Before I respond - thought some might get a kick out of the debate from the perspective of journalists reviewing 4 different OSes (April of this year - 2008 in case anyone comes back to this).
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9075000
It's not a matter of opinion, it either is or isn't. UI isn't art.
So maybe art isn't the right word but it is a matter of taste. Fancy icons and sound effects and layout don't completely define a UI. It appears, from this newbies perspective, that many things require at least 2 to 3 set of double-clicks to get accomplished. Opening the control panel in Vista requires start/control panel. In OSX it's the apple icon/system preferences (Both OSes require a single click here).
Adding a printer in Vista is start/printers (2 steps) OR start/control panel/printers (3 steps)
Adding a printer in OSX is apple/system preferences/print and fax (3 steps)
Getting to my documents in Vista (default installation) is: start/my documents.
Getting my my document in OSX (default installation) is: double click hard drive icon/and select the documents icon in the places menu.
And I could go on. So from a usability standpoint - I don't see that the average granny couldn't figure out either system with about 5 minutes of someone showing them how it worked.
making short movies, editing, tagging and organizing photos and music.
These are application specific functions and features. Just because OSX includes an application suite that has some of the basic functions and Vista may or may not have as comprehensive a suite doesn't make it bad or good. Most users end up buying higher end applications (of which the most common ones have versions for both OSes) anyways and never look back at the stuff that came with the OS.
The power button on a laptop should shutdown the machine by default. That's how it's always been, that's how it should be. This blog post explains fully why Vista's shutdown menu is a complete UI disaster:
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/11/21.html
Well we can all find someone elses opinion to mirror our own and quote them. That said, the RED button in the start menu is a pretty good clue that it's going to do something bad (like turn off your computer). I don't see the issue of having the right arrow to allow even deeper control; like switch user or sleep mode. In OSX, just because they made the apple icon immediately have all those options right there doesn't make it any better. MOST users would get used to either approach pretty quickly.
shouldn't have to change registry entries, group policy settings just so that my machine doesn't reboot by itself. You personally might be happy to make that sort of configuration, but the average user has no clue about how to regain control of their machine
The fact that you mention making registy setting changes and group policy settings to make this simple adjustment from the control panel means you either don't know how to do it or you're just exaggerating what you perceive to be the solution to make a point. Simply tell the system to download and not install the updates. Isn't that the mac's default settings - download and do nothing?
You aren't comparing like with like. Compare UAC to OS X's password request. There are no balloon tips in OS X.
I'm not sure what you're defining as a balloon tip, but anytime I'm prompted to do something simple is an annoyance. Again, I don't disagree that UAC went overboard on the security and I'll admit that the default setting of that is lame. No argument here. But you can turn it down so that it at least equals what the Mac does.
If your aunt had a dick she'd be your uncle.
Ah the first sign of a losing proposition - the vulgarity and the colorful euphamisms.
This is an item that is heavily debated and we'll never know the real answer. So yes - to your point, Windows is subject to more attacks.
Every laptop that I've owned has had an IR receiver, even that ones that I've used at work. Granted, not everyone is affected by the issue that I described, but it's an issue that nobody has to deal with on a Mac.
Many consumer models do have IR ports but a lot don't. Same with the business class. Some lenovo's do, some don't and the same applies to the Dell business lines. Regardless. The ability to turn on or off the IR port doesn't amount to a can of beans in the grand scheme of things. The macbook doesn't even come with a remote so what difference does it make?
The control panel is much harder to use than system preferences.
I don't find that to be true at all. I find the system preferences menu to be more confusing. Granted I'm unfamiliar with it. But if it's so much more intuitive, I shouldn't need to be all that familiar with it. The only exception I can say that I noticed immediately is the location of the security settings. In Windows it's under the screen saver settings which seems wierd. But the other stuff seems about equal to me.
it's never a good idea to have all of your eggs in one basket. A corrupt registry means you have a machine that won't boot.
Agreed - but this is a developmental flaw and not one that will TYPICALLY translate into anything the average home users needs to sweat. Most applications from reputable software shops do a good job of cleaning up after themselves. Again, given the sheer volume of shareware, and other non-mainstream apps, available from whatever mom&pop development shop, it's partly Buyer Beware and partly Microsoft should enforce better cleanup. Ultimately, it needs to move away from the registry altogether or find some hybrid approach.
