Mac OS X vs. Windows Vista

Reference Sites www.google.com www.wekipedia.com www.techmind.org www.answers.com www.howstuffwork.com www.Mirosoft.com www.cnet.com www.macosx.com Prepared By Name: Muhammad Umair Sheikh Roll No# NI-F7-BBA-212 Mac OS X vs. Windows Vista Before Vista's January launch, eagle-eyed computer geeks who pored over every press release, statement, and image released by Microsoft in regards to the new operating system noticed a not-too-subtle resemblance between the new Vista OS and Apple's Mac OS X Tiger. Some said Microsoft shamelessly lifted key aspects of OS X Tiger; the more level-headed saw the similarities as a natural progression in the evolution of Windows. Regardless of where you stand on Vista's "originality," its changes and upgrades make it more intuitive and user-friendly than XP. With the postponement of Mac OS X Leopard until October (Apple says the delay is due to putting the finishing touches on the iPhone), OS X Tiger will get a few more months of action out of it before Apple's new OS hoopla hits. So as we await Leopard's release, it must be asked: How does Vista compare to the venerable OS X Tiger? To find out, we pitted the Apple Mac Book Black running OS X Tiger against the HP Pavilion dv6000 running Vista Home Premium. 1. Interference Mac OS X While we're still perplexed as to why Apple still makes us resize applications and documents using only the lower-right corner of the window, OS X makes up for that minor setback with Expose, which provides many options for viewing open windows. Hit F9 and OS X tiles all open windows and scales them so that they're all proportionate, making the content of each legible; F10 brings the active window to the forefront, graying the others; F11 brings you to the desktop by hiding the open windows along the perimeter of the screen. Overall, if you're a multitasking madman, Expose is your tool. Windows Vista While the slick, Mac-inspired aero transparencies offer pleasing eye-candy that's definitely a step above XP's aging GUI, the reality doesn't match the prerelease hype. The transparencies are a nice, albeit superficial, touch. 3D Flips is also pleasing to look at, but we're not huge fans of the "stacked" rotating view, which doesn't let you view the full content of a window until your rotate it to the front of the batch; it isn't quite as functional as Tiger's Expose. WINNER: Mac OS X It's a nice coat of paint, but ultimately Vista just falls shy of OS X Tiger's more user-friendly functionality. 2. Search Mac OS X Spotlight, Tiger's integrated desktop search, enables users to swiftly locate photos, music, documents, and other files simply by keying in a few letters. Search is built into each of Tiger's folders, so they're always at hand. Results are returned on the fly as you type. Our only gripe with Spotlight is that novice users may not be able to readily identify the application, as all that's used to mark it is a magnifying glass. Windows Vista Instant Search is one of our favorite aspects of Vista because it allows users to hunt for files from virtually any location in the operating system; search boxes are integrated into the Start menu and into every Windows folder. It's a welcome addition, as it's faster and less intrusive than the standalone offerings from Google, MSN, or Yahoo, which were needed to scour your desktop in XP. We like that Instant Search is easily located and clearly labeled in each folder. WINNER: Windows Vista While each challenger offers context sensitive results, Instant Search takes this round with its clearly-labeled presence in virtually every area of the OS. 3. Media Photo Editing and Organization Mac OS X iPhoto, an application in OS X Tiger's iLife suite, makes organizing and editing photographs easy. Shutterbugs can label their photos, group them into albums, and apply basic editing such as red-eye removal, resizing, and cropping. You can create slideshows using iPhoto images and set them to music imported from iTunes. The most impressive aspect of iPhoto is its photo casting feature, which allows .Mac users to create feeds for their digital images that others can subscribe to via RSS. Windows Vista Both professional and novice photographers will appreciate the revamped Pictures folder. The newly named Photo Gallery centralizes images into a neat directory tree that can be viewed by the date taken, star ratings, tags, image size, and more. Basic photo editing is included, which allows users to crop, remove the dreaded red-eye, and adjust exposure and color. One of the best additions to Photo Gallery is the ability to tag photos, which makes for a more streamlined way to search and organize photos. The editing features may not replace Photoshop, but Photo Gallery is a decent tool that's a step in the right direction. In addition, slideshows can now include video, and the Stack option flips through pics as if you just got them from the photo lab. WINNER: Tie Both operating systems give users the ability to label photos and perform light photo editing. While OS X Tiger's photo casting is a great feature, not everyone is willing to pay the $99.95 annual subscription to share photos via RSS. We call this a draw. Video Mac OS X iMovie HD allows amateur moviemakers to create great-looking DVDs (in standard-definition or highdefinition), complete with chapter menus and photo slideshows using cool, selectable themes into which you can drag and drop content. With Garage Band, OS X Tiger users can create musical soundtracks to accompany their footage by simply selecting the New Movie Score option to import their favorite music to add the finishing touches to that homemade sweeping epic. Windows Vista Windows Movie Maker enables users to drag and drop video clips and audio files into a digital reel (with very basic editing functionality) with little hassle. New to this version are a few new transition and visual effects and support for high-definition video, but the program isn't remarkably different than the one included in Windows XP. After creating your masterpiece, you can export it to Windows DVD Maker for burning to disc. WINNER: Mac OS X iMovie's beautiful themes and Garage Band flexibility gives it the one-up over Windows Movie Maker. Music Mac OS X You can't think music player without thinking iTunes. Apple's iPod companion application is the default music player of many and rightfully so; it has an easy-to-use interface that syncs nicely with the world's most popular digital music player. In the last version of the software, iTunes 7, is Cover Flow, a 3D interface that uses album art to mimic flipping through a CD collection. iTunes, of course, integrates the world's most popular digital music store, where users can purchase tracks for 99 cents each, or non-DRM songs from EMI's catalogue for $1.29 a pop. Apple TV, Apple's media-streaming box, enables you to wirelessly beam music and pod casts to your home entertainment center. Windows Vista Windows Media Player 11 differs from previous incarnations of the application through its extensive use of album art (that neatly organizes songs into stacks), Instant Search, and universal Back and Forward buttons that simplify navigation--the best music management and control combo around. Music, pictures, videos, and recorded content have their own dedicated category view, which streamlines the layout. Integrated into Windows Media Player 11 is URGE, the online music store where music lovers can buy individual tracks for 99 cents, subscribe to all-you-can-eat access starting at $9.95 per month, and listen to free streaming play lists. WINNER: Windows Vista Window Media Player 11's intuitive interface makes navigating your music library a breeze. Plus, iTunes and Apple TV are available to Windows users, so Mac OS X Tiger doesn't have any unique advantages. Games Mac OS X Historically, when it came to gaming on a computer, the PC has owned that market without question. But with the advent of Boot Camp and Parallels, which enable a Mac user to run Windows XP games for "best of both worlds" action, the gap between the two has closed significantly. Unfortunately, those with standard Mac Books will not be able to run high-end games like F.E.A.R with the integrated Intel GMA 950 graphics; you'll need an ATI Mobility Radeon X1600-powered Mac Book Pro to enter a frag-fest. On the upside, the Mac's built-in games outshine Vista's and include Big Bang Chess, Big Bang Checkers, Big Bang Tic-TacToe, Big Bang Backgammon, and other classic titles given a slick, 3D treatment. Windows Vista Vista promises to deliver the most visually impressive games ever seen on a computer platform courtesy of Microsoft's DirectX 10 technology. Early screens of software using the graphical API are nothing short of stunning, but for now the actual games are few and far between. Only a handful of DirectX 10-compatible titles have been announced that wield the visual power of Vista and none have hit store shelves yet. DirectX 9 is included with Vista, enabling compatibility with lower versions of DirectX, although some games, such as F.E.A.R., can be difficult to boot without patches. WINNER: Windows Vista Although the Mac Book Pro features discrete Radeon X1600 graphics that can run high-end games, our Mac Book Black didn't have that option; the PC offers more flexibility in the type of graphics cards that gamers can have installed in their systems. Plus, the jury is still out on how DirectX 10 games will perform running in the Boot Camp and Parallels environments. Overall Media Winner Although OS X Tiger and Windows Vista ran neck and neck in the photo and video categories, Vista flexed its multimedia muscle in the music and gaming arenas. Despite iTunes' massive popularity, we found Windows Media Player 11 to be the smoother, more intuitive interface. On the gaming front, Vista has a great catalog of XP games to fill out its library until DirectX 10-enabled titles arrive. WINNER: Windows Vista 4. Peripherals Mac OS X Apple really plays up the fact that OS X Tiger, based on a UNIX open-standard format, is compatible with virtually every accessory and peripheral that a techie could toss its way, so we decided to put the claim to the test. We connected the Coby V-ZON portable 4320 portable media player, Corsair Flash Voyager GT USB drive, Pure Digital Flip Video Camcorder, and Samsung L74 digital camera. Every item we plugged into the Mac Book booted without a problem, save for the Flip Video, for which we needed to install special Mac drivers (that are built into the device). Windows Vista We've previously tested Vista with gadgets and peripherals that we had in-office and saw almost perfect results. When we tested Vista with the new batch of items, the results were almost as good. All of the peripherals performed as they should, save for the Corsair Flash Voyager GT; the operating system would occasionally fail to recognize the USB drive. WINNER: Mac OS X In the battle of peripherals, OS X Tiger went four for four. 5. Widgets Mac OS X Hitting F12 brings up Dashboard, home to OS X' widgets. These mini-applications include simple but useful tools, such as localized, real-time Doppler radar weather reports, stock information, a Google search box, a clock, sticky notes, and more. Clicking the plus sign activates a Widgets Bar that shows every available widget, including smooth, water-like transition effects. Users can edit existing widgets or create their own. Windows Vista Microsoft plays catch-up with Apple by finally integrating widgets into the OS in the form of Windows Gadgets. These mini applications are docked in a pane on the side of Vista and, like OS X' widgets, give easy access to weather reports, game scores, notes, Internet radio streams, and more. WINNER: Tie Each platform offers dozens upon dozens of helpful applications that will make your desktop a true information portal. This one's a push. 6. Performance Mac OS X Our Mac Book Black, outfitted with a 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of RAM, performed like a champ. While certain programs such as Garage Band and iPhoto took a few seconds to boot and load, we were impressed with the OS X' snappy performance overall. Apple has yet to update its notebook line to Intel's next-generation Centrino platform, but we assume it won't take long before it does. Windows Vista Our HP Pavilion dv6000 possessed similar specs as the Mac Book (a 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of RAM), but we experienced some sluggishness when initially opening the Pictures and Music folders. On subsequent openings, the folders launched quickly. On the other hand, Windows-based machines have the advantage of supporting Intel's new Centrino Duo technology now, which has more horsepower for Vista. WINNER: Mac OS X Intel's boost in front side bus speed to 800MHz and other enhancements its latest Core 2 Duo processor help level the playing field for Vista machines. However, Mac OS X Tiger runs silk smooth without this CPU. 7. Security Mac OS X It's not that OS X Tiger is impervious to security breaches. Last year a Leap-A Trojan (the supposed first Trojan attack ever against the OS) was reported, and there's been some recent buzz about a flaw in QuickTime's Java processing that may open the OS to a Windows-like attack, which was quickly patched. Nevertheless, if you're talking security, there's probably no safer operating system than OS X Tiger. Windows Vista Built into Vista are virus and ad ware scanners designed to give Microsoft's much-maligned operating system increased security. It appears that, at least in the early days of Vista's existence, the enhanced security is working: You can't install new software or hardware without a prompt to approve the move. Still, it's based on the Windows format that we all know and love, so we wouldn't be surprised if a huge security risk was revealed before the OS' one-year anniversary. When Microsoft delivers Vista Service Pack 1, it will contain security updates, hot fixes, and a limited number of additional changes. WINNER: Mac OS X When an OS X security breach emerges, its big news. When a Windows flaw emerges, it's business as usual. 8. Networking Mac OS X OS X Tiger offers a range of support for file services you'll need to work in a variety of network environments including UNIX, Linux, and Windows NT/2000/XP. Once the Mac Book is connected to a network, you can browse Windows networks in Finder. If you're looking to go wireless, Airport and Airport Express will connect automatically to the nearest wireless network, allowing users to create and rank a preferred list of wireless networks and troubleshoot them. The one drawback of Airport is the noticeable lag between clicking on the icon and the application's opening. Windows Vista The new Network and Sharing Center is a big improvement over XP's "My Network Places," with its direct access to and toggles for sharing files and printers, discovering other PCs, and viewing files already shared on your computer. You can now set priorities for which Wi-Fi signals Windows Vista connects to and restricts, as well as assign specific hotspots to certain users and manage security protocols. Unlike OS X Tiger, Vista's networking and sharing options are all in one window, which makes for far friendlier navigation. WINNER: Windows Vista No lag and a more refined menu structure give Vista the edge. 9. Backup & Recovery Mac OS X Backup and recovery in OS X Tiger is done courtesy of .Mac, Apple's family of online-only services. Using .Mac's Backup 3 software, users can save copies of important files, iLife content, and iTunes purchases to the Web that can be easily accessed and recovered on the go, which is a safer way to house data than failure-prone hard drives (provided that you're willing to pay the $99.95 annual .Mac subscription). A more traditional hardware-based backup and recovery setup, Time Machine, will arrive in October as part of Apple's new operating system, OS X Leopard. Windows Vista Microsoft finally offers more control over scheduling backups and selecting files and folders, with an excellent wizard that makes the process infinitely simple. Unfortunately, the backup routine only works on data that's within Vista's own file structure; you can't manually target folders you've created outside of those trees. In addition, the program doesn't clearly lay out how much disk space is needed in advance. Despite this flaw, Vista does the job and is free to use. WINNER: Mac OS X Backing up data online poses a smaller risk of data loss than traditional hard drives. Despite the $99.95 asking price for an annual .Mac subscription, we like the idea of securing our information virtually. 10. Secret Weapons Both Mac OS X and Windows Vista contain exclusive "secret weapons": programs, applications, and features that give one of the operating systems an edge over its competition. Are these enough to push you toward either operating system? Mac OS X Secret Weapons Boot Camp and Parallels Those who want the ability to run Windows-only software on an Intel-based Mac should check out Boot Camp (free) or Parallels Desktop for Mac ($79.99). While both programs enable you to use Windows on the Mac, they have one major difference. Parallels create a virtual machine, a computer running inside of another operating system--in this case, Windows running in OS X. Because of its virtual nature, Parallels users can run Windows and OS X simultaneously. Boot Camp, on the other hand, allows you to select an OS upon startup. With the introduction of Parallels Build 3036 Beta, which will let you run the program in conjunction with Boot Camp to drag and drop files between operating systems, you'll get the best of both worlds. iLife Apple's iLife suite is without a doubt one of the most fun and versatile multimedia suites around. With Garage Band, aspiring rockers can create killer tunes by plugging their instruments into the Mac or using the default sound library; Photo Booth will captivate many with its ease of use and myriad effects, thanks to the Mac Book’s integrated insight camera; blogging and pod casting are handled by the iWeb multimedia package. If you're a creative type, iLife is your killer app. Front Row Using the included Apple Remote, you can transform your Mac Book into the center of your multimedia lifestyle. Users can view photo slideshows, access iTunes music and play lists, or watch a DVD without getting off the easy chair. Windows Vista Secret Weapons Windows Ready Boost and Super Fetch A new memory-management technology in Windows Vista, Windows Super Fetch prioritizes the programs you're currently using over background tasks. The technology adapts to the way you work by tracking the programs you use most often and preloads them into memory for faster boot times. Windows Ready Boost enables Vista users to use nonvolatile flash memory devices (such as USB flash drives) to improve performance without having to physically pop the hood and add more memory. This additional flash memory serves as an additional memory cache that the PC can access much more quickly than it can data on the hard drive. Parental Controls The parental controls built into Vista enables users to review easy-to-read activity reports that detail how a child has been using the computer. This feedback allows parents to refine their children's surfing parameters in order to keep objectionable content out of reach. In addition, users can decide which days a child can access the computer and the amount of time he or she can spend on the PC. Although, Mac OS X also has parental controls, we found Vista's tools to be more robust with an easy-to-read grid that shows log times. WINNER: Mac OS X While we appreciate technologies like Ready Boost and Super Fetch, as well as Vista's new parental controls, they're trumped by Boot Camp's and Parallel's ability to run XP and Vista on a Mac. Plus, the iLife '06 suite delivers a fun factor that Vista just can't match. 11. Overall Verdict Ultimately, deciding which operating system is right for you depend on personal preferences. If you're looking for smooth performance, rock-solid security, and multimedia fun, Mac OS X Tiger and iLife are what you need. If you're looking for a platform compatible with most programs and games in the personal computing space, Windows Vista is for you. If you were to analyze the most vital elements of a computing platform--security, interface, and performance--Mac OS X Tiger trumps Windows Vista, and is our pick as the superior operating system. Although Vista is pushing the envelope with some of its features, it's still unproven in several key areas and could use snappier performance. Until that happens, we'll stick with OS X Tiger. OVERALL WINNER: Mac OS X Testimonials of Mac OS X and Windows Vista Users Aug 30, 07 - 11:16 pm Testimonial from: thelt very much like my experience. Aug 30, 07 - 11:21 pm Testimonial from: Connor MacBook Microsoft is dying the death of a thousand (or a hundred million) switchers Aug 30, 07 - 11:23 pm Testimonial from: MacJack Actually NewType, I'm not sure it has as much to do with the Switch campaign as with the iPod's halo effect. The success of the iPod has given people a familiarity with Apple products and made them seem a safer choice. The Intel switch hasn't hurt either. Aug 30, 07 - 11:24 pm Testimonial from: Jared White Welcome to the fold! The grass really *is* greener on this side of the fence. MDN word: talk, as in, the more people talk about how great Macs are, the more people can leave the Windoze world for good! Aug 31, 07 - 11:26 pm Testimonial from: George What's he curious to see in Vista? How much was stolen from OS X?? Aug 31, 07 - 11:45 pm Testimonial from: Montgomery Gates Ballmer, send in the hounds. MDN word: "clearly" "I can see clearly now that the stockholm syndrome is gone, I can see exactly the obstacles Microsoft was placing in my way." "Gone are the frustrations that kept me blind It's going to be a bright, bright, sun shiny day" Aug 31, 07 - 11:45 pm Testimonial from: NewType Not disagreeing with you, MacJack. The iPod halo effect is very real and undeniable, but all I'm saying is that the Switch campaign created the basic mental framework that is now resulting in millions of people to make the switch. If not for the Switch ads and how quickly it became a part of pop culture, the iPod halo effect would be much weaker today. Why? Because the Windows iPod user will think, "I love my iPod, too bad Windows is so sucky." It would never occur to them to actually consider making a move to the Mac because without the Big Idea of Switching, the whole idea of getting a Mac would largely be unknown. The Switch ads made sure that everyone who wasn't living under a rock was accutely aware of the idea, essentially acting as a seed crystal that was waiting for a catalyst to be introduced in order to suddenly grow. BTW, no matter how many of these testimonials I read, I never seem to get enough of them. There is always something new and exciting in each Switch experience, even if they share many common elements. Sep 03, 07 - 11:46 pm Testimonial from: superchub I switched in '03. Where Macintosh feels like an "Operating System", Windows feels like "One Big Application" now. Maximized windows on MS now seem like a joke, an ironic one at that. Does that make any sense? That's how I've always felt after the switch. Sep 03, 07 - 12:09 am Testimonial from: ken1w I agree with this author. For me, Windows XP "feels" like I am working. Mac OS X "feels" like I am having fun, even when I am working. Sep 08, 07 - 12:13 am Testimonial from: Mike "If this sounds like fanboy zealoutry" Yeah, it's only zealoutry when... um... one of the other 20 million Mac users recommends Macs... Sep 09, 07 - 12:14 am Testimonial from: Jeff "My Mac feels pristine, my Windows work machine feels dirty" This is EXACTLY how I feel... But, very few people I work with would understand. I think it is because they think of OS 9 when they think of a Mac. The OS X experience is quite different. Sep 25, 07 - 12:16 am Testimonial from: Dennis VJ I started to use Mac 2 months ago ( after 6 years with windows ) and i feel so good !!!! no stress to work, i feel organized , i feel when i saw the screen like i was seeing a beutiful lake with mountains and no a jungle like windows ( ugly desktop ) and this is the begining.... Sep 25, 07 - 12:36 am Testimonial from: Connor MacBook i feel when i saw the screen like i was seeing a beutiful lake with mountains Microsoft thinks it can give you that feeling with desktop pictures! Sep 29, 07 - 12:36 am Testimonial from: OzzysCross101 It's funny what he said about having that *urge* to keep his desktop so neat. I think it's something alot of us are compelled to do. On Windows, I thought I kept a clean desktop, with maybe one full row of icons and a few moe in a second row. But in OS X, my Desktop consists of my Hard Drive, 4 folders, my external, and a few things I'm currently working on. Sometimes it could contain more, but normally, this is what's here. i always hate it when I have something in there that makes the row bigger, and I always love it when I find I don't need to keep something on my desktop anymore. There just is nothing better than the Mac. MW: The world's most advanced operating system. Sep 29, 07 - 12:37 am Testimonial from: iScott Welcome to Peace of Mind. I've been a Mac user since about '93. After the release of OS X and iLife, I've successfully "switched" 7 people and they all feel the same way. They're never going back. A few years ago it was a bit harder, considering the cost, but since the intel switch and the cost reductions half of those 'switchers' have been in the last few months. Oct 10, 07 - 12:38 am Testimonial from: davida It took twenty plus years before I took the personal computer purchase plunge, with an iMac (Early 2001, [toes in OS 9]), & then a late 2004 iBook. I've always had a feeling that Apple makes the Computing Experience easier/safer, thanks to Unix, NeXT, software 'acquisition', and Mac's GUI. It is as if Windows XP/Vista is the Titanic, and OS X + future versions, are/will be more like a Hydrofoil. Oct 10, 07 - 12:45 am Testimonial from: iScott Ok ok... I know "7" doesn't seem like that much, but seriously... The last 2 people that switched, came to me asking about my computers. Both of which said they went to their local Apple stores and the sales people "didn't sell me on anything.". They thought they were just preaching some blind faith and didn't give them any real reason to dish out the cash for a new Mac. After about 10 minutes of running thru some things on my iMac G5 and my MacBook (running both OS X and XP) they were SOLD!!! It's incredible satisfying when they call me up and say "MY NEW MAC CAME TODAY" with so much excitement in their voice. Oct 15, 07 - 01:01 am Testimonial from: macromancer One of the biggest arguments I used to make for trying a Mac is that the difference between a Mac and a PC is that most people who use Macs do so by choice. Most Windows users do it by default, or because that is what they were told to use. Welcome to freedom. Oct 19, 07 - 01:10 am Testimonial from: Stock market crash stock market crashes tomorrow. not apple tho. Oct 24, 07 - 01:22 am Testimonial from: the other Mark "One of the biggest arguments I used to make for trying a Mac is that the difference between a Mac and a PC is that most people who use Macs do so by choice. Most Windows users do it by default, or because that is what they were told to use." I heard something similar over 10 years ago. The guy basically said people love thier Mac, people tolerate a PC. Or the more famous, people work on a Mac and play games on a PC. BTW, my first experience was on a Mac II playing Lode Runner. Oct 28, 07 - 01:43 am Testimonial from: alansky "How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm once they've seen Paris? Oct 28, 07 - 02:49 am Testimonial from: iPodder If this sounds like fanboy zealoutry, it's not. I also noticed this one. Soon George will realize that is "I am from Windows, I am not a Mac zealot" will not work anymore. All the others will simply label him as ZEALOT, Machead, fanboy, cultist and drinking Jobs kool-aid. Nov 01, 07 - 04:11 am Testimonial from: One guy from Finland Microsoft is not the answer. Microsoft is the question and the aswer is NO! Nov 01, 07 - 04:23 am Testimonial from: SeriousMac I hate them. Msoft that is. I wasn't only "let down". I was RIPPED OFF ...BIG TIME...and when you've spent thousands of dollars (in personal and business computing), there is NO WAY you're not going to feel RIPPED OFF. Windows IS the virus! MSoft ARE the pirates! Magic word little: "I have very little worries now that I use OS X" Nov 05, 07 - 04:26 am Testimonial from: Switched My Macbook Pro is the first of many Macs, My experience has been totally positive (touch wood)... My partner and I have been travelling alot recently and she amazed me one day while sat in an airport departure lounge watching a load of business travellers using heir laptops, she said, "I haven't seen anyone using a laptop as nice as yours, in fact they are all bricks!" I didn't know she really cared! The point is she is absolutely disinterested in technology but the aethetics of the Mac are clear to everyone. While we were travelling we used cybercafes to stay in touch with home and invariably they would have PCs running XP. It was like going back in time. I had only ditched XP a few months ago but I was struck by how old it felt compared to OSX. When Vista is released you'll get all the "second coming" style comment from the journos and users but its only because they don't know any better. I'd probably be the same if I was still using a PC. I feel I have the best OS running on the best hardware. I fully intend to get a Mac Pro when a dual quad (8 core) is available next year. I just hope Apple can kep up with the pace of processor development. A delighted switcher who'll never go back. Nov 05, 07 - 04:27 am Testimonial from: \ln I've had three people in three days ask me about switching to a mac. they all wanted macbook's (still don't like the name). it was nice to have a captive switcher. i could be less fanatical and just give plain, simple advice. the tide is changing ladies and gentlement.... peace Nov 11, 07 - 04:43 am Testimonial from: Fanatic Realist One Guy… I don't think it really matters, because if Microsoft or Windows is the answer I'm not really sure I even want to know what the question might be. Nov 11, 07 - 05:40 am Testimonial from: Charko von Berlin I hear of more and more people here in Germany who are considering buying a Mac, and a lot of these people are over fifty (like me) and have been using MS all their lives I really do believe now - and I'm aware of the dangers of wishful thinking - that what is now happening is the beginning of what might in the future be known as 'The Big Switch'. Nov 11, 07 - 06:23 am Testimonial from: Mac Zealot "If this sounds like fanboy zealoutry, it's not." Yes it is! Now it's only a matter of time before he gets pissed off that he was tricked into using a crap OS for so long. Hehehe. I wonder how many switchers he will be able to convert over the years. Welcome to the club! Nov 11, 07 - 07:08 am Testimonial from: clyde Hey...where's all the windows trolls that always come out of the wood work and flame bait on articles like this one? They can't ALL be removing viruses and malware from their computers, can they? Nov 11, 07 - 08:03 am Testimonial from: LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son My AAPL heart is going into endless orgasm over the comments on this thread. Don't stop. It feels so good. Nov 15, 07 - 08:09 am Testimonial from: macin in vero I switched 3 years ago ... My Powerbook 17" was a birthday present for going back to college. (I'm LUCKY like that) Since then, I have converted my whole family to macs. They all love them and now I don't have to hear complaints about viruses and gremlins ... and I don't have to try and fix them anymore. Now, I am their instructor in how to use macs and OSX. Slowly but surely they are seeing OSX as more logical and easier to use but they sometimes have that old PC mentality which I'm breaking them of. At this point in their experience, which for some is only a few months, not one of them wants to go back. My work is done and I'm a very satisfied mac user. Now if I could just get them off hotmail and yahoo for email (it just looks so ugly on the mac UI and is completely unneccessary). Nov 15, 07 - 08:28 am Testimonial from: C Being a recent switcher I agree. My WinXP machine also runs flawlessly and does everything I need it to do but the Mac just does it better. I think that the user interface on the mac is just nicer. Like I said, my WinXP PC does everything I need it to do, the only MS software on it is the OS and it doesn't crash. But still I gravitate to the mac. Hard to explain - as I am preaching to the choir here everyone knows that it needs to be experienced. The only reason I keep the computer around is because it has a licensed copy of XP on it and I need it to access my work VPN otherwise I would wipe the system and install Linux on it. At work many people remember the pre OS X days and laugh at me when I talk about my mac. About 10 years ago one of the guys at work will remind me how his mac would crash 5 to 10 times a day. I think that there is still a misconception out there on what Macintosh computers are today compared to where they were 10 years ago. Nov 22, 07 - 08:32 am Testimonial from: Own Mac and PC "My WinXP machine also runs flawlessly and does everything I need it to do but the Mac just does it better." So you write better emails on a Mac? Post at forums better on a Mac? You surf the internet better on a mAC? Draw better illustrations with a mac? Write better reports for school with a mac? Computers are tools. Can you tell which computer I used to write this forum message? Dec 01, 07 - 08:50 am Testimonial from: TowerTone Now that I have been precribed MAC OS extended release, I have less congestion, my vision has cleared, the back aches are gone, and I am less constipated. Thank you Apple-Once A Day! Dec 01, 07 - 09:04 am Testimonial from: Mac4lfe Own Mac and PC If you owned a Mac or operated one for any period of time you would understand exactly what C was talking about. No one can deny that a Mac is just plain simpler to use. Trust me, I use both. Dec 03, 07 - 09:06 am Testimonial from: January 24, 1984 Try this on a PC: Import video, combine with a few stills, alter the background audio, create web page, and embed. Upload, and test. 14 minutes. Sure, the same things can be done on a PC, but you rarely see such fluidity of application handshaking. I am fluent in both OSes, and can't imagine such a quick effort being done without murderous consequence on a PC. Maybe it's just me. Dec 05, 07 - 09:16 am Testimonial from: mike k. Own Mac and PC -- reading comprehension is clearly not one of your strong points. Try again. Dec 06, 07 - 10:10 am Testimonial from: Al I'm forced to use a PC at work and cannot stand it. So is it fair to say that my work PC pays the bills, and my new Mac at home creates bills? This is one time I think that bills are a good thing. Dec 06, 07 - 10:16 am Testimonial from: Whiners If you don´t agree with the crowd of people who like to keep convincing themselves that they are so smart, please don´t throw logical arguments lilke "computers are a tool" into the discussion. This is about people telling themselves and others how wise and clever they are that they can write a better e-mail on a mac vs. a slimy pc. next we will get the widget heads who tell us now they have a mac they actually got a date with a real female (as opposed to the plastic, blow up kind). ps i, 2, own a mac and pc. both work fine. i take credit for all the geniousness that spews from my computers. does a carpenter give credit to his stanley brand hammer for the house he built? does the mechanic say if it wasn´t for brand x screwdriver i would have done a worse job on your car? does pixar go, damn we should have used more macs on the cars movie, then it would have been a big hit? did picasso whine my paintings suck because i am not using a boesner model 3rt brush? Dec 10, 07 - 10:22 am Testimonial from: Gary P. "Try this on a PC: Import video, combine with a few stills, alter the background audio, create web page, and embed. Upload, and test. 14 minutes." --------ahhhh-----its not how good the movie is, it is how fast one can slap it together! Darn, I have been doing it all wrong!!! Move over Steven Spielberg another genius movie director has been born! Dec 10, 07 - 10:26 am Testimonial from: Sean Paul I am a recent switcher, about a year or so. I am a graphic designer and use Windows at work, but a Mac at home. I am always amazed at how, especially our I.T. folks, absolutely HATE Mac, don't want to have anything to do with it and are not interested in the least of even trying it. I went to the my local Apple store the other day however and it was completely FILLED with people and they were all 'ooh'ing and ahh'ing' over the Macs. I think that once enough people get to experience them, there will be a sort of critical mass that takes place and people will start demanding to have more Macs in the work place. Just my 2 cents. Dec 11, 07 - 10:43 am Testimonial from: Steven Sean Paul, "The combination of "Stockholm Syndrome" and "cognitive dissonance" produces a victim who firmly believes the relationship is not only acceptable, but also desperately needed for their survival," writes Joseph M. Carver, PhD for Mental-Health-Matters.com. Interesting, you say, but what does this have to do with the price of iMacs in China? Well, nothing, but it does have a great deal to do with a recent issue I had with an IT department head at a company with which I was consulting recently. I won't get into the specifics, but you know the drill, this guy hated Macs for some reason, made outright fun of Macs using all of the usual myths (too expensive, no software, no one uses them, Apple's going out of business, etc.), but was getting pounded by his company's workers and management as his network repeatedly failed due to viruses and patches and just plain Windows crashes. I think I've figured out the answer to my own article from last November, "I really wonder what some Windows users think about Macintosh." These Windows users are sick. Sick, I tell you! Mentally ill. Want proof? Okay, but keep in mind that this gets eerie, proceed at your own risk: Dec 14, 07 - 10:44 am Testimonial from: mike k. Sean Paul -- you are spot on about the Apple Stores. I think it was a really smart move to disabuse people in a "hands-on" way of the idea that Macs are so different than regular PCs. The Apple Store is always a happening place in the mall. I wish they would add a coffee shop so you could go work/hang out there. Dec 14, 07 - 10:56 am Testimonial from: BillyDude Another key aspect for my choice of os X: Expose & Dashbord. It just helps me go through all the apps I need to and provide that clean and seemless experience, giving me a sense of productivity. Which begs the question: To all you mac users forced to use a windows box at work:
How many times a day do you point your mouse to the top right or left corner of your screen in an attempt to get to the window you want? After intense, backwards, windows behavioural control, I am nowdown to 3 a day. MDNW: choice As in given a real choice, most would use macs. Dec 18, 07 - 11:20 am Testimonial from: Mac4lfe BillyDude I too use windows at work and have found myself on accasion trying to use expose on my work pc. I just smile to myself when it happens, some of my coworkers have no idea what they are missing. Whiners A good artist, mechanic, doctor etc, always choose the best tool to use. I don't want my mechanic using cheap tools on my porsche. Cheap tool produce poore work.