“A new version of Microsoft Windows, the world’s most popular and important computer operating system, will finally arrive for consumers on Jan. 30. It has taken the giant software maker more than five years to replace Windows XP with this new version, called Windows Vista — an eternity by computer-industry reckoning. Many of the boldest plans for Vista were discarded in that lengthy process, and what’s left is a worthy, but largely unexciting, product,” Walter S. Mossberg reports for The Wall Street Journal.
Mossberg reports, “After months of testing Vista on multiple computers, new and old, I believe it is the best version of Windows that Microsoft has produced. However, while navigation has been improved, Vista isn’t a breakthrough in ease of use. Overall, it works pretty much the same way as Windows XP.”
Mossberg reports, “Nearly all of the major, visible new features in Vista are already available in Apple’s operating system, called Mac OS X, which came out in 2001 and received its last major upgrade in 2005. And Apple is about to leap ahead again with a new version of OS X, called Leopard, due this spring.”
MacDailyNews Take: It’s unfortunate that Mossberg falls into this trap. Mac OS X Tiger is already ahead of Vista – as many reviewers have already pointed out (see related articles below). Apple doesn’t doesn’t need Leopard to “leap ahead again.” This is something we expect from lazy and/or ignorant tech reviewers, not a journalist the caliber of Mossberg.
Mossberg continues, “Microsoft says Vista is much more secure than any other operating system. But this is hard to prove, especially at the beginning of its life, when few hackers and malefactors have access to it. One visible security feature asks for your permission before you do potentially dangerous tasks, like installing new software. This is a good thing, and it’s been on the Macintosh for years. But unlike the Mac version, the Vista version of this permission feature doesn’t necessarily require you to type in a password, so a stranger or a child using your PC could grant permission for something you yourself might not allow.”
“The new Aero interface is lovely, and it makes using a PC more pleasant and efficient. It apes some elements on the Macintosh but retains a distinct look and feel. Icons of folders look three dimensional, and they pop. Most file icons are thumbnails that show a tiny preview of the underlying document… As on the Mac, you can now drag favorite folders into a list at the left of open windows, so it’s easy to get to them… A new feature called Flip 3D shows a 3D view of all the programs you’re running and lets you scroll through them. It’s like the Mac’s excellent Exposé feature, though not quite as handy… Another new feature, called the Sidebar, is a vertical strip at the side of the screen that can contain tiny programs, called Gadgets, displaying things like favorite photos, news headlines, stock prices and the weather. Once again, this is awfully similar to a Macintosh feature called Dashboard, which displays tiny programs called Widgets,” Mossberg reports.
“Like the Mac, Windows now has rapid, universal, built-in search, a very welcome thing. The main search box is contained at the bottom of the Start menu, and it works well. Other search boxes appear in every open window,” Mossberg reports. “You can also save searches as virtual folders, which will keep collecting files that meet your search criteria. This is another feature introduced earlier by Apple.”
Mossberg reports, “As on the Mac, Windows now has a nice, centralized Calendar program. And there’s a new photo-organizing program, Windows Photo Gallery, but it’s inferior to Apple’s iPhoto because it doesn’t allow you to create photo books, or add music to slide shows. There’s also a pretty rudimentary DVD-burning program. The familiar WordPad program can no longer open Microsoft Word files (ironically, Apple’s free built-in word processor does).”
Full article here.
Related articles:
Windows Vista disappointment drives longtime ‘Microsoft apologist’ to Apple’s Mac OS X – January 17, 2007
InformationWeek Review: Apple’s Mac OS X shines in comparison with Microsoft’s Windows Vista – January 06, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue reviews Microsoft’s Windows Vista: ‘Looks, Locks, Lacks’ – December 14, 2006
Forbes: Microsoft Windows Vista boss suffers from Mac envy – December 12, 2006
Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard will create no new jobs – December 12, 2006
15-year Windows vet tries Apple Mac: ‘My God! This is amazing!’ – December 04, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: obsolete on arrival? – December 04, 2006
InformationWeek: Now that Vista is the past, let’s look at the future: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard – December 02, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Office 2007 releases generate yawns – December 02, 2006
Dave Winer: ‘Microsoft isn’t an innovator, and never was – they are always playing catch-up’ – December 01, 2006
Harvard Medical School CIO picks Mac OS X over Linux and Windows – November 30, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista vulnerable to malware from 2004 – November 30, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista developers used Apple Macs for inspiration – November 27, 2006
A Windows expert opts for a Mac life – November 06, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista is basically Microsoft’s version of Mac OS 9.3 – October 11, 2006
Embrace and Extinguish in action: TechIQ’s ‘The VAR Guy’ dumps Windows, switches to Mac OS X – September 25, 2006
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Sydney Morning Herald Tech columnist dumps Microsoft Windows, switches to Apple Mac – June 13, 2006
Windows Vista rips-off Mac OS X at great hardware cost (and Apple gains in the end) – June 13, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft going to get eaten alive over Windows Vista’s resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – March 09, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue on Gates’ CES demo: Most of Vista features unadulterated ripoffs from Apple Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Apple’s talent and innovation vs. Microsoft’s hype – October 25, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Vista strives to deliver what Apple’s Mac OS X already offers – October 10, 2005
Thurrott: many of Windows Vista’s upcoming features appeared first in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Ballmer: It’s true, some of Windows Vista’s features are ‘kissing cousins’ to Mac OS X – September 18, 2005
PC World: Microsoft innovation – an oxymoron – September 14, 2005
As usual, Apple leads, Microsoft tries to follow – June 02, 2005
Bye-Bye Bill: another columnist dumps Windows for Apple Macintosh – January 20, 2005
Orlando Sentinel writer dumps Windows for Mac and writes ‘God bless Apple’ – January 16, 2005
IBM Fellow dumps Microsoft Windows XP, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X – September 02, 2004
> Apple doesn’t doesn’t need Leopard to “leap ahead again.”
That does not imply Apple is currently behind. In the previous sentence he says “Nearly all of the major, visible new features in Vista are already available in Apple’s operating system, called Mac OS X.” Based on his past writings, I’d give Walt Mossberg some credit here. He says what’s good about Windows Vista but gives Apple acknowledgement for doing it first. Most of his readers probably don’t know anything about Mac OS X.
Hey MDN, to be fair, Mossberg said Tiger was years ahead of Vista:
“Nearly all of the major, visible new features in Vista are already available in Apple’s operating system, called Mac OS X, which came out in 2001…”
At the risk of putting too fine a point on it, he could have said that Leopard would leap even further ahead… so I fail to see where he fell into any kind of trap.
I welcome praise for Vista and the more the better, so it can be used in contrast with the reality of actually using the OS on a daily basis.
Sorta like the reality of Microsoft’s marketing campaign for Zune (or any of its products for that matter), which has to be a real disappointment for a few of them who finally got their hands on one and in a quiet moment realized it isn’t nearly as sophisticated as the iPod. It’s no easy task living with glaring, obvious flaws but to have it thrown back in your face, is unbearable.
Where’s the ‘halo effect’? Apple has sold, what, 100 million+ ipods and they haven’t gained ANY pc market share. Clearly, noone is showing up to this ‘revolution’, are they?
Let me tell you as a pc user what Apple should do in its commercials:
They should emphasize in far greater detail the user experience. By this I mean, that windows, antivirus, and antispyware programs are constantly usurping my computing experience by popping up in my face with updates. This is clearly annoying.
It seems to me Apple should do more on this front.
> they haven’t gained ANY pc market share.
You state a lie as a fact and expect people (especially Mac fans) to believe it? From another article, “while Mac shipments rose 28% to 1.61 million units, more than double the growth of the overall PC market.” Clearly, customers are “showing up” just fine.
We’re all too hard on M$. Afterall, Mossberg did say it is prettier now. Not bad for five years of work, and billions in costs. And it’s even slower now, too. Things were just getting too fast anyway.
Love how, in a review for Vista, Mossburg starts just about every sentence with “Like on the Mac…” or some equivalent. Then ends it saying the Mac does it better.
But then again, Mossburg has always been pro-Mac. And I think the “ready to leap again” comment is more of a slam on Vista’s long dev time than on the Mac playing catch-up.
From the linked article, “The familiar WordPad program can no longer open Microsoft Word files (ironically, Apple’s free built-in word processor does).”
Very few tech writers would go into such detail (and find a way to put in another positive comment about the Mac). I’d say we are lucky to have Walt Mossberg around…
“It’s unfortunate that Mossberg falls into this trap. Mac OS X Tiger is already ahead of Vista – as many reviewers have already pointed out (see related articles below).”
Yeah, you guys are missing the point of the writing – he meant that in 01 OS X was ahead of Xp and is still ahead of Vista and now, they’re going even farther ahead with Leopard.
Do you guys really think everyone is out to get you? I love my Apple stuff, but I can clearly see how so many people can think Apple owners are snobs and stuck up pricks. Let’s not give us all a bad name people, calm down.
From Doug Kass column:
“What about Apple’s MacIntosh success?” was a common refrain. What about MacIntosh? Units only rose by 28% year over year (1.6 million units vs. Street chatter of 1.8 million-plus), with most expecting 35% to 45% growth! (Goldman Sachs’ model was for 37.4% growth.)
So clearly, apple missed in this regard.
They should show a mac commercial where Mac is asking whether PC was ready for the next commercial when PC is being beset by dozens of children or midgets dressed up as malware ‘bugs’ swarming over him. Have Mac showing alarm and concern and stating that PC must have trouble doing work while dealing with all the bugs.
Cut to the next scene where PC is now dressed up in a suit of armor, unable to move, surrounded by the bugs. The Mac can point out that it STILL must be hard for PC to do anything since he has to wear a suit of armor.
PC apologies for not being able to participate in the commercial, and the Mac replies that it’s okay, but he’s going to get back to work instead of messing with bugs.
WordPad can no longer open MS Word files? What is its purpose then?
Icons of folders look three dimensional, and they pop.
What does he mean that Vista’s icons “pop”?
The old hourglass icon that appeared during delays has been replaced by a gleaming, spinning blue circle.
Is this like the Mac’s spinning beachball? (Gee, Microsoft really copied a lot from OS X, even down to the details.)
Hello Mr. Mossberg-
Just want to say, good advise on Windows Vista (on CNBC).
I will try to follow up with you on the Net.
Thanks.
An obvious perceptual error, Tiger is five laps ahead of Vista, and Leopard will be lapping both Vista AND Tiger. So although it looks like Leopard is coming from behind, if you watch the whole race you can see its actually six laps ahead.
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It’s about time someone refereed to Apple’s TextEdit as a word processor!
With fonts, font sizes, rulers, spell checking, justifying, Styles, ability to read simple and save as word doc’s, even speech, it qualifies as a simple word processor.
I use it for 98% of my writing because it is fast, fast, fast.
don’t be such a turd, general commentator. mossberg validated that features which Vista will be getting, have been in place since 2001 or evolving since then. leopard will in fact leapfrog vista’s os x imitation when it is released, duh. don’t b!tch for the sake of b!tching. :\
The Macdailynews Take confuses “leap ahead” with “leap frog.”
It get tiresome to continually read all the knee-jerk whining about every perceived slight, no matter how insignificant.
Why MDN would ever criticise a mac freind like WM, I’ll never understand. (David Poque, too.
Paranoi?)
John
Vista isn’t a five year old OS. It’s based on the Windows 2000 Professional core which in turn was built upon Windows NT (1993)
XP also follows this lineage.
See: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/WinHistoryProGraphic.mspx
It’s a revamp of a 14 year old OS!!
Apple wrote OSX from scratch.
“But unlike the Mac version, the Vista version of this permission feature doesn’t necessarily require you to type in a password, so a stranger or a child using your PC could grant permission for something you yourself might not allow.”
Got a question, in VBA (I use it on my work PC) you can add one line that basically acts as if you hit every Ok button that pops up. Since you don’t have to put in a password, I wonder if someone mal-spy-adware person will add a similar line that automatically hits the multitude of windows questions, which would then allow them to delete everything or add programs just as if the popup never happened? Cause then what good is it?
MW=part (I want no part in Vista)
Link to Mossgerg video: http://tinyurl.com/2psmt6
“The old hourglass icon that appeared during delays has been replaced by a gleaming, spinning blue circle.”
No there’s an ORIGINAL idea. <sarcasm>
Peace.
Oops… should be “Now” not “No”.
> So clearly, apple missed in this regard.
Apple missing the projections of analysts has nothing to do with Apple gaining momentum in marketshare. If Apple’s year-over-year growth in Mac unit sales is more than double the industry average, then Apple is CLEARLY improving in this regard, not standing still or going down.
Vista could have done some “damage” if it was released to consumers during the December quarter, and not delayed to the end of January. But I’m sure Steve Jobs is planning a big release “show” for Leopard (with new Macs and iLife/iWork) which will overshadow the release of Vista to consumers.