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Full user review
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75 out of 176 people found this review helpful
1.5 stars
"Weak OS X Impersonator"
Pros: It has Quartz Extreme and doesn't run at root level
Cons: It doesn't have Exposé
Summary: Microsoft promised us a revolutionary OS that would leap ahead of everything else out there. They have taken years and years to get this thing out the door and it's been delayed and is rumored to be delayed again.
What does this review show us in Vista Beta 2?
Gadgets are OS X's Widgets, which are Desktop Accessories that appeared in System 1 on the Mac in 1984. Desktop Accessories were little applications that would run on top of everything else with tools like a calculator and calendar, etc. This was back in 1984.
Microsoft copied this and also copied the implementation, which comes from OS/2's side bar that had gadgets.
Vista comes with Parental Controls, which has been in OS X.
Vista has a cool GPU-accelerated user interface -- OS X's Quartz Extreme for years.
Vista has a search -- OS X's Spotlight.
Vista's Flip3D is a very poor attempt to copy a patented OS X Exposé. So let me get this straight, flipping through the windows one at a time in 3D space is more productive than cycling through them full screen with ALT TAB? This is garbage. Exposé is a dream because it puts all of your documents scaled down on your screen, side by side. You see all of them at the same time. It's really easy to identify the document you want and then click on it.
Windows Vista finally doesn't run you at root level. This is very good. The implementation may be crap, though, with dialogs coming up all the time for every single thing.
Windows Vista has a photo program -- OS X's iPhoto.
Windows Vista has a DVD authoring program -- OS X's iDVD.
Windows Vista has a calendar program -- OS X's iCal.
Seriously, a company that makes billions in profit every single quarter is outclassed by a much smaller company like Apple? How is Apple able to create all the great ideas and implement them in a fraction of the time as Microsoft? Doesn't Microsoft have any original ideas?
That new help system in Vista was in the Mac OS in 1997!
- 15 replies to this review
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I'm not an anti-mac person, nor am I pro-Windows, but don't go around stating that everything Vista has is a rip-off of Mac OS X Tiger.
A lot of the features were announced by Microsoft way before Mac OS X Tiger was released, but unfortunately (and once again) Microsoft delivered late, so Apple's features beat them to the finish line.
Plus, has anyone stopped to think how much software is for PC and how much is for Mac?
Most PC games aren't even released in Mac format, and usually half a year late.
And what about Photoshop? Its slow on Apple (needs Rosetta), and Mac doesn't even have Paint Shop Pro. -
Actually if you know anything about Apple and Microsoft, you would know that they are of course rivals. A lot of the features found in OS X are there because they were leaked from Microsoft and Apple jumped on the chance to implement them first while they were still in R&D for Vista. The same thing happened with XP (remember fast user switching?). With a company as huge as Microsoft, leaks are bound to happen. Unfortunately, the Apple crew always has their ears open, and are ready to steal what ever they can...
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Well, if I'm correct Apple copied the GUI way back when Xerox had it. (if you do not believe me, look at screenshots from Apples first GUI OS and Xerox, they look exactly the same).
I do not blame them however; nor do I blame MS for "copying," as you call it, from the Mac OS because it's all about competition. The idea of an OS, is just that, an idea, which has been improved upon by the companies to benefit the public. If all operating systems had not improved upon this idea of having a user friendly OS, eveybody would be stuck with a 1985 computer with a command line interface and minimal features.
Let me clarify that I'm more of a windows person: I prefer it because it is better for business, gaming, and is more compatible with applications (not to mention a lot cheaper than a mac). However, I believe that Apple has strong points when it comes to multimedia, but I still would not use it. See what I did here, I gave both OS's a chance, however, in your review, you were so blinded by your obsession with mac that you ignored all that Vista has to offer.
I believe that Vista offers a lot of great features and I praise them for the great job. Still, I wish they would have taken less time creating it... -
Dont forget that they also copied both the 'search bar' and 'tabs' from firefox. Firefox had these feature for ages.
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Since Apple jacked the OS that Xerox was working on way back then blah blah blah, it really doesn't matter.
What you list as 'stolen' looks like a long list of good ideas in two operating systems. It's a good thing they can learn from each other....er steal ideas. Too bad Xerox didn't get anywhere with their ideas, they had a lot of good ones, oh wait they did. Apple implemented them when they stole...er...learned from Xerox. -
Review is total rubbish. Sure thing, companies look at each other?s products to get ideas for new features. I?m quite sure Apple did not pioneer even 10% of the feature of OS X.
The fact is Windows is the system build for number of purposes ? from gaming and simple web surfing to performing real work, while Apples product are designed for ?looking cool? only and nothing else. First Apple?s user group includes high-school and college students that barely know what they need a computer for, and convinced their parents to buy it as an addition to iPod. There is a second group of Apple users ? people that try really hard to look artistic.
90% of the applications designed for real-life use do no exist on Apple platform; hence one cannot use Apple for most of the real-life tasks. At the same time, everything that runs on Apple has at least one sibling (in majority cases a twin) on Windows. Combined with better performance and lower price of the Windows-based machine, it makes Apple an expensive and slow toy, pretty much useless for most of the real-life tasks. Graphic you will say? Not really. All high-end graphic applications that exist on Apple run faster on Windows, and better Window-based input devices (multi-button mice for instance) make it much easier to work with those applications.
Going back to Vista. It looks like a promising top-notch OS, which I?m awaiting eagerly to install (final release, not Beta). -
Review is total rubbish. Sure thing, companies look at each other?s products to get ideas for new features. I?m quite sure Apple did not pioneer even 10% of the feature of OS X.
The fact is Windows is the system build for multiple purposes ? from gaming and simple web surfing to performing real work, while Apples product are designed for high-school and college students that barely know what they need a computer for, except attempting to look cool. There is a second group Apple users ? people that try really hard to look artistic. 90% of the applications designed for real-life use do no exist on Apple platform; hence one cannot use Apple for most of the real-life tasks. At the same time, everything that runs on Apple has at least one sibling (in majority cases a twin) on Windows. Combined with better performance and lower price of the Windows-based machine, it makes Apple an expensive and slow toy, pretty much useless for most of the tasks. Graphic you will say? Not really. All high-end graphic applications that exist on Apple run faster on Windows, plus having better Window-based input devices (multi-button mice for instance) making it much easier to work with applications.
Going back to Vista. It looks like a promising top-notch OS, which I?m awaiting eagerly to install (final release, not Beta). -
It will be a while before we see the final version. It will be a while before the majority of Window users will make the hardware investment to run this OS. I loved W2K Pro, finaly adoped XP Pro but run it in Clasic mode, I fiddled with earlier betas of Vista and ran it in Classic mode. Do you see the pattern? I'm a long time Windows users and I like what I like. This will be Microsofts real problem with Vista. How many of us want to relearn new ways of doing the same thing every 4 or 5 years.
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Get over yourself. Why can Apple do all that stuff that MS can't? Two reasons, they don't have to worry about having an army of lawyers ready to sue them for anti-trust violations, they have to leave a few crumbs for third party companies. Who cares if Apple demands complete control of every aspect of Apple machines from the hardware to the software. Can you see the law suits if Microsoft tried what Apple has been getting away with for years?? Just think, to get a Windows machine you'd have to buy a machine made by Microsoft, in Microsoft's plant, with Microsoft's employees, with Microsoft's parts, sold by Microsoft's stores, serviced by Microsoft's service techs, and running Windows.
And cost? How much did that Apple system you're raving about set you back?? I bet it was at least three times the price of a comparable Windows machine.
Windows may not be perfect, but it gets the job done for a whole lot less then an Apple machine. -
Is it a coincidence or are your comments just an impersonation of an earlier Apple fan's comments? Are they the same ones that Apple fans have trotted out since 1984?
Why can't MS get any credit for development and improvement from an Apple fan? Granted, many functions may be similar to OS X (or some Apple system of long ago), but how many ways can they manage the visual and tactile elements of a keyboard- and screen-based computer? When we evolve to the next level of user interface, such as voice driven, more biometrics, or touch/tactile screens, then there may be more true innovation in the human interface. Till then, I think it is a fair assumption that most systems will appear to be similar.
One other small point, MS is creating an OS for the masses and Apple creates proprietary systems. These are different challenges. Each actually excels at their approach.
Lastly, Apple fans should remember that it is the Apple Company that has created the MAC and OS X, not the users, so why do so many act as if they are superior because they use an Apple product? False pride or, at a minimum, misplaced egotism. Get over it; you bought something that you like. This MS bashing reminds me of the people that bash Fords because they drive Chevrolets. There must be some need to justify your buying decision and to make yourself feel better by belittling one of the options you did not accept. -
You are obviously an Apple fanboy- someone what no matter what hates Microsoft. Don't bother posting a review if all you do is put a low score for everything for the sole reason of hating microsoft. If what you say is true about MS supposedly copying everything why did you not give a 10/10 like you would for Apple's OS. You need to be more informed because Apple does have viruses and spyware is soon to come. Don't count yourself out because before you know it you will get a nice slap in the face. Get a better protection suite Zone Alarm is crap.
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I agree that Windows is ripping OS X...
But its funny when you say stuff like OS X has a photo program...and now windows does too.
You can't expect microsoft not to give people what they want and need. Who cares if they copied the idea? Better implementation of the idea is what is important. -
this doesn't surprise me.
Next machine I get will be a mac. Tired of Gaming companies driving the Hardware industry higher and higher for a while now for IBM compats. (MS based)
Tired of problems, tired of all that virus, spyware, trojans, etc. and all the software you need to install to combat it. I do have Zone alarm's suite, but I'm almost sure half of my Processes are protection before I even open a window.
I like Linux/unix but it's still power user OS (Even with SUSE, and Xandros installing a simple program, ain't so simple. Drivers are worse)
I've totally stopped upgrading my PC and I'm saving for a Mac. I'm just tired of all the BS with MS. By the way, Steve Jobs and the other guy invented the click-able desktop icon, Gates warned him to patent it, and they didn't. Gates turned around and then put a patent on it. The other thing they did wrong (IMHO) was make Macs 'exclusive'. One of our techs at the school I used to work for could fix and pretty much do anything with any age Mac. He couldn't buy parts, and wasn't allowed (technically) to work on them. He also couldn't get an 'OK' from Mac to be a repair guy. That kind of thing was stupid for their business.
The two founders of MAC are incredible inventors, way ahead of their time, but never been very business savvy. But besides that, their OS and machines are the way to go -
There are certain companies that are more innovative but less profitable than their competitors. One example is the gaming market, although Nintendo is in last place with the Gamecube they're slapping MS and Sony in the face with their awesome innovations. They have the first ever 3d controller for a console, Full Backwards compatability(which is saying something), free Wi-Fi online. They simply outclass much larger competitors with innovations. Apple is the same way and while I know that MS copied Apple I also know they aren't exactly following Apple's OSes. More focus on gaming and business is enough to convince me. I'll save multimedia for my Mac and gaming and business for my PC. Oh wait I have both on one system now, lol my Macbook Pro.
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If you're really going to compare these operating systems, which seems silly, at least make it a fair comparison, and include the features that Vista has that don't exist on OSX
(e.g. solid state HD cache support, auxillary display capabilites, etc.).
Also, who the heck cares if one OS had some feature first? Mac OS is shameless rip-off of an OS designed by Xerox, does that make it less useful or interesting?
