Let me start by first saying I don't have a problem with anyone using MacOS, and I'd never argue that people should switch to Windows. I'm just saying that a lot of this stuff is overblown, the differences between OSes (other than amount of software available) are minimal, and if you're good enough to be efficient with one, you will be with another. If you're happy with MacOS, or Windows, or BeOs, or whatever, that's great, keep using it. I guess it is very much about perception, for some people they sit down with a Mac and find it far easier. I can sit down with Windows, MacOS, or KDE/GNOME and within five minutes being moving just as efficiently through them each. (Windows in no time, simply because I use it everyday and don't have to do that slight adjusting of "oh, this is here in KDE" first time I do it.)
Essentially, it's not a matter of mouse clicks; it's a matter of keyboard shortcuts that cuts down the time.
But I thought you were complaining you'd have to learn keyboard shortcuts in Windows.
Right now, I have Finder, Firefox, Vienna (RSS Reader), Apple Mail, Address Book, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, InDesign, Bridge, Acrobat, iTunes, FontExplorer X, CyberDuck FTP, and TextEdit currently running right now. All of these programs can be used at an instant without having to wait to open it, and any of those programs or windows can be hidden with a couple keystrokes so I can focus on specific tasks.
Again, a lot of this here is usage difference. For one thing, I don't have any wait time to launch programs on my PC (unless they are resource hogs like a game, or they need to connect like Skype) that aren't running, but I have a fairly fast PC. Unix based systems are a lot better at swapping programs in and out. Definately a Windows weakness, but I also wouldn't run all those progams at once simply because I like to see my CPU sitting idle most of the time incase I'm going to need it for encoding or something at moments notice.
I can switch between open programs instantly and hide them as well, the only difference between the two is the fact that Unix can keep them "running" out of memory, Windows can't. (I say Unix to allow me to specify Linux as well as MacOS.) The difference is more how the systems work, not how we experience them.
With Windows, it's likely a click, move mouse, click, search for program folder, click/highlight, then click.
Again, you're exaggerating a bit. There are numerous ways to launch a program in Windows, not just clicking on the start menu (which you can also move through without clicking each time) I mean I run a lot of stuff with Windows+R -> program name.
3. stability, xp is stable, don't get me wrong, and, of course, if you "use it right" it could hypothetically be equally stable. But, the point is that you don't have to use an OSX "right"... it simply IS stable. Personally I would rather use a product that works straight away than have to tweak another thing to achieve the same end.
Here's what I've "tweaked" in Windows:
1. Switched to "Classic" view because I hate Luna.
2. Turned off Automatic Updates and Windows Firewall.
3. Set it to auto login so I don't have to click the lone user account.
I certainly don't use Windows "right" either. I install drivers and programs on top of each other, disable and reenable hardware, swap nvidia drivers five or six times in a row.
What I mean, is these people who will install AIM, MSN, Yahoo!, Norton, Zone Alarm, five copies of LimeWire, two Ares, BitComent, BitTorrent, Kazaa, etc. al. And have them all start at boot, along with all their little extra programs, toolbars and spyware. People who never update their stuff properly, so when Windows runs an automatic updates, it creates a bigger mess as they had broke it to start with. Meanwhile they run IE6 to check their mail, while using FireFox to browse the internet. I assume you aren't doing that crap to your Macs.
I have three things run on boot: Sunbelt, PeerGuardian, Gmail Notifier. I run Opera, Steam and Pidgin almost all the time, and utorrent usually joins them. I don't have a mess, I never find anything but cookies. Subsequently, I never have stability issues with XP. (Unless it is my doing, such as tinkering with game files, causing said game to crash. This is the cause of all my "button on case" reboots.)
Now, it's true for past Windows, especially ME, and for Vista, you can have stability issues just by things going crazy and breaking in the middle of it just running. But NT5 and especially XP after SP2, are VERY stable just running. That's why XP isn't fully backwards compatable with old Windows software, a lot of that software was written specifically on the problems in Windows or DOS. DOS was the biggest cause of Windows instability.
this may be a (more) personal/subjective thing, I don't know, but sometimes when I'm using xp it feels like I'm somehow working 'against' the os. It just seems to sometimes make things difficult for no real reason, and then I have to go around looking for an answer which drives me mad. osx, more often than not, I can just focus on what I'm doing; the os doesn't get in the way. also, i find dual tasking or even triple tasking with a mac MUCH more effective, I am not sure why.
See, I don't understand this. Windows never gets in my way. It does what I want it to always. Programs are another story, but that's where my focus is, on the applications. Windows sits there and lets me run my programs, and directorizes my files.
Now, I've had MacOS and Linux get in my way and I've had to work against those OSes at times. But I'm not saying that's an issue with them, it's an issue with me needing to figure out how to do something I haven't done on them before. I've had some of that with Windows when I'm doing something new of course as well.
that said, in the end, if you customize windows xp to your liking, productivity is negligible really.... its never happenned to me, but I'm sure it can happen (because, obviously, in benji and others case it has).
Again, my "customization" of Windows is basically non-existant. I turned off the "security center" and changed the theme to "Classic" but it may again just be me. I've seen "gamers" have to adjust to playing different consoles, and people who've logged as many or more hours than me on a PS2 have to look down to remember where the buttons are on a Dual Shock. It may just be I am able to adapt quickly. But I think the issues are not with the OSes, and primarly with the users.
Not that I want to get into a discussion with you, Benji. I'd get pwned. Everyone would. But one thing OS X has that no other OS has is quality software built-in.
I mean, all Linux distros have built-in software, but we can't exactly say the quality is top notch. It's pretty darn good considering it's open-source but it's not nearly as good as any of the software developed by Apple that comes bundled in OS X.
Now, see I think most Apple products are crap. I know iTunes and iChat are exceptions, but they are especially crap. To be fair, until Office 2007, Microsoft didn't produce any software that I wouldn't call crap either. But Office 2007's wonderfulness is currently blinding me to their other software debacles.
I'd also question the lack of "top notch" stuff. Yeah, Photoshop is better than GIMP. But pretty much all other GPL stuff is better. Amarok/Banshee...XMMS is Winamp...OpenOffice.org is superior or as good as any non Office 2007 Microsoft Office. You have stuff like Opera and Pidgin also on other OSes. I don't use Microsoft programs other than Office 2007, everything I use is basically third-party GPL stuff. (Except for Steam...oh Steam how I love thee.)
Another thing OS X has over Windoze and Linux is the unified look of the UI: Since almost every application commonly used on a Mac is made by Apple, the looks and the features of the apps are very similar, if not identical.
Well, there's two points here. For one, KDE does the same thing for any program with a K prefix. QT, GTK. Also, because a lot of Windows programs use the same APIs, they do turn out looking similar and identical. I don't think it's necessarily a great thing, though I wish I could make everything in Windows use ClearLooks.
Secondly, I don't know if "every application...made by Apple" is necessarily a good thing.
Also, the ease of use present on OS X is not present on Linux (I don't know you, but I don't like the fact that the OS is made in such way that you have to use the Terminal every time you have to install an application).
Don't know when the last time you used Linux is? But I've almost never had to go into the Terminal for anything in years. We have RPM distribution now. Yum. Only crazy...er hardcore people use Slackware. I think most people are using Ubuntu, Fedora, or SUSE. I use Fedora personally as I think it's installation is the best.
LOL. The best of all is that I can sync everything easily with iTunes, and every program talks to the others with ease.