blazorthon, Great Post!! didn't want to quote it because it in combination with mine would be extremely long.
Thanks for being specific about some of your issues and definitely a great post that speaks to the pros and cons that you experienced on both platforms.
"The Mac also has substantially more wireless LAN connectivity problems"
1: OSX does do a better job handling processes and multiple threads. When you have a number of things opens whether it is tabs in a browser or multiple processes it seems to handle it much better than windows. Windows 7 has come a long way in that regard but OSX seems to still have the edge in that area. Your mention on moving to a Windows server 2008platform makes allot of sense being that Server platforms handle multiple processes better than their workstation counterparts.
2: Agree 100% on the wireless issue. This was predominantly an issue on the older MBP's. It seems they have since done a better job with it. They did used a solid chipset for it however. They use the Astheros chips for their wireless which is really solid especially if you are doing wireless pen testing. Problem is that they seem to have turned down the power a bit so the range is not as good as some of the PC counterparts or if you use a 3rd part USB wireless adapter. Having said all that, they have since corrected those issues. I personally experience issues with performance and range. Never had stability issues. Also, a cool feature that goes unnoticed most of the time is that they actually provide sub-software firmware updates to the various components in their computers through the same mechanism that updates the software itself that is then applied after reboot. This allows them to deploy fixes that have to be at a firmware level to various components to resolve issues or make improvements without having to go through any special processes. Not talking about a BIOS update, Im talking about a device firmware update.
3: Mac's rarely have to be serviced and it looks like you have noticed that based on your post however service ability is a valid argument. It does not imply lesser quality, it is more of a preference for people who like to do their own repairs if they can. Part of this issues is the way the body is constructed. Mac's have been using a solid aluminum body construction for some time now and before then when you could remove the battery you just had to pop the keyboard to get to the inside. In fact, keyboard along with the plate around the keyboard comes off and you then have access to just about everything. Is it a little more difficult to get off, yea. But as with with any laptop to only two upgrade options are memory and hard disk and if you want to upgrade your DVD to a Blueray drive that is there as well. That is about it. Memory is usually the easiest upgrade on any laptop and the same holds true for MacBooks Pros. Unless you have a mobile gaming machine where you can upgrade the mobile video card there is not much else to upgrade. If you are used to servicing a Mac is a easy process for you but if you are used to servicing other machines you may be turned off a bit at the way you have to service a Mac. It is a bit different but that seems to be a trade off when using the aluminum uni-body construction that they use.
4: Stability. OSX is a combination of FreeBSD and NetBSD with the Mach kernel. I do not think anyone can argue that BSD is a stable and powerful platform. You mentioned that once you got Windows Server 2008 on your laptop it was as stable as your Macbook Pro. That sounds about right.
5: Screen real estate: You do know that the bottom bar can be moved, made smaller or completely hidden correct? It is right there in the control panel.
6: NTFS support: This is a Windows proprietary file system but it is Read/Write capability is built into OSX natively just not enabled by default. Not normally an issue for most people but if you want to enable it click the link below. It is very easy to find in google as well.
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20090913140023382
7: Yes the Keyboard is different and the backspace does not work like the delete key. Just a different style than your traditional windows keyboard and does take some getting use to. I too prefer to have a delete button available although you can also just drag the file or right click on a file and send to recycle bin. It bothered me at first but I just adjusted to it.
8: Mouse: Hit the CTRL button and then click to get the same as the right click if you are just using the built in pad. Personally, does not matter what computer I buy or build I always have a high quality mouse. Laptops as well. Again, this is a preference and has nothing to do with quality. Also with regard to the wheel. Not sure what you are referring to there. On my Windows machine with 3 separate browsers when I click the wheel I get a scroll lock. Is yours opening new tabs? If it is different and you have found that there is no way to change it to what your used to then again this is just a preference because you are used to doing things the way Windows does it. Not a quality issue, just works different.
9: I believe the Start menu by default works better than the Dock, No question there. However, that all changes if you use Stacks which is native in OSX. Drag your applications folder to your dock and you can then right click on that folder to change how you want it to show. This can also be used with your documents or any other folder. Works great and will provide some comfort if you like the way the Windows start menu works.
There are a number of ways to customize the desktop in Windows. If you like to do that kind of thing then Windows is for you. personally I don't like to do that short of changing a theme or a background every now and then but that is how I use my systems if you require that then Windows is for you.
By you despising having a Mac Desktop are you talking about the IMac or the Mac Pro? Mac Pro's have the same amount of room to add storage, video cards (although official driver support is getting better and they now support the HD7900 series), memory and the normal things that a desktop would have. the IMac is a bit different and should probably be compared to other machines in that class. Like the HP Omni Series for example. If you don't like All in One's and want a Mac then the Mac Pro would be for you. It is however a Workstation class machine. Apple does not make a non professional class Mini tower so it is very difficult to compare to something you or I would normally build.
In terms of performance with the same hardware, I agree that would be a problem but you indicated that you disabled some of the windows 7 key features like Aero because you prefer not to use it. There are ways on OSX to disable things to get a little extra snap as with Linux and any other OS. No question that Windows 7 freshly installed in snappy, a bit more snappy that OSX it seems. It does slow down after a while though. Also it hard to tell if OSX is just a bit less snappy or if the animated transitions create the illusion of less responsiveness in favor of effect. Hard to say.
In terms of security, as a security person myself I will say this. In it's default state Security, wise Windows is more secure than OSX. However OSX and any other Unix variant can be hardened to a much greater extent than any Windows machine. You can ask any security professional and they will validate this. Now here is where it gets tricky, the number of attacks, malicious applications, malware, spyware on Windows far exceeds that of OSX. There are 0 known self propagating Virus's on the OSX platform. Period... There are only a few self replicating Viruses on OSX along with very few Word Macro viruses. There are millions for Windows and 1,017,208 malware applications introduced to Windows just in 2010. The reason why this is is very simple. Larger install base, more attack vectors, better profitability for hackers. No way to dispute this. OSX is wayyyyyyyyy ahead of the Security curve just by virtue that there are already security applications available and ready to receive new signatures event though there is not allot of malicious code out there.....yet.
In all, thanks. great post based on your experiences but your preference towards Windows has allot to do with you just being more comfortable with Windows way of doing things and you did not know how to do or where to look to make OSX do the things you like to do in Windows. Does not make either better, just that you are move comfortable with one over the other and there is nothing wrong with that.
I will make a statement though. Having started my career in a manufacturer there is no situation in a consumer class machine where a ANY Manufacturer has better quality hardware than and custom built box or a box from one of the boutique builders unless the builder is using extremely poor judgement in hardware selection. Asus, Gigabyte, ASRock and other venders makes components to compete with other components and as such the best shows up in the technical reviews. Custom machines are a combination of highly analyzed individual components.
Where manufactures do have an advantage is in industrial design, and creating a package. Apple happens to be the best in that area. They think about the small things and that is what makes the difference. If you like Windows better than OSX but want the Apple hardware package then install Windows on it. If you want quality custom hardware and want OSX then build a Hackintosh. It is allot easier now since all the new boards have UEFI bioses now.
The whole IPhone vs Android argument is very different conversation and has been beaten to death. There are features on the IPhone that I personally use that is not on the Android at all and I am sure that Android has some great features that the IPhone does not have. Personally, I use my phone more for business use and for that reason the IPhone is a much better solution. If you don't believe me, talk to someone from Mobile Iron or another MDM company and ask them why. They will break it down for you. It has to do with standardization, security, and universal email functionality. In terms of media, easy enough to rip a movie to MP4 format and import into iTunes or if I want to play a number of different formats just use VLC on IOS. In terms of playing stuff on my TV from my phone well lets just say the ownage is not even funny there. I could elaborate but that is a long post in itself.
Some people value you utility, some people value aesthetics, some people want a combination of both. Personally as an engineer that really enjoys architecture I like a combination of both. I like thoughtfulness and Apple has done a good job there. The little stuff that would seem stupid until you experience it is something they excel at. There is a reason why a number of manufactures are taking ques from them. They also make interesting trade offs that piss some people off and others not so much. Like the unibody design or not having a removable battery. They made that decision because if provided both aesthetic and technical advantages along with the fact that it made the laptop lighter. There are things they do well and things not so well but there is no questions that they have by and large made allot of really good decisions and that is why they are successful. I personal like it when people take the time to sit down and thing about how people use their computers.
No company can make something for everybody, they just try to get as close as they can.
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