Reviews
Windows vs. Mac vs. Ubuntu
by BaerConsultLLC on Jul.07, 2009, under Reviews
Well, seeing as how we use all 3, we thought it would be nice to throw a review out for current Operating Systems. Keep in mind, that each Operating System serves a very particular purpose in our organization. Mac is reserved for Blogging, programming, web site development, and most everything else creative. Windows is reserved for compatibility purposes; it’ll run nearly everything that you need it to. Ubuntu (Linux Distribution) is reserved for servers, both production and non-production.
First, we’ll start with the Pros and Cons of each.
Ubuntu
Pros:
- Incredibly stable
- Will run (even through updates) for months or even years
- Free
- Mostly free packages
- Mildly Secure
- Widespread support
Cons:
- Not very user friendly, mostly command line interface
- You must have years of background experience in Unix or Linux in order to operate one of these machines efficiently
Other Thoughts:
Ubuntu is a lot like the Georgian swamps, you don’t go in with a guide if you want to come out alive. Fortunately, there is a whole bunch of support out there for Ubuntu and other Linux distributions. Since most distributions are very similar, there are a lot of general support options out there as well. However, despite these options, it can take days or weeks for you to find a solution to your problem, as almost all support is forum based. We’ve run in to problems that astonish even seasoned Linux administrators.
Windows
Pros:
- Highest compatibility
- Program for just about anything
- Mostly user friendly
- Vista brought a much better looking user interface
Cons:
- Price
- Price…This is not a typo
- XP was stable, Vista wasn’t. Vista has gotten better, though
- Expensive upgrades that aren’t even really worth it
- Mildly unstable
- Doesn’t play well with others
- When something does go wrong, good luck trying to decipher the error code
- Highest threat for malware
Other Thoughts:
Windows XP was phenomenal once they released the correct patches and updates. Vista was horrible when it came out, but since its release, it has become significantly more stable. Vista is not that bad once you figure out where everything is and how to shut off the useless security features that it includes.
There was a study done a couple years ago where a couple of college students put a Windows machine directly connected to the internet with no firewall, no virus protection, no router; and it took less than a minute to get infected with a virus.
Mac
Pros:
- Mostly user friendly
- Most aesthetically pleasing
- Great for creativity
- Inexpensive OS upgrades
- Quick boot up time
- Nice scrolling features
- Mild compatibility
Cons:
- Mainly, Mac users. Read more in the ‘Other Thoughts’ section
- Not as stable as the hype says
- Pricey, pricey, pricey hardware
- Battery life is not as good as advertised
- Not much hardware capability (i.e. No HDMI capability without a 6’ string of adapters for MacBook or MacBook Pro)
Other Thoughts:
One of our biggest issues with Mac is the die-hard users of Mac. If you choose to go 100% Mac, that’s fine, it’s a great OS. But a little known fact is that Viruses can be programmed in any language, for any OS. Saying that you’re secure because you are working on a Mac is similar to saying that you’re car rarely breaks down because it’s a Ferrari. If Ferrari made cars on the quantitative scale that GM and Ford did, they would break down as much as any other car. Microsoft owns upwards of 85% of the computer market share when it comes to Operating Systems. Why would someone create a virus that would only affect ~10% of computer users? You win the security category by default. You’re no more secure than Windows users, you’re just a smaller target.
With that said, Mac is a great Operating System, but not all that better than Windows. I have had to reboot this MacBook Pro numerous times since first boot up due to a lack of functionality. I do need to reboot it after software updates. The ad that says you can get 14+ hours of battery life is a joke. It does last slightly longer than a standard HP laptop battery. I’d say standard battery life before needing to plug it in is about 3 hours of standard use. That’s still better than a standard HP laptop, but nowhere near 14 hours.
I do like the structure of these machines. The single piece of aluminum is great. That combined with the fact that it sucks air through the keyboard for cooling keeps this machine extremely cool. After 8 hours of continuous run time, it’s still cool to the touch.
Conclusion:
If we were to recommend and Operating System for a typical user, we’d still stick with Windows. It may not be the greatest for stability, but how many times does it continually crash. Not to mention, most users are going to be comfortable with Windows as it’s what they’re used to.
Ideally, we’d recommend having a computer for each Operating System. If you’re willing to learn, Linux is a very nice OS to have running somewhere, especially if you’re interested in doing servers. If you’re creative, then Mac is the way to go. If you need it for a company or productivity, Windows is your OS. Altogether, they each have specialties, just like people. The important thing to remember is “Don’t always believe what you here”. The hype on Mac is way too positive, the hype on Windows is way too negative, and there is little hype on Linux, but generally loved by those who know it.
