This isn’t a rant or something like that. Everybody who reads my blog knows that I switched to OS X sometime back. For the past few days I have been using Vista Ultimate on my macbook pro and now I am seriously considering that to switch to windows again.
Ofcourse the fact that Vista’s aero graphics run super smooth on my macbook pro is an added advantage. But just a shiny UI isn’t enough to persuade me. Some pressing reasons are as follows:
1. I feel that my Mac learning curve is far longer than Vista’s. Tiger does everything for me but I do not control the system. In Vista its more like I am running the show. Its not that Tiger cant be fully mastered, just that mastering Vista is a lot faster.
2. MS has really sharpened the interface and the general functionality of the system from XP. One can always say that Vista can still improve but the same can be said of Apple. If Tiger was really fantastic why would Apple introduce Leopard. Vista is a pleasure to use not just because its new but its beautiful to look at.
3. MS has provide excellent backwards compatibility in Vista. None of my previous software has had a problem working with Vista till now. And I like that. No more looking on the internet for mac solutions.
4. Tiger is more secure but Vista isnt bad either. On my XP laptop, I hardly faced a corrupt disk or crash due to a virus or something simply because I was alert. Vista makes my job easier with new functions such as UAC. Vista isnt immune but I doubt I would face a serious problem while using it.
5. Several people find the UAC annoying but I think its the best part of Vista. I had it disabled for some time but found that its better if I had kept it running so that atleast I know whats happening in my system.
6. The biggest advantage is that I can take full advantage of the Live Experience that Microsoft is trying to provide users.
I am sure people would disagree with me and thats why I want to know why would a windows user switch to Mac OS X and not Vista.
make up your fucking mind already.
“Tiger does everything for me but I do not control the system. In Vista its more like I am running the show.”
That is the very exact reason why OS X is more safer, stable, functional and all around more superior than Windows (XP or Vista). More often than not it is not the operating system that opens up holes for malaware (to some degree yes, but…), it is the user that does some stupid things because of the escalated privileges that they get…in Windows. This is why Windows platform is so vulnerable. In OS X thats not the case….the operating system silently restricts all super privileges to a root user…which is not you, but is one class higher which you have no access to. This way, the operating system stops any harmful activity before you even pull the trigger….or even after, where nothing happens.
Saying that you want full control of the operating system is good…but thats like saying you want a car without airbags because you want to know how its like to be in a car accident.
Humans are not perfect…it is this very reason why OS X is more better than Windows. If everyone is perfect…and actually watched how they perform actions, surf the internet…then both the operating system would be in equilibrium in terms of safety, however thats clearly not the case.
Moreover, how the hell can you give up iPhoto, iMovie, for windows Picture viewer, and Movie maker?….its like giving up a Mercedes and a BMW for a Kia, and a Hyundai.
What your doing here is basically degrading…very very badly. Yes it is not a piece of cake learning a new OS…but I did it, I’m a recent Mac switcher who’s put up with windows for like 10 years, and I now know my way around OS X pretty good, and I too have Macbook Pro, @ 2.33Ghz.
Life is just better on a Mac side…whether you want to admit that or not is another thing…but thats the reality.
Last month I went shopping and got a Dell E1705 laptop with Vista Ultimate. Having used both Mac and Linux distros in the past, it just came down to a combination of price and app choices. I installed a Linux distro on one of my old laptops two years ago and although it was more secure and less prone to crashes, I got fed up with the lack of variety and quality of apps. Apple is solid (having used Mac OS’s at work), but I found the near equivalent Mac Book Pro to be over $700 more than the E1705. I have an IPod and I’ll probably get an IPhone but it will be many moons before I buy a Mac.
Vista is a nothing but a rip off of Tiger is the first place. The only difference is that Microsoft could not get it right. Bug galore. Yeah you should really make up your mind. Do you plan on switching back once Leopard is released ? LOL
Parth: What I meant by saying that I do not have full control of the system, I didnt mean super user priviliges, I meant in terms of customization. Sure you can customize OS X icons using candybar and Shapeshifter but when I tried to change default icons in OS X manually, I was unable to. Vista allows me to do that. Also the super user privileges that you are talking about does stop things before I even see them, but I do want to know whats happening. Call it whatever you want, I think its just natural for any advanced user to say that. And dont give the airbag comparison.Think of airbags like firewalls. Every OS has it, but if I do not upgrade my firewall then yes its my fault. And saying that life is better on the Mac side is total crap. Notice I never denied OS X that credit it deserves but even Tiger has problems.
Mark Archuleta: You call Vista a rip off of tiger since they made it pretty using icons and all. Whats the problem in that. Is beautifying an OS wrong? Even OS X is introducing Time Machine in leopard, does that mean Apple ripped off System Restore.
First of all, you’ve got it kind of wrong…Time Machine (In Leopard), and System Restore (in Windows) are totally different. Time Machine saves all your files that were changed or overwritten recently in an external hard-drive, and has the ability to restore ANY file *INDIVIDUALLY*. System restore on the other hand, backs up pretty much all OS user settings, app settings, etc…in a mass cache file, and saves that in your hard disk, therby using precious hard-drive space, and when you want to restore your computer….it restores everything, even though you only might want that one thing.
Now, what Microsoft has done to create a similar feature is finally open up Volume Shadow Copy, which was present in XP itself…but was disabled and locked by the OS from usage. It was usable in Windows Server 2003, and now finally made its way to consumer usability in Vista (that too higher editions though). So as you can see, Time machine, is more of a comparison with Volume Shadow Copy…not System Restore.
As for the fact that you want to know whats happening when OS X silently protects your system…you can still very much find out whats happening, and unlock what’s happening in the background by using simple Terminal commands. OS X runs on Unix, and 80% of the magic happens underneath, but if you want to really see that, you still can, and there are numerous websites that tell you how to type commands in Terminal that will allow you to unlock hidden features in OS X, and overall have a totally controllable environment (while still being safe of course). If you are an advanced user (as you claim), you should have no trouble doing that.
Yes, Vista is a rip off of Tiger because pretty much all of Vista’s ideas were not original to Microsoft….Gadgets = Widgets, Meta data Search bar = Spotlight, Flip 3D = Otaku Software’s Top Desk…which came out way before Vista did, when Longhorn was going nowhere, and also from Sun Microsystem’s “Project Looking Glass”, which took birth much before Vista did. Having IE have the same RSS feed layout exactly as what Safari for the OS X is another example….down to the colors, and same goes with iCal vs Windows Calender…Microsoft copied basically every single thing…again, down to the colors.
Beautifying the system is NOT wrong…but when you just copy of other operating systems’s work….then its just embarissingly wrong…and I think the sales for Vista speak for themselves as a result. If you were to compare Vista to XP…without Aero glass…one would not notice the difference at all…90% of the things you can do in Vista, you can also do in XP…more faster, and as of SP2..even more stabler. BUT…out of these two, as an individual who’s used Linux, XP, Vista, and OS X….I can clearly say that OS X is the most superior OS currently. Tiger made XP look like a total garbage…and then Vista finally came along to catch up with Tiger…and now Leopard is just around the corner…and will once again finish off Vista (its just a matter of time, before M$ starts copying for Windows Vienna)
If Tiger was really fantastic why would Apple introduce Leopard.
No disrespect, but are you serious? I can’t help but think this is a colossal joke. It is called innovation. Why don’t we still use donkeys and carts since they once worked perfectly fine.
Second, the only tangible thing you suggest is MS Live. Fine. If that is what you want, I recommend you returning to your former ways as fast as possible.
However, as others have pointed out, if you really want to use the “hidden” features of OSX learn them. Meanwhile, MS will be stealing them with all the beauty of a polished turd. Enjoy.
Please do your homework before you start accusing Microsoft of stealing ideas from Apple or anyone else. Quoting rumours and erraneous information just makes you look plain stupid.
Apple aren’t the Gods you see them as. They lie, cheat, and steal. For instance, they claim that the advanced search features in Windows Vista are a rip-off of their own Spotlight. Wrong. Windows Search and Indexing have been in versions of Longhorn since 2001 - way before Apple integrated Spotlight into Mac OS X.
The Vista theme isn’t a rip-off of OS X at all and I can’t seriously understand how people can say that it is - just because it looks good, it doesn’t mean it has to be stolen. The two themes (Aero and Aqua) are completely different. If you’re talking about glossy icons, they aren’t exactly original for Apple either. You can’t honestly expect Microsoft to keep their operating system looking like it does forever just because they’re afraid of a bunch of mac fanboys’ critisims. That’s just stupid.
Gadgets & Widgets - the sidebar and Widgets have been in Longhorn for years. Konfabulator was around for a long time, too. The concept of widgets/gadgets has been implemented into everything, and I don’t think it’s fair to bag Microsoft OR Apple for stealing the idea ‘first’.
I also need to clear another thing up; while OS X is a very secure system, Vista is also incredibly secure and has had the least amount of security vulernabilites in it’s first 100 days out of any operating system.
And please, ‘M$’? Who says that anymore? Didn’t that die out with the tin-foil hat generation of the 90’s? Grow up.
Also, Parth, I need to clear something else up.
“Moreover, how the hell can you give up iPhoto, iMovie, for windows Picture viewer, and Movie maker?….its like giving up a Mercedes and a BMW for a Kia, and a Hyundai. ”
Don’t compare operating systems to prestige cars. Most people find Movie Maker better than iMovie because it allows you to use superior formats to .mov.
Please get over the Vista vs. OS X comparison because it’s very clear to rational people that both are at the same level of quality - while OS X may have better in-the-box security and stability, Vista has the upper-hand in terms of performance, compatibility of formats and applications, and because it’s PC-based users can easily (and cheaply) upgrade to better components for increased performance.
A lot of people are switching back to Windows for a very good reason.
Interesting points made here. I just purchased a Dell XPS with Windows Vista, and my father is trying to tell me how “terrible” it is. (He doesn’t know much about computers at all.)
That aside, with any new release you’re going to have your basic release bugs. It’s a fact and people need to quit being whiney.
Anyways, I agree with your point on being “in control.” I suppose it’s because I’ve “grown up” on a PC, but I still enjoy the “feel” better. Besides, Vista looks super snazzy
i said it.