Mac OS X Lion vs. Windows 7

Security

Mac OS X Lion

 Apple’s OS has always been less vulnerable to malware—or at the very least less desirable a target because of its smaller market share. But as the recent Mac Defender Trojan proved, no software is completely secure. To help stay a step ahead of the bad guys, Lion includes new security features, such as application sandboxing and enhanced runtime protection.

Sandboxing is designed to reduce the impact of a given threat by limiting what an application can do. That includes accessing the network or opening documents that may contain sensitive data.

Meanwhile, address space layout randomization (ASLR) is now available for apps to make them more resistant to attacks. Basically, it’s a technique that continually changes the memory location of active system and application software. The idea is to foil attacks aimed at gaining access to a computer via specific software components.

Last but not least is FileVault 2 full-disk encryption, which allows users to encrypt their important files easily. You can even encrypt an entire drive.

Windows 7

Microsoft has fortified Windows 7 with enhanced security features to help minimize damage caused by viruses and other malware, but the OS works best in tandem with separate security software. A new Action Center tells you whether your antivirus software is up to date and whether your firewall is on. Windows Updates are automatic by default, but you can always change that. Unfortunately, these updates often occur at inopportune times, so you may want to tweak the settings so that your computer downloads updates but then lets you choose whether to install them.

To help protect your notebook, you can download the free Microsoft Security Essentials program, which can shield your system from viruses, spyware, Trojans, and more. And you’ll need some sort of security software because Windows continues to be the much bigger target for malware writers. Premium security software tends to offer more robust features, but we wish the free trials that came pre-loaded on laptops didn’t bug users to register so often.

WINNER: Mac OS X Lion

Although Macs are becoming more interesting to hackers, Windows users are still much more susceptible to malware. In addition, frequent security software alerts and Windows OS updates are annoying.

Gaming

Mac OS X Lion

For years, owning a Mac meant you went without playing the hottest games around. But the introduction of Intel-based systems and the release of OS X Snow Leopard helped to change that. Today gamers can get their hands on some of the best titles—just not all of them. The problem is that many of the hottest games depend on the use of Microsoft’s Direct X software, making them incompatible with OS X. To make them compatible, game developers have to substantially alter their games’ software.

That’s not to say that there aren’t some great games available to Mac users. Valve Software, for example, offers a variety of some of its most cherished titles, such as Half Life and Portal for Mac. Blizzard Entertainment, the maker of the smash hit World of Warcraft, has also made Mac-specific versions of its titles. The Mac App Store’s ease of discovery helps, but Apple simply isn’t as strong in gaming on the desktop as it is in mobile.

Windows 7

Windows has been the go-to operating system for game developers for years, and gamers know it. The vast majority of titles on the market are Windows exclusives, and this holiday season will add to that with the release of Bethesda Softwork’s Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Id Software’s Rage, and DICE’s Battlefield 3. Add to that the number of legacy games playable on Windows 7 and you’ve got a large enough game library to keep you busy for quite a long time. In addition, Microsoft’s Games for Windows Marketplace gives users an easy way to purchase games online and try demos.

To play the most demanding games smoothly, users will need a powerful system, and Windows 7 gamers have access to more affordable hardware than Mac users. A Windows 7-based gaming rig capable of playing the most graphically demanding games—such as Alienware’s 17-inch M17x equipped with a 2.2-GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics chip—will cost you about $2,000. An equivalent 17-inch MacBook Pro rings in at a decidedly higher $2,699. That’s a hefty chunk of change and a clear positive for Windows 7 users.

WINNER: Windows 7

The sheer volume of available games remains one of Windows’ strengths. Despite continued growth, Mac OS X’s game selection still lags.

Interface

Mac OS X Lion

The look and feel of an OS usually determines how intuitive it is for users to find and interact with apps. Lion makes that easier than ever with the addition of Launchpad, which displays your system’s app icons. To access Launchpad, perform a three-finger pinch with your thumb on the trackpad or press the dedicated Launchpad button on the latest MacBook Air.

Launchpad basically duplicates the iOS interface on iPhones and iPads. You can easily swipe from one screen to the next, and you can drag app icons onto each other to create folders of similarly themed programs. Apple has seamlessly integrated the Mac App Store with Launchpad; when you make a purchase in the App Store, it automatically installs and appears on the Launchpad.

Lion also preserves the Dock (known as the taskbar in Windows) from previous OS versions. You can drag an icon from the Launchpad into the Dock to make an app more accessible.

Lion makes full-screen application viewing possible for its native programs and select third-party software. Switching between full-screen apps is achieved instantly with a two-finger swipe to the left or right on the touchpad. However, full-screen apps obscure the menu bar until you hover over it.

Windows 7

The interface for Windows 7 isn’t dramatically different from previous Windows versions, but there are welcome tweaks. While the familiar Start button remains, Microsoft gave the taskbar a cosmetic and operational facelift.

The buttons are sharper looking and can be reordered with a simple mouse drag. With Aero Glass functions activated, Aero Peek lets you see thumbnails of the windows open in each app by hovering over a taskbar button. Similarly, with Jump Lists, right-clicking a taskbar button shows that app’s previously opened or currently active windows—documents or web pages—for quick access.

Another clever interface element is the Show Desktop icon on the right end of the taskbar. Hovering over this rectangle presents your desktop at any time.

WINNER: Mac OS X Lion

Between the iOS-like Launchpad, user-friendly Dock, and full-screen apps, Lion has a more modern and approachable look and feel.

Backing Up

Mac OS X Lion

Time Machine is a great feature in Mac OS X that gets better with Lion. It lets you back up your entire system (documents, photos, system files, etc.), and it’s easy to restore files by going back in time. The first time you connect a hard drive to your Mac, it will ask you if you want to use it as a backup drive with Time Machine. Time Machine also works seamlessly with Apple’s Time Capsule, a combination wireless network drive and 802.11n base station.

Now with Lion, Time Machine keeps a spare copy of the things you create or modify while you’re away from your backup drive or Time Capsule. That way if you delete something accidentally, you can easily recover it later. Lion also offers encrypted backups with FileVault 2.

Windows 7

Safeguarding precious files and folders is a cinch with Windows 7. You just launch Backup and Restore, then choose a destination for the backup. The straightforward interface guides you through the rest of the process, including deciding whether you want to let Windows 7 choose what to back up on a regular schedule or choosing the files or folders yourself. Too bad backing up to a network is only available to Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate users.

A separate System Restore feature in Windows 7 helps restore your PC’s system files to an earlier point in time should your system start to misbehave. It will help you undo system changes without touching your files. The OS regularly creates restore points, but you can also do so manually.

WINNER: Mac OS X Lion

By combining file and system backups in a single program, Lion makes things easier. The OS makes things even simpler by inviting users to back up via Time Machine when connecting an external drive.

Special Weapons

Mac OS X Lion

One of Apple’s slickest moves was to integrate the Mac App Store into Lion. Based on the overwhelming success of the iPhone app store, the Mac App Store is built into the Dock for one-click access. Once an app is purchased (you need an Apple ID to get started), it instantly downloads and installs on the Launchpad for immediate use.

Lion’s resourceful Resume feature remembers all the open apps, docs, and web pages when the Mac is powered off and restarts them on reboot for users to continue where they left off. A related feature is AutoSave, which, like its name, automatically saves changes to a doc or any app developed with AutoSave even if you close the app without manually saving it. Return to your document, and those changes are there. And if you need to go back to a version before changes were made, the Revert command takes you there. The downside is that AutoSave deactivates the Save As function.

FaceTime handles video calls to other Macs, the iPhone 4, and the iPad 2, automatically adjusting from landscape to portrait formats depending on the mobile device you are using. Working in tandem with Lion’s full-screen viewing, FaceTime not only maximizes the image but lets you switch between a call and other full-screen apps.

Lion’s improved Mail app is also better than what you’ll find in Windows Live, thanks to a cleaner conversation view and super-charged search functionality. Last but not least is AirDrop, which makes it dead simple to share files between Macs over a peer-to-peer network.

Windows 7

It’s no secret that Microsoft has a huge lead in the number of programs that support Windows 7. Because of Windows’ larger install base, there are thousands of apps you either won’t find on Macs (beyond games) or that will come to the platform later. But that’s not all that makes Windows 7 uniquely compelling.

Shake, part of Windows 7’s Aero interface, is an instant de-clutterer. If you have a legion of windows open and want to concentrate on one, clicking the top of the pane you want to keep and shaking the mouse will make the other windows instantly disappear from the screen. However, the tabs will still be available from the taskbar.

Windows 7’s Jump Lists is a welcome feature to gain quick access to favorite sites, music, docs, and photos by merely right-clicking a taskbar tab. A menu of recently opened windows in the particular app takes you immediately back to the one you choose.

Device Stage is sort of a switchboard for controlling external devices plugged into the PC. Be it a multifunction printer, camera, or phone, Device Stage automatically loads and lets you handle tasks applicable to that device. Only those products with Device Stage firmware currently work with this feature, which will open automatically when compatible products are connected to your laptop.

WINNER: Tie

It’s hard to beat not having to remember to save your documents in Lion. The Mac App Store/Launchpad combo is another big plus. On the other hand, Windows 7 still has a huge lead in the number of available apps.