The strange Mac vs. Windows holy war

A new OS X version was rolled out yesterday, which includes a number of security fixes. This has of course prompted the usual rash of "your OS suX0rz!!11" comments on Digg and various other places.

Before I get to my observations, let me just say that I really like Macs and OS X in particular. I switched a year ago and I've generally enjoyed using a computer more than I used to. Everything is more simple, and the OS rarely gets in the way of things I want to do (like get photos off my camera, find a network printer, connect to mysterious Wi-Fi spots, etc.). The greatest thing about OS X is that you hardly notice it. Oh, and I do love the hardware too. It's pretty and functional.

Then I go to work and deal with the constant disk churning I can't explain, reboots every couple of days, etc. I tend to wonder why it is my Web server just runs and runs, but I suppose that makes sense since all it has to do is run the same half-dozen processes all day. A personal computer has a lot more to do, opening and closing stuff.

The security update in OS X 10.4.9 covers a lot of really obscure stuff, much of it requiring you to have access to the computer. There are a few items I'd say would concern me, namely the disk image stuff and GIF previewing, but most of it wouldn't even be on the radar of things that I'd worry about.

But for a moment, let's talk about what "security" is. To me, being secure means nothing is going to happen to me. If I'm locked in my downtown apartment, I feel pretty secure. If I'm locked in my farm house in the middle of nowhere, I'm even more secure because there are a lot fewer things that can harm me. Critics will argue that part of the reason OS X has no viruses or spyware is because it's used by a small (although growing 30% year-over-year) share of the market. I don't deny that, but by my definition, that still makes me more secure.

Generally speaking, I feel that OS X is less vulnerable because you need to take deliberate action to install something. Nothing goes without my password. And it's not annoying like the "confirm or deny" feature of Vista that is inevitably going to get shut off. It's more annoying than "training" Zone Alarm back in the day when you first install it.

Where I think Windows really got it wrong was that Microsoft never had the nuts to just start over, because of compatibility concerns. Having used OS 9 back in the day, it had a good interface but the mess of "extensions" and other crap made it a dog too. Starting over did wonders for the new operating system. Vista is still trying to nurse ancient software that most people will never use. I don't know if all that bulk is what makes Windows crawl at times, but I'm sure it doesn't help. I know that compatibility is certainly a concern you can't ignore, but when I look at how relatively lightweight the .NET Framework is, and how you can write software against it, the Win32 world seems like a huge wasteland of bloat.

People are nuts for the Mac because it mostly delivers on the promises made by Steve's version of reality. It's certainly not perfect, but in the last year, the only thing I can remember encountering that frustrated me was that the wired LAN wouldn't take priority when I shut off the wireless. I can rattle off two or three things about Windows in just the last week that have annoyed me.

I don't know what makes an OS "better" than another, but for my money, it all has to do with how little I notice it.

17 Comments

  • Jeff, great writerup. I should point out, however, that Microsoft DID start over to a large degree when they wrote the NT kernel. It took the better part of a decade to get the consumer version of Windows off the 9X kernel, because of (among other things) compatibility issues.

  • You need to take into account the fact that Vista is required to support a bazillion different hardware/software configurations. The Mac. only supports their software, a few 3rd party apps that they sign off on and ONLY THEIR HARDWARE. This makes a huge difference when it comes to how the OS runs and what is required to support. Now only so, the Mac. OS does not have anything remotely close to the .NET framework or application support or low-level development support or addin programming support.

  • I think that's largely a cop out. The issues I have with Windows are not hardware related unless I'm playing games and there are driver issues.

    And come on, the tools for developing on a Mac are adequate. Nothing quite like Visual Studio, I admit, but the tools are there.

  • I guess I really don't understand why people keep slagging on the security of Windows. I haven't ever had a virus or worm impact my home systems, and the last time we had a worm or anything of it's like impact systems at work was SQL Slammer.

    Why? Better patch processes mainly.

    I guess if you don't want Mac slagged upon, don't bash Windows. That's the lesson here.

    I don't have any problems with my Windows machines, and can't think of any annoyances from the OS which prevent me from doing my job. Windows just works, that's why i like it.

  • I guess you're just more fortunate than I am. I'm always fighting Windows.

  • Windows has evolved a lot from 98 to XP. I think I have never seen a Blue screen on windows XP, and I only have to reboot when I install some software that requires it.
    I am not going to talk about Windows Vista, because I am not crazy to install something from Microsoft before it releases a service pack.

  • they are talking about you here

    http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=44091&cid=4592270

  • Yes, the old "you don't know how to use your computer" thing is always a really solid argument. :rolls eyes"

  • I don't care about the hardware or software. The competition is good, but not to the point of making one that much better than the other.

    The thing that I think is the most annoying to me is that Mac people think they're so great for owning a Mac and always need to tell people. It just seems a bit pretentious to me. I know sometimes Windows people can be like that, but Apple built a whole marketing campaign that encourages this.

  • Perhaps, but once I switched, I felt it wasn't hype.

  • Brian Clubb mentioned that it annoys him that "Mac people think they're so great for owning a Mac and always need to tell people" It's not pretentiousness, Brian. Sometimes it's a "Wow, this is so cool, I have to tell everyone about it" kind of a thing, and other times, it's a "Hey, if you did things this way, it would be easier and more fun" kind of a thing. Mac folks like to share and help each other, so that spills over into conversations with non-Mac users sometimes.

    Personally, I think the problem with Mac Vs PC arguments (and the trolls that have them), is that far more Mac people have used Windows than Windows people have used OS X. The Windows people are arguing from a position of ignorance, and the Mac people can't understand why the Windows people are so obstinate and insulting to them. I've been called many names on the interweb, by people who know nothing about me, merely because of my preferred computing platform. That's why Mac people seem so sensitive. Windows folks tend to be awful quick with the insults (in my experience).

    Anyway, thanks for the article. Speaking as a cross-platform-but-Mac-preferring guy, I'm glad you "get it"!

  • RE: A different Jeff (above) - you hit the nail right on the head. As a Mac owner/user, I have used Windows since 3.1 but converted to Mac OS when I had to purchase a Power Book G4 while a student at Columbia (a mostly Mac oriented Psych research lab). Since then, I purchased a Power Mac G5 and now a Mac Pro, and before then used a 23" Apple Cinema Display on a Windows system I custom built on a Lian-Li Aluminum tower. While I do run Windows Vista on another drive on my Mac Pro (for AutoCAD work), I do admit both OS's have pro's and con's, but the Windows/PC users get extremely aggressive and defensive when discussing the differences, making any debate virtually impossible and unfriendly. It's a shame, as it isn't a "personal" issue, but I don't understand the [extreme] sensitivity.

  • One of the key things that Windows supporters say in these discussions is 1. Game and 2. a 83% market share.
    1. Game, windows wins hands down.
    2. 83% market share, well how many of that 83% have ever "extensively" used any other OS? I think of the 83% about 15% of those people have used other operating systems and therefore are actually choosing to use windows the other 62% are practically having windows forced onto them.
    Part of a monopoly is barriers to entry and i feel that this is a perfect example to it. People are just not using any other operating system because they cant get hold of it and from what i have found out by asking friends it seems to be that even if they have used it they come to the conclusion of "its different to what i am used to... don't like it... back to my PC" and thats it, they have made a huge conclusion. Computers are a huge part of a lot of peoples lives and i feel sorry for the 62% of people that are almost having windows forced on them as they are missing out.
    Other things that PC users don't realize is how much their computing lives have been changed by mac. The mouse was invented by mac along with graphical user interfaces (although they did exist to a certain extent on games consoles).

  • ""Now only so, the Mac. OS does not have anything remotely close to the .NET framework or application support or low-level development support or addin programming support.""

    MAC Framework = COCOA
    MAC Developement Environment - Xcode / Objective-C the equivalent to Micro$oft Visual Studio..... oh yeah and ITS INCLUDED WITH OSX!

  • All I can say is that I was a windows user for around 8 years and was utterly convinced that daily - or at least weekly computer problems were an unavoidable fact of life, along with regular complete re-installs of the operating system merely to keep my machines up to speed - or working at all .

    I switched to Mac for the simple reason that I wanted to be able to use Final Cut Pro for video editing. I was not really convinced that there was going to be a significant difference between the systems in terms of stability or ease of use.

    3 years later and I am still using the second hand G5 that I purchased and have not had to look 'under the bonnet' once. I've had a few minor and easily resolvable software issues, the machine has hung a few times - usually when I'm attempting to run 10 intensive apps at once, so my fault really - and not one single virus - the machine actually appears to have an immune system!! Take it from me, I am not a light or cautious computer user. The machine just appears to keep working as efficiently as the day I acquired it. I am surprised and also a convert. The windows machines in my house have been completely neglected for at least a year and a half.

    There are some things I prefer about windows - particularly the fact that it will ask you where to put files - rather than deciding for itself - an annoying Mac habit that takes some time to get used to. The only real advantage of a windows machine though, is that you tend to become a bit of a computer expert due to the simple fact that you are spending around a third of your time trying to fix the damn things, rather than doing the work that you brought them for. In this respect Windows users might justifiably retort that Mac's are for girls who don't want to soil their hands with engine oil or break their nails on flailing fan belts (to extend the bonnet metaphor) - But I don't want, nor have I got time to be a mechanic - I just want to be able to drive my car - IE - Edit video !!!

  • Windows beats mac in all categories except for the fact that it gets less viruses because hackers make less viruses made for macs. The windows computers have more games and programs and have better overall preformance. Macs are simple and aren't very customizable and are made for less experienced computer people.

  • Yeah, that's a really great and qualified set of statements.

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