The Comparison between Windows and Mac Operating System - Research Paper Example

Page Running Head: Windows and Mac OS 14-Aug Table of Contents Contents Title Page 1 Table of Contents 2 Contents 2 Introduction 3 Methods 3 Results 4 Price 5 Customer Service 7 Ease of Use 8 Library of Programs and Applications 9 Performance 10 Conclusion 12 Recommendations 13 References 15 Introduction This is a report that details the comparison between Windows and Mac operating system. The report is structured around different points of comparison like price, features, ease of use etc. The focus of the report would be on providing a guide to the potential users to decide on which operating system they would invest in and helps them choose the best possible OS for their needs. It is a fact that in recent years, the use of computers has been widespread and for college students like me, there are many ways in which computers can be used for doing tasks ranging from graphic design, social networking and preparing research papers by conducting online research. The significance of the problem is that choosing a reliable and performing operating system makes the difference between comfortable use of the computer as opposed to a use that is punctuated by frequent breakdowns and crashes that can impair productivity of the user. Hence, choosing a good operating system is in the best interests of the consumer and this report attempts to provide a guide to selecting a reliable and performing operating system. Methods The report surveys the existing literature on the comparison between the Windows and Mac OS and also relies on some firsthand observations that have been made by experts who have compared these two operating systems. The point of comparison is in terms of the factors listed above and I have referred extensively to the available information as far as comparison of these factors is concerned. The project methods that have been used to gather information include interviews, review of studies and published material from reputed trade and academic journals and the forums discussing the relative merits and demerits of these two operating systems. My qualifications for doing a comparison between Windows and Mac operating systems is that currently I am using both (Mac OS on my laptop and Windows OS on my PC) and this gives me unique insights into the way each of the operating systems operate. In this report, I use my practical experience as well as the reviews of each of the operating systems from trade journals and websites dedicated to the operating systems to compare the pros and cons of each operating system. The report would focus on how I have gained from using the different operating systems and how the other categories of users have responded with their views. A further point is that I am majoring in related fields to the topic and hence this review falls within my subject area as well as area of interest. I hope to apply my understanding of the subject to the topic and provide some practical applications of the theory as well. Results This section presents the results of the material that has been surveyed and indicates the pros and cons of using each operating system according to the factors that have been listed below. The factors that are taken for study include Price, Performance, Ease of Use, Customer Service and the library of programs and applications that each of the operating systems support. Each of these factors is used to compare and contrast the two operating systems in terms of an analytical study that focuses on determining the positive and negative aspects of these OS’s without prejudging them in any way. Price There is a lot of debate on whether the relatively high priced Mac OS provides more benefits or whether the customer is paying more for the same features. The cheapest Dell PC available in the market is priced around $279 whereas the cheapest Mac Notebook is available for $599. Hence, on first impression, it appears as though the Mac OS is expensive relative to the PC’s running Windows. However, on second thoughts one might be tempted to look at the pricing for individual software on Windows as most of the stuff that one gets from the packaged Windows PC has to be bought separately. Further, nowadays, Mac and PC’s cost just about the same amount after accounting for comparable features that each of them provides to the users. The point here is that the Mac computers make up for the high price by offering that many more features than the Windows PC’s. This ensures that the price differential one pays for the higher priced Mac’s are indeed worth the effort and the price. And for those who want a high-end Notebook Pro, Mac is the best that is available in the market. For the kind of features that the Notebook Pro provides, it is a steal for the kind of money that you are willing to pay. The other noteworthy point is that if we compare feature to feature, Mac Computers aren’t that expensive as compared to Windows PC’s. However, the release of Windows 7 has changed that equation since the latest version of the OS that is shipped by Microsoft has all the features that Mac provides at a price that is tad lower than the Notebook Pro. The point to note is that Microsoft has upgraded the price of its PC’s running Windows 7 to a level where the price differential between the Windows PC and the Mac Notebook is not that much. Hence, it should be clear that both Windows and Mac are now comparable in price with the features being more or less the same as well. Which brings us to the next discussion point about price, i.e. the fact that while Mac Notebooks’ can run Windows, the reverse is not true unless you are willing to hack into the Windows software breaking some EULA - End User License Agreement rules in the process. This added benefit of Mac Notebooks’ running Windows has definitely given Apple the edge over Microsoft. In recent years, the price of the Mac Notebooks’ has been falling steadily whereas the price of Windows PC’s is going up. Hence, as pointed out in the paragraphs above, the stereotype of a Mac costing more than Windows is beginning to fade away and yield to a newer legend about how the growing tide of Macintosh users is beginning to breach the defenses of Microsoft. If one wants to consider value for money, the fact remains that Apple products are far better when it comes to providing “more bang for the buck” as can be seen from the preceding discussion. It is a fact that Apple Mac’s are known for their reliability and dependability as compared with the Microsoft Windows PC’s. Hence, on a purely feature to feature basis, Apple wins hands down. However, this is not to state that Windows does not provide value for money. On the other hand, buying a Windows PC is a safe investment for the future as the kind of service and customer support (we shall discus more on this in the sections below) is unmatched and this means that if you invest in a Windows PC as opposed to a Mac, you can be assured of great returns over a period of time. Customer Service This aspect of the comparison between Windows and Mac OS is concerned with how responsive the customer service is for PC’s running Windows and for those running Mac’s. It is a well known fact that Windows crashes often and hence there is a need to call customer service more than by the users running Mac. This is something that has been historically true for the Windows operating system. Take any PC running Windows and the chances are that it would have needed a visit to the nearest customer service point or at least a call to customer service in the time that you were using it. However, this aspect is changing with the introduction of Windows 7 and Vista where Microsoft has patched many of the loose ends and has ensured that the PC’s running these OS’s are more stable than the earlier versions of the Windows OS. If we take the case of Mac from the point of view of customer service, it is apparent that Mac Notebooks’ do not need as much support from customer service as those that run Windows. Once you have bought a Mac Notebook, chances are that you might not have to call customer service except when there is an upgrade or you want to trade in your notebook for the latest version. Hence, it appears as though Mac wins hands down in this particular aspect. However, on a closer look, we find that Windows delivers far better customer service as far as notifications about the patches and upgrades are concerned. This is borne out from the fact that Microsoft keeps in constant touch with the customers by email and by direct contact and ensures that the users running Windows PC’s are always kept informed about the latest service updates. Further, the widespread use of Windows PC’s makes the number of customer service points that many more as well. Hence, users who run Windows can expect prompt service to their problems. However, Mac fans can argue about the need to contact customer service in the first place because of the fact that the Mac Computers are usually robust and do not need frequent service upgrades or patches to be released. Finally, the recent history of upgrades and patches has proved that Apple needs to do get its act better as there have been instances where Apple had to recall some of its products and hence it might not too far behind Microsoft as far as the issue of frequent customer service calls is concerned. Ease of Use This section details the comparison between Windows and Mac OS according to the ease with which they can be used. For instance, using a Windows PC is a no-brainer with very little computer literacy required from the users. Though the Mac OS does not need sophisticated computer skills, nonetheless, there is some amount of computer savvy that is needed from the users of Mac OS. In recent years, Apple has moved to make their Notebooks’ easy to use but it has a bit of catching up to do when compared to Windows. Hence, if the user lacks computer skills and can be considered basic as far as computer literacy is concerned, then he or she should switch to the Windows OS. However, the Mac OS is easy to use once the basic computer literacy has been mastered as it is indeed a pleasure to use the Mac Notebooks’ for the different kinds of features that they have. The point here is that using a Mac OS is like drinking old wine. The taste simply grows on with time and hence Mac OS is something for those with the patience to browse through the various features and then get used to it. On the other hand, using Windows OS is like drinking a can of beer with no need for any skills and the ease with which one can accomplish the tasks makes one’s job easier. The Windows OS is built around the concepts of user friendliness and scalability. Hence the number of applications that you can run on Windows is more when compared with the Mac OS. Further, the Windows OS supports several proprietary word processing and other software that can be used for a wide variety of uses including automating everyday tasks. This makes the Windows OS the perfect choice for those who have a need to automate repetitive tasks and perform the basic functions needed for a Small Office Home Office (SOHO). This category of users stands to benefit from using the Windows OS as compared to the Mac OS that has a loyal but small clientele. As the analogy of wine and beer showed, the user groups who use Windows OS point to the very user friendliness of the GUI (Graphical User Interface) of Windows as opposed to the slightly difficult to use interface of the Mac. Library of Programs and Applications This section details the ways in which the library of programs and applications that are supported by Windows and Mac operating systems. The programs that are supported by both operating systems are extensive and hence both the OS’s score heavily on this count. However, the Windows OS scores because of the range of applications that it can support for the SOHO segment and this is where the clientele of Microsoft is concentrated. On the other hand, the Mac OS is known to support some high end applications like the Graphics and other features that the OS supports. The leveling of the playing field occurs because these days, many of the applications are configured to run on both the operating systems. Hence, it would be facile to say that one operating system is superior to the other in the range of applications that they can support. Because of the interoperability of the applications that are used by a majority of users, either operating system can be used with ease. However, the built in programs that are offered by Windows is more when compared to the equivalent programs offered by Mac. Hence, even after taking into account the common programs that can run on both the operating systems, it becomes clear that Windows scores in the ability to come wrapped with more software. Performance This section reviews the Mac OS and the Windows Operating system in terms of performance and security. The security aspect is added to the section as it is closely linked to the issue of which operating system performs better when connected with the World Wide Web and how each of the OS’s fare when it concerns the issue of hacking and security of personal information on each of the computers running these two operating systems. The issue of performance has long dogged the use of Windows as the OS is reputed to be slower than the Mac OS. There are several studies done on what makes the Mac faster than the Windows OS and most of them point to the “heaviness” of the applications that Windows supports. Given that the Mac OS is “lighter” from the point of view of the applications as well as the core operating system itself, it is no wonder that it scores heavily in terms of performance over Windows. However, the Mac OS has failed several “stress tests” done by taking about 9 GB of data and copying it from the computer running Windows and another running Mac to a USB Drive. The results showed that Windows is superior because of the inherent nature of the file system that the OS is built on. This apparently contradictory stance that Windows is slower when compared to Mac for routine functions but is faster when large volumes of data are tested can be explained by recourse to the scalability of the Windows OS being better when compared to the Mac OS. If you take a computer running Mac OS and another running Windows that is unpatched and then connect them both to the World Wide Web, then the Windows PC would be compromised in critical moments whereas the Mac OS would continue unperturbed. This alone should convince anyone about the superiority of the Mac OS. However, this comparison alone does not tell the whole story as Windows has come a long way from its XP days when frequent crashes were the order of the day and has substantially improved upon the security aspects of its OS. Hence, the Mac scores over the Windows OS when the issue of web security is concerned and taken together with the performance aspects, the Windows and Mac operating systems are evenly matched in this respect. Conclusion This report has so far surveyed the Mac and Windows operating systems in terms of the various factors that have been listed in the preceding sections. This section ties in all the results obtained so far and explains what it all means. For starters, the operating system war between Windows and Mac OS can be thought of as having been concluded with the triumph of Windows or never been started at all. These divergent views are the opinions of the Windows and Mac fans respectively. The preceding sections have shown a bias towards Mac on some aspects whereas on other aspects Windows comes out on top. Hence, we can reasonably conclude that no operating system is perfect and it depends on the user and his or her preferences as well as the use that he or she is going to put the operating system to that should determine which operating system is eventually chosen. Hence, to conclude the report, it is clear that the statement about the Operating Systems never having started is true in so far as the target audience for the Windows and Mac OS’s are concerned. From the time the Mac and Windows operating systems were introduced into the market, there has been a tendency for each of the players to concentrate on particular segments as target markets. This has given rise to the segmented nature of the markets that these operating systems serve and hence, the kind of applications one would like the OS to run as well as the use to which one would put the OS to be the determining factor when it concerns choosing one operating system over the other. Recommendations What is evident from the above discussion is that different users have different needs for the computers and in the case of the college students, they have a need for online research, gaming and other tasks that need high performance and user friendly operating systems. And it is on these aspects that Windows scores over Mac OS and though the latter is quite good on reliability and dependability, most of the users these days are savvy enough to use their computers wisely and also have enough knowledge about the operating systems to do some basic troubleshooting themselves. Further, the users of operating systems also need to consider whether they are looking at a long term investment or want a computer for short term use. The Windows computers make for good short term and medium term investments whereas Mac Notebooks’ make a good long term investment. Further, the knowledge level of the users goes a long way in determining which OS to use as Windows does not need detailed knowledge of computers whereas Mac needs some level of computer literacy though not at an advanced level. If one were to recommend a particular operating system, it would be the case that the recommendation would be qualified according to the use to which the OS is put to and the way in which the user would like the computer he or she purchases to address a specific need. Hence, for college students who do not have the time to explore the features in say a Mac that requires some time and effort, Windows is the obvious choice. Further, the Windows OS is compatible with a host of other applications for which the upgrades and patches are easily available when compared to the Mac. What queers the pitch is that for those students, who want to make maximum use of the internet, the Mac would be a better choice as the security and reliability of the OS is more when the computer is connected to the internet. The final recommendation is that it is better to use a Mac OS if you are planning to buy a laptop and it is better to use Windows OS if you want to use the same on your desktop. As has been mentioned throughout the paper, the kind of needs that you want the OS to fulfill would ultimately decide your choice. Hence, this should be your guiding criterion when deciding on which operating system that you want to buy and use. References Administrator. Operating Systems. 15 July 2009. 14 Aug 2010 . Finnie, Scot. Mac vs. PC cost analysis: How does it all add up? 08 June 2007. 14 Aug 2010 . Gordon, Jon. The price difference between Macs and PCs widens. 06 Aug 2008. 14 Aug 2010 . Kyrnin, Mark. Mac OS X vs. Windows XP: A Performance Comparison on an Apple Mac Mini. 14 Feb 2010. 14 Aug 2010 . Mac vs Windows Comparisons. 12 May 2010. 14 Aug 2010 . Miller, Joshua. Difference Between Mac & Windows Computers. 04 Mar 2010. 14 Aug 2010 . Nicholas. Understanding Macs - Differences Between Mac and PC. 15 Jan 2010. 14 Aug 2010 . Oak, Manali. Difference between Windows and Macintosh. 09 Apr 2010. 14 Aug 2010 . Pogue, David Howell and David. Switch to Mac: Differences between Windows and OS X. 06 Aug 2008. 14 Aug 2010 . Seobold, Chris. Mac vs Windows, no Real Difference? 16 May 2005. 14 Aug 2010 . Read More