ROUND 1: PICTURE PERFECT
SNOW LEOPARD: Although we like to think that looks don’t matter, they clearly do when it comes to choosing which operating system you’ll be staring at for the 7+ hours per week that the average Canadian youth spends online. Apple released its latest version of Max OS X in August called Snow Leopard and while it doesn’t look much different from its predecessor, its glossy icons and sleek interface make mouths water.
WINDOWS 7: The same can’t be said for Windows 7. Microsoft’s latest OS has an improved interface, but the problem is that it tries too hard to look like a Mac withoutlooking like a Mac. Either way, that’s a no-win situation.
Snow Leopard’s good looks shatter Windows 7’s confidence. Apple takes Round 1!
SCORE: SNOW LEOPARD – 1
WINDOWS 7- 0
ROUND 2: FEATURES FIGHT
SNOW LEOPARD: Snow Leopard doesn’t offer many new features. In fact, its main focus is on increased efficiency. It does, however, have all of the cool features that Mac users have come to love from Mac OS X, including Spaces that allow users to jump between multiple desktops for work or entertainment, Stacks that fan out multiple files to keep you organized, and an easy-to-use Finder with Cover Flow.
WINDOWS 7: Windows 7, on the other hand, has a load of new features, such as the Aero Snap function that enables users to compare two files side by side by dragging windows to the edge of the screen. You can also turn your static desktop wallpaper into a rotating slideshow of your favourite photos, or pin icons to the revamped taskbar.
More new features = more fun. Windows 7 takes a bite out of Apple to score its first point!
SCORE: SNOW LEOPARD – 1
WINDOWS 7 – 1
ROUND 3: NEED FOR SPEED
SNOW LEOPARD: Apple’s OS is not justnamed Snow Leopard; it runs like one too. A study by CNET found that when Snow Leopard and Windows 7 are run on a MacBook Pro, Apple’s OS performs routine tasks quicker and boots up or shuts down faster. Plus, Snow Leopard does not drain a laptop’s battery as quickly as its Microsoft-made foe.
WINDOWS 7: Obviously, the kind of graphics card or processor your computer has will impact the speed of your OS, but all things being equal Windows 7still lags behind Snow Leopard. To be fair, CNET’s findings only apply to Apple computers since Snow Leopard cannot be tested on a PC, yet even in the face of uncertainty the odds don’t look good for Windows.
Snow Leopard gives “paws” to Windows 7. Leopard leaps ahead another point!
SCORE: SNOW LEOPARD – 2
WINDOWS 7- 1
ROUND 4: SALES SUCCESS
SNOW LEOPARD: So, just how successful have these products been in gaining widespread acceptance? In October2009, months after Apple’s newest version of Mac OS X was launched, Snow Leopard accounted for 1.17% of worldwide market share.
WINDOWS 7: By contrast, 2.15% of global computer users were running Windows 7, surpassing Snow Leopard after being on sale for only two short weeks! Now that’s impressive!
Snow Leopard is still an endangered species. Windows wins Round 4 to tie the score!
SCORE: SNOW LEOPARD – 2
WINDOWS 7- 2
ROUND 5: PRICE POINT
SNOW LEOPARD: High performance comes with a price, but in a recovering economy affordability is even more important. It will cost Canadians $34.99 to upgrade from Max OS X Leopard to Snow Leopard.
WINDOWS 7: The price of upgrading from the much-maligned Windows Vista to Windows 7 is steep: $129.99, to be exact. With the number of glitches that plagued its predecessor, Microsoft should be giving Windows 7 away for free!
At almost four times the cost of Snow Leopard, Windows 7 breaks the bank, losing the game and match.
SCORE: SNOW LEOPARD – 3
WINDOWS 7- 2
ROUND UP: If you want to get more out of your computer for less, “there’s an app for that,” but its name is not Windows 7. Microsoft’s master OS has plenty of new features worthy of its growing market share. However, Apple’s upgrade looks cooler, runs faster, and costs less than Windows 7, making Snow Leopard an oh-so-attractive OS that you’ll definitely want to be “spotted” with.
Web Links:
www.apple.com/macosx
www.windows7.com