“Two months ago, at least seven months before its scheduled release, Microsoft opened up its new operating system Windows Vista, in the form of Beta 2, for public scrutiny, inviting the public to download, test it and provide feedback to the software company,” Stan Beer writes for iTWire.
Beer writes, “So many millions took up the offer, that Microsoft eventually decided to charge a nominal fee of US$1.50 for downloads.”
“Yesterday, reports started appearing about how a preview version of Mac OS X 10.5 (aka Leopard) is circulating on internet file sharing networks,” Beer writes. “No doubt, some applications developer who was provided with a copy of the Leopard preview for development purposes at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference has been naughty. Also no doubt, if Apple finds out who was responsible, the company will sue, as is its right, given that all the developers reportedly signed non-disclosure agreements.”
Beer writes, “Regardless of the merits or otherwise of Leopard and Vista, the contrast of the approach to development between the two companies could not be more stark.”
“The results of the two differing processes is in fact quite surprising,” Beer writes. “One would think that the collaborative approach taken by Microsoft would produce a more stable, secure, and bug free product. After all, it has been tested by millions, while the Apple product would have only undergone a fraction of the testing.”
“Without prejudging Vista, it is fairly obvious that Windows XP is not exactly the epitome of stability and security. It would be kind to say that it is no more stable and certainly not more secure than Mac OS X 10.4,” Beer writes. Apple never makes compromises. Its operating system is designed under dictatorial rule. You can either take or leave it but it works and it works well.”
Beer writes, “Unfortunately for Apple, most people seem to prefer to live under the open and imperfect system developed by Microsoft than the rule of dictatorship. Perhaps, Apple’s move to the Intel platform will change that.”
More in the full article here.\
MacDailyNews Take: Mmmmmm, Beer… Most people don’t “prefer” Microsoft Windows; they just don’t know any better. That’s starting to change dramatically right now.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Microsoft Windows five times more expensive for users than Apple’s Mac OS X – August 15, 2006
How will Apple deal with astounding success? – August 14, 2006
Oxymoron: Microsoft security – August 12, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
