Smartphone, computer, Tablet … Many devices and a common denominator, what operating system? Which one works best for me and meets my needs? Do they have similarities or is it all differences? Check it here.
Some will say that in the digital world there are two kinds of inhabitants: those who use Windows and those who use Mac. And in a way it is. Years ago, Linux was also an operating system used in a more or less (rather less) generalized way, but today Windows 10 and Mac OS are the operating systems par excellence.
Thus, when buying a computer the dilemma arises about which operating system to choose, and it is not always easy to solve as we will see. The important thing is to be clear about our priorities and also what budget we have.
The first difference between Windows and Mac OS, which is not exactly small, lies in the relationship between Microsoft and Apple with computer manufacturers. While Microsoft “lets” other hardware manufacturers use Windows as the operating system for their computers in addition to using it on their own computers, Apple reserves Mac OS X for its Macbook, iMac, Mac Pro, or Mac Mini.
This exclusivity from Apple makes Mac OS computers set the price bar at a high point, so that we will not always be in a position to buy a Mac OS computer if our budget is not as high as its prices.
Computers with Windows systems, on the other hand, can be found at very low prices at times, and we can even think of making our own computers from hardware components and installing Windows 10 on our own later. Of course, Windows 10 has a cost (you can upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1), while Mac OS X is free for Apple users. Anyway, for those who buy a Windows computer, the operating system, for all practical purposes, will also be free as it is included in the price of the computer as well as its subsequent updates.
In recent times, however, and returning to the issue of the price of the equipment, the prices of manufacturers like Microsoft both in laptops and in all in one of the Surface Studio style, are at a level comparable to that of Mac equipment. In any case, there is more price diversity in the Windows universe than in the Mac.
If you want a Mac, it will have to be with Mac OS, more or less
This hardware exclusivity means that if you want an Apple computer, it will have to be with Mac OS. But in practice, Apple “allows” the installation of Windows 10 using Bootcamp technology by which we can create a Windows partition on the Mac, to boot from it.
Other options are to use a virtualization tool on Mac OS like Parallels to run Windows, although with limited performance by the resources assigned to the virtual machine.
Another option is to boot from an external hard drive where we have installed a version of Windows to Go, although it is not obvious to create this type of configuration, everything is said. In any case, there are options for using Windows on a Mac, which is not the other way around.
There are “alternative” options for running Mac OS X on Windows computers, but they require advanced knowledge to “adapt” Mac OS to the hardware of native Windows computers. You can find more details about this on the Hackintosh website.
The UI dilemma
Leaving aside the hardware section and focusing on the differences inherent to the operating system, the differences between Windows and Mac OS in the user interface part are also relevant.
Mac OS X has its origin in a Linux distribution called BSD, and it was a break with Mac OS 9 from the year 2002. The window system, the management of access permissions, file permissions and basically all the ” The foundations “of the system are familiar to users familiar with Linux, including the command console, which can be used incredibly well on Mac to perform advanced tasks.
In the latest versions, however, Apple is moving away from its Linux origins by eliminating “low-level” functionalities and betting more on a “user friendly” operating system. Mac OS has always been friendlier than Windows in general, especially before Windows 10.
Since the arrival of Windows 10, Microsoft has tried to simplify its user interface, imitating Apple in aspects such as dialog boxes for system settings. And even offering the possibility of installing a Linux command console for somewhat more “pro” users, but without complicating the desktop part.
In both operating systems there are interesting combinations of keyboard shortcuts to speed up certain actions, advanced search tools, file manager, images, as well as integration with personal assistants such as Cortana in Windows and Siri in Apple.
Touchscreen, Windows only
For now, those who want to have a touch interface and computers with touch screens will have to stick with Windows. Microsoft has learned to integrate the touch and non-touch parts in a single interface, so that nothing happens if you do not have a touch screen, but adding interaction through touch on the screen with your fingers or with precision digital pens those that can be drawn or written in a fluid and natural way. Convertible computers like Microsoft’s Surface Pro are examples of what can be achieved by taking full advantage of the possibilities of technology.
Read more – 5 reasons why Windows is better than Mac
Apple adds touch functionality to iPad Pro tablets using digital pens, for example, but not to Mac OS X-based computers.