Windows Vista vs. Apple Tiger
Asked to write a column about Mac OS 10.5 Leopard versus Windows Vista, I was a bit overwhelmed. Leopard and Vista are not easy to compare – they are both good for different things, and both have their advantages and disadvantages.
So I decided to approach this as someone buying a brand new computer, someone who needs to do basic word processing, picture viewing (no photo editing, just viewing), browse the Internet successfully and jam to some nice tunes. So, for now, the computers are irrelevant. This is purely a rating of the ease of use and the intuitiveness of the operating systems.
Look and Feel
Both systems’ looks have been updated. Leopard feels the same, but a bit more fine-tuned. There are very few graphical changes between Tiger (the previous OS) and Leopard, but I am going to ignore it and approach it as if for the first time.
When I turn on the Leopard machine, my first thought guides me to the dock. This bar with all of the programs is pretty easy to navigate. The programs expand and are pretty intuitive. The OS seems to work really well and I don’t have any immediate problems with opening my basic programs.
Vista has a fresh new face. When I turn on the Vista machine, my eyes are immediately guided to the large Windows logo circle in the bottom left. But, if this was my first time messing with Vista, and I was looking for a program, the jump to the “All Programs” button is less intuitive than Leopard.
Variety of Built In programs
Vista includes the Microsoft Works programs, which I believe are the strongest set of programs that come with the OS. Although the functionality is extremely limited compared to the Office Suite, one can actually accomplish a good amount of work with the Works Suite. The only built-in program that Leopard has is TextEdit, which I am not a fan of.
Fun with Menus
Leopard’s menus are quick and easy to grasp, but for someone used to a PC they may be a bit too simple. It actually took me almost twenty minutes, when I first began using a Mac OS, to do certain basic things like creating new folders or arranging icons, but for someone who has used neither, Leopard is much easier to grasp.
Vista’s menus and animations are fun, and have not quite worn out yet.
The Verdict. For Now
Without much time to fool around with either operating system (the PC I own still has XP, and the Mac I own still has Mac OS 10.3) they both seem like pretty good improvements, as far as looks go, over their predecessors.
To the new computer user, both would seem appealing, although I believe I must choose one.
When it comes to ridiculous ease-of-use, I have to go with Leopard. Its menus are more intuitive than Vista’s and everything flows together better. Of course, as someone who has used both Macs and PCs for quite a while now – neither system is a major upgrade, and both still have a lot of flaws the predecessors did.
For a complete rebuild, Vista appears to have the exact same inner workings, if not a bit more convoluted. I just can’t seem to understand how they rebuilt it, when everything seems to be the same to me.
As for Leopard, I can’t really remember if it was advertised as a complete rebuild. I’m thinking not, but it appears to live up to its potential. Now if I can just get over staring at the shiny, reflective box, maybe I can get a better opinion of what Leopard really has to offer.
Stay tuned as I try out both operating systems for the long run, and we’ll see how they fare when I have played with them for a while.
Campus Press Multimedia Editor basically just rocks at life, but is always looking for new technology to ruin his day. He can be contacted at jbartz@thecampuspress.com
