Which OS is better, Windows, Mac OS X or Linux?
If u are a gamer, you’ll have to use Windows.
If you’re working in a network environment, don’t even bother, Windows is the only relevant option to consider.
Mac OS X has a few features that Windows does not have (or pales in comparison) that make it a better option for a single user environment - if you actually know you’ll use those features. In any other case there are no significant differences and applications for every major work activity are available for both systems; do consider though that Microsoft is probably developing a better ecosystem and interaction with multiple devices than Apple is.
I’ve used Windows in a corporate office environment for years (up to Windows 7) as regular user. Today I have deployed and have been managing Windows 8 and 10 on a fairly small Windows Server domain office infrastructure.
Mac OS X has been my home and personal business OS for the last 5–6 years, and before then I’ve always used Windows as a relatively savvy power user.
Back on point - everyone's answer will be different, but here are my key points for both systems (mostly UX). Sorry for not being too organized.
Price - Winner: Mac OS X
- Windows is usually free if you buy it with a new computer, though it’s usually the Home version (which has some limitations compared to Pro, including not being able to change the display language).
- Windows 10 upgrade from 7, 8 or 8.1 is currently free until July. For upcoming version who knows!
- OS X is virtually always free, and updates are expected to remain free as well.
File Management - Winner: Windows
- Explorer is much easier to handle in Windows than Finder is in Mac OS X. Even if the user is not savvy it is possible to be fairly soon using keyboard shortcuts and enhancing workflow.
- Copying and Pasting files with your keyboard only is very simple on Windows. In fact, almost everything is easier, more logical and faster to do in Windows Explorer than with Finder, especially if you use the keyboard a lot. Using a mouse will still be better with Windows, but using a trackpad you’ll find some operations to be easier with a Mac.
- Mac OS X Finder renaming features are far easier and powerful to use than Windows’;
- The single most important feature in Finder, in comparison to Windows Explorer, is Quick Look. It’s impressively useful, for a ton of reasons: if you have a file selected OS-wide, just press the spacebar (which serves no other purpose OS-wide except when typing a space) and you get a preview of a document across workspaces, quickly preview an image before selecting it on an Open dialog box, press ALT to zoom in and move around, etc. I know you have that preview pane in Explorer but it’s not even in the same galaxy. Quick Look is awesome and the fundamental OS X Finderkiller feature.
- I also like the fact that the context menu selection options vary by changing the keyboard selector in OS X, but this is a minor feature.
- Customizing folder/alias icons with OS X is not easy, if possible at all.
- You can rename any document file, open or not, in Mac OS X. In Windows you can't. You can even change it on the window title bar.
- Oh, and the 260 character limit with Windows [thanks for the correction, including the information that this should be no longer be an issue with the last major iteration of Windows 10]… It’s insane. I’m skipping this because it gives me headaches and can drive one to insanity.
- Disconnecting external devices (usb drives, etc) is far easier with OS X
Search/assistant - Winner: Mac OS X
- Note that I do not use Cortana, it’s not available in my location (though I heard good things about it). Siri is unavailable overall, so no comparison there.
- CMD+Spacebar to activate Spotlight search is a marvelous tool, another killer feature of OS X. Here’s the thing: someone asks me for a friend’s phone number, I press CMD+Spacebar, type the name, select and copy the result; literally 3 seconds at most. On Windows I don’t think you can do anything remotely similar.
- The Dictionary features of Spotlight are awesome (including three-finger tapping a word to get a popup with its meaning, almost OS-wide). I have several languages active and use this constantly.
- Type “100 USD” and it instantly outputs the exchange value in EUR, GBP, etc.
- Type “100+20/20” and it will output … 101
- Windows Search… Well, to be fair: if you’re using it on Explorer it works very well. Other than that I have to say that I have yet to read something useful actually being output from the Start Search panel other than Control Panel settings and Apps, but again, my location does not support Cortana. In this respect, Finder’s search also works very well.
Window/Workspace Management - Winner: tie, depends
- Windows 10 has the Start Screen or Start Menu. Many don’t like it or actually learned to hate the Windows 8 iterations. I like it. I also like Metro Apps in general because they streamline information in very simple and easy to use applications. It was crucial to have these co-inhabiting the desktop with other windows, Windows 10 made this right. Mac OS X has nothing comparable (it has that iOS apps layout that no one uses and serves no purpose).
- Notifications: Windows 10 and OS X 10.11 both have similar notification sliding side bars. Windows 10 is simpler and arguably more useful given it has some quick settings buttons just like mobile devices have and also it has one pane only. Why don’t the sidebars extend in width if the user wanted!?! It they would I guess they could be more useful.
- Windows window snaps and keyboard shortcuts are really useful and quick to use for e.g. working with documents side-by-side. I use Spectacle (3rd party app) on my Mac to achieve somewhat the same. With El Capitan you have something similar but only for full screen apps.
- I feel Windows’ windows are slightly faster to handle around the current desktop than Mac OS X, especially if you are a power user and have been using it for some time.
- Windows open applications management is probably better productivity-wise, because you can find your windows very fast. But Mac OS X's window management is dramatically *different*, with Mission Control and multiple work screens being a huge win for Mac OS X.
- To reinforce the last point: Mission Control (multiple desktops management) is one additional killer feature of OS X because of how easy is it is to move windows across desktops, switch desktops with the trackpad, but it can quickly result in a productivity loss. I sometimes end up going back in forth looking for an open window app.
- Windows tab cycle through all window options works a lot better than on Mac OS X and is very, very useful for power users. Note that this is referring ALT+TAB, not CMD+Tab vs Win Key+Tab.
- Mac OS X's screen capture tool's *shortcuts* beat the similar Snipping Tool and shortcuts available in Windows. Very, very handy.
General Applications - Winner: tie, depends:
- Using Office is still a better experience on Windows that on Mac OS X but there is no other software that can do any better. To apply the last point to a practical example, working with Excel files on a Mac gives me an headache and on Windows it's pure bliss. With Office 2016, using these apps is significantly easier, tough again, not the same for a proficient keyboard shortcut Windows user. So if you depend on Office a lot, you may want to stick with Windows.
- I do feel Microsoft is currently making an actual effort to improve Office UX experience and overall features on OS X.
- It’s actually insane that if you have your information mainly stored in iCloud you can’t use it with Outlook for Mac but you can with Outlook for Windows (via the proprietary Apple iCloud connector). You can connect via IMAP to the e-mail account but that’s it, no contacts, notes, calendar.
- The upper hand that OS X had a few years ago with graphical design and media editing software is now non existing. All significant tools and apps are available on both systems and perform mostly the same way.
- You can do mostly everything on Windows that you can do with a Mac, though the opposite is not true, especially in a corporate environment, with specific software. Other than that it's just a matter of being used to the special features on each system to take advantage when using an application.
- Microsoft http://outlook.com integration works better in Windows due to native Exchange ActiveSync protocols. I can't find any particular advantages with iCloud's similar features, especially the basic ones (email, contacts, calendar, notes, reminders). But it mostly works, through IMAP.
- I find Mac OS X better for writing - much better keyboard shortcuts to move around text.
- Mac Mail app is awful. If you want a simple e-mail client app, Windows 10 Mail app is far more streamlined. It doesn’t do as much, but it does well what it can do. With Mac Mail everything seems a mess, especially if you’re used to work with Outlook in an Exchange environment.
Gaming - Winner: Windows;
- I’m not a gamer for many years now, but I do know this isn’t even a competition.
Networking - Winner: Windows;
- Mac OS X networking is very bad when compared with Windows. Why, oh why can't I have network shares just stick to where they should be!?! Again, working in a networked environment is easier on Windows. I do use my Mac at home to connect to a Sinology NAS, and it's a pain. It connects through Samba, or through AFP, whatever. A mess. I just live with it as is.
- I can’t say anything good about OS X on this regard. I’m sure there’s something but I just don’t want to hear it.
- Ok, maybe AirPlay and Bonjour stuff. If like me you’re deep in the Apple ecosystem, you’ll find the integration across devices to be very cool - if they work properly. AirPlay works well if your network is working *very* well, AirDrop works when it wants…
Hardware - Winner: tie, depends;
Hardware is a really tough thing to review, but there are some specific OS hardware functionality that stand out:
- Mac OS X wins a gazillion points with Mac's trackpad functionality. There is simply nothing like it. Simply put: when I used Windows only, I did not use the trackpad, a mouse was compulsory. Right now, I find myself doing quick retouching on Photoshop using my trackpad. Swiping four fingers between work desktops is brilliant. Four fingers up and all your browser windows are visible across desktops. Surface 3 Pro trackpad's on Windows 10 caused some stir and made many other good options appear, though it's not an as refined experience.
- Microsoft is - from my p.o.v. - on the right track with the Surface. It’s what I take with me for quick meetings and while traveling, and it’s awesome. I like the overall format and the pen functionality is excellent.
- Multiple monitor management has become comparable with Windows 10
- High resolution monitors work very well in OS X. On Windows it’s still fiddly, especially with third party applications, though much better than previous OS iterations.
- Phone call integration in Mac OS X Yosemite (and more recent) is very cool, though it does not work properly when I'm using my Mac connected to the Thunderbolt Apple Display. I would use this a lot more but I don’t because of this. With El Capitan’s last iterations, the SMS integration has gone beserk and became totally undependable
Misc Tools and Features
- Bash: those who use it will value OS X;
- Font viewer: OS X’s Font Catalog is an awesome tool for viewing and organizing Fonts. It’s not comparable to Windows’ Character map because that serves a different purpose. But in the end, Windows loses for not having a tool for *viewing* and organizing fonts.
- Hourly time voice announcements is a pretty nifty feature in OS X that help me keep track of time.
- TimeMachine backups work very well (in my case using a Synology NAS). I think Windows is a lot better with full restore backups, but don’t have the experience to comment.
- File Synchronicity: I use OneDrive in all my devices, Windows, OS X, iOS and works awesome. I particularly like the Photos app in Windows 10 which browses all your OneDrive photos without being necessary to download them.
It is important to say that I do have Windows 10 installed on my Mac, that I can access either by Bootcamp (rarely) or using Parallels (whenever I want to use Office 2016 to get something done properly).
I have also installed Linux distributions but threw them out pretty soon - I would guess those should be better nowadays but I really can’t say much about it.
