“Apple recently released its second update to OS X ‘Leopard,’ and the latest version of its shiny operating system is now numbered 10.5.2. When I reviewed Leopard two days after its initial release I called it the best operating system ever made for the vast majority of users. I think that’s even more true now that 10.5.2 fixes some of the first-release glitches that annoyed me in 10.5 and in Apple’s first, quick, bug-fix update 10.5.1,” Edward Mendelson reports for PC Magazine.
“The biggest change in Leopard is that the Stacks features finally works the way it should—with custom folder icons and an option to display a list of files,” Mendelson reports.
“I buy a computer to run programs, not an operating system, so for me the most useful operating system is the one that runs the programs I need to use. The Mac has the advantage over Windows in just about every software category except word processing and spreadsheets. Word for Windows is smoother and more powerful than Word for the Mac, and for the times I need WordPerfect, Windows has that, too. The same applies to Excel: The Windows version outclasses the latest Mac version, which loses support for Visual Basic for Applications macro. If you’re a Windows user who doesn’t care much about word-crunching or number-crunching, though, it may be time to switch,” Mendelson reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “klapka” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: It’s been time to switch for quite some time now. If you need a certain Window application, you can always slum it and run Windows on your Mac either natively or via fast virtualization. No other PC sold today offers what an Apple Mac can offer.
I work at a gigantic Fortune 500 windows-only company, and I haven’t seen a VBA macro since like 2001. Even Microsoft has discouraged the use of this (virus magnet) technology, as it’s disabled by default in Office 2003 and later. I wish reviewers would quite blathering on about “OMG Office:Mac doesn’t support Visual Basic!” as though it’s a negative. Even Microsoft barely supports that technology anymore.
Any visit to an Apple store will provide evidence that a lot of people are switching to Mac’s. Leopard was late but I bet it didn’t cost $5 billion to develop like Vista. Even MS’s new OS caled Windows 7 which is due in 2011 is getting rained on already. If Apple can keep innovating in the OS area they are going to pick up major share on MS.
I can’t say I’m head over heals for Leopard the way I was for Tiger. I guess I’ve just gotten used to things WORKING.
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Is NeoOffice a smooth and powerful enough alternative to MS Office for Windows when you need functionality not offered by iWork?
The author makes an extremely stupid statement here: “…I buy a computer to run programs, not an operating system, so for me the most useful operating system is the one that runs the programs I need to use. …”
When you buy a computer, you are buying the OS. There is no reason to purchase a Mac to run Windows. You purchase a Mac to run OS X. OS X IS the Macintosh, not the hardware. The hardware is fluff. If OS X ran supported on Sony VAIOs or DELL laptops, people who use Macintosh would suddenly have a huge variety of systems to choose from.
The silly author says, “…the most useful operating system is the one that runs the programs I need to use…”
Just about anything that runs on a Mac, outside of Apple’s great iApplications, will run on Windows. He completely misses the point.
OS X is what makes applications a pleasure to use on the Mac. OS X is what makes the computer secure. OS X is what makes the computer reliable. Again, OS X is the Macintosh.
If he cannot see that not so subtle distinction, he really shouldn’t be writing for a computer magazine.
The bottom line is he is most definitely buying the box because that’s where OS X lives.
Mark my words, eventually Apple will release OS X to run on other hardware. They may do it slowly, licensing this vendor or that vendor, but they will. When they do, that’s when Microsoft will finally get nervous and stop regarding Apple as little more than an annoying insect.
OS X is the foundation upon which Apple is currently built.
@jms1222
Yes. But the interface isn’t the best. I am looking forward to trying Lotus Symphony for Mac, or even the Aqua port of OpenOffice.org
Stories like this, and MDN’s promotion of them, are going to sink the Mac.
Please put this on the calendar so we can point back to it when the prediction becomes the reality.
Anyone notice that PC Magazine is getting thinner and thinner each month and Macworld is getting thicker? Just an observation. Obviously not much good to report on the PC side of things.
Printing has been my biggest problem with Leopard. I have clients that switched to 10.5 and have to switch back because they have large investments in Canon or Sharp or Xerox or Konico or Minolta or other large color copier/printers and the drivers for these things never keep up with the OS. When they try to print, nothing.
Same thing for lots of smaller printers. There are even issues with HP printer drivers.
Apple changed enough of the underlying print architecture to create all sorts of bug-a-boos.
is this the last chance to buy AAPL below $125… again.
Word? WORD?
A ghastly program that should never have been born – smart enough to interfere, stupid enough to slow you down.
My daughters loathe it as much as me, but have to plod on because their schools run the hideous thing.
Give me Textedit (simple) or Quark (sophisticated) anytime.
;(
Leopard was released neither early, nor late.
Leopard was released precisely when it needed to be.
Upgraded to 10.5.2 a few days ago. No real major improvements. Maybe a little quicker, but I do like being able to display stacks as a folder icon and not the annoying parade of pictures.
Although, a tiny little topless Milla Jovovich staring at me all day sure kept me working.
“Although, a tiny little topless Milla Jovovich staring at me all day sure kept me working.”
didn’t get that in my update…
I have nothing but good things to say about Leopard, just upgraded and it’s working very nicely.
The only bad thing that I can say about Leopard is the damn ugly interface.
PC user reads this story, buys a powerful Mac Pro.
Finds it more different than he thought, but cool.
Installs Photoshop Elements, uploads family photos, starts to improve the washed out complexion of aging Uncle Fred.
A beachball shows up, screen freezes, neither the mouse or keyboard is working any longer.
Calls Apple Care – they tell him to pull the plug from the surge suppressor.
Result: former PC user wonders why he got so excited, logs onto MDN to say he was lied to.
Result: bunch of other PC users considering switching conclude – why go to all the expense and trouble, sounds like the Mac ain’t much different from his Dell that he bought at half the cost of a Mac.
@theloniousMac,
I agree 100% with you about the OS. Steve Jobs even said it a few years ago at the end of a keynote – “because it’s more than the hardware, it’s more than the software, it’s the OS that is at the heart of a Mac.” Or, something to that effect.
However, I don’t think that Apple will ever license the OS. I think they see the potential nightmare it would create. Microsoft will get scared long before Apple would consider it. They’re probably scared already.
I have personally witnessed more switching in the past 3 months then in all the time I have been using Macs.
What I find more curious about switchers then anything else is how the majority of them become staunch supporters of Apple and it’s platforms.
@Typical Scenario
Why would you buy a Mac Pro for Photoshop Elements? If you did, you probably don’t have the brain power to use the Mac Pro reliably and much less configure it. Funny, I have been making my living using a Mac for more then 20 years. Sure I have had problems, but since OS X came out, I mostly work productively with no issue. I actually use Photoshop every day, not elements, but its professional big brother, with out a problem. Day in and day out.
Actually you know how we trouble shoot Windows PC output files here, we convert them to a Mac friendly format, then they work.
@Ferf Muckmeyer,
“Anyone notice that PC Magazine is getting thinner and thinner each month and Macworld is getting thicker? Just an observation. Obviously not much good to report on the PC side of things.”
I like to look at the articles listed on the covers. All of the PC mags have “How To Wipeout Viruses!” and “Trouble-shooting Vista!”. The Mac magazines have articles like “How to Get the Most Out of iLife” , “10 Amazing Things You Never Knew You Could Do With Your Mac!”, and “Ridding Yourself of Winblows For Ever!”.
Apple. It’s Just Snappy.
<< ” Result: bunch of other PC users considering switching conclude – why go to all the expense and trouble, sounds like the Mac ain’t much different from his Dell that he bought at half the cost of a Mac. ” >>
@Scenario
Don’t you and your PC boyfriends have some virus & spyware updates to download?
@ ConLib
Love the LOTR reference.
Photoshop Elements?
Do they still make that puppy?
Pro App. Geez… Is it still the dark ages— darkroom?
Where is the print paper and the gel filters?
Crap i left my fingerprint on the print again!!!?