Leopard VS. Vista – Part One

December 30, 2005

Leopard VS. Vista

The Microsoft community is all hyped up for Microsoft’s next operating system, Windows Vista. Microsoft’s slogan for Vista is “Bringing Clarity to your World”. But looking at the specs and images of Vista, I’m not too impressed. Vista looks totally identical to XP, except with a new theme built-in. The sidebar and graphical interface seem appealing, the consistency of the glass theme is very nice. The Virtual Folders is nothing new, just average thumbnails that have an icon that looks like Apple’s. But looking at the specs and overall appearance of Vista, I don’t see why it’s that great and why people would want to upgrade from XP to Vista. Microsoft claims that applications are going to become less “unresponsive”, but who really believes that?

Apple has yet to release any information about Leopard, but rumors have it that the Finder will be redesigned around Metatags and Spotlight.

Some say that Mac OS X has the worst GUI of all operating systems out there. I would disagree, but I do believe that it could be greatly improved. iTunes 5 brought a new look with it, a cleaner, lighter metal look. It makes sense that this is the look that Apple will begin to use in the future. The UNO theme is my idea of Leopard’s GUI.

When talking to people, they complain to me that using a Mac is so much more difficult than an “ordinary” computer. I remember getting that idea when I first switched, but found out later how simple and elegant Macs are. The most complaints are about closing and opening applications. In Windows, all you have to do is hit the big “X” to close a window, so maybe Apple should think about changing the way you quit applications. It’s very confusing to learn about quitting, and new windows, and closing windows. If Apple could make it a bit easier for switchers to learn, it would help a lot.

I predict that Steve has something in the works that is really going to make Leopard shine over Vista. I’m really looking forward to a solid, clean, fast, and full-featured Leopard.

16 Responses

  1. Andy Merrett says:

    Pah! Anyone who says the OS X GUI is the worst around has absolutely no taste and no clue about design – they’re obviously so locked-in to the Microsoft they’re brainwashed. Ridiculous.

    January 4th, 2006 at 4:46 pm

  2. Appleologist says:

    Andy, I agree, OS X has the most beautiful, clean, and simple GUI of all OS’s. But I do think that Apple should consolidate all of the window appearances (brushed metal, aqua, etc.) to one appearance, and the iTunes 6 appearance would be a great “unified” theme for all of the windows.

    January 4th, 2006 at 7:35 pm

  3. Bob says:

    How about cut and paste in the file system? I still cant believe Apple can get away with no possibility to move files in the ordinary CTRL+X way.

    January 4th, 2006 at 11:42 pm

  4. Joe says:

    The worst GUI? I want some of the drugs they’re on to help me with my everyday Windows XP experience at work…..

    January 5th, 2006 at 8:52 pm

  5. jeff says:

    Well we don’t have APPLE+X, but you can Copy with C and paste with V like windows. We just don’t have the destructive CUT method, only the non-destructive copy.

    I really love the look of iTunes 6 and hope it converts over to it. Probably with applications being darker like iTunes and windows lighter like the Uno theme (or Apple’s Mail program).

    Tabbed browser windows would be cool. And the only GUI feature I liked in “classic” was the window top-bar minimize thing. The dock minimize is simply ok.

    January 24th, 2006 at 5:20 pm

  6. Michael says:

    i read a review in PC AUTHORETY saying that vista was rated better. i was shoked at this and then me and my friend found a loop. They compared The futue windows to the current mac. Ithink this is unfair because it gives people the wrong inpresion about mac.

    Apple will always be one step ahead

    August 4th, 2006 at 5:43 am

  7. Mac FTW says:

    im a windows user. or maybe i should say was… im switching, let microsoft burn in hell with shitty interfaces. gonna get a Macbook in half a year or so, hopefully leopard will be out by then.

    just one question: whats up with apple’s OS names ? lol u gotta love panther and tiger and such. Maybe since they r making itunes more metallic they should call it “iTunes – Terminator Edition” :)))

    October 2nd, 2006 at 8:21 pm

  8. Veronica howels says:

    I’ve always used PC’s until last year when I finally saved up enough and bought a Mac – which is what I’ve always wanted to do since the origional i-Mac (more for the ethos of the company than the asthetics of the mac). There’s something about Apple that say they listen to the customer and produce easy useable products. Microsoft come across as a company who aren’t prepared to listen to the customer as they’re too busy trying to lock down their products to produce this Microsoft only utopia they seem so desperate to have.

    October 20th, 2006 at 5:30 am

  9. Chris says:

    Hi,
    I currently run 3 OS’s on my PC. (It meets requirements for both OSX/Vista)

    1 partition contains OSX.
    1 partition contains Vista.
    1 partition contains Ubuntu with XGL.

    Guess which OS I go back to the most?

    I’ll give you a hint, it’s not related to animals.

    Why? Because Vista proves to be most useful and productive for me.

    It is a FACT that Windows runs faster than OSX. And when stacked together, both Linux’s and OSX’s program library is crushed by Windows’.

    Believe me, I’m constantly switching between each OS, but if I actually want to get something done, I’ll make my way back to Windows. Besides, with Vista’s Aero, I find it’s a more productive enviroment than OSX.

    This is MY OPINION, before you Mac fanboys decide to flame me. It’s not my fault that Apple sold-out and allowed PC users to fully take advantage of OSX on their X86.

    Am I brainwashed because I’m a Windows user? No (lol, wtf.), but it’s a shame that people actually think Apple is ‘good’ or something. Like they’re not a heartless cold-blooded company like Microsoft. The truth is, they’re both evil. It just seems as if Apple is the lesser of the two evils. I’ll except that fact, but to my personal tastes, Windows is superior. End of.

    November 9th, 2006 at 3:16 am

  10. Kuro Rai says:

    FOR THE MORONS OUT THERE WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO CLOSE A WINDOW ON OS X

    If you just move ur damn mouse to the bottons u get symbols u kow!!! and 1 of em’s a BIG X

    and if u can’t figue that out, u can use Command-Q

    and u still have the top bar u can use

    on top of that RED always means STOP/CLOSE IN EVERY COUNTRY

    SO IF UR SO STUPID THAT YOU CAN’T DO THAT, THEN U SHOULDN’T BE USING A COMPUTER!!!

    November 18th, 2006 at 11:18 am

  11. SephyNox says:

    Kuro Rai…. L-M-F-A-O… is all I have to say. To all those windows lovers, OS X is a much more stable system, cleaner GUI and is built for STUDIO WORK. Macintosh computers are the choice for video, audio and photographical editors such as myself. Microsoft has a leg up on everyone because of their compatible-with-everything factor. This is odd because you’re comparing two different classes of operating systems… it should be XP vs. Vista and OS X Tiger vs. OS X Panther…. Those who say linux is the best are narrow-minded idiots as well; considering that not everyone knows how to use linux–linux user speaking–and because its compatibility with consumer grade hardware/software is very small… (but growing). Linux = severs, Windows = end users and OS X = studio. Times are in fact changing though and OS X is coming up fast.

    November 24th, 2006 at 12:03 am

  12. Kuro Rai says:

    times are changing, and MAcs aren’t great just for music and video, they now handle games, daily task, making them simpler, and easier for anyone, except for a windows lowever whose mind is set in a way that thinks “all computers are complicated”…they’ll have a had time relaxing to a simple interface

    November 25th, 2006 at 6:58 pm

  13. 9400 says:

    That’s rubbish, Kuro Rai, on 3/4 points.
    #1 – Macs can’t handle games, and even most Mac users admit that. Yes, I know World of Warcraft runs on Macs. Oh, wait, I forgot about that cheap freeware Minesweeper port. And there’s always Solitaire … maybe even Monopoly!
    #2 – Those Windows lovers wouldn’t love Windows if it seemed complicated and daunting to them. Only to new Windows users would Windows seem complicated, and it is similar for new Mac users, although admittedly less so.
    #3 – Isn’t the whole point of a simple interface to negate the need to have a “had time” getting used to it?
    But you do have one good point, Macs are generally easier for regular daily tasks.

    Touche.

    August 11th, 2007 at 6:14 pm

  14. andreas krüger (germany) says:

    Hi i only want to say….which is the most used system?? Windows!! Which is better…i think Vista! I saw how works Apple..i saw Linux…and Windows! Mistakes have all systems, but the most beauty and easy system 4 normal people is VISTA!!! And i hav a sidebar and a Rocketbar lik Apple!!! Most programms and games are 4 windows!!!

    But it would the best way 4 all..if Apple, Microsoft, and the Linux-Group work togheter incl. all the other Programmer lik Antivirer..and soo on!

    That will be the best System we ever have!!!!

    October 7th, 2007 at 9:12 pm

  15. Matt McMorrow says:

    First of all, this war began in the 80s & early 90s when the first user interface came out. Apple Computers Inc. came out with the first user interface, the first Operating System, (OS). But for Apple, people would still be be using MS-DOS!!!!! That’s right: Microsoft stole that entire idea. And here again today, Vista is a copycat of OS X!!!!! The sidebar on Vista was taken from Apple’s Dashboard concept. The icons that preview the contents of files are taken from Apple’s Quick Look, and the all new Finder. Some may argue that Vista came out first, so Apple’s Leopard copies Vista. NOT TRUE!!!! Apple had demos and previews out before Vista. Apple had information out first. Apple has been in development of Leopard WAY before Microsoft with Vista.

    So, question: If PCs are sooo great, and they meet ALL of EVERYBODY’S needs, why do they need to create a copycat of another platform? And since they chose Apple’s OS X to copy, that must mean that people are demanding the features that Macs have. And If PCs are sooo great, and they meet ALL of EVERYBODY’S needs, why is software being created so that you can run Mac OS on a PC? hmmmmm….

    Final thought for you PC users: SERIOUSLY NOW…..what can your PC do that my Mac can’t?

    October 19th, 2007 at 9:22 am

  16. Ricky da da says:

    Tell me this windows users… Hands up all those who have picked up a virus? I have never bothered with any kind of security on my mac, no firewall, no mcaffee or norton or anything. I have visited many many dubious websites, and never picked up a thing. My stepson was given a PC 6 months ago. For four of those months it has been used as a paperweight, as he has picked up 3 seperate viruses. he uses XP, and I use panther. I am fed up fixing his PC, so am buying him a mini for crimbo. Windows sucks. Mac rocks yer socks off. Go on – make your life a bit easier. Get a mac.

    November 7th, 2007 at 9:36 am

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