“There is no question in my mind that the Mac OS already beats Windows Vista, and Leopard will widen the gap. It already incorporates 3-D graphics to make a better user interface. Leopard’s desktop interface is easier to use,” Dean Takahashi reports for The San Jose Mercury News.
“Leopard is simpler than Windows Vista because it’s a single operating system with just one version that sells for $129. Microsoft has subdivided its operating system into cheaper or more expensive versions with different features available. Leopard can handle 64-bit applications just as easily as it can handle 32-bit applications, while Microsoft’s operating system again uses different versions,” Takahashi reports.
MacDailyNews Note: Related article: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is 64-bit done right, unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista kludge – August 14, 2006
Takahashi continues, “The Mac outperform’s Vista’s ‘gadgets’ feature with an enhancement to ‘widgets.’ With this, you can go to any Web site, highlight a feature of something that changes, and build that into the ‘dashboard’ of the Mac. So you can see sports scores for your favorite team just by pressing a key that brings up the dashboard feature. The ability to personalize this looks like it gives the Mac the leg up.”
“Another cool feature is ‘core animation,’ which allows you to automatically animate things. Jobs showed off this feature by demonstrating a program that allowed him to search through hundreds of videos using standard search terms. If you type “fish,” it will find all of the videos with fish in them. Beyond these cool things, there are enhancements to the way the Mac handles chatting, automatic backups, running Windows and keeping multiple environments for doing different kinds of tasks open at the same time,” Takahashi reports.
“I think these features are great. But I don’t know if they’re going to make a difference to the vast majority of users. Will people pay more for Macs? Vista has some stability problems that are still being worked out. But by and large it works. It’s like the difference between a Ford and a BMW. You know which one does the job better, but which one is good enough?” Takahashi wonders.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Most people spend hours and hours with a personal computer each day. Why would anyone settle for inferior when you can have superior – often getting much more for a similar or even better price?
It’s not like a Ford vs. a BMW anymore because there generally isn’t the price premium for a Mac anymore. I hope this writer learns that before he writes another article.
Magic Word: Cost. ?!?!?!!1111!!
Expose alone is worth it to switch to Mac. My efficiency and productivity has increased so much because of it. I set my top-left corner of my screen as an Expose hotspot so that I can switch between apps with just a flick of the mouse.
He is right, most people will stick with what they now.
My friend, bought a Dell 1501 with XP because it works for her.
It works, even with all the spyware, virus’ scans etc. She will not change. People will not look at what serves them best but rather will they get people on their case…. “cheaper to buy a pc, not a mac”
Social conformity.
I don’t believe that this is really a Merc article. It doesn’t say “Options Backdating Scandal” even once.
People are waking up!, they are smelling the coffee, will they drink the coffee? who knows…. I am a tea drinker….. I don’t consider myself to be Gnu…. I will not run into the jaws of a Crocodile or Lion or Leopard! simply because all the other Gnu’s are doing so!
The other day, I saw a couple of Gnu’s hanging up a tree, dead as a Dodo! The leopard had got them and stashed them away from other predators even Vultures to feast on later.
Long live Leopards! long live Gnu’s in oder to feed the Leopards!!!:-)
Sorry about the spellings! Been away fromn this site for a couple of days!
@Shane
I too, love expose, question is, will spaces work with expose, or os it a replacement ??
Will 64bit Leopard work on older PowerPC G4 Macs?
Great take. I can’t always afford premium products, but when it comes to production, my ability to work, and having a pleasing experience for most of my day, I have no problems spending X or Y on a Mac, iPhone, iPod, etc…
I’ve often gotten PCs for free to do development work or as part of a sponsorship deal. I’ve always had to buy a Mac. So while people debate which one is cheaper, *for me* the price difference has always been 100% and totally worth every penny.
This is even more true now that I consume most of my media through my Mac as well. When the iPhone comes out, I’ll be pretty much using Apple products 24/7
Microsoft is becoming a bit like the old Soviet Union…patching things up and pretending everything is at least as good as things in the West.
And we all know how that ended…
I am Mac/PC user and I think all you kids need to grow up…
“my OS is better than yours!”
geez what next?
Vista is as good as Leopard, deal with it. Most Mac users exume just the kind of idiocy seen here, and that is why I use computers, not gloat about them… get a life!
Watching the Leopard demonstration, I couldn’t help thinking, “Now how am I going to get that to work on my old 1Ghz TiBook?” There’s so much eye candy, it makes my teeth hurt. But, how well will that work on existing hardware is another issue.
I was really hoping for more bug fixes and speed enhancements. I’ve had problems using the voice feature of iChat ever since I upgraded to Tiger. Now they’ve got more video gimmicks on iChat than ever before. It’s sad to see.
I won’t be upgrading my hardware anytime soon, so you guys tell he how great it is, won’t you?
Vista is as good as Leopard Paul Custodio how much does Microsoft pay you to astroturf?
Don’t know about Paul, but I’m paid 2 dollars an hour to write pro-Microsoft comments, but hopefully I’ll get a raise soon……
SERIOUSLY: WHAT KIND OF STUPID QUESTION IS THAT??!!
Suggestion: Why don’t we discuss real issues instead of all this mudslinging?
Maickwan,
The point is that there is no 64-bit Leopard and 32-bit Leopard. It is just Leopard. If you run a 64-bit app on a 64-bit capable computer it will run in 64-bit. Apps are compiled or should be compiled 4-way: 32-bit PPC, 64-bit PPC, 32-bit Intel and 64-bit Intel. If they aren’t, they will only run in the architecture they were compiled for. If a machine isn’t 64-bit capable, then you can only run 32-bit versions of apps on it.
Will people pay more for Macs? No because you don’t have to anymore. Put the same features in a comparable PC and you pay the same or more for that PC without OSX, iTunes,iMovie,iDVD,Garageband,mail, addressbook software ready to use. PC you get crapware with popups asking you to buy this and buy that. No software included that actually works or does anything worth while for you. So the myth that Macs cost more is a real joke these days. Oh and one more thing, Macs can also do Windows and linux.
Um… Core Animation is a developer feature. It doesn’t help you find fish videos.
Apple might rule in the future. Just for example Mac Pro is the best they offer right now iam impressed by the specs it offers. Its worth it the $2499 tag. If someone say Mac Pro is overpriced its a Myth of past and there wrong.
Does it really matter, summed up, some people are smart, some are stupid. Are the smart ones stupid, trying to convince stupid people to be smart?
Making comparisons between OS X and Vista like: A Pinto and a Ferrari, or a Jaguar and a Nova, or an Apple and and Orange are just way off base.
The proper comparison is between a Rolex and a FAKE Rolex. They look exactly alike to the layman and for the most part function in a similar way. They both tell time. But if you take them to a watch repair person, they will let you know in a hurry that one is valuable while the other one is worthless.
Same with OS X and Vista. Say what you will, but OS X is better built Vista is a shoddy knock off.
MDN: “Most people spend hours and hours with a personal computer each day. Why would anyone settle for inferior when you can have superior…?”
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
The problem is — those Mac-PC ads. You know who loves them? Mac users love them.
An advertisement, that convinces only the converted, is useless.
The ads may be funny, but they’re useless, if assessed solely on their ability to convince PC users to buy Macs.
Ask any PC user whether the ads even tells, let alone convince, them that they need to seriously consider a Mac. On that point, the ads fail.
The whole WWDC reeked of a back-slapping exercise among the converted. They have no idea how PC users view Apple — as a non-event.
Apple’s marketers need to get real, and get back to basics, and make sure they get the message across about why it wil benefit a PC user to switch to Mac.
I asked some of my PC friends for feedback on the Mac ads. They find them funny, but the consensus was they are still none the wiser why they should switch.
What about some no-frills ads that actually SELL Macs.
For all the Mac-talk about increasing market share, it was only a few imperceptible percentage points.
Paul
From a feature perspective, I would have to live with the realisation that Vista is pretty close to Mac, and that any changes are at the preference level, rather than anything world-changing.
However, from the reliability and it-just-works factor — which is so critical for business use, where time costs money — the Mac wins, for me.
I too am a Mac-PC user.
And in conclusion…
M$ says “Gnu who who, I wanna be like you who who”
Vista is “good enough” for people who use computers a few hours a week, max. At that low level of usage, anything is “good enough”. But for people who actually spend time using computers, minor irritants add up. Former Windows users, let me hear you. The slow-motion mouse? The Start menu? The cryptic shutdown messages? The way a computer won’t shut all the way down? Screwing with the BIOS? Ugh. I remember those days and I will not go back. OS X is freedom. Windows is like having a shackle around one leg. Yes, you get used to it, but secretly in the back of your mind, you wonder if there’s anything better.