“The changes that have been made to [Apple’s Mac OS X] 10.4 [Tiger] are certainly sufficient to warrant an upgrade. The speed improvements offered by the new graphics rendering engine can give a new lease of life to some older Macs, and if nothing else, Tiger offers better system performance for a one-off fee,” Will Harris writes for TrustedReviews.com.
“The technology behind Spotlight is incredible. While the Windows team at Microsoft has spent the last few years talking up the desktop search facility of Longhorn, Apple has had its head down actually implementing its own version. It’s better, faster, more efficient and indexes more types of content than Google Desktop Search, and the added benefit of Smart Folders means that it can potentially alter the way you work drastically,” Harris writes.
“Dashboard is just the latest in a number of UI improvements that make OSX so much easier and more efficient to use than Windows XP. For many Mac users, going back to XP is something of a joke at best – or at worst, a thoroughly frustrating user experience that one only endures in order to play some decent games,” Harris writes.
“Because for all the improvements that Apple has made to OSX, it loses out to Windows in two areas. The first is that the hardware simply isn’t as fast or as cheap as it should be. While the Mac Mini has made a decent dent in the budget computer sector, the PowerBooks and PowerMacs still offer less for your money than an equivalently specified PC. Secondly, an average consumer wants to play games – and while support for Apple has been getting better over recent years, it is still nowhere near as good as Windows. For most people, solely using an Apple wouldn’t be an option without a secondary machine – be it a console or a PC – for gaming on,” Harris writes.
“With that said, there’s little that’s bad to say about Tiger. Some may balk at the idea of £90 for a few upgrades and a new search feature, but there are so many intangibles – security improvements and the like – that will never been seen or understood by most consumers, that all-in-all, the new features add up to make Tiger a must-have for any Mac user,” Harris writes.
TrustedReviews’ grades (out of 10):
Features-10
Performance-9
Value-9
Overall-9
Full review here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Manually organize dinosaur Windows PCs while Mac users already have the future with Spotlight – May 18, 2005
The Butler Group: ‘Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger the best desktop operating system in the world to date’ – May 13, 2005
BBC News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘the most stable and reliable OS, well ahead of Windows XP’ – May 10, 2005
Windows users show strong curiosity about Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger – May 09, 2005
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
EarthWeb: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is a ‘serious enterprise operating system, a pivotal release’ – May 06, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system’ – May 06, 2005
The Guardian: Mac OS X Tiger a powerful solution while Microsoft’s Longhorn remains on drawing board – May 06, 2005
Chicago Sun-Times: Mac OS X Tiger shows ‘there’s never been a more compelling time to switch to Mac’ – May 05, 2005
Dan Gillmor: ‘With Mac OS X Tiger, Apple is plainly in the lead today’ – May 05, 2005
Jupiter Research VP: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘runs rings around Microsoft Windows’ – May 04, 2005
The Independent: Apple’s ‘faster, smarter, simpler’ Mac OS X Tiger ‘a must-have’ – May 04, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger review for a Windows PC audience finds Tiger’s ‘far, far better than Windows XP’ – May 03, 2005
Longhorn mentioned in nearly every Apple Mac OS X Tiger review to assuage Windows masses – May 02, 2005
Boston Herald: Mac OS X Tiger should compel Windows PC users to think about switching to Apple Mac – May 02, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger will likely improve performance of your Macintosh – April 30, 2005
PC World review gives Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger 4.5 stars out of 5 – April 30, 2005
Forrester analysts: Apple should advertise Mac OS X Tiger on television and in movie theaters – April 29, 2005
Ars Technica: Mac OS X Tiger ‘at least twice as significant as any single past update’ – April 28, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system around’ – April 28, 2005
Associated Press: Mac OS X Tiger ‘provides another excellent incentive to switch from Windows’ – April 28, 2005
Mossberg: Apple’s Tiger ‘the best, most advanced personal computer operating system on the market’ – April 28, 2005
InformationWeek columnist: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘a compelling upgrade’ – April 28, 2005
NY Times: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is the most secure, stable and satisfying OS on earth – April 28, 2005
Windows is weak, Longhorn will be cosmetic upgrade; Apple can deliver killer blow to Microsoft – April 27, 2005
Thurrott: ‘Longhorn is in complete disarray and in danger of collapsing under its own weight’ – April 27, 2005
Wired News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘full of welcome surprises’ – April 27, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn ‘has the makings of a train wreck’ – April 26, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn demos ‘unimpressive, fall short of graphical excellence found today in Mac OS X’ – April 26, 2005
Apple posts QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action – April 13, 2005
Yup… Apple should have a “Get a new PSP3 with every purchase of a G5…” or something… That’d be cooler. Or even cooler if they worked 100x harder at getting games to run well on the mac.
As a recent ‘Switcher’, I can say that the gaming comparison is key – I personnally think that Windows will be cannibalized by their own and other consoles – I am sick of trying to get DirectX to work – in fact my Media Center 2005 box won’t run DirectX anymore, so the console and my new PowerBook mean the end of the line for Windows upgrades on my entertainment machines and my small business work machine.
After Orson Scott Card, it’s nice to get back to a little non-fiction.
I installed Google Desktop Search on a PC at work today. In a nutshell, it sucks compared to Spotlight. I considered MSN search but it quickly told me that my browser (Firefox) was not compatible. MS bites…
Google Desktop Search still defaults to IE for preferences. The preferences are limited at best. I couldn’t find a hot key to select the Search Bar. It took forever to index. And it lacks the refinement of Spotlight.
It’s a good thing that I only log about 20 minutes a week in the XP box.
To add to my last comment…
Google Desktop Search is like listening to AM radio when your used to hi-fi.
So Macs aren’t as “fast” as they should be? Looks like the MHz myth rears its ugly head…
That always makes me laugh. Games. And I remember when the mac was accused of being just a toy.
Tiger is beautiful, I use it for many hours at night. I really think it is a great operating system.
But I use Windows XP Pro all day. I really like and am very productive using it (I am a designer and spend most of my time in Adobe Creative Suite 2). Definitely search is a weakness in Windows XP, but I use Yahoo Desktop Search, which is essentially a free version of X1. While not as good as Spotlight, I can get almost anything I need to get done using it.
Why does it always have to be a war of the operating systems? Both have their strengths – I am much better off having a PC and a Mac than I would be having just one.
true about the powerbooks etc. the performance isn’t worth the premium paid.
“an average consumer wants to play games” – wow, for the first time in my life I’m not average. It seems like every other post: one says “Mac won’t make it because it’s not a serious business machine”, the next says “Mac won’t make it because it’s not a serious gaming machine”. Make your minds up! Me, I’m happy with a number-crunching, picture-editing, audio-recording machine. I don’t have time for games (and if I do, it’s outdoors, running around).
Let’s cut the BS on the fud that Macs cost more than windows machines.
This is before Tiger too!
http://corourke.customer.netspace.net.au/Mac/cost.html
Things should be changing now that Tiger is out. Apple has changed it’s APIs with every major release of OS X and that alone has given many developers fits with porting games. Why port a game that could be broken with the next major release. Add in the speed (approx 1/year) with which Apple has updated OS X and you get the picture. By the time you finish your project, it patch city to fix broken APIs.
All of that has FINALLY changed. Apple has ‘locked’ it’s APIs with Tiger and is slowing the update cycle. Add in the improved developer tools, Core Image/Data/Audio/Video and it’s time to get the party started. Apple has also hired people to work with nVidia & ATI to improve drivers and performance on the Mac.
Is this going to change the Mac gaming experience tomorrow? No. Will it change things going forward? Yes. Give a little time for the developers to work their magic and you should see some tangible results with future releases. If the developers will invest a little effort in optimizing their code for the Mac the ‘pop’ could be a real eye opener.
It all comes down to the ability of Software Publishers to make money. Now that they have a real chance to recoup their significant investment in development on a now stable (as in changes- not performance) platform, the software should follow. Prior to Tiger, Mac developers were shooting at a constantly moving target and first tier games are really complex beasts. Meanwhile PC developers were building on a well-known, stable (again as in changes-not performance) and highly optimized foundation in Windows XP. Mac OS X has now matured to a point where developers can concentrate on optimization instead of basic compatibility. That is a huge deal for those writing the code that powers Game engines, etc.
Personally, I’d love to have a small (but not tiny, because you need room for a couple of empty slots), well designed, G5 Mac (single processor).
I like playing games occasionally – state-of-the-art games as well, and Apple still doesn’t produce a ‘consumer’ computer that is as flexible (in this respect) as your average PC.
I believe that such a Mac with all the soft-ware and security advantages of the Apple platform would be a huge success.
I’d pay up to a €1000 for a Mac like that; €1200 with a really excellent video card.
Just dreaming …
“going back to Windows XP is something of a joke at best”
Starting with Windows XP is an even bigger joke!
The Time Has Come- At Last,
I found your post very interesting – and I hope you’re right.
<i>”Dashboard is just the latest in a number of UI improvements that make OSX so much easier and more efficient to use than….”
Anyne know how to “reposition” the main drive’s icon position on my desktop at start up? Used to be able to do it with an Applescript on OS9. Please tell me that Uncle Steve hasn’t killed that possibility.
could this be? a truly impartial review?
it’s close but no cigar, the cost thing is a bit hit and miss, just what are they comparing it with? i’d sooner pay more once with less upgrades and have more time on my hands and less problems than buy a cheap pc and spend shed loads on software and have it play up on my all the time. no i think i’ve saved plenty of money which i can put into consoles or game based pc upgrades or games should i want to
but the rest of it’s ok
didn’t upgrades to the latest os cost more for windows than mac?
Larry- “use Windows XP Pro all day. I really like and am very productive using it (I am a designer and spend most of my time in Adobe Creative Suite 2)”
I am also using Adobe Creative Suite 2 but with Tiger on a 4-year old G4 with upgraded ATI video, 1 GB memory and faster HD. It is fast and stable, and I don’t have to deal with XP’s annoying interface.
Bandit Bill:
Both are jokes, but neither are funny. How can this be?
“are so many intangibles – security improvements and the like – that will never been seen or understood by most consumers”
Honest guv! Just believe it, come on, you know you want to…
$129 for a couple of new features, I’m still in shock… 🙁
Maccam- I’m using Adobe CS2 Premium on a 3.4ghz Pentium 4 with Hyperthreading and 64bit extensions, with 1gb 533 DDR2 and a 320gb SATA Raid 0 and a256MB NVidia 6800 video card with Windows XP Pro. It’s very fast and very stable.
I don’t find the Windows XP interface frustrating, maybe since I’ve been using DOS/Windows since I bought the original IBM PC (which I still have) back in the mid 80’s. By the way, Windows interface used to be much more frustrating to use, but has much improved over the years.
However, also bought the original Mac (it had 128k of RAM!), and still have that out in the garage. That machine was such a mindblower when it came out (Actually the Lisa came out first, the Mac improved on that) It’s was pretty obvious that MS was trying to copy the Mac when they issued their early releases of Windows (which were horribly pathetic and much worse than the Mac).
“Anyne know how to “reposition” the main drive’s icon position on my desktop at start up? Used to be able to do it with an Applescript on OS9. Please tell me that Uncle Steve hasn’t killed that possibility.”
Turn off the option to display local drives on the desktop. Then add shortcuts to your drives to the desktop. You can position them wherever you like. CDs and external drives will still appear as usual, if you haven’t changed the respective settings for those.
Price comparison is a joke. The Macs are fully featured out of the box with some of the best hardware that is out there. If you put together a PC with that same hardware you will find that the price war is negligible. The speed difference is negligible as well. I work with both for twenty years as a desktop support tech.
i love it when people say wonderful things about apple. but only a 9 rating!???! is this guy nuts? tiger is a 10 or an 11!!!
the guy is an obvious idiot.
John Horvatic: “I work with both for twenty years as a desktop support tech.”
Macs need repairs????