Is there ANY reason to use Windows other than windows-apps?

[ender land]

Well if Windows-based-laptops had better designs I'd happily use Windows instead of or alongside OSX.

This is the main reason I bought a Mac.

I now also like Expose/Spaces (as on Snow Leopard at least) a ton. Windows doesn't really have native equivalents and I've had a hard time finding workarounds (VirtuaWin works, but it is no where near as integrated as Spaces and is much more buggy). I really like the "menu bar and menu item" integration from OS:X as well.

I've had my Mac crash far more often than Windows ever did (granted, this is like 3 times vs 1). Additionally, even though everyone tells me I'm wrong on this, there is a direct correlation between when my Mac shows low amounts of free memory (regardless of inactive memory which is "available") via iStat Menus and my MBP getting incredibly laggy. I'm told this is wrong and OS:X has no memory management problems ever, etc, but, this seems to be an annoyingly strong correlation which I have never run into on Windows.

 

[dusk007]

Basically Windows rules on Enterprise.
OSX is good enough for consumers but it just doesn't come close to Windows in real big business solutions.
Win7 has also better RAM management, more stability (it takes more to crash it, because it has more fail safes), better faster drivers, more widely used frameworks, more optimizations, all the enterprise support and business solutions.
GUI is the only thing where OSX is significantly better. OSX is great for consumers and small business. In big business with lots of complex IT Windows is still king.

Memory management in OSX is at WinXP sophistication. I also agree with ender land that OSX crashes far more often. On the same hardware Win7 never truly crashes. Task manger always saves. I had OSX crash with kernel panics from Chrome, Flash and some probably SSD or GPU related bugs. Win7 can handle GPU bugs, faulty drivers almost always and usually task manager saves.
My ratio is 10:1 against OSX.
Security in Windows isn't so bad either if people properly checked their emails and don't suffer from the click all install all syndrom.

The nice thing about Windows is that even though it is Mircosoft they still use more standards than Apple. DLNA support in WMP 12 works great with any DLNA device. From Apple you need to buy an Apple TV to get their own proprietary solution for more money down Apple's mouth. Many TVs have enough processing power to replace most of Apple TVs functions but no you have to buy a complete new device to end up even deeper in Apple's closed cage.
iTunes is such a huge bloated piece of bad software. I only use it for iphone syncing/backups.. anymore and nothing else. Spotify, Serviio, VLC do everything else better. How brilliantly easy is it to manage media folders in Windows. I just prefer Windows on networks and with managing stuff. OSX is so constrained sometimes. Still use OSX for all my work because programming works just as well and I like the GUI more.

 

[2499723]

It all swings in roundabouts, I find. The longer I'm on one operating system, the more 'at home' I feel on it. Until recently, I divided my time between Windows and Mac OS pretty evenly. Now, as both my work and personal computers are Macs, my usage of Windows has gone down significantly.

While Mac OS X is a joy to use (except versions 10.0, 10.1 and perhaps 10.5), there are many good qualities to Windows. Certain flourishes, like window snapping are extremely useful. Thank goodness programs like Cinch and BetterSnap(and Touch)Tool brought this functionality to the Mac.

I think Windows 7 is one of the most stable operating systems I've ever used. As was mentioned in a previous reply, Mac OS still gets the odd kernel panic, though usually due to some user tampering, but we can no longer use the BSOD as a way of differentiating the Windows experience from the Apple one. I find Windows just plays nicer with certain things, mostly related to recognising random third-party peripherals or even in its initial acceptance of major components like hard drives or external disc drives. For better or worse, Mac OS is still pretty picky when it comes to external devices.

When it boils down to it, a lot of the joy of using a Mac is due to the integration of its applications. For instance, I find using EndNote (a third party app) with Pages is much better than with MS Word. Also, the system preferences tend to be a bit more logical. While it is true that you can typically tweak settings in Windows to a greater degree, Mac OS is certainly catching up, and the availability of third-party drivers and pref panes makes using Mac OS much more like Windows than ever before (I love having my R.A.T. 5 mouse plugged in either the PC or Mac with the supported software).

In terms of reliability and functionality, the two systems are not vastly different. It's mostly down to organisation. I prefer Mac OS X's organisational style and find navigation to be a bit more intuitive. There are a lot of buried files on the Mac and all those who say differently are deluding themselves, but the existence of the System32 folder and the vast .dlls still present in Microsoft's OS offering are dreadful features. Program leftovers and settings files still crop up and can really drag the system down if not regularly managed. Sadly, this is increasingly true for Mac OS as well.

 

[SDAVE]

Windows is just ugly.

Functionality wise, both are similar.

OS X is much more polished and user friendly.

Can you get work done on both? Absolutely.

If you are a hardcore gamer, Windows is the way to go, bar none. That's the only place to get A titles to play on.

Every other application you can either find an equivalent for OS X or a port (ie Adobe applications are both released for OS X and Windows).

If you need very high end business and technical features, Windows should be better.

However, even under OS X it can function via remote logins without a problem.

 

[stockinvestor]

• mac does not have the same server options as in a windows system.
  Not even close.
• Office with excel and macros are not an option in any of the office copies..
• Many business applications is made for windows

Windows have many downsides.

I would say
personal use at home = MAC(OS X)
work use = PC (MS Windows)

 

[magbarn]

Gaming on win7 on my rMBP is still much better than osx. WoW and D3 get a free 10-20% performance boost. It's not that osx is not capable of gaming,but its due to what happened 10-15 years go when directx beat OpenGL as the de facto 3d gaming implementation.

 

[SpyderBite]

I have a Windows 7 boot camp partition on my Mac out of laziness. My windows PC is in our home office on the third floor of our house. So, I boot in to Windows on my MacBook Pro instead of climbing 3 flights of steps.

I only use Windows to play a couple of games that won't run in OS X.

Otherwise, I use both platforms. OS X is less maintenance as far as drivers go, but I am comfortable on either.

The "which is best" debate has been beaten to death over the years. There is no "best". Just what's best for you.

 

[iFanboy]

I like both and will continue to use both... I much prefer the office apps for windows vs officemac.

This is the biggest problem for many.

Office 2010 for Windows absolutely destroys Office For Mac 2011.

Office software is vital to me, and whenever I use Office on windows I am always reminded by how much more fluid and robust it feels. Simple thing like highlighting - on windows I can start from the middle of page one and shoot down to highlight the middle of page 4 say. On Office for Mac 2011 unless I go slowly it sometimes automatically stops selecting text and I have to start again.

This is why Mac's are better for creation that doesn't involve office documents, particularly those that you have to share with windows users.

None of this is Apple's fault btw, it's Microsoft's fault for allowing Office for Mac to be an afterthought compared to it's windows counterpart.

 

[doh123]

Other than Windows apps and games, Windows will generally offer better game performance because of DirectX. OS X uses OpenGL instead since DirectX is made by Microsoft and Windows-only. I don't know if DirectX is technically superior to OpenGL or if it's just developers that focus less on their Mac OpenGL port since less people use Macs.

GPU vendors and Apple do not keep up with performance and OpenGL. Apple won't even update OpenGL.. OpenGL 4 was out when 10.6 was the main OS and its only OpenGL 2.1. Apple has finally added the ability to use OpenGL 3.2... but none higher. This is like if MS had stuck with DX9 and maybe through a couple features in of DX10. Also DX is a full API package for much more than just graphics. OpenGL only compares to the Direct3D part of DirectX, and all the audio and everything else DirectX handles have to use a different solution. As to Direct3D vs OpenGL taking the newest versions of each, one is not really superior to the other except that 90% of game developers only know how to use DirectX.

• Proper file copying (i.e. merging folders)
• Proper photo editing (Windows 7's Paint is amazing)
• Proper drive formatting
• Proper network file access (i.e. it doesn't matter what the file system is, FAT32 or NTFS)
• F5 Firepass support (Work VPN)
• Share and security changes
• Proper WMV support including DRM-locked WMV streams
• Direct Android connectivity either for file management or straight up ROM/root/bootloader management

whats wrong with OSX file copying? I just tested merging even though I never try to use it... and it pops up the error "a folder with that name already exists, would you like to replace, merge, or cancel" and I hit merge and it merged my files just fine.

What is "proper" photo editing? I will admit that without 3rd party software, Windows Paint is better for graphics editing than anything OSX comes with, since it really comes with nothing at all.

What the heck does proper drive formatting mean? Nothing wrong with formatting in OSX.

Nothing wrong with network access in OSX either, and no, it also does not care what file system the remote drive is using... nor does it even know.

Firepass supports OSX

Share and Security changes? anything more specific as to what that means?

Yes Windows has a 1 up on supporting Microsoft proprietary WMV files, because Microsoft purposefully does this.

plenty of apps for Android connectivity... as to ROM/root/bootloader, no idea never tried.

And you said "other than windows-apps" but just for the record.

• Microsoft Visio which has literally no peer on the OS X side
• Microsoft OneNote - see Visio (and no, Evernote doesn't even come close)
• Microsoft Project
• Microsoft Visual Studio for developers
• VMware Worksatation for VM development (Fusion is fundamentally deficient in this arena)

Someone else has already posted some alternatives...

Visio is not that great (and yes I know it, I have to use it at work, just like I have to use Windows). Visio is the business standard for the same reason Windows is.. not because its better or the only thing out there, but because its entrenched.

OneNote... you can try Circus Ponies, lotsa people like it.... but I hear Growly Notes is more like OneNote. Personally I don't use any of them, never had the need.

Office with excel and macros are not an option in any of the office copies

Sure you can... 3rd parties and even MS support macros in spreadsheets/excel. MS did remove that in Excel for Mac a long time ago, but they brought it back.

 

[Interstella5555]

Familiarity
Cost
Most used OS in office environments
Personal choice
compatibility

 

[Beachguy]

It handles windows better. Even the third-party apps you can get to add windows-like functionality to OSX aren't quite as good as what Windows 7 can do. I prefer Windows file/folder management and context menus to OSX as well.

Keep in mind though, most people who spend all day working on a computer didn't have any say in what kind of computer they got. So it's not like the entire enterprise workforce chose Windows - it came with the job.

(I like Windows 7. I like OSX. They do different things well.)

This. I am not a fanboy in either case. They both can be excellent. They both can drive you nuts. Apple hardware is excellent, but that isn't what you were comparing.

There are things on both platforms that the other doesn't need. I use what I need to in order to get the job done.

Now, if it was Windows EIGHT you were referring to... YUCK!

 

[purplekush604]

Which windows based laptops are built the best? Thinkpad?
Thanks

 

[Beachguy]

Which windows based laptops are built the best? Thinkpad?
Thanks

That would depend on how you intend to use it, and how you define "best."

 

[LostSoul80]

I think such a question is utterly clueless.
Everyone is free to like or dislike certain features of a certain OS, and since this is subjective, why would you care? There are so many aspects you can't even imagine. For example, my uncle loves Ubuntu because it works perfect to manage certain features of a remote server. So what?

And by the way, you mentioned apps.
Didn't you know OSs are thought to run apps? Beside stability and UI, there's pretty much nothing else in this area for the end user.
The ability to use certain applications, for instance, should be enough, it's a deciding factor.