Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Why upgrading Mac is so easy while Windows is another story?

H

hajime

macrumors G3
Original poster
Jul 23, 2007
8,164
1,409
Hello, I change macbook pro almost every two years. In each case, it is very easy to use migration assistant to move all the stuffs from an old machine to a newer one that has more advanced hardware. (Haven't tried the other way around. Will it be as hassle free?)

As for Windows, as far as I recall, even upgrading the RAM on the same machine caused problem.

Why it is so easy to upgrade from one Mac to a newer Mac? What has Apple done to make it a very simple and hassle free task?
 
I upgraded my SP3 to Windows 10, it was stupid simple, and worked like a chime. Before that I upgraded it from windows 8 to 8.1. Again seamless and easy.

hajime said:
As for Windows, as far as I recall, even upgrading the RAM on the same machine caused problem.
Click to expand...
Good luck on upgrading ram on a Mac, there's only two models that you have he luxury of upgrading, a Mac Pro and the 27" iMac.

Overall Apple has done a great job, but to say that Windows is still in the dark ages with this, far from the truth.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huntn and JamesMike
hajime said:
Hello, I change macbook pro almost every two years. In each case, it is very easy to use migration assistant to move all the stuffs from an old machine to a newer one that has more advanced hardware. (Haven't tried the other way around. Will it be as hassle free?)
Click to expand...

Don't matter which way you go with it OSX and its unix base just works all drivers are included. Now where you will run into trouble is trying to use operating system that was released after the machine you want to put it on. Depending on whether the machine model check will allow you to boot from it as Apple does check for hardware it has abandoned and prevents it from booting. There are hacks that will allow older hardware to boot newer OS done by individuals on this forum and elsewhere the drivers are still there for the most part.
 
Never had any issues with one or the other - they are both fool proof and pretty seamless.
Migration assistants exist for both platforms.
 
AFEPPL said:
Never had any issues with one or the other - they are both fool proof and pretty seamless.
Migration assistants exist for both platforms.
Click to expand...

So you have never run across that reactivation foolishness Windows does, find that hard to believe. Christ before EFI you could not even move the drive from one connector to another on the motherboard without it refusing to boot, I was shocked when it actually worked for me on EFI board..
 
  • Like
Reactions: D.T.
MacUser2525 said:
So you have never run across that reactivation foolishness Windows does, find that hard to believe. Christ before EFI you could not even move the drive from one connector to another on the motherboard without it refusing to boot, I was shocked when it actually worked for me on EFI board..
Click to expand...
You are comparing different things. Migration assistant helps you get your files, programs and whatnot from one Mac to another. When you buy a new PC, you are also buying a new Windows licence. What reactivation are you talking about?
Are you asking about moving a Windows licence from one computer to another? If yes, then that's different because MS only sells the OS, the PC maker sells the hardware. MS makes their money from the OS so of course they won't let you use a licence on a different computer.
With Apple, they sell both, the hardware and the OS so they don't depend on making money only on the OS.

Time Machine and migration assistant are great tools, no doubt.
 
Tomorrow said:
I spent some time doing computer repairs and upgrades professionally, and I've never had to do anything except plug in the RAM and go - on ANY type of computer. Not sure why you're having trouble.
Click to expand...

There was one time I had to do more than plug-n-go to get a computer to address a stick of ram. Admittedly, it was a weird, janky motherboard, and I had to flip some equally weird, janky setting in the BIOS to get it to see a pool of memory over a certain threshold.

...but it did happen.
 
MacUser2525 said:
So you have never run across that reactivation foolishness Windows does,
Click to expand...
The only time I had to deal with that, is on my Mac and even then, it was an easy solution. Call the number that was on the pop up window, read out the numbers. The automated process gave me a series of numbers to enter into my computer.

Easy Peasy :)
 
maflynn said:
I upgraded my SP3 to Windows 10, it was stupid simple, and worked like a chime. Before that I upgraded it from windows 8 to 8.1. Again seamless and easy.


Good luck on upgrading ram on a Mac, there's only two models that you have he luxury of upgrading, a Mac Pro and the 27" iMac.

Overall Apple has done a great job, but to say that Windows is still in the dark ages with this, far from the truth.
Click to expand...

I agree, upgrading to Windows 10 was a piece of cake.
 
JamesMike said:
I agree, upgrading to Windows 10 was a piece of cake.
Click to expand...
Some people may not have liked this feature but it was downloaded waiting for me, and I just hit the button and boom, its upgrading. Apple does this with their iOS updates.
 
MacUser2525 said:
Don't matter which way you go with it OSX and its unix base just works all drivers are included. Now where you will run into trouble is trying to use operating system that was released after the machine you want to put it on. Depending on whether the machine model check will allow you to boot from it as Apple does check for hardware it has abandoned and prevents it from booting. There are hacks that will allow older hardware to boot newer OS done by individuals on this forum and elsewhere the drivers are still there for the most part.
Click to expand...
As the OP replaces his Mac every two years, I doubt he'll have to worry!
 
There was a time when manually moving a program from one spot to another could break it in Windows, something to do with the registry, which I've always held in low regard. I wonder if this is still the case with W10?
 
I noticed a small imperfection with my SP4 about three weeks after I got it. Before I returned to the store to exchange it, I ran sysprep and did a system image backup (built in utilities in Win 7+) to an external USB hard drive. When I got my new SP4, I just booted from a USB stick, and restored the computer from the system image I made previously.

All my files, programs, settings, everything moved seamlessly to the new computer, with no licence issues.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maflynn
The way I understand the OP they mean that it's easy to migrate one Mac install to a new machine without hassle. Is that really possible with Windows? I am about to build a relative a new Windows 10 computer and migrate all his stuff and I am looking forward to that as much as I am looking forward to having root canal without anaesthesia.
 
maflynn said:
Some people may not have liked this feature but it was downloaded waiting for me, and I just hit the button and boom, its upgrading. Apple does this with their iOS updates.
Click to expand...
The download is only available if you clicked the pop-up indicating your acceptance. There would be no way to upgrade a 2 gig image from OTA; so it would have to download.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back