Mac or Windows? what's better? and Why? [Archive]

velocityg4

Jul 7, 2009, 07:36 AM

Neither is 'best' or 'better'

They're different ways of doing things. Some like one. Some like the other. I like both.

Anyone who tries to argue that one is categorically better than the other is lying.

Though I definitely agree that neither is better in all aspects.

I would say that most people are not lying when they say one is always better than the other. Rather they are ignorant of the abilities of both. Since they have either exclusively or almost exclusively used one or the other. Then are parroting their opinions from those they consider knowledgeable about computers.

TBi

Jul 7, 2009, 07:44 AM

Heilage

Jul 7, 2009, 07:50 AM

To me, each system har it's different uses. For servers, I prefer using Linux (Debian is my new favorite). For working computers, such as programming, designing and such, I prefer Macs. For playing games, I prefer Windows.

They all fulfill their duties just fine. :)

Dagless

Jul 7, 2009, 07:51 AM

Both have advantages and disadvantages.

In my case i use Mac laptops but windows based desktops. I find OSX better for mobile type environments and windows better for my powerful computer.

Although if i could get a cheap powerful mac desktop (xMac) i might change my mind. (BTW i've tried hackintosh... prefer just to run windows on a non-Mac PC)

Exactly the same here. I rather like Mac laptops and I'd never buy a Windows-based one, but now I'd never buy a Mac desktop because. Well. I could build myself a real beast of a machine for a fraction of the cost of a Mac - with the same quality components too.

As for OSX and XP. I like OSX for media organisation and playback, email, browsing. Whereas I use XP for work and games. I couldn't pick my fave just as I couldn't live without either now.

Beerfloat

Jul 7, 2009, 08:05 AM

I'm pleased that there is finally a topic about this pressing issue.

maflynn

Jul 7, 2009, 08:10 AM

I was going to say one isn't any better then the other like the other posters but after producing this list below, I can't stand by that statement anymore. Clearly OSX had advantages in its design, look and usage that superior to windows.

Here's my unsorted and incomplete list of items that I believe are better in OSX then windows.

Great integration with apple hardware
Great integration with apple products like mobile me, iLife, iWork, Aperture, etc.
OS UI is more intuituve and responsive (as compared to vista)
Lack of Viruses
Ability to access more then 3gig (getting the 64bit version of windows can cause massive headaches because of driver issues)
Driver issues are virtually non-existant
no registry to corrupt
Less security issues, no need to send patches daily/weekly/monthly to plug the holes in the os
More stable environment, less crashes
Less reboots, I've installed (and uninstalled) texted editors in windows which require a reboot - Why???

mags631

Jul 7, 2009, 08:13 AM

I would say that most people are not lying when they say one is always better than the other. Rather they are ignorant of the abilities of both. Since they have either exclusively or almost exclusively used one or the other. Then are parroting their opinions from those they consider knowledgeable about computers.

Or, they are simply expressing their own opinion based on their own criteria. The point is probably less about accurate, objective studies and more about surveying people's current thinking on a particular topic (e.g., who would make a better President...). If the OP truly wanted accuracy, s/he would have not left out the critical use cases.

It is generally true that either are "fine"; they can equally get most jobs done. Personally, I like Mac OS X, especially for my home machines, which I don't want to spend a lot of time maintaining and investing in necessary 3rd party bits of software to keep the nasties out. Finally, Mac OS X does go hand-in-hand with beautifully designed machines, which is another reason we run it at home. We have our computers out in the open; and, the wife even considers it "furniture".

djellison

Jul 7, 2009, 09:13 AM

Great integration with apple hardware
Great integration with apple products like mobile me, iLife, iWork, Aperture, etc.
OS UI is more intuituve and responsive (as compared to vista)
Lack of Viruses
Ability to access more then 3gig (getting the 64bit version of windows can cause massive headaches because of driver issues)
Driver issues are virtually non-existant
no registry to corrupt
Less security issues, no need to send patches daily/weekly/monthly to plug the holes in the os
More stable environment, less crashes
Less reboots, I've installed (and uninstalled) texted editors in windows which require a reboot - Why???

The integration with hardware is moot when OSX runs superbly on a £300 Dell Mini.
iLife integration is good - but other packages offer similar experiences on other platforms.
I find some parts of the OSX interface VERY counter intuitive, and some parts of it brilliant.
Small footprint, free AV software eliminates this problem.
x64 drivers are NOT a massive headache. I run an XP64 workstation and have NEVER had a driver issue.
See above.
Never had a registry problem. I have had permissions problems on my Mac though.
OSX gets patched like XP/Vista. Just less often.
Safari crashes on my MB many many times a day. Firefox doesn't on my XP 64 workstation.
You've tried text editors that ASKED for a reboot. Did you try them without? Rarely is a reboot actually required.

See - this is what annoys me. People on one side of the fence exhibiting chronic bias against the other side of the fence. It's like you can't explain why you use OSX without explaining why you DON'T use XP. And when you try and explain it - much of the stuff you say is wrong or irrelevant.

Melrose

Jul 7, 2009, 09:57 AM

Anyone who tries to argue that one is categorically better than the other is lying.

Unless one has had horrific, incessant, consistent, rotten, atrocious problems with Windows versions of nearly every variety and platform.

The fact is, Windows sucks. Whether you happen to like Windows or not doesn't change that fact, and whether it's always worked splendidly for you doesn't change the fact.

Windows Sucks.™ Both in it's user experience (although they're improving that) and in stability and security. That's official. You can call me bitter, but I've had a fair amount of experience with both and Macintosh machines are much better. I probably wouldn't be quite as bitter about Windows if Microsoft actually tried to be helpful when I called them (on several occasions). Brushed off many times, and while it proved to be a software problem in the end, they insisted it was my fault. Then when it was the hardware, Dell told me it was a problem with Windows. Yeah those are knowledgeable, trained employees with good quality products for you...

I've used Macintosh computers off and on for years and exclusively since 2007 (several models and OS versions to boot) and can honestly say I haven't had one problem with software or hardware that's due to faulty manufacture or design.

okay that's my rant for week..

thejadedmonkey

Jul 7, 2009, 10:07 AM

I think Windows is better, just because 99% of the time I can do what I want with it, when I want, where I want. With OS X, if I want to have that same freedom, I am forced to buy an Apple, or mess with drivers, which is more of a pain then on Windows...

I give it to Windows, because it's usable. After all, what good is "the world's most advanced operating system", if I can't install it?

djellison

Jul 7, 2009, 10:07 AM

Windows Sucks.™ .

Grow up.

Seriously.

No1451

Jul 7, 2009, 11:06 AM

OS UI is more intuituve and responsive (as compared to vista)
Ability to access more then 3gig (getting the 64bit version of windows can cause massive headaches because of driver issues)
Driver issues are virtually non-existant
no registry to corrupt
Less security issues, no need to send patches daily/weekly/monthly to plug the holes in the os
More stable environment, less crashes
Less reboots, I've installed (and uninstalled) texted editors in windows which require a reboot - Why???

Copied just the things I have issue with in this statement, the interface is completely your own opinion but I dunno about the responsiveness. Maybe when dealing with a more powerful Mac this is true(I have the 08' alu 13") but I can't even begin to compare my 2Ghz/2Gb ram laptop to my 4Ghz Quad-core/6Gb triple channel ram@1800Mhz. There is just no comparison, EVERYTHING is smoother and faster, hardware more than accounts for that.

Drivers/Reboots/Registry: These are not the fault of MS really, they do not write the drivers, they do not dictate what software requires a reboot(blame the devs of the software) and they are not the ones corrupting the registry. If you do that that is YOUR fault, you can't say "oh well they put it there, bad on them", if I start deleting important system files on my Mac or overwriting them with crap it isn't Apple's problem, it's mine for being an idiot.

@Melrose: that is kind of my situation, but in reverse, my Mac behaves like a dog(why does the OS need to lock up to open a new tab in Safari?). I haven't even had windows crash on me in the last month(barring my latest crash which is a result of bad memory).

Melrose

Jul 7, 2009, 12:58 PM

@Melrose: that is kind of my situation, but in reverse, my Mac behaves like a dog(why does the OS need to lock up to open a new tab in Safari?). I haven't even had windows crash on me in the last month(barring my latest crash which is a result of bad memory).

Yeah, I realize that people are going to have differing opinions; I try to never insinuate that Macs are perfect and Windows is always bad. I'll grant that for some people or for certain tasks, Windows may be just the thing. I base my opinion on what I know and personally experience, which is more than many can say.

In my experience Macs have been very good, and conversely Windows has been unreliable. But, again, that's just my experience. :)

Badandy

Jul 7, 2009, 12:59 PM

I find everything is mroe logically laid out in OS X. Windows has too many ways to accomplish one task and it results in bloat. Oh yeah, I love Spotlight.

I like how it works with every one of my peripherals by just plugging it in. I never have to go around the internet for drivers. I like how it works seemlessly with my iPhone, with MobileMe, and just integrates perfectly into my life. I like how stable the OS is (excep my damn mail.app hangs sometimes for no raeson).

That's it.

Cassie

Jul 7, 2009, 01:11 PM

I think Windows is better, just because 99% of the time I can do what I want with it, when I want, where I want. With OS X, if I want to have that same freedom, I am forced to buy an Apple, or mess with drivers, which is more of a pain then on Windows...

This pretty much sums up my position on the issue. I really enjoy using OS X, but the hardware it can be installed on (stably, with no maintenance) is very limiting. It's a big deal for me.

And then there's the fact that there's pretty much nothing wrong with Windows (XP, anyway. Not sure about the rest) if you just have a little common sense. It's just easier.

crazycat

Jul 7, 2009, 02:05 PM

I use both. I do nearly everything on my Mac except for gaming. I enjoy not worrying about virus's, i enjoy how fast i can do thing on my Mac, and not having to reinstall my OS every 3-6 months.

I do not enjoy that i cant upgrade my Mac, i dont enjoy that i have to wait for my master Apple to tell me when i can do something (blu-ray?) or not. Between the two brands i am getting everything i need done, so if you ask what is better the answer is will depend on each individual.

Mousse

Jul 7, 2009, 02:32 PM

Anyone who tries to argue that one is categorically better than the other is lying.

Color me a liar then.

For gaming, Windows is clearly superior based on the fact that it has more games. Nearly every game available for the Mac is also available for Windows. The opposite cannot be said. Also, the same game usually runs fasters on Windows.:eek:

For general computing, OS X is clearly superior based on fewer frustrations of having to deal with mal-ware. Having a unified user interface doesn't hurt either. Cmd-Q, Cmd-V, Cmd-X, Cmd-C all works exactly the same in every Mac program that supports short cuts. Can't say the same for Windows.

Dagless

Jul 7, 2009, 02:37 PM

Color me a liar then.

For gaming, Windows is clearly superior based on the fact that it has more games. Nearly every game available for the Mac is also available for Windows. The opposite cannot be said. Also, the same game usually runs fasters on Windows.:eek:

For general computing, OS X is clearly superior based on fewer frustrations of having to deal with mal-ware. Having a unified user interface doesn't hurt either. Cmd-Q, Cmd-V, Cmd-X, Cmd-C all works exactly the same in every Mac program that supports short cuts. Can't say the same for Windows.
Eh? It is the same in Windows. I run lots of applications in XP and I copy/paste graphics, music, text, video across them all easily. Have you got an example of why OSX does this better than XP?

I use both. I do nearly everything on my Mac except for gaming. I enjoy not worrying about virus's, i enjoy how fast i can do thing on my Mac, and not having to reinstall my OS every 3-6 months.

In the 3 years I've owned my iMac I have reinstalled OSX and XP twice, and I'm not exactly an IT pro. I think you're doing something wrong if you have to reinstall it every 3-6 months.

jbernie

Jul 7, 2009, 02:47 PM

Mac OS X is the best (1)

Sources:
(1) Sammich

As much as my opinion is the opposite I will pay you 1 internet for citing your source :)

I started with computers in 91*, we had PCs at school, haven't felt the need to change, if I was heavily into audio/video at any point then Apple was viewed as the way to go and I may have changed. Regardless, even though I have a few computers and all, they really are just tools, they do what I want, and I don't need to change over and learn the mac side even though I have used them and occasionally support them.

* does the Commodore 64 count? thats going back into the earlier 80s :)

cocky jeremy

Jul 7, 2009, 04:39 PM

Wait.. people still don't know OS X is better? Wow. Wake up. There's really no question to it.

macJC50640

Jul 7, 2009, 04:42 PM

What the...
How come all these threads always get so many posts...there must be over 5,000 o them on MacRumors now. We're all Mac people, therefore we like OS X for reasons that most of us already know of.

Melrose

Jul 7, 2009, 07:26 PM

I find it moderately amusing that the very people that say "one is the same as the other, they are categorically identical" are the same people who won't drive a Ford, or prefer Toyota, or whatever.

Just sayin'. They're two entirely different products - it stands to reason that one would be superior in some way(s) over the other. The odds of the two being the same and having been created by different people with different visions and ambitions is almost impossible. And even if they are the same, I'd pick the one with better customer service :p

MattyK

Jul 7, 2009, 08:08 PM

mac, because I own one.

No1451

Jul 7, 2009, 11:36 PM

TBi

Jul 8, 2009, 05:43 AM

I find it moderately amusing that the very people that say "one is the same as the other, they are categorically identical" are the same people who won't drive a Ford, or prefer Toyota, or whatever.

(Note: i'm basing this on the laptops more than the desktops)

In a way the arguments for Mac Vs PC are similar to BMW vs Ford.

In a Ford you'll probably get a much more powerful car for the price of the BMW. The BMW will be more refined, comfortable and better thought out. I find the same with mac laptops vs PC laptops.

However some people only care about the power and not about the rest of the package.

Then again sometimes Ford will bring out a car that is so good for the price that it is not worth getting the BMW (take the Award Winning European Mondeo for instance). In this case people are more likely buying the badge (or more succinctly not buying the ford badge) if they go for the BMW.

However you can't categorically say one is better than the other, you can say that in your opinion and for your workflow/usage that the Mac works better for you.

As i said earlier i use both. The mac wins as a laptop for me, whereas the PC wins as a desktop machine.

crazycat

Jul 9, 2009, 09:15 AM

In the 3 years I've owned my iMac I have reinstalled OSX and XP twice, and I'm not exactly an IT pro. I think you're doing something wrong if you have to reinstall it every 3-6 months.

I have a gaming PC desktop, once i hit the 3 months mark i can feel the PC getting slower. Loading times slows, lunching a programs takes longer and i starting getting unexplained crashs. Two to four months and i can see the difference, i have to reinstall the OS in order to get the full speed again.

I have a LAN in my house with around 10 PC's, i have had the problem with everyone on them even thou i dont use any of them. Right now i dont use a PC except to play games, i have had not reinstalled windows for about 8 months and i dont see the PC slowing down. With my Mac on the other had i have never needed to reinstall the OS even after heavy use. Am i doing something wrong? very unlikely, i am a heavy user and found out the my Mac is better fir everything except gaming.

djellison

Jul 9, 2009, 10:42 AM

See - I find my XP64 workstation never needs reinstalling. I did a few weeks ago, because I replaced my 72gb Raptor HDD with a 300gb Velociraptor - but it been fine for >12 months before that.

My mac, however, I'd be looking to do a reinstall every 6 months or so, because it just gets sluggish. Safari gets worse and worse.

maestro55

Jul 9, 2009, 11:24 AM

Please state all your reasons and if possible sources

You are on the wrong forum is you are looking for an unbiased comparison of the two machines. Now I can tell you as a guy in the IT field who uses Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux (CentOS 5.2 / Debian / Ubuntu) on a daily basis that you should buy a machine that suits your needs. I will also say that for the majority of people Mac OS X suits their needs for a machine to surf the web, very basic video editing (iMovie), Organizing photos (iPhoto), enjoying tunes (iTunes). Out of the box you get a ready to go system without the fear of malware and viruses. There are a surprising number of games released on the Mac platform, and you can get the full Office suite. With native Exchange support coming in Snow Leopard, if you are a business user you get all the plus sides of having great Apple apps (Mail/iCal) and still be able to interface with Exchange.

Mind you that I have a Windows machine right next to my work Mac. It mostly serves though as a machine to talk to my Linux servers, I can switch between the various VPN connections we have at different locations on the Windows machine and stay on the local private network on the Mac. I do not browse the net with the Windows machine so I don't have to worry about viruses. I use a couple of ham radio logging apps on it sometimes and that is about it.

Bottom line, what do you NEED to do and can you not do it on a Mac? And why not consider Linux?

Dagless

Jul 9, 2009, 11:32 AM

And why not consider Linux?

Because it doesn't run the apps I need. Which falls nicely into that idea of just getting a computer to suit your needs.
I need Photoshop, Final Cut, Logic, Left4Dead and Team Fortress 2 so (unfortunately for me :o) I need to buy a Mac and PC. Meh!

opinioncircle

Jul 9, 2009, 01:33 PM

I'm cool with either of them. Even Linux. As long as it gets the job done for me, then I'm all good.
I'm going to buy a uMBP just because I'm a tech fan, never had a Mac, and want to try something different.

Please not that you may think Windows may suck, and at the very least 85% of the computers are operated under Windows. I wouldn't assume that 85% of computer users suck as well :).
I guess like hundreds of posts before me said, it's all about what it does for you.

thegoldenmackid

Jul 9, 2009, 01:34 PM

There were two extensive threads on this in the past week. I must wonder why we start another one when we know they will lead to Tallest Skill and some troll getting into a pissing match leading to yet another thread being locked.

Thread Uno (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=739941)
Thread Two (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=740612)

Cassie

Jul 9, 2009, 01:45 PM

I have a gaming PC desktop, once i hit the 3 months mark i can feel the PC getting slower. Loading times slows, lunching a programs takes longer and i starting getting unexplained crashs. Two to four months and i can see the difference, i have to reinstall the OS in order to get the full speed again.

I have a LAN in my house with around 10 PC's, i have had the problem with everyone on them even thou i dont use any of them. Right now i dont use a PC except to play games, i have had not reinstalled windows for about 8 months and i dont see the PC slowing down. With my Mac on the other had i have never needed to reinstall the OS even after heavy use. Am i doing something wrong? very unlikely, i am a heavy user and found out the my Mac is better fir everything except gaming.
I owned an HP desktop for 6 years, and I never reinstalled Windows. Not once. I'm sure it was slower then it was when it was new after 6 years, but I couldn't tell the difference. (These days I reinstall about once a year; because I royally screw something up while messing around, usually.)

Is it really worth the reinstall to shave 5 or 10 seconds off of loading times?

maflynn

Jul 9, 2009, 01:54 PM

Drivers/Reboots/Registry: These are not the fault of MS really

I disagree, while the problems are not the result of MS perse, their design and implementation is what causes issues with the Registry.

Regardless of who's fault it is with reboots, its still an issue I don't deal with in OSX (or Linux for that matter).

Drivers, Yeah because M$ doesn't have one hardware platform but need to support many platforms, problems are bound to crop up. But regardless of why, its still an issue that as an OSX user I've not really had to deal with.

Badandy

Jul 9, 2009, 02:08 PM

I disagree, while the problems are not the result of MS perse, their design and implementation is what causes issues with the Registry.

Agreed

Regardless of who's fault it is with reboots, its still an issue I don't deal with in OSX (or Linux for that matter).

I deal with a ton of reboots on Mac OSX updates.

Yeah because M$ doesn't

You think Apple wants to make money any less than Microsoft does?

maflynn

Jul 9, 2009, 02:49 PM

I deal with a ton of reboots on Mac OSX updates.

As I do as well but at least I can install (or uninstall) an application in OSX without needing to reboot. As I mentioned I have to reboot windows when installing a text editor - that makes no sense at all. That's not the only example either just my favorite one. Plus I can let OSX run for weeks on end, w/o rebooting. I cannot do that to windows. In fact, we have monthly reboots of window servers where as the Solaris servers we use are never rebooted (unless a hardware failure occurs)

You think Apple wants to make money any less than Microsoft does?
Yes because Microsoft in their zeal to make money has broken the law and continually used monopolistic tactics to crush the competition or keep others out. They're still dealing with the EU on this, so to answer your question yes apple's desire to make money seems to be less then microsoft because they seem to stay within the law and M$ has not.

djellison

Jul 9, 2009, 02:55 PM

As I mentioned I have to reboot windows when installing a text editor - that makes no sense at all. That's not the only example either just my favorite one. Plus I can let OSX run for weeks on end, w/o rebooting. I cannot do that to windows. .

You DON'T have to reboot after installing Apps on Windows. You clearly didn't read my earlier post. It may ask you to restart - but did you try running it without reinstalling? No. Because you would have discovered you don't need to. You don't need to with a text editor, with the entire CS4 suite, with MS Office..... need I go on.

My XP64 workstation stays up for weeks on end rendering 3D anims w/o rebooting. The XP based file server at work is typically up for several months before reboots.

iGuardian

Jul 9, 2009, 02:57 PM

I prefer mac's because they can run windows and OS X.

But to be honest I think I'd be just as satisfied with a Hackint0sh. I don't care about the hardware, it's the OS.

iGuardian

Jul 9, 2009, 03:01 PM

You DON'T have to reboot after installing Apps on Windows. You clearly didn't read my earlier post. ... It may ask you to restart - but did you try running it without reinstalling? No. Because you would have discovered you don't need to.

How is the regular user supposed to figure out that you automagically don't have to restart even though the system tells you to? Especially with Vista's friggn' updates that require about two whole days of dedication to install.. reboot, install, reboot, install, reboot, install AhhhH!

I use Windows 7 just because I don't like going through all those updates.

maflynn

Jul 9, 2009, 03:02 PM

You DON'T have to reboot after installing Apps on Windows. You clearly didn't read my earlier post. It may ask you to restart - but did you try running it without reinstalling? No. Because you would have discovered you don't need to. You don't need to with a text editor, with the entire CS4 suite, with MS Office..... need I go on.

My XP64 workstation stays up for weeks on end rendering 3D anims w/o rebooting. The XP based file server at work is typically up for several months before reboots.

When you skip rebooting, sometimes its ok, and sometimes its not. I've run into situations where I couldn't uninstall an app because I bypassed a reboot request. The message something along the lines of a pending reboot update blah blah blah.

I seem to need to reboot my XP workstation a few times a week, and if I don't performance drops to a crawl. Not sure why but I seem to run a lot of apps - I typically have 20 to 40 windows open at any given time (multiple spreadsheets, word docs, IE windows and a mixture of other apps). I only reboot my Mac when I apply an update or I reboot into Linux

gillboyswims96

Jul 9, 2009, 07:09 PM

your comming to a MAC forum.

i think your answers are going to be prettyyyy one sided.

Reventon

Jul 9, 2009, 10:02 PM

Mac, because it's more reliable, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing than Windows. Although, I am biased :o

IBradMac

Jul 9, 2009, 10:07 PM

In my holy opinion, and not in technical terms, it comes down to two things...

1) Stable OS

2) Customer Service

.

:D

Melrose

Jul 9, 2009, 10:21 PM

In my holy opinion, and not in technical terms, it comes down to two things...

1) Stable OS

2) Customer Service

.

:D

I wish all replies could be this succinct and factual. Well put mate.

upinflames900

Jul 10, 2009, 12:31 AM

Mac because
1. Customer Service
2. Computer integration (programs all work together seamlessly)
3. Lack of Viruses (I'm not going to argue that there are none, but there are definitely a lot less)
4. Faster Machine (Unlike Vista you can boot in seconds not minutes)
5. Better for multimedia (you can try to argue, but from an ease of use stand point iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD are all pretty easy and powerful)
6. Easier to network (if you have ever done a windows network you would know what i mean...macs just work together much easier)
7. Better engineered (Look at the MBP- they redesigned the battery to make it last longer, they have LED screens, they have great graphics, it is a unibody enclosure, the magnetic power plug, etc)
8. Ability to run both Windows and Mac on the same machine
9. Easier to use (if you were just becoming familiar with a computer the mac interface is very easy to pick up on)

From a personal standpoint, I find that I just get more done on a mac than a PC.

e²Studios

Jul 10, 2009, 01:42 AM

In my holy opinion, and not in technical terms, it comes down to two things...

1) Stable OS

2) Customer Service

.

:D

My Vista box has been pretty stable, the few times it crashed I caused it and knew exactly why it happened. I wouldn't expect many to like Windows in this forum, just as I wouldn't expect many to like Mac in a Windows user forum.

I have the Vista box below as well as my MBP, a Mac Mini, and an iMac.

As for Customer service, I have had some really bad CS lately from Apple. It is not what it used to be. On the flip side I have had some decent and improved experiences with MS. I needed to move my Vista key to a new machine, it took me 10 minutes on the phone total (even with a slight issue understanding the fellow on the other end).

They all have their benefits as well as their faults in my opinion.

My Vista Box
------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 7/9/2009, 22:37:06
Machine name: BENDER
Operating System: Windows Vista™ Ultimate (6.0, Build 6001) Service Pack 1
Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: INTEL
System Model: DX58SO
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7 CPU 920 @ 2.67GHz (8 CPUs), ~2.7GHz
Memory: 6132MB RAM
DirectX Version: DirectX 10
DxDiag Version: 6.00.6001.18000 64bit Unicode
---------------
Display Devices
---------------
Card name: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285
Manufacturer: NVIDIA
Dedicated Memory: 1008 MB
Current Mode: 1920 x 1200 (32 bit) (60Hz)
Monitor: SyncMaster 245BW(Digital)

maflynn

Jul 10, 2009, 07:35 AM

8. Ability to run both Windows and Mac on the same machine

You forgot Linux ;)
I actually prefer to have a bootcamp partition running Ubuntu over having a windows partition. Mostly for the reasons you posted and others. You gotta love Microsoft and their genuine window's advantage, i.e., the OS phoning home to make sure you're not a thief.

I've also heard of headaches people have when they failed or activation failed, even though they're a legal owner of the license. I prefer Ubuntu on occasions that OSX doesn't quite fit the bill

j2004p

Jul 10, 2009, 08:35 AM

The main problem with Windows is that it has to be able to run on an infinate combination of hardware environments. Third party drivers are what makes Windows poor in comparison to OS/X.

I'd like to see Microsoft to do a hookup with a premium PC manufacturer and do a version of windows where all the drivers are written in-house and everything is designed to work with each other. You could ditch so much of the crap in Windows if you could specify a smaller hardware set.

It's be interesting to see just how good Windows was when put in a similar situation to that with OS/X enjoys by default because it's designed to work specifically with that hardware.

TBi

Jul 13, 2009, 06:59 AM