With such a radical departure from the Windows format we've all used for the last 17-odd years since Windows 95 was launched, we thought it was time to take stock and see how Windows 8, reviewed, compares with Apple's Macintosh operating system - OS X Mountain Lion, also reviewed - and find out whether it's time to switch. See also: Windows 8 Advisor
Windows 8 vs OS X
In releasing Windows 8, Microsoft has taken a huge step towards a unified operating system experience across PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Where once small icons and start menus populated the Windows desktop, the simplified Modern user interface, replete with live tiles and controlled with touch gestures, is proving an unfamiliar and often confusing new landscape.
Improvements behind the scenes are noticeable, but redesigning the way that users interact with their machines was always going to be a difficult proposition. Don't forget, though, that the traditional desktop remains, albeit without a start menu.
Response to Windows 8 has been mixed. Microsoft claims to have sold sixty million copies which, if true, is a healthy figure. However, there has also been a lot of negative press about the frustrating learning curve that Windows 8's new interface requires and other reports of customers (particularly businesses) exercising their downgrade rights and switching to Windows 7 when buying new PCs. See also: How to uninstall Windows 8
One of the problems Windows 8 has faced is being a touch-based OS often running on machines with only a keyboard and mouse for input. It's certainly possible to use the Modern UI with a keyboard and mouse, but it can take more clicks to accomplish a task in Windows 8 than in previous versions.
We’re now seeing PCs manufactured specifically with the Modern UI in mind, featuring touch-screens, gesture-supporting touchpads, and even some unusual designs that enable laptops to transform into tablets. Finally, it's possible to experience Windows 8 as Microsoft intended.
Since it isn't possible to run older applications in the Modern UI, Microsoft has had no choice but to retain the traditional desktop environment, making Windows 8 an operating system of two halves. In this feature we're going to compare both sides of Windows 8 against Mountain Lion.
In order to make this more manageable, we're comparing the two operating systems as they arrive out of the box, with no third-party browsers, email clients, photo managers, or anything else installed. To evaluate Windows 8, we used a Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 - a 13in ultraportable laptop whose screen folds back 360 degrees so it can also be used as a tablet - and for OS X, we sourced a 13in Macbook Air.
We'll look at every facet from the obvious interface design to the bundled apps, security, file sharing and more.
Windows 8 has been out in the wild for five months now, had its preliminary patches applied, and seen the introductory £15 upgrade offer consigned to history. Now things get serious: so it’s Microsoft vs Apple, Windows 8 vs OS X Mountain Lion. Read on to find out how two different design concepts stand up to the mundane reality of everyday computing.
Next page: Window 8 vs Mac OS X - Interface Design
Comments
Baz said: I recently purchased a 2011 iMac with full version of Adobe Creative Suite 5 for 750 which is a steal and it looks great OS X is complicated to use and while Ill eventually get used to it it is nowhere near as simple to use as Windows I even had to look on the internet to find out how to get a for use in Twitter for gods sake as it isnt even on the keyboard More surprisingly though was the software or lack of it I cant believe how much more choice you have on a Windows PC in comparison and shows how little Macs sell in comparison to their Windows brethren Is it any wonder then that more viruses exist for PCs than Macs when 90 of the worlds PCs are Windowsjustsayin
Designerd said: I find Unix based systems to be more solid than Windows be it an OS-X or Linux machine I have run many different Linux distros and find Arch to be my favorite simply because it is well documented and by the time you get a GUI up and running with all your hardware enabled you will have a good understanding of how your Linux system works I currently use OS-X for day-to-day productivity but remain hopeful that open-source software and operating systems will continue to become more mainstream in the future Let it be noted just because I use OS-X does not mean it is my favorite OS It is likely that I will never love any software that is not open-source sorry Adobe yes I said it Unfortunately gaming seems to be one major reason so many people are willing to swear by a sub-par resource-hungry bloated OS just my opinion To sum it up I have run every Windows OS since 98 and all OS-X versions since Panther as well as Fedora Red Hat Debian Ubuntu and Arch Linux Having experienced all of these I prefer Arch again just my opinion My reasoning is simple I feel in total control of my system and build it the way I want it built Admittedly Arch has a learning curve and needs to become more widely adopted but it is VERY well documented
Matt Egan said: That may be the case but our journalists are paid to remain independent and objective I cannot stress that enough
alex said: i want to throw a dictionary at you
Oh Cheers said: Hey - if I was a journalist I would MUCH rather be bribed with a free MacBook as opposed to a free cheap plasticky generic x86 unit which will break in 18 months
Oh Cheers said: I find edge snapping unnecessary and annoying fixing a non-existent problem so i was pleased when I figured out how to switch it off in Win7 Comparing click counts to open new tabs seems trivial when on both OS you can use ctrl-T or cmd-T on the keyboard
Oh Cheers said: The advantage to Spotlight is that everything is indexed in advance and the har drive is journalled so searches across the entire drive are instantaneous whereas in Win7 search you have to wait for Windows to trawl through the drive there and then quite possibly time for a lengthy cup of teaYour comparison a 500 PC to a 1500 Mac misses a crucial point hardware build quality I guarantee you your 500 PC is flimsy plastic consumer-class rubbish designed with built-in obsolescence to break just after the warranty period ends There ARE good PCs but they tend to be same price as Mac hardware Example httpwwwamazoncomLenovo-X
Oh Cheers said: Thats a good description schizophrenic Apple on the other hand keep their OS X and iOS separate meanwhile Easily better to retain separate operating systems for separate purposes A computer is not a tablet and vice versa Why pretend theyre so similar that ONE OS will rule them all
Oh Cheers said: This is funny and weird Why waste energy hating the menus of an OS I context click in OS X and Windows everyday and both are just fine The main menus are just fine Design-wise OS X has easier-to-read but also prettier menus in both instances The modern Window taskbar borrows a lot from the OS X dock but Ive rather enjoyed Win7 overall for business productivity For creative workflows the Mac is neater and you can tell a lot more RELEVANT thinking has gone into the whole thing Apple dont often release unfinished software like the Win8 Modern UI I said NOT OFTEN we shall not talk about APPLE MAPS here lol That was because former best pals Apple and Google fell out amusingly enough
Oh Cheers said: Yeah I remember being a Mac hater some years back but I was mostly irritated by boastful Apple-owning mates who just seemed like cult members and I also couldnt be bothered to LEARN to use OS X and instead just pi55ed and moaned when my Windows biased approach left me unproductive when I got over my prejudice and was more interested in learning new ways of doing things I adapted cheerfully to OS X and now definitely prefer it to Windows I use both every day so I believe Im qualified to comment I find haters just have to hate as its an excuse for being lazy and having no interest in learning Some people dont want to evolve and are just stuck in their ways
Oh Cheers said: Funny you mention you prefer prettiness over productivity Or was it the other round It seems it must be because OS X is pretty tame these days compared to the wild world of the Win8 Modern UI
Grant Morgan said: Yup thats about how i feel about my mac
b_rye said: Its called preview pane in windows its been there for ages
FDP said: For those of you who know nothing about mac and its compatibility to windows you really have no clue A mac hard drive can be partitioned very easily so that you can run a separate OS on it such as wait for it Win 8 This is because the great minded developers of the Apple OS know that their computers are highly capable of this feat The app pre-installed for your ease of use is called Boot Camp Now granted if you are using Boot Camp you can only run one of the OSs at a time by shutting down one and opening the other however there is also a couple of mac apps that allow you to run both OSs at the same time This way you can switch between the two while using different appssoftware The only downfall is that you are now sharing your RAM and Processor to run both and the native mac OS will dominate causing the win OS to run a bit slower but if you just have to have both going you can There you have it win users So can a windows machine run a mac OS through partition No it cant to a point Actually there are a number of websites and forums that give you the process of how to do it but the problem lies with the drivers and other related items Regardless it still wont run the same as a mac computer and again there are a number of steps to do it with loads of errors unlike the ease of installing windows on a mac There you have it naysayers
TheMagicWallaby1 said: Pressing the button on the keyboard wont bring the start menu up
TroubleShooterSix said: Ive been in the computer industry since main frames For the 75 of computer users who lost all their data due to corruption viruses and updates gone wrong The OSX platform just works Little or no virus infections OS can be completely reloaded without losing any user data or liscenend programs and controlled application development makes for a user friendly environment Windows platform is an awesome platform however if I ran a business and would be devastated if infected or my OS crashed OSX is the one for me
jabroni said: A tutorial on how to navigate a mac You have to be pretty stupid if you need something so simple laid out for you And what do you mean see a mac in action Macs are in action daily by people who own them and they love them No one is stupid enough to waste their time making a tutorial for other stupid people on how to use a simple interface for an OS that has worked so well for years that it hasnt needed to change much or to make a video of themselves using a mac wtf completely pointless Please by all means post a video of you using your computer because it will be SO helpful
samp1800 said: search applications spotlightsearch settings use search bar at top right of system preferencesmove to drag and dropcopy to commandcright click copysnap 2 windows use the multitude of third party window management apps in the mac app storeand metro app cycling macs can swipe through ANY full screen app using gesturesAre you freaking blindignorant Have you even used a mac AT ALL Please KNOW what you are saying before actually saying
samp1800 said: For os xuse a program click app icon in dockjump to mail click mail icon in dock or use multitasking gestures to access email notificationsmove files around select drag and drop or select commandc commandpswitch full screen apps use 3 finger multitasking gesturefind files use spotlightchange settings click system preferences icon in dockcheck weather or other widgets use multitasking gestures to go to dashboardThink its hard its simple and doesnt use a lego designed interface Or a huge ribbon at the top of everything that has huge icons and titles of every single freaking command that the program to doThe dashboard simple and isnt glaring at you all the time and you dont have a huge ribbon ui everywhere taking up 14 of the screen You dont need a huge ugly ui for everything
clided said: I went from being a Windows IT guy at my work and switched over to Mac OS X 4 years ago and my productivity and workflow is betterSome people are slow to learn things