Here is an honest Mac vs. Windows review, because if your like me…personal reviews where you can know the person are a lot more convincing. I have been an avid windows user for most of my life. Using the OS for things such as movies right through to programming. So bearing the more ‘heavy’ usage user in mind…how does a Mac shape up?
Macs primarily have had a reputation for being artistic, which is dead accurate – if you’re going to be doing something artistic with it. Though for the majority of us we simply need to know how does it compare when writing a Word document or doing a PowerPoint presentation along with other vitals such as network connectivity and hardware compatibility.
Well let me put any fears of hardware issues to absolute rest. And as far as Microsoft suite for Mac is concerned – it’s an absolute ease.
So what would I pin as the biggest differences between Mac and Windows. Well number one is interface:
The things you will have to get use to are that the precious start menu will take a hike, along with all your familiar terms of recycle bin, control panel, my computer etc. So your have to say hello to the dock, trash, system preferences, and finder.
Another layout change is the close, minimize and maximise icons switch size and take on the new meaning of close (though just the window and not the programme), minimize, and fit to window size.
The task bar has also got out the window so to speak. Meet the other task bar thingy that now sits on the top of your screen. The very cool feature of this though is that it is the standard place for all your default controls of file, edit, help etc (depending on which programme you are dealing with).
Number two is window layouts:
As I mentioned under interface, with a Mac you have a fit to window button, and for any Windows user that means absolute bollocks. So let me explain:
A window that only needs so much height or width will be resized to exactly those dimensions. So when you are working off a notebook monitor 13” monitor and want to run Word and view a website simultaneously this feature is a dream.
The third is major difference is:
The cool F features. On a standard Mac keyboard, F3 will shrink all your open windows, and kind of zoom you out of your screen so you can very conveniently switch windows whilst seeing what that window is and how far it might be loaded (if it’s a website or download).
F4 will be your dashboard. This is for all your widgets (or as Windows calls them, Gadgets). Here you can add anything from a calculator to a weather viewer.
And lastly:
Some of the most pleasant surprises to me were the amazing functionality of the Spotlight tool. As Windows Vista has now incorporated a search bar in almost every window, we must bear in mind that Mac has done the same for a number of years prior to it, and therefore comes as absolutely no surprise that it is far superior. Personally I found the search bar on windows to be an irritation to use as it was slow and display results in very little order what-so-ever. The Mac Spotlight on the other hand, is amazing. Imaging this search bar running like a filter. Every character you punch into it, it responds to immediately and whilst this is being done it is grouping the results into sub-categories of Documents, Movies, Web Page etc.
So moving on to my pros of Mac, versus Windows.
– A major win for Windows is its range of products, and while its true this has got very little to do with the OS itself, it does help.
– Mac is 99% virus free, no lies; you cant even find anti-virus software for a Mac.
– Mac personally has much fewer incidences of freezing or worse, crashing.
– Mac runs smother. For example even if a window were to stop responding, the others will run absolutely unaffected until you force quit on that one window or it fixes itself.
– Mac needs less upgrading, therefore saving you money.
– Mac can run windows.
Yes, yes it can run Windows, or Linux for that matter, and damn well. Here you have two options, Macs standard utility – Bootcamp. Or Mac’s number one selling programme – Parallels.
The difference is this; Bootcamp comes standard and requires you to restart your machine each time you want to switch OS’s, while with Parallels you can run both OS’s at one time.
So my conclusion is:
Be you a scholar, a businessman or simply a person who needs a computer, chuck Windows out your life and turn to Mac.
I am running a Mac, 2GB RAM, 2.4Ghz, 120GB HDD.
If you want to ask me any further questions, feel free to email me at: grantpenny49@gmail.com or comment on this blog, thank you 🙂
Some videos I found to be useful:
Apple Macbook review by Geardos.net
Run Windows and Mac side-by-side with Parallels
Filed under: Mac Related, Mac, Review, Windows
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