Windows 7 Versus Snow Leopard


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Gene Steinberg

Gene Steinberg

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So, folks if we're going to be updating this board, it might as well involve the latest and greatest versions of the Apple and Microsoft operating systems.

What say you members?

Is Windows 7 a significant upgrade that will make one forget about the stench of Vista?

Is Snow Leopard a decent update to Leopard that is nonetheless a compelling upgrade?
 
I'm impressed with Windows 7. It's the first OS MS has come out with in a LONG time that's worth looking into. More stable and having less requirements than Vista, 7 is the first OS that can legitimately compete with Mac OS. This isn't to say I'm writing off Mac OS, but Apple needs to watch this particular version of Windows, whereas they never had a concern before.

Regarding Snow Leopard; I remember a Microsoft rep being asked why Windows updates cost $100+ but Mac's latest OS release costs just $30? The MS rep replied back that the newest version of the Mac OS (Snow Leopard) wasn't a true update to the Mac OS, that it was more of a behind-the-scenes update and that MS calls those kinds of updates "service packs" which MS does not charge for. He said it pretty smuggly, but I thought, "Yeah, Microsoft CANNOT charge for their service pack updates because their OS is so buggy. If they did charge for SP updates, they'd go out of business because no one would pay for them."

With that aside, Snow Leopard is a good OS, too. It's coming down to the wire for both platforms. The competition is heating up.
 
I have used Windows 7 and do not regard it as the equivalent of Snow Leoopard.

More to the point, that Microsoft rep is lying. Apple seriously upgraded over 90% of Mac OS X's frameworks, which means most of the operating system. Hefty internal changes were made, and PowerPC code was disgorged. From a developer's standpoint, this is a serious update, even though there are few visible new features (actually about 100 "enhancements").

In fact, Windows 7 is the REAL service pack, which only packs in a few eye-candy enhancements to justify its exorbitant upgrade fee.
 
I'd have to agree with Gene on this one. I seriously doubt Snow Leopard could be passed off as a "Service Pack" mainly due to the exclusion support for the G4 or G5 & PPC code. However, on the flip side, Microsoft's Windows 7 is actually more like a Snow Leopard upgrade to Vista and in my opinion should've been priced accordingly for current Vista owners wanting to upgrade. If I remember correctly M$ dropped their price on W7 after Apple announced the pricing of Snow Leopard but not quite THAT cheap. ;)

I have one of the 1st Intel iMacs with an Intel Core Duo 32 bit, purchased way back in the spring of 2K6 and I've seen a whole slew of updates since it came with Tiger and even purchased more, iLife/iWork suites & Leopard since then including Snow Leopard. With S.L. I've seen many improvements including speed enhancement, GUI improvements and much better allocation of the Dual Core processor's power across the board due to Grand Central Dispatch. I also upgraded my MacBook which has an Intel Core 2 Duo but the old crappy Intel integrated graphics chip and its much faster with the obvious exception to anything requiring the GPU.

I will give MS two thumbs up on W7 for those that need or must run that OS but 2 thumbs down on the price structure for the Vista upgrades. Otherwise, I've heard good to great reviews, and the same from my friends that run Windows. I don't think Apple really has to worry or watch W7 because it's historically the other way around. That said both borrow from one another and M$ has done 98+% of that from Apple over the years. It's the best version of Windows yet with much improved features and yes can I say a little innovation this time around? :D

To each their own we can choose but it's starting to lean towards Macs even more as of late and it keeps gaining on market share worldwide.
 
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