Zardon

Read The Article Here
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When we released our recent review of the Macbook Air, we were inundated with requests via email to detail some information on Macintosh OSX. Today we are having a look at the differences you can expect between both OSx (Leopard) and Windows Vista.

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dj_stick

bloody good article

sums up my own opinion pretty well also (i'm typing this while using vista on a mac pro, which btw, is one of two macs that don't come with the iSight camera - the mac mini is the other one)

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humonous

i love OSX, but a reason never mentioned. it never seems to get progressively "worse" over time. I can't really game on it though so I dont use it much, real shame.

Lowfat

reformat? what is that

Great write-up BTW.

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mike2h

terrific write up!! tyvm.

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LukeK

very educational, is OSx really that good ? I must admit I always take a sneak peek at the macs in our local store when im in there. they are quite sexy looking. If I didn't game I think id go with one, just for the change. im sick of windows

brutusmaximus

Yeah OSx is much better than vista IMO, nicer interface all round. its unfortunately tied into much lesser support and application support in general, especially if you like to game on the side.

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Customgamer1

I am really just surprised that Zardon likes Mac's.

Not saying that are bad, but just surprised.

Really what WAY WAY to many people over look is does it really matter what computer you use? People are always debating up the ass what computer is better etc, but the fact is that they take you to the same internet, same programs to the most part and both are easy to use.

Windows vs. mac is more like "Smarts vs Money"

If you really don't care or don't want to pay about double the price for the same spec computer you buy Windows. If you think paying more for the look of the computer and OSX you buy a Mac.

Also it is becoming easier and easier to install OSX on your PC!

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Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX!

Lowfat

not this again.
Did you even read the write-up?

Legally no it isn't.

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Customgamer1

Ha well I am going to be loading up OSX on my computer. I use it a lot on my brother's computer and just think it is hard and just not as simple as how windows has it laid out.

So after I get it installed on my system I will give it a full test and see how it does.

Also I did read the review. Some key points were the interface about everything looking the same, installing between the 2 computers etc. He did not proclaim a winner, but it seems clear that OSX won.

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Asus Laptop: 2.5 Intel Core 2 Duo, 4gigs DDR 2, Windows 7 64bit! Windows 7 > OSX!

Judas

this i simply can't comprehend past being simply put.... Personal Opinion.

It's quite apparent that microsoft didn't bother making everything look that same. I mean it doesn't make sense that if they were "trying" to make them look that same... this would be an incredible failure considering.

I think one of the major bonuses with the interface styles and visuals is the fact that they don't have to be all the same to look good. It's a promotion to be completely different if you really wish.


Another thing about laptops, i've yet to find a single laptop unable to sleep properly or wakeup properly with vista loaded..... even the ones infected with viruses to no end (although a bit slowly lol).... time from sleep to running ready is pretty much instant if the user hasn't completely bloated the system all to hell and isn't running 512mb of ram lol.

I can completely understand that wish to present a 100% unbiased point of view from a single writer, the job was done exceptionally well considering. But it would be interesting to get several hands on it at the same time.


I've used OSX, i just simply don't consider it a viable OS for a considerable number of reasons mostly all baised on capability issues. It's extremely limiting. And It's Security is being threatened all the time, Alot of people making the jump baised specifically on how good the security is... when in essense, it's no different then people getting a little lazy and overconfident because they have the "#1" Anti-virus and security measures on thier windows os .... they start doing stupid things, end result is an infection usually.

Either way it's all interesting.

But i still love this video

YouTube - Crash Different

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Zardon

Ok, well firstly, yes i do like macs, and I like OSx, quite a bit. That said, I didn't write this article so im hoping you at least read it enough to see Peters name in the header.

Ok, well let me ask you something, why would you be "surprised?" an open ended comment with nothing else to substantiate the reference baffles me.

Isn't this exactly what we just said in the article? Incidentally this isnt about which "computer" is better, is about the benefits and cons of specific operating systems which are classed as "mass market". This is an educational and informative article which hopefully has helped a lot of people.

This is such an incorrect statement it leaves me open to huge areas of debate. That said, and I mean no offense with this, I just don't think you are openminded enough to discuss it logically.

Let me leave you with something, and this is pause for thought. Right now in the UK, an eight core Xeon machine from apple with 2gb of ram and a wealth of lovely hardware under the hood is £1,700. I dont think this is expensive at all. same for the macbooks. They start at £699.

See above.

Excellent, well then read the article correctly and come back, then tell me you didn't learn something about the operating systems, because this was not a review of a Macintosh V PC. it was a look at several operating systems which you can install on both platforms ! (ive vista running on a mac right now in dual boot for instance).

WhO_KnOwS

Care to explain how or why being able to install OS X on a PC would change your opinion about the OS itself? I can understand your dislike for the OS being tied to Apple hardware, but last I checked that doesn't influence the way you use the OS one bit.

It is not a matter of trying or not - Microsoft offers a suite of products which are supposed to work in the same environment. As a result, they should look good when put next to each other. The same philosophy applies to other areas as well - when you model a new kitchen you make sure that you maintain an overall feel across all appliances. Get what I'm saying?

In an ideal world, that would be the case. It is my personal experience that the truth unfortunately lies elsewhere - my old laptop, a Lenovo N100 would lock up when waking from sleep approximately 1 in 5 times, and this was on a clean install with only the official (Lenovo supplied) drivers installed - no background processes or anything.

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Judas

That's still personal opinion... You say appliances in a kitch, and i'm looking at it like a house and each room fitting it's own intended design. Would themes for each applications allowing one to make everything look the same be a good thing... of course, but claiming it's a huge issue is still just that, personal opinion.

It's nice to walk into a house and see a significant change from one room to the next, specially if it all works together. It's also nice walking into another where each room has very suttle differences, but fairly identical to each other yet.

It's just change.... some like it alot, some hate it alot, some really couldn't care less just as long as the intended design works.

IMO, they all look pretty damn good to me.


In an ideal world, we'd all be running top of the line, absalutely stellar, perfectly designed, zero crapware, sleak slipstreamed laptops with all the bells and whistles and no BSODs or crashes. But we don't... that's understandable.

But what's in the point of mentioning a problem that isn't the fault of a peice of software? I don't blame my cars computer when the tires blow out, it just doesn't make sense.

What's worse, is that a considerable number of these manufacturers make excessive changes to the "orginal" OS creating the problems... worse yet the modified hardware creates even more hassles if you install a orginal copy of windows. I simply don't deal with crap hardware like that, what's the point really, is saving a few dollars worth the countless cash/time waisted in making it work properly?

It's bad enough that HP got into shit for modding things up so much not only on thier laptops, but on the desktops that they couldn't even install SP1 without causing substatial amount of critical issues and even looping crashes... forcing those users to remain without sp1.


I've not installed Vista onto a considerable number of OLD machines that don't even meet the recommended let alone some of them not meeting the "minimum" requirements, yet they are performing on par with that of windows XP, and in some interesting cases, is far more stable.

However it's quite apparent when something isn't going to go well when the initial setup of vista BSODs on some poor hardware. I just don't bother with them. I don't blame the OS for that, it's quite obvious that it's the hardware.

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Zardon

Actually Judas while I appreciate where you are coming from, it is logical from a design standpoint for a maker of applications and the underlying software kernel to make everything in their suite -"universal". I don't think its a major issue, however in the early phases of vista beta testing (which I was involved), there were some internal debates about this and exactly the direction Microsoft were taking. The problem as I see it is something that has been apparent throughout MS history, their corporation is so huge that ideas and conceptual designs get fragmented. I can remember back to the late 80's and early 90s when Apple were such pioneers and were leading the way with Os 6-7 then 8 and 9 (I was working as a designer in the industry on the very first macs). It took Microsoft a long time to catch up, but they did. In silicon valley apple were full of extremely creative people (a few hundred), whereas microsoft threw a coding team 20 times the size at the same job. The end result was just as good however it is still apparent even today that things are similarly fragmented.

I personally feel you are taking this analogy a little too far, however as you say its personal taste. I personally feel in vista that somethings would be better more "uniformed", but again this is me speaking as a designer rather than just a computer user. It really doesn't negate peter's views on this, and a lot of the article is obviously his personal taste as well as histronics and how things work today. The fact you don't agree with his personal taste is something we could debate for quite some time.

Some could though... you see the point we are making here?

The point in mentioning it is simple, it happens, and this is an article on what an end user can and should possibly expect, why wouldn't we mention it? Our site isn't here to play PR for any company.

I don't believe it is microsoft's fault, it is intristically inherant to the platform. Macintosh computers are basically put together by one company not a plethora of OEM's. This means to a certain degree that Macintosh will have a more uniform set of rules and things will work better out of the box. This isn't my opinion, its fact. If lenova or dell, mess up a driver Microsoft won't be able to stop them releasing it, it happens. The end result with this is basically that an end user will have to deal with the problem (which in this case is poor sleep/hibernation coding or driver support on a kernel level). I don't think Microsoft should be blamed for this, however Peter's point that it doesn't happen at all on Macintosh is correct and the reason for this is simple, they have control over everything. (this can be bad in some ways and good in others).

Judas

i'm probably more irritated with the different OEM companies that have such a habit of breaking things and still just getting away with it most of the time as the norm.. and continueing to convince thier customers that don't know any better that it's microsofts fault (as seen with the countless articles [if you can call them that] about how terrible vista is).

I wasn't insisting for the article to play the PR game. A clean and clear message comparing the disadvantages/advantages of the 2 OS related to the specifics of lets say the laptop are always welcomed..

Frankly i can't really say for myself if the 2 are even compariable at all.. alot of people insist on comparing... i find it's like dealing apples vs oranges... they are so vastly different. The way they are handled, made to do things, made work with/how it works and on so many levels.

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Zardon

Of course you can compare them, end users do the same tasks with them, from photoshop, dreamweaver, office, surfing the internet, even chatting.

You are looking at this from the perspective of a coder, not an end user, and this article is aimed firmly at the latter.

Judas

i ment:

MAC

Stability, Powerful, limited capability, limited options, streamlined computer of choice.

One end of the spectrum of users...

Windows

Best capability, limited Stability due to excessive amount of options, Streamlined in some cases, overbloated in others, way to many software packages/options, Largest list of capable hardware/software.

At the other end of the spectrum...

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Zardon

Judas, they are both operating systems with a considerable amount of crossover for casual users, designers, business people. As well as people who like entertainment. They also can be installed on any intel systems regardless of whether Dell or Apple shipped the machine.

It is not apples to oranges. It is an article comparing two operating systems which handle a lot of similar tasks.

I have absolutely no idea what you are trying to say, apart from the fact "they are different" and I think everyone already knew that. As for the "best capability" and "limited stability" statements I can't believe you even said that (even for you).

I would politely request that you stop posting in this thread, otherwise im going to headbutt the nearest wall shortly.

kris23

i just have to lol at this for a second......

LOL

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fobis

Some things never change.....

But about the article: I thought it was well-written although obviously lacking a lot of depth. But since the intent of the article was obviously to provide the average joe a less-than-vague preview of each of the operating systems, lacking depth is okay.

And Judas, the fact of the matter is that both Windows and Mac OS X are operating systems, intended to be a user interface between man and computer. Yes, I agree that the options that each provides to their user-base are different, but in the end, they both do what the operating systems are intended to do.

On another note, I love my MacBook Pro and OS X Leopard (only since 10.5.2. 10.5.0-10.5.1 were horrendous and should never have been released to the public). I also am indifferent about Windows Vista. I don't hate it, I don't love it. I like it just about as much as I do XP nowadays since a lot of the major bugs were ironed out.

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MacBook Pro
Mac OS X Leopard 10.5.4
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.33GHz
2GB DDR2-677
ATi Mobility Radeon X1600 256MB
120GB 7200RPM SATA HDD

|2A|N

Not sure how I missed this article but I just got around to reading it. I have been wanting to fool around with a Mac for quit some time now and the other day I had the chance to in all the places a church called Wave Church here in Va Beach with 3 new imacs. I really enjoyed it a lot although not having a right click felt a tad bit awkward.

To be honest I'd trade my rig for an imac any day. I say this because honestly I find myself gaming less and less these days, maybe it's my age catching up to me who knows :P but I guess I need a change. All I really do on my PC now is listen to music, write and well... listen to music. besides I'm tired of hearing about all this virus and internet security and the like.

I have spent so much money protecting myself from the internet over the years it's just ridiculous. All I want to do is plug in and enjoy my time at my computer without headaches, hassles and and constant security ads in regards to the PC. If I get the money saved up an imac is definitely on my to get list. I have Ubuntu installed on a separate partition but I'd rather pay for a quality operating system that works out of the box like OSX does. No offense.

Anyhow great review and thanks!

Zardon

I understand your comment about wanting a "change".

I just noticed this and its good to hear someone willing to try something outside the "norm" - whether that happens to be unix (OSX) or a linux distro is irrelevant!

Just wanted to reply to one of your comments, OSX has support for many mice buttons ... yes, even including the right (PC) style button. The place you were in obviously only had the entry level old style mice with the simple chassis. The mighty mouse has support for right however I prefer simply plugging in a high quality PC mouse and using the mac like that.

The logitech mice for instance have their own fully configurable control panel which offers many button options however if you find for some reason that something isnt right, go into system preferences/keyboard and mouse and alter the settings in there.

Sorry for the delay in responding I totally missed this thread.