If I were a Windows fan just now, I would be pissed.
Inconsolably, irrevocably, undeniably pissed... because this long wait for the new "Windows Vista" with delay after delay after delay was so totally not worth it. I finally got to take a look, and it's just. Not. Worth. It.
You could so easily dismiss my criticism as "tainted" because I am a self-admitted Mac-Whore, but the simple fact is that I WANT Windows to be good. I NEED Windows to be good. For one thing, if Windows is some hot shit, Apple has to work harder and push the envelope faster to keep the Mac OS ahead of the game. For another, I have to actually use Windows from time to time, and would like for it to be a good experience. Nothing would make me happier than to finally be raving about Windows.
But, alas, Apple has nothing to worry about. The Windows experience still sucks ass...
I am still trying to figure out what's so radically different in Vista. Sure they tried to make it LOOK more like a Mac than ever before (wheeee! frosty transparent windows!!)... and some processes are more "Mac-like"... but, for the most part, it's just more of the same. Even worse, neither of my two Windows machines (including one that's only a year old!) even supports the new OS fully, so I would have to go out and spend thousands of dollars in order to get a worse experience than my six-year-old Mac G4 Cube? WTF?!?
It still amazes me that people continue to claim that Macs are too expensive. From where I'm sitting, they are the best computer value on the planet... my little $700 Mac Mini is a superior computer experience RIGHT NOW (and does more out of the box) than a Vista machine costing twice as much eventually will. And then we have the NEXT version of OS X ("Leopard" v10.5) dropping soon... perhaps even before Vista ships (if it ever ships)... and heaven only knows what cool stuff is in store for Mac users then.
I may be a Mac whore but I am not a Mac idiot. My loyalty to Apple has been well-earned, but I am all about "the now" and maintain that if Microsoft were to ever release a superior OS, I would have no problem... no problem at all... dumping the Mac and switching to Windows (and the new Intel Macs make this possible at any time).
But Vista ain't going to do it.
Vista doesn't even come close.
Given my complete lack of Windows enthusiasm, I am too bored to write up any kind of review. A quick Google search reveals an article at ComputerWorld that does a better job than I could anyway.
How true. The only "negative" thing about Apple right now is that I need a new computer but working mainly in Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign an Intelmachine will kind of have to wait due to the Rosettaemulation and getting a G5 now seems stupid with all that´s in the pipe.
If Windows would start from scratch it would be understandable with the delays but it seems like it´s all about patchwork this time around again.
Hooray *bring on the flamewar*
The thing is... the Mac OS is far from perfect.
I loathe the Mac "search" functionality, and consider "Spotlight" to be a partially-realized, broken technology. There are GUI inconsistencies that drive me insane. Parts of the windowing interface still feel sluggish. There are many places where Apple should be improving things, but haven't (yet).
Given all this, Microsoft could have really made an impression on me with Vista, but completely failed to do so.
I too need a new "power" machine for AI and PS work, but am holding off on buying a G5 in anticipation of Apple filling out their desktop lineup with Intel Duo-Core.
About all I do know at this point is that I won't be switching to a Vista PC. :-)
Dave - I get your point about Apples not being as expensive as everyone thinks - I'll be spending about £800 on my Macbook when I get it, which isn't too bad for a laptop. Unfortunately people see how much Dell can charge for a PC and then wonder why Macs are more expensive.
Im lucky enough to be able to do everything I need on my mac. I wanna get a black macbook soon.
When vista eventually ships, will there be an Ask Dave 'gadget'? Ask Dave is definatly the most useful widget out there, AND it introduced me to your site. So yeah, a bit belated, but thanks for the Ask Dave Widget!
Posted by dave on June 09, 2006 | Reply
I have been working on Windows PCs for 20 years and consider myself a PC enthusiast, so I was waiting for Vista like may others. Last monday I started a job using a G5 and OS X Tiger, and I just know what my life has been missing.
I can care less for Vista now, i'd rather find out if I can run the CS2 suite on a MacBook :D
Posted by Jens on June 09, 2006 | Reply
LOL. Always the same things.
First off don't get me wrong, I surely am no Windows defender, but analyze what I get and what it does, and the general situation.
Besides that I will soon also switch, but not before Leopord is released and Adobe has made CS3. Why swap if my expensive software doesn't work? To become a BootCamp freak running Windows ?
Anyways. The big difference between Windows and Mac, also biggest reason for problems, is the deonthology.
Mac dreams and then they try to make it happen. Most of time this work pretty well.
Windows tries to stuff as much as possible in that OS and opens it to everyone. SDKs are available for every sh*t developer who thinks being able to build a driver, even without going through the WHQL verification (yes this MS test is expensive but certified drivers do work).
Don't you think if MS would sell boxes the way Apple does (one central and limited number of hardware changes possible) the platform would be a lot more stable? Or if MS would build every hardware driver.
Will MacOSX with his growing popularity be more secure as Windows is now. I'ld like to see the same amount of people try to hack MacOSX as do hack Windows. That day I'll make a final judgement on both.
My question to you : how long will it take me to be able to play with a MacOSX registry the way I do with Windows? Are there as many tweak possibilities as in Windows aso? I am surely bored of digging into the registry, but the person who knows Windows has a very powerfull weapon, control and actually even a stable system. Very customizable even. Does MacOSX the same or is everything closed?
Sorry for the long comment [sic]
Having now switched 100% to mac... well 100% mac hardware but I still have to boot camp into XP for some work related stuff (and games), I'm rubbing my hands with glee at the disaster that is vista. I tried a slightly pre-beta2 build of vista a while ago and hated every minute, the only thing that impressed me was some of the window transitions, they fade so lovely onto the screen. But, what a horrible mess the menu organization is, you end up spending ages hunting for features that should just be obvious.
I started downloading the free public beta yesterday and then cancelled it thinking to myself "actually, what is the point?"
Posted by MRKisThatKid on June 09, 2006 | Reply
So, for those of us who have our entire lives invested in Windows apps and data, how big of a challenge would it be to convert over to a Mac? Or has it become transparent enough now that I can literally install and run all my Quicken, Office and Photo software on a Mac as is? Please shed some light on this if you will.
I gave up on windows when i got my first iBook. I had been looking to replace windows since 95. But because I was a cheep bastard I just never went right into the mac world. So instead, I kept messing around with Linux and the *nix types.
I do keep a windows box around. But it is never on and I dont miss it at all.
Posted by Anonymous on June 09, 2006 | Reply
I'm happy with my Windows XP Pro, which has been customized to my liking to remove some parts, tolerate others, and add third-party applications that mean it runs pretty bug free.
I can keep my computer running for weeks without requiring a reboot, so I think I'll take my sweet time before moving over to Vista when that becomes available to the public.
They should have a "Wife Swap" type TV show where Mac execs and Microsoft execs switch jobs for one year and see what they can develope with the different corporate attitudes. I think both of the outcomes would be amazing.
Alas, until Mac can become mainstream enough to play all the latest games upon their release, and have the hardware support of the graphics needed to run them at the high-end, I will be on Windows.
Do I see any Macs with AMD fx-60 cpus and nvidia 7900GTXs in SLI? Sorry pal, Windows owns the gaming market.
Posted by James D. on June 09, 2006 | Reply
Alice... I've been straddling two platforms for years. It's unfortunately, but Windows has a virtual monopoly on computing, which makes it difficult to ignore entirely. I try my best though! :-)
Erin... I like those computers too! Though they do overstate and oversimplify things a bit. :-)
Neil... If you are talking bottom-line dollars, then sure Macs are probably going to be more expensive. But in a straight-up VALUE comparison, I believe that Macs totally trounce the Windows competition. On top of that, it's a better user experience as well... AND is available right now!
Dave... If it is not too difficult to convert the AskDave widget to Windows new widget spec, I'll probably do it. Too many of my friends are stuck using Windows, and I'd like to share the love if I can! :-)
Jens... CS2 runs fine on the MacBook, but under Intel emulation because it's not a Universal App yet. I've run CS2 on my Mac Mini Intel and it works just fine... much faster than my G4 machines, but probably a little less faster than the G5. At least until the CS3 product comes out and (hopefully) is Universal!
Göran... I want a new MacBook seriously bad, even though it doesn't have the abilities of the MacBook Pro that I probably need. It just looks SO much nicer, and I really like the keyboard (which took me by surprise).
Franky... MacOS X sits on top of "Darwin" which is an open-source remake of BSD Unix (or so I read). I'd imagine that this means the underlaying structure can be changed as you wish. The Windows Registry is something I rarely use, and so I can't say whether or not the Mac has the same kind of functionality. I'd imagine you could probably hack it to be what you like... but would it be as easy? I have no clue. Still, the things I want changed in the MacOS wouldn't be registry-related elements (if there were such a thing), so I'm probably not the best to comment? :-)
MRK... The interesting bit will be to see when Apple transitions to an entirely scaleable interface. Heaven only knows what beautiful things will be a part of that!! I agree that the window transitions and effects are lovely, and would probably claim to like them better than Mac's borderless windows if pressed!
Jeff... Well, since newer Macs are Intel based and can run your Windows as well, it's not so much an issue anymore. For those people I have helped to switch, we just go program by program to find the Mac equivalents and then transition that way. For the most part, it hasn't been a problem. There aren't as many CHOICES on the Mac, but the fewer options seem to be BETTER than their Windows counterparts. Still, having to re-buy all new software is not going to be a cheap prospect (though the Mac comes with a bunch of great software out of the box that can do quite a lot!).
Anonymous... I am practically the same, though there are accounting functions that force me to fire up my Windows box at least once a month. When the new Mac Pro machines come out, maybe I'll finally consolidate and have just one machine... but the thought of sullying my Mac with Windows makes me wince a little bit! :-)
Kevin... Leopard will HAVE to be Universal. There is no way Apple could abandon the millions of PowerPC Mac users out there or else blood would be running in the streets! I do know that Intel Macs cannot run the "Classic" (OS 9) environment, but I haven't used Classic in five years.
Avitable... Windows will always have a place, because it's simply too ingrained and too important to leave behind completely. Even more important: I think people should have a choice as to what works best for them. Gamers, obviously, are going to stick with Windows completely. What sucks for Windows users is that they have been waiting for a long, long time for something that isn't as big a leap as they deserve. Kind of embarrassing for Microsoft, actually.
Pookalu... Leopard is debuting at the Mac Developer Conference in August, but won't be available for sale until next year... or late this year at the latest. It would be cool if we could have it for Christmas though... wouldn't it? :-)
Bre... With the right mouse, you too can right-click on the Mac! :-D
James... Oh absolutely... if you are a hard-core PC gamer, them the Mac is not for you. As for me, I play my games on my Xbox and Nintendo so that I can have a computer that is best for computer things (and that would be a Mac... for me anyway!).
Chanakin... No, they are that GREEDY. From what I can tell, Vista is mostly about better security... something Microsoft should be providing to users for FREE. But by releasing a new version, they get to haul in some cash. The new "look" is just gravy.
SJ... Never-mind the fact that you will need a new expensive computer to even use it properly anyway. :-(
Eve... I sincerely doubt that very many companies will be rushing to upgrade considering most machines out there now can't even take advantage of all Vista's features! Neither of my Windows machines can display "glass" windows, and the laptop is less than a year old!!
Oh. My. God. I cannot believe someone is trying to defend the Windows registry. I hate that thing.
Seriously, having applications store their settings in the 'Documents and Settings' folder is much better - that way registry damage doesn't kill the machine.
OS X has the open source SQLite database system built-in to it for managing program settings, which is awesome - it's an open file format so that other programs can access them, and native OS X apps put their preferences in a uniform place.
Mac OS X has been the leader in just about every aspect for years.
Ever heard the phrase, "Let them hang themselves?" Apple did that with Microsoft Vista... and I love it.
Boot Camp was genius... go ahead and load Windows onto your Mac... and then realize how much you love the Mac side and dread going over to the "dark" side. Brilliant. :-)
Posted by Brian M. on February 27, 2007 | Reply
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