** A Mac fan is stunned - Windows 7 **

[YMark]

You're a kid with a new toy. Come back and tell us how much you like Win7 in a few months.

By then the registry should be sufficiently cluttered enough to slow it down to a crawl. Don't forget to keep your virus protection up to date, and run a spyware program every morning.

 

[flopticalcube]

A change is as good as a rest, n'est pas? Windows 7 certainly is a refreshing departure from previous MS OSs, particularly in its initial incarnation. Apple will probably have a UI surprise in 10.7 to "stem the tide" of people switching back (both of them ).

I too am impressed with 7. A long time NT4/XP user, I tried to like Vista but it was just so slow out-of-the-box that I had to put it back in. I am now really enjoying using 7 as its super zippy even on my little netbook. Now if other PC makers could make their hardware look as good as Apple can, they may have something to worry about.

 

[McGiord]

Besides your feeling, what are the real features that you like about Windows 7?

 

[Transporteur]

As a software developer I have to use both Windows and OS X.

The day I received Windows 7 I installed two VMs with it using the 64bit Pro version of 7.
The first look was really good. I never used Vista so the look was really new to me. It was fresh and different from XP.

Unfortunately that glory went away just after a slightly deeper look into that 'OS X killer'.

The user interface is everything but logic and therefore not usable. You get lost in hundreds of totally different looking property panels. I don't know why a 50 billion dollar company is not capable of bringing all system preference panes together in one interface. I just don't get it.
Configuring proper network connections is still a pain the ass, the same applies for the whole security issues Windows has, not to mention the Windows firewall that blocks protocols without even making a single report to the user.

Then there is the 32/64bit issue that doesn't seem to be eliminated yet.
I tried to install the JavaME SDK which apparently is a 32bit application. Even after hours I could not convince it to run.

All these issues persuaded me that I deleted the Windows 7 VMs. I will definitely stick with my good old XP installations which run without any issues. XP is by far more convenient for me.
The only Windows 7 installation I have left is my bootcamp installation. Reason for that is that I don't need to do serious work with that installation, it's used for gaming once in a month.

 

[Barzakh]

About why I feel more "productive" on Windows than a OS X.

Don't take it to mean that I'm "unproductive" on a Mac in a negative way - when nothing can be further from the truth.

I have friends who use both and feel the same - hidden registry files in OS X and the cute icons and multitasking combined with Expose and creative apps creates something called the "OS X Procastination Curse."

I've seen it in myself, and friends in college.

Basically, OS X is engineered and designed in a way that doesn't put you in a productive, business-like state of mind.

If you're in a creative field like graphic design/music/ etc, then the effect is null -- but for right brained people with scientific and business minds, OS X has an effect of making you want to watch movies, browse casually, listen to music, and look at cute icons and effects.

It's not a NEGATIVE thing, so much as, say, I have a deadline, and I feel somehow like I focus more on a project and am not distracted on Windows 7 then on OS X.

On OS X, I just click on icons and play around instead of focusing on writing a paper, or word processing, or doing a spread sheet.

I believe OS X induces procrastination for business/serious disciplines.

Something about the cute icons.

Definitely some subliminal programming

 

[Consultant]

Windows 7 is still susceptible to viruses.

OS X has no registry. OS X is UNIX, designed for 24/7 operation, but windows is not.

Let's see. CEO of Nintendo uses a Mac. Sure, head of a billion dollar company isn't productive at all with a Mac. There are plenty more examples that prove you wrong. Other well known technical Mac users are: Digg founder, facebook CEO Kevin Rose.

Most people would agree that with OS X they are more productive.

 

[mac2x]

[...]

[...] - hidden registry files in OS X [...]

I was willing to give you the benefit of the doubt until I read this....there are no 'registry' files in any Unix or Unix-like OS.

 

[Goona]

LOL at all the Windows 7 is the most amazing OS ever people, heck even Microsoft is mentioning this. I have used Windows Vista for the past 2 years and the only difference between Windows 7 and Vista is the new taskbar. I'm having a hard time seeing this all new revolutionary OS everybody is raving about.

 

[SkyBell]

Windows 7 is still susceptible to viruses.

OS X has no registry. OS X is UNIX, designed for 24/7 operation, but windows is not.

Let's see. CEO of Nintendo uses a Mac. Sure, head of a billion dollar company isn't productive at all with a Mac. There are plenty more examples that prove you wrong. Other well known technical Mac users are: Digg founder, facebook CEO Kevin Rose.

Most people would agree that with OS X they are more productive.

I hope you're not implying that everyone is more productive on OS X then Windows. I know plenty of people who disagree with you, apparently the OP included. OS X is not for everyone, just as Windows is not for everyone.

 

[Eidorian]

LOL at all the Windows 7 is the most amazing OS ever people, heck even Microsoft is mentioning this. I have used Windows Vista for the past 2 years and the only difference between Windows 7 and Vista is the new taskbar. I'm having a hard time seeing this all new revolutionary OS everybody is raving about.

Windows Media Center, Homegroups, Libraries, and more streamlined management tools are what I've noticed.

The one size fits all Explorer window is rather nice too. I can't get Leopard to stop picking a random window size when trying to open a folder.

I don't see a reason to go to Snow Leopard yet and Tiger was still the best.

 

[flopticalcube]

Windows Media Center, Homegroups, Libraries, and more streamlined management tools are what I've noticed.

add to that a vast improvement in multi-threading throughout the OS giving the impression of greater speed.

 

[GITANAJAVA]

As one marketing person to another...

It is a stunning realization - Windows 7 is the Mac Killer, the beast prophesied by Jobs that would appear from the West and rend asunder the happy Mac faithful....and realized that Windows 7 makes me productive in a way that OS X somehow doesn't.

It seems OS X does the opposite effect - it creates a procrastinating effect, akin to smoking a blunt.

Nice copy, right out of the Windoze SOP manual. :::snark::: ;-p

C'mon, darlin', don't blame the vehicle for the way you drive.

 

[DoFoT9]

very interesting way of looking at it. could Win7 really be that much more productive? or is the OS that bland and boring that we are forced to do nothing but work?

tbh the themes in Win7 are over the top imo. whats up with the whole 'glossy' thing? it just seems a little bit try hard to me, sure it looks good but it's TOO much and you get over it pretty quickly.

the performance gains are hopefully worth it, and i pray that the registry has been fixed some how to not get bogged down as much as with pervious OSs!

 

[justaregularjoe]

Sorry if this offends anyone, but Windows 7 is too dumbed down. It's really a bit pathetic when you have a company that adds a feature that eats up cycles and RAM just to create a folder which umbrellas multiple locations (Libraries).

How it pathetically tries to copy both Hot Corners (Show Desktop at extreme lower right) and Expose (shaking windows to show desktop and just that window [HOW IS THAT HANDY AT ALL, EVER?]).

And yet how it maintains the painful idea of archaic and assine Registries, redundant folders, extremely non-flexible system installations, and just the lack of ease that you see in virtually every window compared to MAC OS X (example: compare Control panel to System Preferences. F-A-I-L.)

Windows 7 is, as always, more than a few steps behind.

 

[OrganMusic]

I noticed w7 still uses drive letters. When are they going to leave DOS behind?

 

[DoFoT9]

I noticed w7 still uses drive letters. When are they going to leave DOS behind?

haha good question!!

 

[chrono1081]

Eh, its still windows. Nothing impressive to me.

I think the main appeal of windows 7 was so many windows users wanted something that worked after windows xp. Vista worked, if all you did was internet.

Now that they have windows 7 which DOES work they are all happy and think its the best thing ever which is good. I also think its good that MS learned they cant shove junk on the public just because everyone uses windows.

I myself will never go back to windows. I switched when Vista came out and haven't looked back. I'm much more productive on a mac because I have things like: Multiple desktops, Time Machine, ability to create and mount iso (dmg) files, support raid, all without installing a single extra piece of software. That for me is worth it.

 

[mac2x]

I noticed w7 still uses drive letters. When are they going to leave DOS behind?

Given Microsoft's track record, when hell freezes over.

 

[Consultant]

I hope you're not implying that everyone is more productive on OS X then Windows. I know plenty of people who disagree with you, apparently the OP included. OS X is not for everyone, just as Windows is not for everyone.

Not sure where you went to school. Fact:
Most people =/= ALL people.

Yes there are some people who don't bother to take 15 minutes to learn how to use OS X. There are people who rather eat fast food instead of healthy food too.

 

[BlizzardBomb]

I don't think one is particularly better than the other. They're just different, so whether you prefer one to the other is a matter of opinion. It's like choosing between two different phones which are identical hardware wise.

 

[Abstract]

(I'm not pointing this out as a flaw of Windows, but as a genuine question)

Did your Vaio come loaded with tons of crapware?

My Mac did, but the iLife suite was pretty easy to get rid of.

I kept iTunes though.

 

[cluthz]

I had win7 RC for two months on one of my Dell Optiplexes, and I had to reinstall it because it was slowing down and randomly crashing.
It's now running Ubuntu 9.10 and XP SP3 again.

Might be bad luck, but my MBP has the same installation it came with June 2007, upgraded from 10.4->10.5->10.6

I still have win7 on my MBP and it still works, but I use Mac OSX about 10 times more than I use windows.

I might be me, but I feel OSX is still faster.
It boots at least 15 secs faster, shutdowns faster.
The battery life is 30% better in OSX than in Win7.

And my workflow is better in OSX, since I'm much more used to that.

These are my very subjective thought tho, nothing scientific about it

 

[cluthz]

edit: double post

 

[OrganMusic]

haha good question!!

And I bet not many under the age of 25 know what A: and B: are reserved for

windows does have its place and the Macintosh is not for everyone, but I'm glad I switched every time I use someone elses computer have to either deal with malware or with waiting for the antivirus to load.

 

[Creative One]

What you said could have been said in less than 50 words, and you defiantly didn't have to use that vocabulary. My mind is hurting now... It's to early. And Windows 7 isn't even that great... Too buggy for me.