Member Avatar for rae08

Hi guys! Just conducting a survey for those who have tried these two operating systems. How would you compare these two in terms of these parameters:
Ease of use
Availability of Software
Overall Security
Virus Attacks

Thanks!

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by deceptikon

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Quick orientation: Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) and Windows 8 were both 2012-era releases — Mountain Lion shipped July 25, 2012 and Windows 8 reached general availability in late October 2012. These releases took different design directions (Apple extended the existing Mac desktop model; Microsoft pushed a touch‑first Start/tiles UI). Apple Mountain Lion press release (July 25, 2012). Windows 8 release notes / coverage. (apple.com)

Ease of use: familiarity matters more than “which is easier.” Windows 8’s Start screen and split Modern/Desktop model were designed for touch and therefore felt unfamiliar on traditional mice/keyboards; Mountain Lion kept the classic Mac desktop, gestures and system-level features (Notification Center, iCloud integration) that many find consistent. Windows 8.1 later restored several desktop affordances (Start button, boot-to-desktop) to reduce that friction. If you’re coming from Windows 7, expect a learning curve; if you’re a long‑time Mac user, Mountain Lion feels more continuous. (en.wikipedia.org)

Availability of software: in 2013 the Windows family owned roughly 90% of desktop OS usage, so most third‑party desktop apps and especially games were Windows‑first; Mac had strong coverage for creative/pro apps (and a growing App Store/Steam presence) but fewer AAA game ports. If gaming or niche enterprise/engineering tools matter, Windows is the safer choice; for a streamlined creative workflow or Apple ecosystem integration, Mountain Lion was a solid pick. Desktop OS market share table and Steam platform notes show this distribution. (statinvestor.com)

Security and viruses: both OSes added protections — Windows 8 integrated real‑time antimalware into Windows Defender, SmartScreen reputation checks and platform boot protections; Mountain Lion added Gatekeeper/XProtect and other hardening. Historically more malware targeted Windows largely because of its larger installed base, not because Mac is magically immune. Practical takeaways: keep the OS and definitions updated, enable Gatekeeper/FileVault on Mac or Defender/SmartScreen and BitLocker where available on Windows, avoid unsigned installers, and back up data. Gatekeeper/XProtect help, but are not a substitute for caution on downloaded code. (microsoft.com)

Notes from the thread: ’s point about the Windows learning curve and ’s preference for the Mac experience reflect those same tradeoffs (familiarity vs. software breadth). was correct that attack incentives track market share. For a final decision, list the specific apps and games you need and try the target UI (in‑store demo, VM, or trial) before switching.

Recommended Answers

All 11 Replies

Member Avatar for DM Galaxy

overall,
windows 8 is the best OS,
I consider it so.
Windows 8 change the look of os (more facility)
Nice update from windows
I liked it

Member Avatar for rubberman

Talk about comparing apples (sic) to oranges... :rolleyes:

Member Avatar for Princy_1

Over all windows 8 is best and also the new arrival windows 8.1 seems to be very tempting and good.Waiting for its release.Its getting released by october.
<URL SNIPPED>

Edited by peter_budo because: No spam
Member Avatar for TLOP12

I must say windows 8 was a pleasant surprise.
Although it took me awhile to get the hang of it.
I'm pretty sure the invisible rule is if it's not available on windows, it's not available at all.
Overall, I hope for an even more impressive upgrade to windows next time around.

Member Avatar for caperjack

to those postes who like win8 so much [i like win8 also but have never used mac os1o ] ,what did you not like about OS10 mountian lion, Iam thinking of getting a MAC and would like your imput ,thank you

Member Avatar for DM Galaxy

k,
Let me know you that all the os that available in market is good and enough to use it.
I think we should not compare those product, All have different views.
As well as concerned linus is also good as it is open source...

The Most Important think is Our Os must supprt all the application.
And Windows is better as concerned by this Because many programmenrs use windows then after mac and then others...
So the 1st program that can run on your OS will be Windows...
And As to get more graphics etc We should have Ram, Graphic card, etc as concerned to the latest updates of OS... (Else it result in hanging, restart after some time etc...)

If You like Mac then We Can use the mac on the Windwos as now a times, we can get the numerous of theme in the market
just google out the themes
or search on youtube how to get the theme....
I am definately sure you will get it so.
thank you

Member Avatar for Myronz

How do I restore original factory settings after installing Windows 8 ?

Member Avatar for Mecbethben

I think Windows 8 is still too new for me and I tend to Mac OS x

Member Avatar for tompatrick

thanks for putting this question. I use Windows 8 at home and Mac OS X at office. Actually both were new to me. Though I only found the Tiles thing different in Windows, but on the other hand a Mac is totally new for me. But anything else, I feel OS X is fun to use than PC.

Ease of use - Mac
Availability of Software - PC
Overall Security - Mac
Virus Attacks - Only for PC (Anti-Virus installed on my PC but none on Mac)

Member Avatar for armirza1

i just swtiched from windows 8 to OS X mountain lion and i must say i like it more..i personally believe its much more efficient and faster than windows 8..

Member Avatar for deceptikon
  • Ease of use: Really depends on what you're used to. Both are user-friendly, IMO.
  • Availability of Software: Depends on what software you want. Games are notable in being more available on Windows, but that's slowly changing.
  • Overall Security: This is a tough one because security is dependent on what you're securing against and what the environment is.
  • Virus Attacks: Windows is overwhelmingly the more attacked platform because it's more pervasive. Think of it in terms of cost versus return. As an attacker, you get more out of a Windows virus because there are more Windows systems to attack.
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