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The Macification of Windows: Vista vs. OSX
January 31, 2007 |
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Here I will be looking at Windows new, much more user friendly, Vista
release which will be available as of midnight tonight. And even though
we know we're all going to go out and buy it, I wanted to look at what
Microsoft themselves are outlining as the top reasons why we should have
it now (100 reasons you'll be speechless), and
how we could have had
this 2 years ago if we had chosen Mac OSX (Note: traditionally I am a "mac"
guy, though through the course of my day I spend most of my time on a
PC. I must say though, I am really happy for all of you PC folk who get
to experience an OS that is finally all about you.)
1. It makes using your PC a breeze
In Microsoft's description of the breezy use of your PC, they mention
search on the fly, Windows Aero and Windows Flip 3DA. Well, in the order
they are mentioned above, the mac has had Spotlight since its Tiger
release, which searches the entire system as you type, delivering
results before you've even finished typing your query.
Windows Aero is just another way to say Aqua, Apples smooth, Unix based
user interface which has been in place since the first release of OSX.
As for Windows Flip 3DA, a function that allows you to see everything
you're working on at a glance, Apple perfected this with their feature
called Expose (seen right), which, either at the press of a hotkey or by
sending your mouse pointer to the top corner of the screen, displays
every active window instantly on the desktop small enough that you can
view them all, allowing you to choose any of the open applications to
visit (also instantly).
2. Because all of your music is just a remote control click away
Okay.. the iMac contains a feature called
FrontRow, allowing you to
control not just your music through iTunes, but your photos (through
iPhoto), existing movies on your computer (even those made through
iMovie), or a DVD. Yes, all using a remote control. You can also connect
this media through your television using the new Apple TV box (for Mac
and PC) or if you only feel the need to stream your music to your Home
Stereo system, an
Airport Express
will gladly feed your iTunes through
those speakers you spent oh so much money on a few years ago, before you
bought your laptop.
3. It's the safest version of Windows ever
Okay, when was the last time you heard of a killer Mac virus or security
breach. Not to say that it isn't possible, but there is considerable
security set up on every Mac out of the box. All the communication ports
are closed and all native services are turned off by default, and the
average user would never even notice. If you are extremely concerned
about certain content on your computer, Apple has even gone so far as to
include
FileVault in the standard OS, which uses the latest government
security standard, AES-128 encryption, to safeguard your hard work. It
encrypts and decrypts on the fly, so you don’t even know it’s happening.
As far as parental controls go, Apple has an extremely dynamic set of
tools to set the limits on internet sites, ichat buddies, application
accessibility and anything else you can think of that you know your kids
can get into!
Here is a great demo.
4. See your world in a whole new light
See answer 1. It's funny how Aero made it into the top 10 (of 100)
twice. See
Aqua
by Apple.
5. It can find your stuff
Oh boy, turns out, it's more than just Aqua being repeated. See question
1. Apple's
Spotlight application finds anything and everything on your
system instantly.
6. Because you're always on the run
This is a funny one, as it appears to include the use of portable
devices separate from your actual system.. but sure, I'll speak to it.
Okay, keeping your PC and portable devices up to date is an essential
feature for todays professional, however, it is not exclusive to Windows
Vista. All of the main providers of portable devices have included the
Mac market, including Blackberry and Palm, meaning that ensuring your
data is synched to the right location is a snap. And with the
introduction of the
iPhone, Apple has once again surpassed the
expectations and capabilities of its competitors by including almost an
entire system on one simple, feature packed device.
And as for the Tablet, that one we'll have to give to you PC. Although
I'm not sure how much of an accomplishment that is as the market for the
Tablets is still considerably small.
7. Because you can freeze time
One word...
iPhoto. Personally, I have thousands of photos archived in
my library, by date, keyword, rating, or any other label i choose. Not
only that, but iPhoto will literally recognize almost any digital camera
on the market without you having to install any third party
applications. Google's Picasa has come a long way towards this, but this
has been standard for years on Apples now.
8. Your PC can take care of itself
Apple believes in preparing a product proactively. There are diagnostic
applications available indeed, Disk First Aid etc., but the released
versions of OSX have been rigorously tested, and whenever there are
updates to be installed, they can be run and installed in the background
automatically. No fuss, no muss.
9. Unchain your mobile PC
So, a wireless network then? Okay... Thanks Vista! I've been waiting
forever to be able to run my laptop from my living room without having
to drag the wires all the way from upstairs.
Number 9? Really?
10. Surf more safely
And, ending on a repeat note... See question 3. But in addition to that,
the built-in personal firewall for OSX protects your computer from
unauthorized access by monitoring all incoming network traffic, and if
you use stealth mode, your Mac won’t even acknowledge its existence to
people scanning for machines to attack. Seems pretty secure to me.
Okay, well, that's the Top 10 Reasons You'll Be Speechless, addressed
from a Mac perspective. Those of us that are Mac users have been happily
satisfied with our daily user experience, proud to share it with anyone
that would listen. And it appears that we've been listened to, maybe not
actively, as not many PC users will admit to wanting more, but they do
appear to be sending the Vista developers the Apple website address as a
blueprint for what they've been hearing about.
Now, this is not to take away anything from Vista itself. Microsoft
appears to have created an operating system that really puts the user at
the forefront. This was long overdue, and not a small feat, and
preliminary reports indicate that it will be a success.
Just ensure that Vista wins you over by the experience it provides from
here on out, not by the sheer amount of advertising and marketing
dollars they intend to spend in order to prove to you that this is
revolutionary and that no one has ever created an operating system so
fluid and user-centric before. Because this is simply not true. |
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 Cory
Bates
Senior Organic Relationships Strategist
Enquiro Full Service
Search Engine Marketing
Usetube.net
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