Microsoft Publishes Comparison Web Page on Why Windows 7 is Better Than Mac OS X

Page 6 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Yeah, the Hyundai vs Ferrari analogy falls apart in so many ways. A Hyundai is more like a Netbook. PC's are actually more like GM (or especially how the Ford Group was a few years ago before selling off all of their foreign brands) with their wide range of vehicles ranging from basic, no-frills transportation to the best bang-for-buck performance you can buy (plus lots and lots of aftermarket support!) to the upper end of luxury and performance cars that most people would even consider owning, even if they do occasionally cut corners with quality in a few places. PCs can range from cheap and not-so-cheerful to exuberantly expensive monster rigs.

Mac? Well, they're a bit more like BMW. They feel great to drive, they have excellent build quality, and are overall finely engineered machines. But they cost a hefty premium even for cars with almost no standard features and mediocre performance statistics. On a track, second for second (per lap), a BMW (as with most German cars, really) costs more than an equivalent car from a non-German manufacturer, and has fewer creature comforts on top of that, unless you want to go really high with all those pricey options. So while a BMW is much more of a well-put-together total driving experience, you'd still get more for your money out of a GM or Ford vehicle. Hell, even those Korean manufacturers are starting to get pretty decent quality while still being good value-for-money. A Hyundai Genesis is a terrific lower-cost alternative to a BMW 5-series, albeit a bit less refined.
 
Well I'm writing this comment using my iMac with OSX Leopard... It's about 3 years old and from the day I purchased it, I've had mixed feelings. Any website with flash causes my Mac to heat up and the fan runs so loud that I literally hate surfing the web with it... almost 80% of the websites I visit have some kind of flash including banner ads.

I'm only allowed up of 2GB of ram and the ram for it is hard to find - it's very specific. I have the blue tooth keyboard and mouse but the mouse isn't razor sharp and the keyboard keys are very mushy and causes me to miss lots of letters or have to re-key. The audio is not clear because the speakers are placed on the back. Again the fan noise is ridiculous and it's very common. The OSX menu system and overall layout looks nice but not productive at all. I tried the newest OSX (Snow Leopard) and there's very little difference.

I'm already annoyed typing right now because I've had to re-key letters maybe 30 times... and this is common with mac keyboards. The only thing neat about the blue tooth keyboard and mouse is from the Mac you can see the battery power level. Whoopee I really like the way my iMac looks... flat, white, and the solid aluminum stand... but that's pretty much it. It's relegated as my family kitchen computer but for real work, I use Windows and UNIX based systems. I still like my Mac but it's not easy to live with and I feel like I'm the only Mac owner who isn't in love with their computer and has an Apple bumper sticker on their car. Windows 7 actually works well without excuses and heck I find my Windows Vista to be ahead of any Mac. Oh wait... the animated Genie mac icons are pretty cool.
 
I like OSX, I like Win7, I prefer OSX for video editing, on the go work and media.

I prefer Win7 for work suites and SysAdmin work, I can do more on my Mac, but only because I want to do more on my Mac.
 
there are many great points in this article, both in MS's words and in the ensuing comments, but in my mind only 3 are relevant...

1. People like easy. it may not be easier to use a mac, but once you begin, Jobs makes all the choices for you. Its quite simple and some strange creatures we know as fellow man (mostly non-tech types) enjoy that.

2. Apple has gained a reputation based on things that were true 5 years ago (no viruses, macs are great for music production). as a tech myself who frequently fixes Macs and PCs, (plz excuse my outburst) THEY'RE THE SAME DAMN THING!!! one is shiny, one is not.

3. Apple's Marketing department far outclasses Microsoft's. Microsoft's legal department far outclasses Apple's. Microsoft has more money. and that, boys and girls is basically the ONLY difference between these two companies. (aside from the way phones should be held)
 
it's really a matter of what do you do with your machine.

I have been using an 8 years old ibook provided by my company. I'm suprised by the performance. Fast boot /shutdown time, smooth web surfing. It fulfulls all the basic needs for daily use.

But of course it does not serve flash video well or it can handle anything with the "HD" icon.

Another shortcoming is the hardware flexibility and the apple tax.

I would say if you just want a machine for some general functionality like web browsing, messaging, multimedia, drawing, video editing etc. Then choosing a Mac is not a bad choice. The performance is just great. For a windows machine, at least 5% of your system resources is occupied to fight against virus and malware. This does not happen to Mac. Not only due to the small user populartion but also the architecture of UNIX.

But if you are going for something extra. Mac will really smoke you. You will have no hope to get your HDTV antenna working nor you can use your handwriting pad (many of my chinese friends use handwriting recognition device).

Not to mention Mac is hopeless to gamers.

So what microsoft claims are true to certain extent. But if I have to teach an eldly or a kid to use computer, I will pick a Mac still.
 
[citation][nom]Mikeadelic[/nom]I can't help but laugh at the fact that you spent all that time writing your post, only to get thumbed down and hidden away. lol fail.[/citation]

No... its because MS employees are allowed to vote. Most likely, the idiots who did that marketing voted me down.

It took me about 1-2 mins to type that. Call it how it is... Both OSes have their uses... and the MS comparison was dumber than usual. So I'm not sure why the Windows Fan boys have issues. I actually like Windows7 on my Thinkpad.

Oh.. think about it. The wimps who voted me down are the ones who FAIL, aw I hurtz their little feelings. 😉

One of my favorite Anti-mac Parody videos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEAGmBRC1dc

The original:
I have Windows7 on my computers. With that said:

This is a pretty lame "campaign"... its more of "Please don't go with Mac because..."

Learning curve? WTF?! What about WinXp > Vista (gag) or Win7...? Win7 fixed a lot of GUI functionality snafu of vista. Its not perfect. Compare an iPhone OS to a typical Windows Mobile, and you see why MS sucks in GUI, in general. I'm doing some cleaning and throwing out (recycling) crap and found my OLD HP PDA (Color, Windows Mobile) that hasn't been turned on in 5 years and I played with it for 5 minutes and gave it to my 5 year old. It SUCKED, my Sony Cell phone is far more usable and iPhone smokes it. So bad, MS has murdered its OWN Mobile OS line and started from scratch. Hmmm... wonder if it'll look like Chrome or apple?

- Games? Whatever... MS is whoring people to buy the 360s.

- TV connections? Macs include TV HDMI output.... most PCs don't, its an add-on. Not a biggie. But here is something most people don't know.

Mac can connect to Cable DVR boxes and can extract, rename and manage your recordings. Windows 7... it connects and craps all over itself.

- Touch screen PC? Yeah, most of us WANT finger prints on our screens! Who cares?! Having some idiot touch my 24" LCD is a great way to piss me off. And besides, Win7 desktop for normal PC functions suck for TOUCH. Now, Apple did something that MS couldn't do for 9 years...

Design, make and market a successful TABLET computer. Its not BULKY and while its not powerful, the OS doesn't bring it down. Win7 with Touch for tablet could work - but it's so full of bloat... that Acer, Samsung and HP are... using Google's ChromeOS to make their own tablets.

- The Network sharing thing is stupid.... blah.
- The FILE compatibility between Mac and PCs is also stupid... usually caused by MS's own choices to make their software or data files incompatible.

What moron at MS came up with this crap? He and the folks at Apple who screwed up the iPhone 4's antenna & PR move to blame it on the customers (guess that would be Jobs) should form their own stupid company and call it SCO or Commodore.
 
There is nothing really wrong with MACs... They are different. How come we all don't drive around in brown Chevy Cavilers?

We choose our cars, our backgrounds, our games, our cell phones and our computers based on what works best for us. Not everyone can build their own PC - so many people buy pre-built, choosing among many of the excellent brands out there (cough).

Here is the truth, Mac and Windows fanboys BOTH suck.

 
Why are the Apple fans so upset over this advertisement? This is just a mirror of Apple's own advertising campaign. The only difference is most of Microsoft's campaign is true.
 
In all honesty mac's are for sexually confused and women who are distracted by little shiny effects lol... it'd be a rare sight to see a straight man with a mac hahaha... It's kind of laughable that they use media to make themselves "appear" to look bigger than they are. They're like the game console version of a pc, but totally backwards in all ways when you use them. About the only thing they got going for them is smooth zooming and transitions. But hey if I wanted that, i'd just install ubuntu on a machine a quarter of the price. In fact I think ubuntu is becoming the best OS slowly but surely, the only reason I still use windows 7 is just because I'm a gamer and all good games are on pc, or consoles. But consoles tend to slow everything down ridiculously just so players can react fast enough with those little analog sticks. Anyways, after the iphone 4 and the lies to people's faces, they're on thin ice. One more crappy product and that's all the money they make and the company down the tubes because they aren't open to anything. No one likes feeling locked in. Not in 2010. PC's aren't perfect, but they don't treat you like an idiot and let you make your own choices.
 
and as for the fanboy comment up there, I'd consider myself an open user, open to the best at the time. I've probably installed like 10 or so linux distros at one point in time or another, all versions of windows since 3.1, dos, even SCO Unix (although just for work). I've worked on macs a few times and yes they are different, in my opinion frustratingly so. So I choose the best hardware (PC). The software can and will always change on top of that, I'd encourage everyone to at least try other operating systems out there if you have a pc lying around, for example ubuntu on what would be a very slow windows pc runs lightning fast so that's what I use.
 
Let me get this straight: I use Windows since 1991, and Macs since 2006. I've used both (where it applies) for applications ranging to simple day to day use, to really heavy professional, CPU/GPU hungry applications, to cream-of-the-crop FPS games. So I reckon myself not biased towards an operating system.

Here's what I've found:

Hardware
For the same amount of money, you get a superbly built and designed Mac, yet with hardware with dismally low specifications. Hardware choices on the Mac are almost not there at all.

Software
There is software on the Mac for pretty much about everything. Mac programs are not more difficult or lacking in functionality or anything. They are just different. Now if one is intimidated by programs other than the ones they already know how to use, that obviously does not render Mac programs more difficult to learn or inferior in any way. As for the differences in look/feel/performance in Mac ports of Windows programs, I find the Software houses easier to blame than Mac OS X. If one uses a particular program that hasn't been ported on the Mac, and does not want to abandon it and start learning a new one from scratch, then simply get a PC too. If finances permit it, I can't see why it has to be Windows or Mac. Why does one have to pick sides? This is not a war!

Games
Well, Macs are simply for the VERY casual gamer. Hardcore gamers will either get a PC, or they will get an XBox/PS3 together with their Mac. Or get a PC just for games and do everything else on the Mac.

OS
Now that's where it gets tricky. How does one judge the "better" operating system? Some people like the Windows 7 bells and whistles, some prefer the simplistic (and kind of unique) approach of Mac OS X. Stop blaming an operating system just because you can't handle the window resizing buttons on the wrong side of the one you're used to, or just because the file manager has more or less options etc.

An operating system should be judged by it's ability to do what requested with minimal effort and less hassle. Windows users tend to blame Mac users for lower intelligence, just because they don't enjoy being bothered with updating drivers, solving software/hardware conflicts, becoming car mechanics for their own car in other words. The Mac/OSX combo is an entity you just take out of the box and it just works with minimum fuss. Windows are more idiosyncratic, and in case something goes wrong, users need to work harder to solve problems. If one likes to tweak stuff constantly, and reckons that the occasional format and reinstall is actually fun, then Windows is the obvious choice. The so call "Windows rot" doesn't exist on the Mac. Again, it's not a matter of better vs worse, rather a matter of which OS suits the user's mentality.

As for the car analogy, well, it is not entirely wrong. People like to drive Mercedes and BMW because they like it. At the same time, there are people who will brag how their Ford has more HP and does 0-6 in less time and costs less and has more extras than the BMW etc. Again, mentality differences.

Being an open OS has as many advantages as being a closed one. On Windows you can build whatever Frankenstein machine you wish. From a tiny HTPC, to a Gaming PC Monster, to a Brute Force 3D Workstation. That comes at a price: hardware/software compatibility doesn't always come for granted. Apple has solved this problem by closing off the OS, eliminating conflicts in this dictatorical yet functional way. If you like freedom to choose at your own risk, pick Windows. Just don't blame the users who can't be bothered tweaking settings and pulling their hair to solve driver issues.

As for the "I hate Windows too but Mac sucks, I use Linux argument", I reckon it is lame. You want to tweak stuff, and you want an OS that works smoother and faster than Windows, so you picked Linux. Fine. Good choice. Again, don't blame as idiots any users that doesn't share your needs.

I reckon most people do little more than checking email, facebook, tweeter, surfing the web, watch a movie or listen to music with their PC. I intentionally didn't mention games, because gamers are a minority anyway. Not everyone plays games! Look around you. When I say around you, I mean the general population, not your buddies at school or at work. Most people that use their computers don't do that much with it. And for that, a Mac is a good choice for them. If you like to constantly tweak and upgrade and mod your computer and play games you're a minority, and Windows (and to a lesser extent Linux, but you forget about games alltogether) suits your purposes much better than the Mac.

Just live with the fact that not all people have the same IT needs as you do.
 
In the 4 years I have used a Mac, I have never seen a Kernel Panic screen, though. And I've never heard of another Mac user who has actually seen one. I'd more expect to see one in a Mac OS X server environment when admins try stuff they're not sure if they'll work or not...
 
[citation][nom]mendocino[/nom]In the 4 years I have used a Mac, I have never seen a Kernel Panic screen, though. And I've never heard of another Mac user who has actually seen one. I'd more expect to see one in a Mac OS X server environment when admins try stuff they're not sure if they'll work or not...[/citation]
And in the 18 months I have been using Windows 7 in either beta or full retail version I haven't had a BSOD and I don't know anyone esle who has had one either.
So how about we call it quits and say that BSOD is a non-issue
The only person who constantly bangs on about it is Wotan31 who by his own admission says he stopped using MS products after Windows 95.

That's like me saying that the Ford Model T was a bit rubbish, so I think i'll avoid the Ford GT500. Get with progress and stop being a retard.
 
Kernel Panics happen. Mac OSX v10.1 had caused ALOT early on, and still happen from disk permission corruption, ect, due to improper maintenance. A mac will still slow down (to my knowledge, Mac OSX v10 was the first desktop OS to have over 100,000 files in a base-install, which was why it required file-indexing to reduce the slow-down). We know Macs get viruses and suffer the same hardware failures of any electronic device...


So why weren't the "Hi I'm a Mac" commercials false-advertisements?
Macintosh. Crash different.



[image=http://c2.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/17/l_77bf13c10396c1c00aa914242371c3b5.jpg]CTRL+ALT+DEL[/image]
 
Well Mac's are nice and fancy looking. And I will give them kudos on construction but 2500 bucks for a laptop? I can build 6 PC's for the same amount as one macbook pro. I could buy 5 Dell laptops with the same specs as the MAC.. REALLY? Steve jobs... thats a bit cocky if you ask me
 
[citation][nom]rsud[/nom]MS just did the Jedi hand wave with "You like what you have been using. You're too stupid to use something else. Be happy."Sorry you fell for it. Not all of us have weak minds![/citation]

I have used Windows (XP, Vista, 7), Linux (Ubuntu, Sabayon), and OSX (10.4). And no I didn't just try it in the Apple store for five minutes and decide that I disliked it. I used the Power Mac G5 at the local cable studio I work at for a couple years before we upgraded to a Windows PC with Adobe CS3.

I like Windows best, Linux second, and Mac last. No one needs to agree with me, that is just my personal preference.
 
Wow, the Microsoft fanboys actually like this? I thought even they would have a hard time defending this. About the only one that's valid is games, but that's always been true for Windows. The others are pretty flimsy. I agree with Ethan314. Windows fanboys are just as bad as Apple fanboys. I'd even argue they're worse because at least Apple fanboys are still in a minority and a niche group, but Windows fanboys still feel threatened by them. Bunch of babies eating up any pro-Microsoft propaganda you can find.
 
[citation][nom]back_by_demand[/nom]And in the 18 months I have been using Windows 7 in either beta or full retail version I haven't had a BSOD and I don't know anyone esle who has had one either.So how about we call it quits and say that BSOD is a non-issueThe only person who constantly bangs on about it is Wotan31 who by his own admission says he stopped using MS products after Windows 95.That's like me saying that the Ford Model T was a bit rubbish, so I think i'll avoid the Ford GT500. Get with progress and stop being a retard.[/citation]

Same, I've not seen a BSOD in Windows 7, even in beta. I haven't seen one in WinXP in a very long time either. I do see BSOD caused by faulty RAM or dying hard drives fairly often. But random without a cause? Nope. Faulty hardware has just as high a chance of causing a BSOD as a kernel panic screen.

[citation][nom]Maxor127[/nom]Wow, the Microsoft fanboys actually like this? I thought even they would have a hard time defending this. About the only one that's valid is games, but that's always been true for Windows. The others are pretty flimsy. I agree with Ethan314. Windows fanboys are just as bad as Apple fanboys. I'd even argue they're worse because at least Apple fanboys are still in a minority and a niche group, but Windows fanboys still feel threatened by them. Bunch of babies eating up any pro-Microsoft propaganda you can find.[/citation]

Most of the people here aren't actually Microsoft fanboys, they just hate Apple and Apple fanboys, so they eat up any bit info that shoots down Apple.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.