I was randomly browsing through the logs processed by ‘Analog’ and noticed that over 55-60% people visiting this site, use Windows.

Granted, it is the most ‘popular’ OS by any means - but just cause something is popular doesn’t make it better. That said, Windows is much more suited for gaming for various reasons.

When I first went to Uni I had a Toshiba laptop with debian and some form of Windows installed. Still I found that I wanted everything to ‘integrate’ better and after checking around decided to give the alternative from Apple ago.

Since I started with computers way back when I was around 8/9 I mainly used some flavour of linux and windows and for many many, many years - I didn’t really think much of Apple. OS 9 really was so archaic it just seemed so windows 3.1(1)ish that it just made me go ‘pfft’.

When I first started using OS X, this was in the days of Jaguar (and whatever previously which my mind fails to recall) - OS X back then was a nice change, but not awesome. Tiger, as it currently stands at 10.4.8, has been my primary OS of choice since that very first moment.

I currently only use a Dual processor G5 and my 15-inch powerbook. I’ve also given my Mom a 17-inch powerbook, while I have another G5 in my lab, along with two PCs for linux/windows related work.

Windows will never ‘die’ out, simply because of the software - most technical and even non-technical applications are at times released in ‘only’ Windows compatible binaries and companies never look further unless their customer base demands at such.

Apple’s PR department will lead you to believe that OS X is only good for mixing music, having Mom n’ Pop aimlessly struggle with the mouse and other mind numbing tasks but my love for this OS is not solely for what’s above the hood - but also for what’s under the hood: Darwin - which is just for starters. X11 support, that improved with easy Software Update (SU), XCode - a fantastic IDE and much much more.

OS X brings integration and a whole plethora of features that people who are tied to Windows will never come to enjoy, and however much Redmond may ‘copy’ OS X …it will never be Coca-Cola. It’ll be Pepsi, look the same, fizz the same…but it will leave that after-taste that us coke addicts *cough* not the white power kind! *cough* have come to appreciate.

This is again a dual edged sword. On one hand Redmond designs their OS with no particular hardware configuration in mind, whereas on the other hand Apple have a fairly limited possibilities - but this isn’t entirely true with their newer Intel machines, which do offer a lot more ‘pick n’ mixing’ than ever before. This brings us to the age old notion of design for purpose and design for multi-purpose.

The latter ends up with a better, more integrated product but pays in flexibility while the former may not suffer from limitations - integration can and is and issue with Windows.

A good example would be how OS X manages the various Networking aspects. Everything from the modem, bluetooth, wireless to ethernet interfaces are available under a single ‘pane’ in System Preferences. Windows users can only dream - they have to suffer with Windows own little network managment pane, another that the driver usually installs and here we end up in conflict land.

Before you know it - you have about 3 - 4 windows open, while furiously uninstalling and reinstalling INF drivers, while refreshing Device Manager…*shudder*.

Bottom line, do yourself a favour. Go check out OS X. I have never paid for a Mac simply because of the hardware, it is the software that is mind numbingly excellent. Don’t throw your PC out either - it has it’s uses, and makes an excellent heater during this Christmas season.

Use both, and see what fits you better, but chances are that you will find yourself neglecting that PC more and more.