OS X Leopard vs Windows Vista: Fight!! (Part 2)

Hopefully you had a chance to see the first half of this piece which I showed off some of the visual differences of Apple’s newly released operating system and Microsoft’s recent OS release, Windows Vista. I now want to take a look at some of the features both operating systems have and the different ways they are implemented.

Disclaimer: I have been unable to find a screen grab tool for Windows that allows me to set a timed exposure so I have been unable to grab screens of Flip 3D or the Alt+Tab program selector. If you know of one, please let me know and I will edit this post ASAP.

FLIP 3D and Expose:

Flip 3D, found in Windows Vista, is a really interesting concept but I just don’t think it feels right. It’s more of an offset rolodex than a 3D representation of the windows you have open. It runs fairly smoothly and mapping it to the Ctrl+Tab function was a smart idea on Microsoft’s part. Including the desktop in Flip 3D was also a really smart idea to let you easily get back to it without having to minimize windows or click the “show desktop” icon in quicklaunch if you have it enabled.

Above is Apple’s expose, which actually isn’t new at all to OS X and can be found in previous generations and it has remained relatively unchanged in Leopard. Expose can be activated by a keystroke, a mapped button on the mouse, or through the use of “hot corners.” There are two expose activations: one is for ALL windows and another is for only the windows within a particular program like you have multiple Firefox windows open. Once activated you simply hover your mouse over the window you like and click it. Expose then sweeps aside and the window you clicked becomes the main window. Really smooth and you can have as many windows as you want on the screen, they will just be smaller which is something you don’t have to worry about in Flip 3D.

I also want to talk about Apple’s Cmd+tab feature which is the same function as Windows Alt+Tab.

People who love this feature in Windows, you have to tip your hat to Apple on this one since it is an Apple invention. However, I do like the windows version better because Apple only lets you select programs whereas the Windows version cycles through ALL available windows. Apple uses expose to cover this feature. If you’re anything like me, however, you’ve become good at counting how mane “tabs” until the next window and can do it without looking.

FILE MANAGEMENT

I already talked about the look of file icons between the two operating systems and felt the folder look in Leopard was a step backwards. Granted the icons are all uniform, but they don’t pop like the ones on Vista. Let’s take a look at how each OS enables you to browse the files.

Windows Vista

Even though I don’t have pictures of all the settings, nothing has really changed from XP to Vista except for live thumbnails which is a VERY welcome change instead of the standard .doc icon or picture icon. But you still have list, details, icons, thumbnails etc. The browser on the left hand side is also much more welcome than the one in XP. Cleaner and easier to get where you want.

OS X Leopard

With Leopard, Apple took a page from the iTunes book and added Coverflow. Some have even said Leopard should have been called OS X iTunes since most of the visual changes are from iTunes.

Just like Coverflow in iTunes allows you to see album art for music, in the Finder it allows you to see live details of the file or folder you are on. Just browse left and right and the icons rotate in that direction. If you want to take a close look at the file you are on without having to open the program just hit spacebar to activate Quicklook.

Quicklook brings the file to the foreground of your desktop and allows you to browse it without even having to open the program it was created in. The address book is a poor example but if this were a .pdf or a word document, I could browse and read the file without having to open Preview or a text editor. Thanks to this feature. I have found papers I wrote in college with an entire 2 sentences on them that were just wasting space.

WIRELESS AND NETWORKING

Both OS X and Windows support wireless Internet and Bluetooth. It would be crazy not to in this day and age. It’s just a matter of how easy it is to manually set up these devices. Both operating systems picked up my wireless router fairly easily, but what if I need to manually get into the device properties.

Windows Vista

Even though a lot of the settings are easier to configure than before, there is still the feel and look of “you’re connected and you really shouldn’t be messing with this.” The diagram at the top is a nice touch as a way to explain the flow of information, but if it weren’t for Leopard, I wouldn’t complain about this, but all you get is wireless options in this window.

Bluetooth preferences in Vista still have that “device manager” look to them. If you’ve never messed around with device manager, I doubt you’re going to know you’re way around this window either.

OS X Leopard

Previously, with OS X 10.4 Tiger, you only had access to Internet options through Ethernet and Ariport. With Leopard, everything is right where you need it. Open up Network preferences and you’re there and it even includes FireWire with the option to add other devices and I assume USB would be one of them.

While there is still a little to be desired with the Bluetooth setup in Leopard, it’s light years beyond what Tiger did. For Leopard all you have to do is make sure your Bluetooth is turned on for your device and your computer and just click “Set Up New Device,” and you’re set.

Note: Even though it will recognize the iPhone, there is still no ability to use the iPhone to control the computer for front row, iTunes or anything. I haven’t tried it in Windows, but I doubt there is much use in Vista either.

A SOLO FEATURE OF VISTA

I cannot stand desktop clutter. I want as few things as possible on my desktop which is one of the reasons I switched to Apple. Even though the clutter sucked, it was much easier to use as program navigation than the Start menu. As I stated, I primarily installed Vista so I could game and I thoroughly like the way games are enabled in the start menu. Everything gets its only little neat window.

And thanks to the system rating, I now want a faster HD because it’s the only thing keeping me from a 5.9. Otherwise, all my games are within a click away. (If you have any game suggestions by the way let me know). I suppose with Leopard, I could create a stack for my games, but there aren’t a slew of games for Mac yet so as long as Aspyr keeps screwing up.

That just about covered everything I wanted to show you between the two operating systems. I firmly believe it would be a hands down win for Leopard if it weren’t for the lack of gaming. However, in the OS shootout, OS X Leopard does come out on top. Both operating systems have a lot in store for them in the future but the future is sooner for Leopard then Vista.

A Final Note: Leopard 10.5.1 has been released for update and Vista SP1 beta has been previewed.

Whoever is at Fault, Fix It: Where is My RAM?

Many people have been making “the switch” from PC to Mac. Over 50% of Apple computers bought were by first time buyers. For the first time ever, Intel Macs occupy a larger market share than PowerPC Macs. While there are many reasons to make the switch, one of the biggest if not THE biggest reason is you can dual boot OS X and Windows on Intel Macs. With Leopard, Apple is fully supporting Bootcamp, their software to install Windows.

There are many reasons to dual boot such as programs that will only run in Windows to the lack of gaming support for Apple computers. I personally installed Vista to be able to play games on my Mac Pro, Apple’s powerhouse computer. I want to play games like Gears of War, Bioshock, and Crysis. For the upgrade to Leopard and to game in Windows, I installed an extra 2GB of RAM in my system to make a total of 3GB. Here is what I get:

OS X recognizes 3GB of RAM. Sweet, yay, fine.

If you take a close look, Windows Vista only sees 2GB of RAM. For games like Bioshock requesting 2GB of RAM and Crysis 1.5GB, those of us using a Mac Pro are left almost in the dark. Granted Gears of War runs pretty well cranked up but the computer is at its limits with the failure to recognize the other 1GB along with Vista hogging resources in the background.

There are a few forums that discuss the problem but neither Apple nor Microsoft is coming out to say what the problem is. It appears to be an Apple problem with the Mac Pro because those with PC’s can see over 3GB of RAM. Could it be because the RAM is held on 2 separate trays? Or is it a problem with Bootcamp? I haven’t seen reports of other Apple computer lines having this problem. So what’s going on Apple? Where is the fix or are you unwilling to identify this as an actual problem? Someone needs to step it up.

OS X Leopard vs Windows Vista: FIGHT!!! (Part 1)

As of the end of last week, I have been dual booting my Mac Pro with Windows Vista Business edition. My primary reason for doing so was gaming since, as we all know, there is little support for gaming on the Mac. Now that I’ve had a little time with Vista and Leopard, I want to give you my opinion on the two operating systems. If you have read any of my previous posts, you may be quick to think I’m an Apple fan boy, but you have to remember I was primarily a Windows user until January of this year and a vigilant defender of the OS until then as well.

Both Leopard and Vista were released in 2007 about 10 months apart, Leopard being the most recent release of only a few weeks. Both are clean installs, not upgrades, and neither of them have received a major update. Leopard 10.5.1 was seeded to developers last week and Service Pack 1 is due out for Vista hopefully in January of 2008. Until then, we might as well take what we can get.

BOOT TIMES:

Windows Vista	60 Seconds
OS X Leopard	22 Seconds

While this is pretty quick for Windows, it’s nothing compared to 22 seconds for OS X. I even took 5 seconds off for the time it took to type my password into Windows. As experience tells us, as more and more stuff finds its way onto the operating systems, these times will slow down.

SYSTEM USAGE:

Windows Vista
OS X Leopard

You’ll have to maximize these pictures. Vista is using about 660MB of RAM whereas the Leopard system is using 390MB and Adium and Firefox are making up the 455MB after 5 hours of usage. It’s hard to say who wins here because the Vista RAM meter isn’t broken up per application or system resource and OS X has been on for 5 hours. (I’ll provide an update to OS X RAM usage soon).

Both computers recognize 4CPU’s and the only thing I am actively doing at each time is taking a picture. Vista is using 2, 3, 0, and 8% of processors while Leopard is using 0% across the board. While I am sure it’s not perfectly 0%, Leopard does a much better job of throttling and processor distribution than Vista and I still can’t for the life of me figure out what Vista is trying to read from my HD half the time. Even when it puts the monitor to sleep, it begins grinding away. And again…only 2GB of RAM being recognized in Vista. If you look at the Leopard stats, you can see I have 3GB in the machine. I’m really eager to find what the cause of this is. It’s looking like a Mac Pro issues but hopefully an update will come along from either Microsoft or Apple.

Although not really easy to tell what the hard drive footprint of each OS is, Leopard was about a 6GB install when I got rid of the language packs and printer drivers and Vista was around 10GB. I used to installed Windows 98 between 350 and 400MB. My how things have changed.

VISUALS:

Windows Vista

OS X Leopard

Vista came with some extremely high resolution back ground that I think are gorgeous. I’m using a different one than you see here. Apple comes with some backgrounds but prefer to leave most of that process up to you. I do like the new visual stylings of folder icons in Vista better, but it’s impossible for Vista to match the look and ingenuity of Coverflow and Quicklook (pictures coming). (Keep in mind for both drop shadows, the alpha layer doesn’t show up in screen shots and will appear MUCH lighter on the desktop).

Since I am a visual person, I find the transparent windows in Vista a welcome pleasure over the Fisher Price stock look of XP (Green and Blue bubble theme…blech!). It doesn’t assist me in knowing what window I am on, but it is a nice look. I switched back to a classic theme for a short time, but instantly went back to Vista stock.

GADGETS AND WIDGETS

Gadgets for Vista

Widgets for OS X

These are strictly a matter of personal preference visually and some people have complained they don’t like hitting a button to bring up widgets in OS X. OS X users would complain having Gadgets on top of apps all the time would be a problem and as far as I know, there isn’t an easy way in Windows to map Gadgets to a mouse button. However, Windows offers a much easier way to shut down Gadgets than OS X does to shut down Widgets. I find Widgets to be much more convenient and practical. The stats and screen grab widgets are by far much easier to use in OS X and are overall much easier to access with a mouse wheel click.

TASKBAR AND THE DOCK

The taskbar in Windows and the dock in OSX serve two completely different purposes. Except for quicklaunch, the taskbar is for programs you have open whereas the dock is for easy access to your most used programs and ones you are presently using.

Taskbar

The Dock

Both look pretty good, can be hidden, and both can show previews of what you’re looking at presently. However, the dock is a lot more functional. Everything you need as soon as you need it and with the inclusion of stacks, the clutter can be reduced even more while adding new functionality. Getting to everything you need in Windows is still a series of steps, although made a little more convenient by the new program menu in Vista.

CONTINUE to the next part in the OS saga when I get more in depth with the operating systems to see how they handle stuff like wireless, Bluetooth, system restores, etc.

If there is anything you would like to specifically know the differences of, please post in the comments and I will do whatever I can to answer your questions.

Windows Vista: A Quick Review

The System

Processor	2xIntel Xeon 5150 Dual Core 2.66GHz (4CPUs)
RAM	3GB DDR PC5300 667MHz
Video	ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB Ram
Hard Drive	Maxtor 140GB Partition

For anyone not keeping up, this is actually an Apple computer which I used bootcamp to install Windows Vista. I did a clean install of Windows Vista Business edition. Keep in mind bootcamp is NOT emulation software. It turns the computer into a full-fledged Windows machine. The two operating systems never interact. Vista Business edition is missing features mostly related to entertainment. Heaven forbid if I can’t make high def movies in Vista. I do, after all, have OSX running on the other side. Let’s get on with it shall we?

This is by far the easiest installation of Windows I have ever done. Excluding the time to set up bootcamp, it clocked in at just under 1 hour and I had to do very little in between. As soon as Windows installed and I added the Apple drivers for video card and keyboard support, I did a Windows update. It was so nice to not have to restart between every single update per Windows XP. However a restart for Windows still takes forever. I’ll have exact time for you in the near future. It is nice how the desktop loads in the background and everything is ready to go once it’s presented to you unlike having to watch individual parts load like in previous iterations.

I’ll dive more into this later when I launch my Vista and Leopard comparison, but Vista does look pretty for the most part. Although Flip 3D is by no means 3D. It’s like taking a few pieces of paper and offsetting them to see what’s written on each one. It could easily look a lot better though OpenGL, but the window designs are nice. I will be sticking with the stock theme instead of reverting back to a Window Classic look.

Big red flag coming up: Check my system stats again…3 Gigs of RAM. Under my system info in Vista…2Gigs of RAM, whaaaaaat? After scouring some forums, it appears the 32bit version of Vista only supports 2GB RAM. I hope this is something remedied in Service Pack 1. I found this in a mac forum to be exact so if you’re a PC user and do not have this issue, let me know. With games having a 1GB minimum these days and Vista occupying 600MB to run, things could get a little choppy over time.

Most annoying part of Windows Vista, all the permission Windows needed to do anything…ANYTHING! I understand this is to protect people from themselves, but if you’re so prone to problems like this you probably shouldn’t be using a computer in the first place.

Stability-wise, I was able to stop and switch between Gears of War and Civilization IV pretty easily without too much of a performance hit. Speaking of performance, I did add the system info gadget. When I installed XP through bootcamp, XP only saw 1 of my 4 CPU’s. Thank god Vista sees them all. However, it does a really poor job of distributing the work across the CPU’s. One will shoot up to 100% while others remain quiet. The Maxtor HD I have is extremely loud in the first place, but I will be doing nothing in Windows, and it will still be searching for something for minutes on end so I don’t know what it’s trying to find.

Windows Vista is definitely a visual departure from previous versions, but the underlying principle is still the same for how you move around. A few more bells and whistles while moving some stuff around that I’m having trouble finding. The new Start menu is a nice touch removing the annoying scroll lists of program files. How it maintains the games in a file is a neat idea but when I was trying to explain to my girlfriend about how to load Civ IV, I stopped and said forget it. It’s definitely not set up for someone new to Windows. I’m sure the folder can be moved but it shouldn’t have to be.

I am looking forward to Service Pack 1, assuming Apple says it’s ok to go ahead with the install. Hopefully it will take care of the RAM issue and CPU throttling. So a little longer than a short review but now I can bring my Leopard and Vista comparison to you.

Prepare Yourself: Leopard vs Vista (Coming Soon)

    VS

I recently installed Windows Vista on my Mac Pro and will soon be bringing you my comparison of the two. It should be really fair since both are recent fresh installs, not upgrades, running on the exact same machine. I’ll be looking at:

1. Ease of Installation
2. Load Times
3. Visual Presentation
4. Widgets and Gadgets
5. Time Machine and System Restore
6. Expose and Flip 3D
7. System Loads
8. And More!!

So stay tuned!

iTunes 7.5 Next Week?

AppleInsider is reporting both Windows and OS X will see simultaneous releases of iTunes 7.5 in hopes of correcting a number of bugs such as freezing when upgrading iTunes store songs to DRM free versions. We’re also supposed to see better management of duplicate songs and videos along with better stability.

There is no mention of other possible upgrades we might see to device support. I’m a little leery about the upgrade coming soon after the new iPhone Jailbreak. I won’t be upgrading to iTunes 7.5 anytime soon and I urge you to hold off as well even people without iPhones. Wait for the reviews to trickle out and I will try to keep you posted as to what I hear and decide to do in the near future. For now, keep whatever version you have unless you’re having issues to the point of using RealPlayer (do they still make that?)

So just wait a few days, listen to some music, hang out and be cool. Everything will be sorted out for you. If you want song duplication management, I recommend Dupin which is an AppleScript that works in conjunction with iTunes to find duplicate songs. Dupin is shareware, but the only feature lacking is the inability to see more than 20 results at a time. For Windows there is DoubleKiller. I’ve never used it but it looks like it works with more than iTunes so have at it.

People are a Talkin’

I’m basing this on one post, but it’s looking like people who pre-ordered Leopard WILL receive it on October 26th (please spare me the hate mail if I’m wrong because since I pre-ordered it, I will be equally as pissed). It looks as if that order is going to Hong Kong which explains why it shipped 3 days in advance and mine has “yet to be shipped” as its status. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. UPDATE: My status has been updated to “Prepared for Shipment.”

UPDATE 2: My shipping method has been updated to “Priority Overnite.” Glad I didn’t pay for next day shipping.

Early reviews are beginning to trickle in from developers and from an apparent Internet copy making its way around. The build being 9a581, although we’ll see what the version we get is. So what are we hearing? FAST!! Insanely fast in all areas. Programs are opening up in no time including mail. Time machine works instantly auto-detecting hard drives. Although what leads me to believe that this isn’t the final build is a comment about Finder hanging at first load. Although this could be related to hardware or fixed with a simple 10.5.1 update, I think it could be part of a bad setup file or it not being the final build of Leopard.

Tom Yager is calling this an “engineering achievement that dwarfs iPhone, iPod, Windows and Linux.” (I have an iPhone and it is definitely an engineering marvel, although the software needs to be hammered out). It also sounds like Mr. Yager is unable to fully disclose as much information as he would like until the official release, so he’s holding back. Yager has a great point when he compares the release and adoption of Vista as largely “incidental,” to being bundled with new computers whereas Leopard will see it’s primary adoption from OS X users going to the store or an online retailers seeking the upgrade, a level twice that of the release of Tiger and growing.

As I listen to MacBreak Weekly, the chaps are discussing what they are looking forward to the most. For me personally, there are things I look forward to to use all the time and a few things I am looking to try out. I will probably still never use iChat. I think AdiumX is the best out there even though it doesn’t have video chat which I don’t really need. Come my installation, I will finally begin using Apple Mail as my email client. (For anything I mention, check out the Apple site for more info, ot stayed tuned for my review in the coming days). Time Machine, oh lordy, Time Machine. I used system restore in Windows XP once and if it’s anywhere near the same in Vista, Apple has trounced the competitor. There is one thing I am eager to try, the new Automator.

Apple introduced Automator in Tiger. It is an application to make the system do chains of tasks automatically for you. I opened it a couple times, shrugged my shoulders and closed it. It’s difficult for me to tell a computer to do something the way a computer does it. With this new feature, you can turn Automator on, tell it to record, and it will follow what you’re doing until you tell it to stop such as opening a series of apps or working within an application like Photoshop or Pixelmator. I’ll be sure to let you know what I think of it. Of course, the worst part in all this would be if the install totally craps out, but I don’t expect that to happen.

Windows Releases vs Mac OS X Releases

I was perusing Apple news on a PC website. I can’t remember which one but it was a PC site writing an article about Leopard being released on October 26th. The article was the same as you’d expect from anyone making an OS announcement but what really got me was a lot of the comments slamming the OS X release. This will be the 6th installment of the OS X line, but many Windows users are seeing it more a service pack release than as a whole new operating system, where as 95, 98, ME, 2000, NT, XP, and Vista are all separate releases, so what qualifies as a new OS or a simple update?

In reality there really is no difference between a new Windows OS release and an OS X release. Each new release for both is an addition of applications or app tweaks, new visual enhancements and what the developers hope to be easier to use and serve the growing technology and hopefully influence future technology. The only time an entirely new OS available is where there is a total paradigm shift in how the operating system behaves like an entirely new experience.

With Apple, I can only go as far back as the switch from OS9 to OSX. Completely different operating system, with a whole new way of interacting with the OS, new design, an overall incompatibility with sporadic exceptions with the previous system. Microsoft too has done relatively the same thing: DOS to 3.1 to 95. Not a whole lot has changed since Windows 95 with the introduction of the task bar and easier access to your computer through the desktop and program files menu. Windows has changed, for better or worse (I’m looking at you Windows ME), visually and stability-wise since 95 but the core idea has remained the same. That goes for OS X as well with additions such as Expose, Widgets, Automator, Spotlight, Time Machine, Spaces, etc. But the paradigm hasn’t shifted since the release of the original OS X.

Both OS’s are offering the same type of “improvements” with each operating system. It’s just a matter of whether you like them or not and which OS you prefer. So if you think OS X Cat+1 with each round is merely a small upgrade, then you must accept Windows 95 and on is in only an upgrade, or you can think each new one is a new OS. It doesn’t really matter. I’m inclined to stick with the paradigm shift idea and that we’re merely seeing upgrades to both operating systems.

Upgrade or Fresh Install?

FRESH INSTALL!! With Leopard due out this Friday, a lot people are asking “Should I just upgrade or do a fresh install?” And no help to us all is the debate amongst bloggers and podcasters. Well, here I am to throw my opinion into the equation. (My answers goes for Windows users as well). I highly recommend and practice the art of doing a fresh install complete with hard drive reformat. Why? Well for a number of reasons.

When doing an upgrade, you have to make sure you computer is in perfect working order to be able to accept the update without it being clouded with all the crap that finds its way onto the hard drive. Over time, your hard drive will become fragmented and you will accumulate bloatware (especially you Windows users) over time through program additions. This is especially problematic for anyone that downloads torrents. Sure you will probably lose your visual settings and other preferences (unless you save the preference file) but those are extremely easy to revert to, and who knows, in the process you may find a different look you like more. Also, in my opinion it is MUCH easier to just save the files you want on an external drive of some sort and then just erase everything. For both Windows and Mac users, please make sure to save a copy of your documents folder. Most likely all of your most precious stuff is in that folder. Back up your music too. Even though you paid for it, Apple is very unlikely to give you another download of the music you bought from the iTunes store unless you have a pretty damn good reason, negligence not being one of then.

It is recommended with an upgrade to disable and additions you may have added to programs such as Firefox in case they don’t work right away with the new OS. Screw ‘em, and install them one at a time once you put Firefox back on. Everything works so much better once you’re at square one again for both Apple OS and Windows. In the end, your computer will thank you and serve you better if you reformat and do a fresh install of the OS.

With the new OS X, I was wondering if I would lose iLife that shipped with my computer. Apple doesn’t send you an install disc but only the restore DVD’s that have iLife on them. This can be done in 2 ways. One is do a fresh install of Tiger through the restore DVD’s and before anything is touched or changed by the user, do a fresh upgrade of Leopard. Even though this sounds like it goes against my teaching, it’s safe and works the same way. Everything will be in order. The other route is to begin with a fresh install of Leopard and then pull the iLife files from the restore discs. I’ve done this one before when I went from Panther to Tiger and it works just with a little digging around. For this install, I will be doing a fresh install of Leopard and then rooting around in my restore discs for iLife. I might even say “screw it” and buy iLife ‘08.

I’m eager to hear how everyone else’s installs of OS X go and anyone that might be going from XP to Vista or from Vista back to XP which seems to be happening quite often. I would also love to hear from people who upgraded to the latest Ubuntu Gutsy Ribbon from Feisty Fawn. Oh to be a computer lover, these are fun times.

The Purr is Coming

This Friday at 6:00pm 10/26/07, Apple will release OS x 10.5 Leopard.  That’s kinda redundant actually, but soon a lot of people will have to make an important decision and not just those in the Apple camp already wondering if/when they should upgrade, but also PC users contemplating the Apple switch or to buy a new PC with Vista and the eventual release of service pack 1.

Fear not, for I hope to answer questions you may be having with this issue. I am currently working on a piece for the hot-topic of the price of a mac. I have also been inspired by my fellow blogger Tim at anotherguy.wordpress.com who is a Windows expert to do a piece on Vista vs Leopard, and I also hope to do a piece on “Leopard vs Tiger: Should I Have Waited?” Stay tuned!

Until then, please be content with my ramblings of newses of the day!