Which OS are you?

Windows Vista requires major hardware upgrades, yet there are good reasons to stay with it. Mac OSX has stabilized a great deal more than Vista. Plus it looks great. So, which Operating System (OS) is for you?

It is always difficult to get used to completely different way of life. This holds true for absolutely everything including Computers Operating system (OS). Solo readers you will have to decide: when should you switch to Microsoft Windows Vista? Should you?

According to several users and experts, Vista is not too different from its predecessors and the learning curve isn’t as much as was expected. But the changes to the user interface mean that there will be the number of new things to learn and a number of old ones to unlearn.

This is what you decision will hinge on. Would you rather learn a new system that is buggy and still unstable or one that has long been acknowledged as the best, but has only recently come around to having a large enough third party software support base to appeal to everyday users? Of course, we are referring to the Apple Mac OS X.

But this is tricky, certainly not easy. Both OSes have their pluses and minuses. Windows has a very large pool community that is taking the torch ahead and there are plenty of third-party vendors who have created and continue to create newer and better programmes for the windows platform. On the other hand, it is an extremely unstable operating system and one that is prone to virus attacks and crashes more often than Mac.

But the real deciding factor would be your usage pattern. Before we start comparing some specific packages for the users, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both OSes.

UI and ease of use

If Windows XP was the ugly duckling, Windows Vista is supposed to be the swan. A major facelift It has ensured that Vista is now far better looking and more intuitive than previous versions of Windows. Whether this is true or not, only time will tell. One of the things that Macs have always boasted of is a good UI and ease of use. If you are switching from Windows, It could take time to get used to.

A Mac keyboard layout is not identical to that of a Windows computer’s. We are not referring to the different positions of the Page Up or the Delete keys. There are new keys here such as Command and Function that do more than tertiary application launches. Unlike on a windows computer, there is no Start button either. The Apple logo to the top-left takes care of most system-related functions like Recent Programmes, Shut Down and Restart. Also, most Mac programmes can be left running in the background without their taking up screen space. Only the active programme’s toolbar will be visible on screen. At times, when no document or file is open for that programme, you may not even know that the programme is open. That’s when the dock is handy. Every program is highlighted on the dock with a small arrow under it. Clicking on the icon will bring the programme to the front and offer access to toolbar and all other functions you want to use. Once you are past this (and this will take a little while to get comfortable with it), using the Mac is a breeze. There are some advantages that a Windows offers over this, however. For one, your active programmes are visible in the form of windows on your taskbar. Convenient, but in case of smaller screens (even 15-inch ones), it can be a challenge to not have too many windows open and lose sight of unnecessary ones that hog processing power.

Security has long been a major concern for most Windows users. With a large number of viruses doing the rounds, anti-virus software is a must. And that costs a neat sum, as it does with a Mac. The real difference is that a Mac is perceived to be much safer and prone to fewer virus attacks. I am not saying that it is virus free, but it’s not as problematic as a Windows machine would be. With Vista, this is set to change. Improved firewall features and better encryption promise safer ride. Heading over to actual functions and programmes that one uses, here’s comparison of the various features of both OSes.

Range of software available

If the Mac has one Achilles’ heel, this would it. There just isn’t enough third party software for a Mac compared with a Windows computer. While all essentials are available, it’s the smaller and more specialized ones that can be tough to find. And it’s not just about software. If you are a gamer, you may just have a tough time finding (or waiting) for a Mac version. Once available, though, it’ll be miles ahead of anything you could imagine in terms of performance and looks.

For most users, a word processor, a spreadsheet processor and a mail client are important. And if MS office is your holy grail, don’t worry. Office for Mac takes care of that. The familiar Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook are all available in Mac versions. (The outlook parallel for Mac is called Entourage and it works just as well). Without getting too much into the specifics, let us say that these are identical to the Windows programmes and just as robust. Entourage may, in fact, be a bit better than Outlook, with features such as Project Center that allow you to view all activity around a particular project in one area. Of course, you have to set it up, but it is a useful tool. For the publishing industry or the graphic artists, Mac has been the computer of choice for long, thanks to superior graphics and better performance and there is no changing this.

With the introduction of Intel-based Macs, there is greater expandability thanks to the fact that you can run both Windows and OSX on the same computer. All you need is software like Parallels Desktop. Ensure, however, that you have the requisite hardware to run a dual-boot computer.

Wireless connectivity

AirPort Extreme sounds like a fast bus to the Airport. It is in fact, Apple’s Wi-Fi adapter. Now, it’s built into most new machines. User experience says that it works a lot better than any Wi-Fi adapter seen on Windows machine did. Logging on to a wireless network is a piece of cake and a Mac brings back more networks than a Windows machine does.

Spotlight

Windows XP had Find and Vista has search, But OSX has spotlight. It’s the desktop search tool that indexes everything on your computer. The search is so fast that by the time you have finished typing your keyword, the results have started appearing. And you can choose how you want to sort them. It sounds basic and it is. But it is powerful enough to be considered intuitive and necessary. Quite addictive, really.

iLife, iWork, .Mac

These are some of the productivity and fun software suites available with Mac ( all need to be bought separately).The .Mac is an online service that gives you an e-mail address and web space to backup data and host your own site. Why would you do that? Because everything then becomes simpler since the user-end integration has already been done on your Mac. . Mac members can create private, ad-free online communities for family, friends and closed-user groups to share, coordinate and communicate. The entire group can post files and other data to iDisk, publish web pages and post links to other sites. The integration extends to sharing dates and events with others using iCal calendar.

iLife and iWork are productivity tools that include a photo viewer, a DVD viewer and even a website creator. Perhaps the most interesting is the Garage Band that lets you create your own audio, including Podcasts. Yes, all this is also possible on a Windows machine and you have specialized free software to facilitate this. But the free software is not always upto the mark and you do need to know a lot about a lot to do some things well.

OSX Panther

The current version of OSX is the Tiger. The next version (expected by October 2007) is called Panther. Panther has new features like Time Machine, an automated system that backs up everything such as music, photos, movies and documents. Time Machine has the ability to take you back in time to restore your system in case of a crash, and, at least, be at a point close to the crash. Additionally, there are expected to be improved versions of Spotlight and additional features like Spaces that let you organize your windows into different groups on the screen.

There are, however, plenty of reasons to stay with Windows, including the cost. While a Windows machine that has Vista on it may cost about Rs.60000 (varying with the configuration and the manufacturer), a Mac with similar specs would cost about 30% more. And despite all arguments about having to relearn a new OS, Vista will offer some familiarity if you upgrade. It really is a choice.