesn't start automatically).

I'm still getting a 16" MBP as things stand, but I'd buy a Windows laptop if there was one with equivalent battery life.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Cmd+shift+G isn't a replacement for an address bar because it displays the last location it was used for, rather than the current location. Fairly useless for quickly storing a particular location so that you can whiz straight to it with subsequent file selectors. Having to constantly switch to Finder so I can drag a file or folder over another Finder window is a pain in the ass.

Dropbox is worse for Mac. Google Drive is worse for Mac. The file views, remembered states and available options in general are worse with Finder compared to File Explorer. What surprises me even more is that a third party hasn't come out with a decent Finder replacement. The only ones I've seen are somehow even worse.

The issue with input and output sound devices not being listed is not related to Zoom btw. I opened Zoom for the first time just now before a meeting, and before doing so opened the system settings to verify that there wasn't an issue yet. Except the issue was there, and the system had been rebooted since last running Zoom (and Zoom doesn't start automatically).

I'm still getting a 16" MBP as things stand, but I'd buy a Windows laptop if there was one with equivalent battery life.

Zoom effectively loads a virtual input/output which I believe is where the problems come in.

Whether you open the app or not.

Out of interest why do you have so many manual file operations?

 

[Bryn]

Zoom effectively loads a virtual input/output which I believe is where the problems come in.

Whether you open the app or not.

Out of interest why do you have so many manual file operations?

Well, either way it isn't an issue I ever had with Windows. I'm constantly facing file select dialogues as a front end web developer.

And a new bug a sec ago: my Bluetooth input devices don't work unless the lid of the laptop is open. If I close it, they immediately stop working. I have changed nothing in the system preferences nor see such an option anywhere to toggle off.

The number of issues is so extreme that I'm wondering if this stupid machine isn't heading towards self-immolation.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Well, either way it isn't an issue I ever had with Windows. I'm constantly facing file select dialogues as a front end web developer.

And a new bug a sec ago: my Bluetooth input devices don't work unless the lid of the laptop is open. If I close it, they immediately stop working. I have changed nothing in the system preferences nor see such an option anywhere to toggle off.

The number of issues is so extreme that I'm wondering if this stupid machine isn't heading towards self-immolation.

Normal for the input devices to shut off as it goes to sleep.

But going to guess you mean while having an external monitor connected.

Likely something in power management I seem to recall.

 

[prod]

Man I must be lucky, I don't miss Windows at all enough to ever consider going back. My Air has been purring like a 2 stroke since 12.2

 ~/Documents/GitHub/ uptime
 8:27  up 10 days, 10:35, 4 users, load averages: 1.51 1.88 1.83

 

[bwana]

Well, either way it isn't an issue I ever had with Windows.

Then buy a windows machine.

What's the point in getting a 16" MBP, because it's got great battery life, if you expect it to be just like windows?

 

[prod]

Then buy a windows machine.

What's the point in getting a 16" MBP, because it's got great battery life, if you expect it to be just like windows?

Told him the same thing a year ago. Why drop R40k+ on a machine if you can't come to grips with the OS

 

[bluepoole]

Man I must be lucky, I don't miss Windows at all enough to ever consider going back. My Air has been purring like a 2 stroke since 12.2

 ~/Documents/GitHub/ uptime
 8:27  up 10 days, 10:35, 4 users, load averages: 1.51 1.88 1.83

As per my post a few pages back, I decided to wait for a few incremental updates of Monterey to be released before I upgrade to it.

Finally pulled the trigger when 12.2 came out, so cannot comment on earlier versions, but I must say, things are running buttery smooth.

Battery life is on par or even better than on Big Sur for me, my Mac was last charged to 100% on the 3rd, today six days later it’s still on 57%, granted the last few days my activity was limited to web browsing only but still, it is amazing.

Boot time is faster, can’t say overall performance is faster/snappier than on Big Sur but it is smooth as silk anyway.

One small quirk I’ve noticed, and I’m nitpicking heavily here, is that when you click on battery preferences, the System Preferences window gets shown for a split second before displaying the Battery Preferences window, which wasn’t the case on Big Sur.

Can’t wait for Universal Control which will of course be available with 12.3 by the sound of things.

 

[prod]

As per my post a few pages back, I decided to wait for a few incremental updates of Monterey to be released before I upgrade to it.

Finally pulled the trigger when 12.2 came out, so cannot comment on earlier versions, but I must say, things are running buttery smooth.

Battery life is on par or even better than on Big Sur for me, my Mac was last charged to 100% on the 3rd, today six days later it’s still on 57%, granted the last few days my activity was limited to web browsing only but still, it is amazing.

Boot time is faster, can’t say overall performance is faster/snappier than on Big Sur but it is smooth as silk anyway.

One small quirk I’ve noticed, and I’m nitpicking heavily here, is that when you click on battery preferences, the System Preferences window gets shown for a split second before displaying the Battery Preferences window, which wasn’t the case on Big Sur.

Can’t wait for Universal Control which will of course be available with 12.3 by the sound of things.

Universal Control is looking pretty cool, now I just need that iPad

 

[Bryn]

Then buy a windows machine.

What's the point in getting a 16" MBP, because it's got great battery life, if you expect it to be just like windows?

Windows is overall a better match for what I think constitutes an optimal desktop experience. But for work, a MBP is undoubtedly better. All the other developers at the company I recently started at are using them. It has better apps for the stuff we do. And the battery life is the main benefit. I wouldn't be able to work as I do, during load shedding and travelling, without it.

Told him the same thing a year ago. Why drop R40k+ on a machine if you can't come to grips with the OS

I'm fairly comfortable with macOS now. Alfred especially makes life easier. I just don't feel that some aspects of macOS are that good, like the Dock and Finder compared to the Taskbar and File Explorer. And bugs are incomparable between the OSes imo. Windows hardly ever presented strange issues to deal with, whereas my M1 MBA has seen a stack in less than a year.

 

[PhireSide]

macOS Monterey 12.2.1 should be available for download:

According to Apple's release notes, ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.2.1 addresses a bug that was causing Bluetooth devices connected to Macs to drain an excessive amount of battery.

Following the release of the ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.2 update in late January, MacRumors began seeing numerous complaints from users who were experiencing excessive battery drain during sleep mode, and the culprit appeared to be Bluetooth accessories that were frequently waking up the Macs they were connected to.

Some affected users saw their Mac's battery life drop from 100% to 0% while in sleep mode overnight after installing the macOS 12.2 update, with both Intel-based Macs and Apple silicon-based Macs affected. The problem stopped when Bluetooth was disabled or when Bluetooth accessories were disconnected from the Mac, which was not an ideal solution for users.

Apple addressed the problem in ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.3 beta 2 yesterday, but now Mac owners will not need to wait for the ‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.3 launch to fix their Bluetooth battery drainage issues.

‌macOS Monterey‌ 12.2.1 also fixes a WebKit bug that could allow maliciously crafted web content to lead to arbitrary code execution. Apple says that it is aware of a report that the issue may have been actively exploited, so Mac users should update to the new software as soon as possible.