In my day to day, for work reasons, using both Windows and macOS, keeping all important files synchronized through OneDrive at all times, as well as using Microsoft Office and the online platform Google Docs. This way, I always have access to all the data I need regardless of what operating system I’m using. However, while Windows and macOS share most features, just like Linux, the Mac operating system includes certain features that are natively available in Windows.
This forces me to resort to third-party applications to be able to perform the same functions as in macOS without having to resort to the Mac App Store or third-party developers. Of all the exclusive functions that macOS offers us, I only miss the 5 that we show you below.
- Scan documents with iPhone or iPad. Apple creates and develops the operating system for the iPhone and the Mac, so when you want to add a function that combines the use of both devices, it is very easy, something that Microsoft can only do through a third-party application. and not natively like Apple. This macOS feature allows you to activate the iPhone or iPad camera to take a photo of a document to format it and treat it as such, adjusting the size of the corners and more.
- Select an object or person from an image. Through the Photo Library, Apple allows us to access all the photos stored in iCloud that we have taken with our iPhone. But, in addition, it also includes an interesting function that allows us to select an object or person from an image with the simple press of a button, a function that to do in Windows we have to resort to third-party applications such as Photoshop.
- Use the iPhone or iPad camera as a webcam. If we want to use our phone as a webcam in Windows, we have no choice but to install third-party applications, however, Apple implements this option natively between iPhone or iPad and Mac.
- Copy text from an image or video. Another of the exclusive functions of macOS is the possibility of automatically recognizing the text that is displayed in an image or video to copy it to the clipboard. We can also have this function in Windows, as long as we install the PowerToys application suite, a Microsoft application.
- Preview documents, images and videos. One of the most interesting functions available in Apple’s operating system is the one that allows us to select a document with the mouse and access its preview without having to open it. To do so, we just have to press the space bar. The application that allows us to perform this same action in Windows is Quick Look, an application that we can download for free from the Microsoft Store.
