Photo courtesy of Don.Carey
Windows 7 is a huge improvement for Microsoft but they aren’t quite there yet. According to various analysts, its release will have no effect on Apple’s sales. I tend to agree with this statement. Despite all the new features and performance improvements over Vista, here’s 10 reasons why OS X Snow Leopard is still better than Windows 7.
1. Create and Mount ISO Images:
New to Windows 7 is the ability to burn a CD or DVD from and ISO image. Unfortunately you still can’t mount an ISO or create one without a third party tool. OS X has been doing this for years now.
2. Native Support for common technologies:
Speaking of ISO image support, OS X also supports out of the box the following commonly used technologies: Cisco VPN, Exchange, Printer Drivers and their updates, PDF reading and printing, Image capture from Digital Cameras, Scanning, File Sharing via AFP, Samba (Windows), and FTP, VNC Screensharing, Bluetooth, AIM / AOL / Jabber, SSH and Telnet, and much more. Also, QuickLook can open up and display Word Documents and Excel Spreadsheets without Office being installed. New for Windows 7 is the striking ability to natively play DVDs.
3. OS X is Multilingual:
OS X can run in 18 different languages and your keyboard can be adjusted to type in any other. It’s also quite easy to switch around. Bidirectional text in languages such as Arabic and Hebrew are no problem. Multi-touch trackpads can be used to input Chinese characters. Spellcheck is also multilingual (supported languages only).
4. QuickTime X:
QuickTime, Apple’s Media Player can do so much more. Broadcasting audio and video, recording from the on board camera / microphone, basic audio / video editing, file format conversion, and the ability to create screencasts are why QuickTime X is a huge addition to Snow Leopard.
5. Image Manipulation with Preview:
Like QuickTime, OS X’s Preview does much more than just show images and PDFs (Did I mention that Windows still won’t support PDF viewing out of the box?) Basic image editing and tweaking, directly importing from scanner, rotation and resizing will ruin your need for Adobe products if you’re just an average user.
6. Find Anything with Spotlight:
Yes, Windows 7 includes a search feature but it’s nowhere near Spotlight. From searching inside PDFs, documents as well as file names, you just type what you want and if it’s on your drive, it appears. Power users can create Smart folders with custom search options. With Spotlight plugins you can expand Spotlight to search inside formats like .DjVu, .MXF, .Tar, .Jar and Python scripts.
7. The Compatibility of Boot Camp:
Boot Camp, the last refuge when something just doesn’t have an OS X version and won’t work virtualized. With OS X and a Windows install DVD, you can run Windows on your Mac. Natively, not virtualized. For free.
8. Productivity with Mail and iCal:
Support for Exchange 2007 – mail, calendars and contacts, included with OS X. In addition, it handles POP3 / IMAP and plays nice with Gmail, AOL and Yahoo. iCal is a powerful calendaring solution that has grown better and better over the years. In addition to Exchange, you can also easily sync with Google Calendar and other CalDAV standard formats.
Yes, there’s Outlook and as wonderful as it is, it comes with Office – not with Windows. Believe it or not, the fact that Office isn’t included is still a surprise to many purchasers of new PCs.
9. 64Bit included, not optional:
It’s true, by default the kernal won’t load 64 Bit by default but that’s a quick change to a preference file or just hold down to 6 and 4 keys at boot. It’s not like you’re forced to install either the 32Bit version OR the 64Bit version….. In Windows 7, they’re even on separate DVDs. At least Windows 7 gives you both DVDs without having to purchase a new 64 Bit license, but you’ll still have to reinstall – it’s only one or the other.
Even running 32Bit kernal, OS X Apps will see your 4+ GB of Ram and take advantage of 64Bit processing. One reason why Apple does this is for driver compatibility. Windows 64Bit users know what its like to have some funky piece of hardware or software that just won’t work in 64 Bit.
10. The Choose Your Version Game:
With Windows, unless you buy “Ultimate”, you’re not getting all the cool features that Microsoft likes to talk about when competing with OS X. As the average Windows 7 user will most likely be using Home Premium, they won’t be getting – Bit Locker encryption, Windows Backup, Multilingual abilities and the Windows XP mode to run old apps that won’t work in 7.
There’s only one version of OS X. No cheap, cut down, crippled “Home Premium”, “Professional, or “Starter” versions. One price gets you everything. Time Machine, FileVault, Multilanguage Support, Active Directory Binding, Boot Camp, and much more.
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Someone has to say it (sorry) Linux can do most of this too =]
It seems as though you are biased towards Windows.
Because Windows does not have these things natively, this does not mean that 3rd party tools are a bad thing. I can mount ISO’s on my Windows just fine with a 3rd party tool with no problems. This is not a very good reason that macs are better. Sometimes native support is nice, but many computer users are not always looking for these tools. These tools are widely available for windows.
Windows is way more languages than Mac has, believe it or not. Have you ever looked at the language settings in Windows?
Windows Virtual PC Exists
and
PC is more ideal for a business, as some computers do not need all the features of others.
and theres free mail and calendar programs that are just as good as mac software.
oh, and…
Macs can’t play any good games.
It just depends on what you like I guess — My Windows machine can do anything a Mac can do.
There is no such thing as a golden solution, else everybody would use one OS.
It’s a matter of preference and a set of tasks that needs to be completed, the different OS’es all have some stronger points and weaker points which go well with some tasks but not with the other.
I find this matter of which is better as an OS to be rather curious. An operating system is supposed to be the interface between the user and the machine and nothing more. Over time, this has changed and thus you end up with bloated operating systems rather than a clean communication and “added” applications.
I spent my life on DOS, OS/2, Windows and such and when Vista came out, I knew it was time to go to MAC. I haven’t regretted it as the interface is far cleaner than Vista and while there are less apps, I can run XP in a virtual window for those 4 missing apps I use.
Windows 7 is what Vista should have been even with all its nonsense. Most of my friends use Vista and XP and run both under “classic windows.” Interestingly enough, classic windows is closer to many linux GUI’s and to some extent, Mac.
Mac’s OS is not without flaws – still no real blu-ray support (though I guess a 3rd party could remedy this) and some trivial items such as “get info” where the window pops up all the way to the left side of the screen rather than near where the file/icon etc. is that you are inquiring about. If you have a 24″ or larger screen this is annoying to say the least.
I have had friends and family members who are on windows watch me navigate through Mac’s OS and are amazed at how simple it is. There are no “heuristics” like Vista or Windows 7 that get in the way. SImply stated – it is far more straight forward and less “fluff” which I find gets in the way.
People should use what they find is easier for them. It doesn’t matter if it is Mac, Linux or Windows. I happen to prefer Mac and Linux. To me, they are real operating systems (though both are getting bloated like Windows).
last – my quote –> Microsoft OS’s hold the hardware hostage while Apple Hardware holds the Mac OS hostage. Take your pick..neither really does the consumer any good.