Is Windows 10 more stable than macOS in 2020?

[dapa0s]

I've been using macOS and Windows for years, and for me, Windows had basically zero issues, while macOS is constantly glitchy and buggy.
I've just got the 16 inch Macbook Pro a week ago, and it has lots of problems that are mostly, if not entirely, due to software (kernel panics, restarting, sound popping when on speakers etc.).

On mobile, I much prefer iOS to Android both in general feel and stability (for me it's not even a contest), and even iPadOS is great now on my new iPad Pro, so I'm not a fanboy or something. It just seems that Windows is a much more stable and polished desktop platform. I think Apple is really dropping the ball in their desktop software development.

What are your thoughts?

 

[ingambe]

Windows 10 has definitely improved a lot
But I still have some issues here and there, often after updates, like loss of settings, slow session unlocking, etc ...
I mainly use Ubuntu right now, as I don't have a MacBook anymore, but never had big issues with High Sierra

 

[BrianBaughn]

I guess you could call it neglect…but it just seems like they're rushing things every year instead of honing one release to sharpness.

 

[glawrie]

It just seems that Windows is a much more stable and polished desktop platform. I think Apple is really dropping the ball in their desktop software development.

I think you perhaps have just been unlucky with the issues you've had with macos and your hardware. macOS stuff may be dated, but rarely does it have kernel issues on Apple hardware in my experience.

I do think you have a point though concerning Apple's approach to macOS hardware and software. For many years now Apple appears to have been focusing its attention on the iPhone / iOS market. This has been reflected in less frequent updates in desktop hardware, macOS and things like the iWork apps. The justifications for this approach appear to be a due to a combination of desire for greater financial returns (from iOS things) and resource constraints (macOS programmers being reallocated to iOS projects).

The result has been a few years where basically nothing much has changed for the desktop mac experience.

Whether Win10 is doing better is hard to say - I use it for compatibility testing only, so have little day-to-day exposure, but others who I am with do routinely complain about weird behaviour and crashes, and the truly odd approach taken by Microsoft's UI / UX team when constructing apps: it seems that they purposefully set out to make it hard to work out what to do when presented by a screen in their apps.

This trend would appear to be set to continue, the recent move to enable cross-platform apps between iOS and macOS and the blurring of lines between iPad Pro and MacBook lines for example. Apple have not hesitated to abandon users of software and hardware in the past when it suited their commercial interests, so maybe that will happen to mac desktop stuff too. Would be a pity if they did, for sentimental reasons if nothing else I guess.

 

[dapa0s]

I mostly agree with the above posts, but for me, it's just mind-boggling that a company as rich and big as Apple cannot afford, or just doesn't care, to fix glaring, prominent and obvious issues that users complain about to them directly, and on the internet.

It really affects how people view their brand and products.

I think you perhaps have just been unlucky with the issues you've had with macos and your hardware. macOS stuff may be dated, but rarely does it have kernel issues on Apple hardware in my experience.

I might be unlucky, but there are known problems, even with the new Macbook Pro 16, which seemed to have been made specifically to fix the problems of its predecessor. They all sound like a simple enough fix, especially since it's all due to software, yet Apple seems to just consistently take their time and they just obviously can't be bothered to correct these (software related) issues.

 

[malko]

I don't have any issues with the OS or the hardware, but major problems with Apples cloud services. For more than two years I haven't been able to use iCloud at all since it's broken and Apple doesn't manage to fix it. So I have to use Dropbox for any file syncing, even from within Apples own programs like Pages and Numbers. And I can play no iOS games that require saving to iCloud.

I've been in contact with Apple engineers and a lot of people at Apple support over the years and they always fail to follow up and get back to me on promised dates and times. IMO Apple has the worst reliability of any company doing cloud services and by far the worst customer support that I've ever encountered.

But I still like the hardware and changing ecosystem completely is such a huge task (my family and business got multiple Macbooks, iPhones, iPads, AirPods, Apple TV etc) that I'll probably give Apple another year to fix their bugs. We've got a number of iOS/iPadOS devices from 2019 but I've decided those will be the last apple products we buy until our issues are resolved or we've moved completely over to Googles ecosystem (Android, Chromebooks, Google Home etc).

 

[user_xyz]

Win 10 is rock solid for me.

 

[Heat_Fan89]

If you hate Microsoft Windoze and live in 1995 then NO. If you hate macOS then yes. If you don't care about Operating System wars and consider it childish then they are about the same, both have their good points and have their share of warts.

I like them both.

 

[wetcanvas]

Win 10 might be rock solid but I don’t know how windows users can deal with the amount of updates it constantly has. It’s extremely annoying To have updates pretty much every week.

 

[ian87w]

Windows 10 is stable. The problem is the 3rd party drivers and custom apps that OEMs use (that are largely will never be updated).

It's definitely better than the complete bloatware mess in the WinXP/7/8 days, but it's still annoying.
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Win 10 might be rock solid but I don’t know how windows users can deal with the amount of updates it constantly has. It’s extremely annoying To have updates pretty much every week.

Most of the updates are automatic in the background (unless you disable automatic update). But the problem with Windows is that on some of the updates, it forces a reboot, and the updating process during the reboot takes a looooong time. It's really annoying when you're in the middle of work (and accidentally click update and restart).

 

[deannnnn]

Both have pros & cons. My Mac is far, far more stable than my company-issued PC, but I prefer Windows for productivity tools like Office, and prefer my Mac for just about everything else.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Windows 10 has just as many problems as macOS.

Microsoft basically halted deployment of Windows 10 May 2020 update (version 2004) because of widespread problems. I would consider it about as stable as Catalina.

Microsoft does send out more OS updates, often in the later part of the month to fix up whatever regressions they introduced on Patch Tuesday.

Best Windows course of action? Defer updates as long as possible especially if you're running Windows 10 Home and don't have full control over updating. At least you'll have a chance of a better update by letting Microsoft fix their issues.

Best Mac course of action? Run the final version of the previous macOS. Right now, that's Mojave 10.14.6. The closest Windows equivalent might be Windows 10 version 1903 but Microsoft continues to issue regular 1903 updates.

For sure, Windows system administration load is far higher than macOS system administration load.

 

[KPOM]

I restarted my work PC (HP EliteBook 840 G5 running an 8th gen i7) 4 times today. So, no, I don’t think Windows 10 is more stable.

 

[pshufd]

I've been using Windows daily since Work From Home started as a desktop is nicer for trading than a laptop (don't have to hookup the monitors and other things every day). And Windows 10 has been solid. I don't really like the UI inconsistencies and I miss Unix but it is stable. I am running High Sierra and Mojave on my Macs and those have been fine - smooth and stable.

I usually wait 1-3 years before upgrading the operating system. Our workplace typically takes a while qualifying new operating systems as well. I've seen lots of complaints about Catalina on our internal work email list. Catalina will be stable one day.

iOS 13 was a mess too on launch and for several months following.
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Win 10 might be rock solid but I don’t know how windows users can deal with the amount of updates it constantly has. It’s extremely annoying To have updates pretty much every week.

I leave my systems on all the time - I assume that Windows is doing updates at night as I don't see them during the day.