VS
With the final version of Windows 8 now complete, how does Microsoft's
great hope for reinventing itself for the post-PC world compare to Apple's new
flagship? The short answer: not well. But lest you think that it's a simple
case of sainted perfection versus preordained disaster -- the peanut gallery's
running themes for Apple and Microsoft, respectively -- think again. OS X
Mountain Lion has some unwelcome flaws, whereas Windows 8 has some virtuous
aspects.
My colleague Woody Leonhard has reviewed the final version of windows 8, and I encourage you
to read his take to understand the nuances of Microsoft's tablet/desktop hybrid
OS. I've detailed the many capabilities in OS X mountain lion, which I also
urge you to check out. Here, I highlight the key differences, strengths, and
weaknesses of the two OSes, both of which I've been using since their first
betas were released, organized by the SoftLair Test Center's key scoring
categories for desktop operating systems.
Scores:
Windows 8: 6
OS X Mountain Lion: 9
Windows 8: 6
OS X Mountain Lion: 9
Apple defined the graphical user interface as we know it today, and
despite 28 years of changes, the core metaphors remain unchanged. That
consistency makes it easy to use each new version of OS X, and Mountain Lion is
no exception.
Yet the OS has expanded to support touch gestures in a very natural way,
via touch mice and touchpads. Also, Apple's slew of helper utilities -- such as
the Quick Look preview facility, the new Notification Center, the new sharing
capabilities, and the Spotlight search tool -- do what Apple does best: offer
sophisticated capabilities that users can discover as needed, rather than face
a steep learning curve to get started. The Dock and the persistent menu bar
also simplify app access, while the full-screen mode introduced in OS X Lion
lets users stay focused when they want to be, yet have quick access to the rest
of the OS as desired.
However, OS X Mountain Lion has UI flaws that undercut the superb
ease-of-use. Apple has been monkeying with its application file services since
OS X Lion, so there are now three distinct UIs and services for saving files:
one for traditional apps, one for Versions-enabled apps, and now one for iCloud
Documents-compatible apps. It's confusing. The misguided removal of Save As in
Versions-enabled apps in OS X Lion is an example of misguided arrogance, and
even though it's back in OS X Mountain Lion, it's available only if you know to
hold the Option key when using the File menu.
