Windows 7 vs. Snow Leopard: Five Main Differences
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Loading ...The third quarter of 2009 proved to be an exciting time for avid computer users. The reason: Both Apple and Microsoft launched new operating systems that are beautiful enough to make computer users on the Mac camp and on the PC camp swoon. Apple launched Snow Leopard on August 28 while Microsoft made its Windows 7 available on October 22.
Predictably, the fortuitous timing of the release of these two new operating systems have put geeks from all corners of the computer industry in a frenzy, causing them to raise a fuss on which operating system is better. Of course, hardcore Apple users would insist that Snow Leopard is better. Die-hard Microsoft fans would never give in to that and would go all out in declaring that Windows 7 is the superior OS.
That kind of argument is something that will never be settled, so perhaps the better question is this: Just how different are these two operating systems? Here are five main differences between Snow Leopard and Windows 7.
1. Price. When it comes to the price of buying these two operating systems, Snow Leopard is an absolute steal. It costs $29 flat, although users of older Mac machines may have to spend more for a Mac box set, not to mention hardware. On the other hand, Windows 7 is pretty expensive; with upgrade disks priced at least $119 depending on the edition, and with full installation disks costing around $100 more.
2. Installation options. It is far simpler and faster to install Snow Leopard than Windows 7. For one, all it takes for the former is one disk. Users do not have to worry whether or not they are using the correct version or the correct edition of the operating system, which they will definitely do if they choose Windows 7. With Windows 7, it is a matter of choosing between the full installation or the upgrade version; the 32-bit or the 64-bit version; and the Starter version, the Home Premium version, the Business version or the Ultimate version.
3. User interface. Right now, Windows 7 cannot beat the Snow Leopard for the elegance of the latter’s user interface. Snow Leopard’s application stacking on Docks is simple, straightforward and beautiful. On the other hand, the Windows 7 taskbar is more functional than Docks; unlike Docks, the taskbar tells a user how many windows are open for the same application. It also allows the user to switch easily and to work more quickly using jump lists.
4. Ease of customization. Most computer users prefer to tweak their computers so that these machines would work just the way they want to. A lot of these computer users like the Snow Leopard because customizing this particular OS is a lot simpler. The System Preferences menu of Snow Leopard is more streamlined and straightforward, without a lot of confusing submenus. On the other hand, Windows 7 has the unwieldy and inelegant Control Panel. But while the Control Panel may be difficult and confusing, it has a lot of options that any computer geek will find hard to resist when it comes to tweaking.
5. Compatibility issues. A big issue with both Snow Leopard and Windows 7 is compatibility. According to reports, Snow Leopard does not work with older software and cannot run on Mac machines bought before 2006. On the other hand, Microsoft has learned its lesson with Windows Vista when it comes to compatibility. Windows 7 deals with compatibility issues quite beautifully and there are reports that it can run on much older machines. Also, Windows 7 has the XP mode, where software made for Windows XP can run as if natively on Windows 7.
The question of which operating system is better is like asking the chicken and egg question. It will never be resolved. However, it is useful to know just what makes Snow Leopard and Windows 7 different from each other. It may even be a good idea to try both.
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