OSX & W7, different uses?

[robgmun]

Hi all

First of all i don't want this to be a OSX Vs W7 thread, so CUT IT OUT

ok

The reason is i have a W7 machine which i am very happy with. main uses are

Watch Videos
Surf Internet
Download
Play Games
Orangise my MP3 collection

And as a IT Support engineer i wanted to update my CV to say i have basic knowleage of OSX, so i want to get a mini mac to play with.

The thing is. I am i right in saying that, apart from playing the latest games, there really isn't anything between them in terms of what they can't do?

Eg the iPhone have lots of killer apps that no other phone company can really compete with. (althrough Android is slowly catching up)

Whats the 'killer app' that OSX has over W7? Don't say stability or viruses as my win machine is rock soild and i never caught anything in 7 years, so that's not going to be a selling point for me

 

[CrispyXUK]

You are correct, I'm also an IT support engineer and I use my mac for support over my Windows machines.

 

[robgmun]

So if there's nothing between them for daily use then it's just down to personal preference/what you grew up on?

 

[CrispyXUK]

Dunno, I grew up with Dos/Windows. I can't stand windows though, everything seems a faff to do.

Why can't I preview my documents as icons? Why is formatting discs such a pain? Why does it look so horrible? Why do I spent 2 minutes staring at the control panel trying to find the item I want? Why is all the built in software utter rubbish? Where's all the top quality free software?

Could just be me though

 

[Vonhelmet]

So if there's nothing between them for daily use then it's just down to personal preference/what you grew up on?

Kinda, yeah, although I've converted to OS X for home use and I wouldn't go back. My wife moans, but hey, I bought her a netbook for a reason...

 

[bloodiedathame]

Pressing spacebar to use Finder to preview a document, video, picture, music etc is a lovely feature, one of my most used I'd say!

Final Cut Pro (Final Cut Studio) is a fantastic piece of software to use and is Mac only. As is Logic Studio. I have less Adobe CS problems on my Mac than on W7 machines. Time Machine is exceedingly useful. I use TimeOut to make sure I don't look at the screen too long as well. And Dropbox for quick file shares. The OS is quite configurable in the way you want to interact with it.

In terms of what you can do with the OS's they are pretty similar, it's personal preference more than anything. There are things that W7 has, that I wish OSX has and vica versa, but you learn to live with the capabilities of both and adjust your workflows accordingly.


Oh and one more thing, OSX doesn't really have 'apps' per se, they are programs.

 

[theheyes]

Are you buying a Mac just for this purpose? I'm not being funny but if you're in IT then you could learn the Mac-specific "basics" like joining a network or adding a user account in a afternoon. If you really want to get into it though and have other uses for the Mac then go for it.

At face value they're not really that different - they just do what a modern OS does and there is not much point comparing the two for support purposes. It's underneath where the differences lie, which is beyond "basic" in my opinion.

 

[SiriusB]

Dunno, I grew up with Dos/Windows. I can't stand windows though, everything seems a faff to do.

OS X can be a faff at times. No OS is perfect.

Why can't I preview my documents as icons?

Pointless feature, but Windows Vista and 7 support thumbnails for media.

Why is formatting discs such a pain?

It isn't. Takes just a couple of clicks. :/

Why does it look so horrible?

Windows 7 looks way better than OS X. But that is just my opinion.

Why do I spent 2 minutes staring at the control panel trying to find the item I want?

Because you don't know how to use search.

Why is all the built in software utter rubbish?

Some stuff is pretty basic. Same for OS X.

Where's all the top quality free software?

Thousands upon thousands of free programs for Windows out there, and many, many of them are fantastic.

Could just be me though

Probably!

EDIT: Just to qualify the above, I use OS X on a daily basis so I am experienced, if not entirely objective [Windows rocks!].

Oh and one more thing, OSX doesn't really have 'apps' per se, they are programs.

That's why OS X's default application folder is called Applications, and most apps end with the .app extension?

 

[QwaF]

I don't really look at it in the way of Applications each have. I still have my main computer, my desktop which runs Windows 7 for gaming and some more heavy tasks and I use my MacBook Pro for everything else.

I think as far as you can go to give differences without going into pros and cons of each OS is to say, Windows has great gaming, and Mac's have Final Cut and Aperture which are popular in the industry.

 

[Fr0dders]

God not even 10 posts in and already its turned into an OSX vs windows debate with multi quotes a plenty

to the OP not very many corporations in the UK use macs, maybe a few specialist fields like publishing, photography, video editing, but the vast majority of business IT users use windows.

By all means buy a mac mini to have a play around if you want, but its rare you'll find somebody interested in that OSX experience you put on your CV if you do.

 

[CrispyXUK]

OS X can be a faff at times. No OS is perfect.

True

Pointless feature, but Windows Vista and 7 support thumbnails for media.

Lol, in a GUI driven OS? no it isn't, I need to be able to identify all sorts of docs, be it PDF, Word, Excell, Photoshop, Illustrator etc, this is an absolute nightmare in Windows.

It isn't. Takes just a couple of clicks. :/

Should have specified, mounting, partitioning and formatting is much better in Disk Utility/terminal than it is in Disk Management/cmd

Windows 7 looks way better than OS X. But that is just my opinion.

Fair enough, I just hate the plastic wrap filter. Easily changed I suppose.

/hands specsaver voucher.

Because you don't know how to use search.

I'm assuming there's a smily missing? It's long been a problem in Windows, far too many control panel items, with too many related options spread around all over the place.

Some stuff is pretty basic. Same for OS X.

iCal, Mail, iSync, Disk Utility, Network Utility, Automator, Font Book, Time Machine say otherwise.

Thousands upon thousands of free programs for Windows out there, and many, many of them are fantastic.

Yeah, I just get stressed finding the good stuff.

That's why OS X's default application folder is called Applications, and most apps end with the .app extension?

Hehe, and OSX calls them applications We're being pedantic here I know

 

[bloodiedathame]

That's why OS X's default application folder is called Applications, and most apps end with the .app extension?

True, however when people say apps I assume they are talking of the mini-programs on iTunes for iPhone etc. The word 'app' makes the software sound petite, and Maya, CS etc don't really fit my understanding of the 'app' label!

Just me then?

 

[robgmun]

Lol, in a GUI driven OS? no it isn't, I need to be able to identify all sorts of docs, be it PDF, Word, Excell, Photoshop, Illustrator etc, this is an absolute nightmare in Windows.

I'm letting most comments slide, but this one is bizzare!!

Nightmare in Windows? I thought the icon itself was a dead giveaway as what kind of file it is! And Windows rewards a organised mind and if you have a file system going and not just dumping everything on the desktop (like my dad does ) then it's quick and easy to find everything!

Then of course there's the search function, but it seems like you think you need a science degree to use it

 

[CrispyXUK]

I think you're understanding me wrong, for example in Windows all I get is the photoshop icon, in OSX I can see the preview of the document just by looking at the icon, makes my life much easier as I have different revisions of certain artworks.

Basically OSX is much better with regards to previewing documents without opening them.

 

[robgmun]

Errrrrrrr??? You could do that in Windows since XP pro!!

 

[Boozebeard]

I had to use macs at college for a bit and I really couldnt get on with them.

Why do I spent 2 minutes staring at the control panel trying to find the item I want?

Where this might be a problem for some my problem was macs is where are those settings at all? It seemed to me all advanced settings were totally hidden and someone who like to tinker that bugged me. I'm sure they are there but I could never find them.

Also 6 months into the year and after having got through practically none of the work they installed windows on them because Maya was constantly crashing in OSX.

Go figure.