CoM’s Totally Unbiased Review of Windows 7: Debasing Myself So You Don’t Have To
12:01 am, May 16th, 2009, Leigh McMullen
The first question that should leap to mind is: “Why on earth is CoM reviewing Windows?” Frankly, for many professionals, we have no choice. Many of us have to use Windows software in the course of our jobs, or at a minimum use web applications that require that bane to open standards developers everywhere: Internet Explorer.
There’s no easy way to do this, so lets just rip off the band-aid and see if there’s a scab underneath.
disclaimer: this review is based on a pre-release version of the software. The software may change, but the sarcastic ass tone I use to say the word “Windoze” will not
THE INSTALL
TO VM OR NOT VM – THAT IS THE QUESTION
Even thinking about installing Windows on my beautiful, pristine MacBook Pro makes me feel dirty. Dirty -like “walking-in-on-a-sibling-in-the-shower-and-finding-yourself-aroused” dirty.
Ack! I need to go wash my eyes out with bleach. BRB.
(Editor’s note – for about thirty minutes it sounds like Leigh is playing Texas Chain Saw Massacre at full volume in 7.1 surround sound in his office. Not the campy Tobe Hooper version, but a version re-imagined by Rob Zombie.)
All better.
There is no freekin way I’m gonna dual boot this beautiful machine into Windows, not even for you people. The good news is that VM Ware works just fine even with a pre-release version of Windows 7. In fact Windows XP virtual machines boot faster in VM ware than they do on a similarly spec’d (to my MBP) Dell. Go figure.
SETUP & CONFIG
Launching the installer’s boot-loader is fast – crazy Apple fast. I’m wondering what’s going on here, within 30 seconds, I’m at the first install screen. This is not turning out like I expected. I’m presented with a simple and easy-to-understand installer screen that has very few options, just basic keyboard layout and language stuff — way to go MS, you guys seem to be learning. Fast as those words leave my lips, I’m presented with the next screen.
I don’t understand, what is there to upgrade? There’s nothing there, it’s a blank VM. Lacking a reasonable option, I fearfully press “Custom (advanced).”
As a Mac user the whole notion of “Advanced Windows Configuration” scares the every living crap out of me, but I drive boldly forth. Be calm.
Turns out –and I shit you not– the “Advanced Windows Configuration” option was picking which drive to install to. I was so freakin flabbergasted by that I forgot to take a screen shot.
The rest of the install is seamless, and fast I think the MS boys have finally gotten the fast thing. The whole install takes less than 30 minutes.
USING WINDOWS 7
Well it doesn’t really take 30 minutes. In Windows 7 Microsoft stripped out all the Windows Essentials fun-tools. That’s how they achieve that speedy half-hour install. To get a fully operational OS is actually going to take a bit longer. How much longer? I don’t know, because I’m not even going to try. But because this is Windows, I am going to install the McAfee Anti Virus. Virtual Machine or not, you’re dog-damned sure I am.
And here we hit our first snag. McAfee won’t run on this version of Windows. It doesn’t just tell me that though. It pops up half a dozen blinking Las Vegas dialog boxes I have to click through before I’m told — finally — that I’m to remain vulnerable to ten-hundred-zillion different forms of malware.
Momentarily I consider turning off network access to the VM. But I can’t: I have to try out the fabled Internet Explorer 8 first. So with one hand gripping the Ethernet cable — ready to snatch it away like a switchblade from the hands of a toddler — I double-click the infamous spinning globe icon.
Dialog box. Setup. Dialog box. EULA. Dialog Box. Accept these settings. Yes -click yes -click yes -click yes.
This wouldn’t be so bad. You fire up iTunes for the first time, you have to accept the EULA. But each one of these shows up as a separate dialog box. Plus, they are all at a totally random location on the screen. Trying to anticipate where I need to click next is like some kind of sadistic game used by interrogators at Gitmo.
IE is almost up, and it informs me that something called Windows Live Search will be my search engine of choice. It didn’t ask me, it told me.
Well that won’t do. Not even for a review. I go to change it. Thankfully it doesn’t take just a second to find out where to add different engines, when it pulls up the list of available ones I find:
Well I’ll be dog-damned if Google doesn’t rate below the fold at the bottom of the page of the “most popular” search engines. I set it up for Google. But then I can’t actually go anywhere, because I couldn’t get McAfee to work, and now we have malware that can infect Macs from within a Windows VM.
I turn off all networking to the VM and continue — Ya damn right I do.
THE IMPROVED WINDOWS USER EXPERIENCE
I don’t see it. I really don’t. I know I’m a Mac guy, and I’m biased, I get that. But I’m gonna take a moment and explain to the Windows using world what you don’t get. Your OS and the applications that run on it lack a cohesive metaphor.
By that I mean, it seems like this shit was designed by a committee of retarded monkeys. It doesn’t even have the consistency of design that a single retarded monkey could achieve.
Oh I know, I’m just picking on you poor Windows users now, mean-old-Leigh. But answer for me this question: In Windows, what is a Window?
Is it an Application, or a Document?
See in OS X, a window is a document. It’s always a document, and it’s only one document. Always. That’s why when you close the window, the application still shows as running, because the window is just the document. Not the application.
But in Windows, a window can be a document, it can be an application, or it can be a window that contains other documents or applications. There’s just no consistency. It’s just a big grab bag of monkey poop. You never know what you’re going to get. This hasn’t gotten any better in Windows 7 — but it hasn’t gotten any worse either (as if it could -ed).
THE NANNY OS
If OS X is like a quiet, reserved English butler, not bugging you, just anticipating your needs, then Windows is like The Nanny staring Fran Drescher — complete with that annoying, squeaky Long Island accent.
Poking around, I find the games folder — rock on. Windows really excels at games. It does. The only MS product I unashamedly own is my XBox 360.
So I click. Let’s go.
WTF? More dog-damned dialog-boxes. Are you kidding me? What does the Nanny want me to verify for her now? And when I drill in, it’s not as though the “advanced options” were worth a crap to be able to adjust anyway.
I mean sure, if you wanted to adjust those options in OS X you’d have to comb through five manuals, ask people on a hundred and thirty seven different help forums, and eventually, give up, only to have someone write you six months after OS upgrades antiquated the options in the first place giving you an answer. But c’mon, sometimes, just sometimes, isn’t it better to sacrifice a little useless flexibility in favor of ease of use?
Not in Redmond it ain’t.
I exit the game I was playing, and am presented with the following:
Show this every time is the default option??!!! Who the fuck in their right fucking mind would ever want to see that useless fucking fuck box ever fucking again?
This is what using this damned OS is doing to me” I’m starting to channel one of my old drill sergeants. I search around for some random private to drop and give me fifty, when a calm overcomes me.
They have got to be doing this shit on purpose. There is no way anything could be this fucked up on accident.
I search around for some proof. And it doesn’t take me long.
Wordpad.
First some background. On the Mac and Windows, menus have been standard since the mid-’80s: File, Edit, (other options), Window, Help. All applications (save a few designed by genuine dip-shits) on both Windows and the Mac have stuck to this well-worn design.
Until now.
It started with MS Office.
Ribbons.
Some freaking genius decided to do away with menus altogether, and replace them with these tabby-ribbony-tool bar things figuring that replacing clear and easy-to-understand text menus with hieroglyphics would increase usability.
That’s so dog-damned stupid I’m not even going to debate that shit. Just tell me this Einstein, where’s the freaking file menu?
It ain’t there. Someone in Redmond is clearly and purposely trying to sabotage Microsoft from within because there is no way someone with less than malicious intent decided to replace the file menu with this:
No way.
IN SUMMARY
If you have to use Windows for work — I’m sorry. I’ve only used it for the past few hours and already I’m ready for another go with the bleach. Of course if you do use it regularly, you’re probably somewhat immune to Window’s goofiness, just as torture victims are eventually able to tune out the pain.
What I don’t understand is how this Windows 7 is anything more than Vista SP2. It doesn’t seem any different to me. Perhaps it’s Microsoft’s version of Snow Leopard, except you can’t use your video card as an extra processor. It certainly isn’t the challenger to OS X they argue it will be.
That’s not to say that Windows 7 is all bad. It is faster. And it seemed stable as a rock for the time I used it. There is at least one new feature I thought was kinda cool. When you hover over an icon in their task bar (think doc menu), a popup shows you all the open documents for that application.
That’s a pretty cool feature and one we should steal. After all, they’ve stolen enough ideas from us over the years.
Posted by Leigh McMullen in Humor, Opinions, Reviews, Top stories, Windows on Mac | Comment on this article
I can hardly help suspecting…..
Uncle Peter, on May 16th, 2009 at 1:37 am
It’s shit, always has been shit, and always will be shit. When you have morons writing software, you always get shit. Color it, paint it, flip it upside down, it’s still shit. MicroSHIT is nothing but that.. SHIT.
Anything not clear?
Jarod, on May 16th, 2009 at 2:35 am
The title is wrong “Totally unbiased review”. It is a biased review , praises osx.
Sorry to say you Very VERY BAD REVIEW
tailer, on May 16th, 2009 at 4:17 am
I appreciate your sacrifice, You have delved deeper into a hell than most of us will ever have to go. You knew going in that most corporate environments will still continue with XP for years to come despite the presence of options, even options from MS.
Now go and draw the bath water, pour in the gallons of bleach needed to make you feel clean and drink a tall, frosty mug of Mac koolade.
fuzzy, on May 16th, 2009 at 4:29 am
[...] Time runs down a list of tech failures Cult of Media reviews Windows 7 May 16, 2009 Looks like crap. I guess I’ll be skipping this latest Microsoft OS update as well. It’s getting easier [...]
Cult of Media reviews Windows 7 « Sharing the truth one thread at a time, on May 16th, 2009 at 4:46 am
Thanks Leigh, my coffee is now all over my dog-damned cinema display.
However, you did just make my Saturday morning.
kpsnyder, on May 16th, 2009 at 5:48 am
I read this blog on a daily basis and usually appreciate the insight the CoM writers offer to the Mac-world.
Leigh’s attempt at sarcasm and humor is completely lost in her frequent, gratuitous use of profanity. In one sentence, she drops the f-bomb 5 times?
Are you serious?
The frequent use of “dog” in place of “God” intrigues me as well. Given her propensity to use the word “fuck,” “shit,” and “damn,” I’m surprised she doesn’t go all out and say “God.” Surely she’s not afraid of offending someone by saying “goddamned.” I’m guessing she’s using “dog” as a flagrant display of her lack of belief in a supernatural being.
I’m not a Puritan by any stretch of the imagination, but the ridiculousness of this article is offensive; It’s not offensive on a moral level, but on an intellectual one.
I can get past the Mac-fanboyism, but her distaste for most-things-Microsoft overshadows any possible argument regarding why OS X trumps Win7.
Rob, on May 16th, 2009 at 5:57 am
This is so fucking biased.
Thanks
Biased, on May 16th, 2009 at 6:04 am
@Rob:
A) I’m a dude. Take a look at the about page, I promise.
B) You missed a third option on my use of “Dog” in lieu of “God” which is the possibility that I think that God might be a Dog. Which considering that our Dogs love us more than we love each other, is a very real possibility in my mind.
C) The use of profanity in this piece was very, very carefully measured for it’s shock and comedic effect. You’ll note that I use “freekin’” in lieu of “fuck” earlier in the piece, then we reach the climax, the sentence with 5 “f-bombs” in it. and then began to ease back down on the profanity as we close the article… it’s my own little bit of three act-structure… of course if I have to explain it…
Of course to give you the benefit of the doubt, people today are so inundated with mindless bloggers who write whatever useless ass fucking thoughts spring into their mind, that it is becoming very difficult to tell when someone is being intentionally absurd.
Have a great Saturday morning, and thanks for reading CoM!
Leigh McMullen, on May 16th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Well Rob…apparently you liked the curse words and use of dog so much that you missed that Leigh is a MAN..and you are right the ridiculousness of your comments hurt me intellectually as well….what did you expect from a apple website…that Windont 7 is actually better than OSX…
billgatesisathief, on May 16th, 2009 at 6:51 am
Cant believe i wasted 8 minutes of my life reading this useless review. Tell me something i don’t already know. This is not a review, this is basically shooting down win 7.
Jon, on May 16th, 2009 at 7:04 am
Windows 7 has been benchmarked to death and in some cases it is very slightly faster than Vista and in other cases actually slower, Of course it is Vista SP 2. It’s nice for Microsoft that all the teenagers with their cheap game PC’s are excited about it but what’s really, really, bad for Microsoft is corporations aren’t excited or interested and have no more plans to “upgrade” to this than they did Vista. I work for a very large, very well known global corporation. We are looking at replacing most desktops (many thousands btw) with locked down Linux. IT folk have had the option to use Mac laptops for several years now and have flocked to the opportunity as have executives. I’m seeing many other companies looking at the same options and offering t=Macs to IT folk. The only IT people who don’t want Macs are the low lelvel support drones who owe their jobs to the hassles of Windows desktops,
Steve, on May 16th, 2009 at 7:43 am
I run Vista on a partition on my Power Mac quad. It’s a beautiful work environment. I installed it to ’see what it’s like’. Now I know.
And I’d never choose it over the Mac OS, because it’s not as good or intuitive in a thousand ways.
I will certainly give Windows 7 a fair shake, but I doubt I’ll use it any more than Vista… which I open once every two months, out of the same guilt I feel when I leave my dog alone for too long.
The Idiot, on May 16th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Embarrassingly unfunny. Makes me ashamed to be a proud Mac user.
jnf73, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:23 am
Retard…..
a) Windows does one thing OSX is too pussy to do; and that is be so flexible in its compatibility that it can work on thousands of different computers all designed for millions of different purposes.
b) Macs Dicks like you are completely oblivious to the world around them. Did you know that google actually filters out all the malware/phishing websites so you don’t wreck your precious mac? Not that you need it anyway if you have half a brain to figure out if something looks dodgy (practical skills your fuckwit mac god Steve Jobs could have used a few months ago…)
c) Face it, the world if a fucked up fuck who is only ever going to fuck with you until you die. And that applies to everything- including the internet. Maybe, maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to have some internet security software to help you out against phishing attacks (that is if you have less that half a brain)?
d) Some people actually do REAL work on computers. Unlike you mac fucks who like to think of a computer as an accessory, many of ‘us’ Windows user actually use computers as a tool to do something PRODUCTIVE. That is why MS is developing things like the ‘ribbon’; SO WORK CAN BE DONE FASTER = MORE PRODUCTIVE. And while we’re on this topic, why do all mac users think their heaps hip/creative!? Look at the architecture profession for example- its a highly creative and demanding discipline which requires great imagination and ability to visualize concepts which very much set the foundations of contemporary society. Yeah, well guess what? The leading architecture software Autocad isn’t available for a mac- hmmmmmmmm. Not to mention that all of the post production/ web design / image editing software from adobe is also available for windows (and I’m pretty sure it makes up a larger market portion than mac)
e) Internet Explorer is shit, but hey so is Safari – you fucking idiot
f) Mac users a big mouthed fucks, who only talk up their platform so much because talking means they have an excuse not to be using their shitty mac….
g) It’s just a fucking computer. A tool to make life easier. That’s all. And that’s all it should be. No it’s not a fashion accessory. No it’s not furniture. Computer = tool.
h) In conclusion, who other than all the mac fuckwits gives a fuck!?
kaz, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:27 am
I installed Windows 7 myself, and I was surprised that it was altogether a much better experience than XP or Vista.
And yet all that Leigh says is true.
Imagine.
And they’re still touting “New!” features, things such as – oh, you can now choose an available WiFi network from RIGHT THERE IN THE SYSTEM TRAY! Convenient! Amazing! Innovative! Something Macs could do 10 years ago before those PC laptops even HAD WiFi in them.
Spectacular new enhancements like being able to sweep all the windows off the desktop – gosh, how Apple not think of something like that, say, back in 2003?
As for whether a window is a window… man, within minutes I was totally confused. Some windows show documents, some are dialogs, some are alerts, and some are weird interactive things with buttons and whatnot. But they all look the same, and behave differently. Most people would chalk that up to “oh, you’re just used the Mac” rather than “oh, MS doesn’t have UI designers, they let the programmers do it.”
Oh, and considering that most Windows fanatics claim that Macs are just toys, I’d like to point out that right there in the W7 Start menu is a big old GAMES option, and it’s got Solitaire right there as a default program. (Clicking GAMES brings up yet another weird kind of window that’s so confusing I can’t explain it.)
Other things that make no sense at all to me: on the Mac if you want to delete something, drag it to the trash. Done. If it’s something important or protected, you’ll be notified and asked for your password. In Windows 7, you can only drag documents to the Recycle Bin (note — twice the words to describe something simple). If you want to delete an application, well, good luck. I tried the “Remove Programs” thing in Control Panels, but it didn’t list my apps — it only listed Windows-related files. You know how you delete, say, Games? You have to open that weird GAMES window then do some jiggery pokery, and even then you’re not gonna be able to delete them all. And when you get dialogs saying that you can’t delete without an administrator permission, it doesn’t bother to let you give permission. Doesn’t ask for an admin password like Mac OS, it just says it matter-of-factly then does nothing.
I started writing a long, long diatribe about the problems inherent in Windows, then shelved it realizing that I didn’t want to wade into the never-ceasing Mac vs. Windows flame wars. But man, there’s a whole lotta frustration crammed into my brain and I only use Windows for a few minutes at a time once or twice a week. I can’t imagine what part of the brain other people switch off that enables them to use this mess all day, every day.
Gene, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:33 am
I have to agree with the people above who regret the (over) biased tone of this ‘review’ (due to this I can’t call this a real review, sorry).
I think that Windows 7 offers some interesting features, not only for current windows users but also for ‘us’, Mac users. The ’superbar’ (as I believe the new windows 7 taskbar is called) is a good example of a feature that I’d absolutely like to see in the Dock as well. Some of the other new window management features, such as Aero shake and Aero peek, also seem useful. It is really too bad that there is only room for the bad aspects of windows 7 in this ‘review’, while the good aspects, such as those pointed out above, get pushed to the summary (new facts in a summary, really?) or are omitted altogether. It’s a pity that this is the case, since this may cause the readers, who most likely already have a bias in favor of Macs, to ignore Windows 7, thus missing out on some of the good stuff as well. Furthermore, I think the strong bias in favor of Apple as displayed by ‘the Cult’ on this site and elsewhere is not really constructive for our common goal, which I presume to be having the best computing experience as possible. If we as Mac users refuse to look for good things elsewhere, why would Apple feel inclined to improve it’s products?
Tycho, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:03 am
Are we shocked that someone on a MAC site does not like windows?
No.
Are we shocked at how bad the review is?
No.
Are we all going to run out and buy a MAC now?
No.
dajebus, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Man, man-0-man, as a Mac and a PC user, this review is ridiculous, you have to compensate that just like you with OS X, Windows users are used to how Windows works, some of the things that make no sense to you are second nature to a PC user. And it’s a two way street, you should see her screaming at her iMac trying to figure out why you can’t select multiple files in the finder in list view, or why there is no cut option on the menu anywhere when you want to move a file from one drive to another (she doesn’t know all the shortcuts yet) believe it or not, OS X has some real screwey things about it when a Windows user uses it also. It’s all about perspective and it appears you have only one.
Jason Burns, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:27 am
Thanks for wrecking the illusion. Not about Microsuck Win 7, but about Leigh being a smokin hot female. I mean any chick who can write like that gets a 10 in my book. “She’s not really a sailor, she just swear like one”
M$ appears does appear to be taking some lessons from their OS rival. Which is also a good thing in my book. Competition begat innovation. I think that line came from my dog-bible.
Cheers!
FrostyFanboy, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:30 am
> Someone in Redmond is clearly and purposely trying to sabotage Microsoft
> from within because there is no way someone with less than malicious intent
> decided to replace the file menu with this:
Yes. that’s the way Redmond is going. It’s consistent across their applications.
It’s a big change, and it’s not consistent across ALL Windows applications and that’s the problem with it.
Not having a “File” menu isn’t a problem. It’s the inconsistency that’s bad.
Darcy McGee, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:41 am
and you call this unbiased ?
If you want to insult Windows and Microsoft because you’re totally biased to Apple, then go ahead, everyone can notice how biased you are, and I doubt any unbiased normal person will fall for that…
BUT SHUT THE HELL UP IN ANY WORD RELATED TO GOD !!!
Mustafa, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:54 am
I have to say that while I am aware you’re trying to have a little fun with the article, it does come across far too strong as a “Mac lover bashing Windows” piece. I’m a Mac user, and I love my Macs, but I’m not so ignorant to think that there is only one operating system to rule them all.
You actually do Mac users a great disservice by writing such a poor, unintelligent piece. It just fuels the “Mac users think they’re superior to Windows users” Internet argument, which everyone is f*cking tired of hearing/reading.
Oops, damn, I accidently deleted the CoM bookmark in Safari. I’m sure your Editor would like to know that you only succeed in driving away readers.
Shocked, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:15 am
OMG, people here are actually “upset” that this is not an unbiased review? Get a grip on reality folks. There is this thing called satire; you might want to get acquainted with it. You are on a blog called CULT of Mac for Pete’s sake.
Leigh, I thought it was absolutely hilarious with the following caveats that are my personal preferences. I dislike the profanity. You would be funnier with more creative insults. I am offended by the “dog-damned.” This isn’t a religion blog, why must you showcase your “unrelated to Mac and this site” views in a way that is completely unnecessarily insulting to other people.
Yeah, we are all going to slip in a views, but I just found that completely unnecessary and ruining an otherwise hilarious piece. Truly hilarious.
LOL at the idiot windows fanbois who come here griping for this blog being what it is. I wonder if they get pissed that their dogs bark instead of meow.
Run along now little fellas to the Most Mature-Named Site on the Interwebz: SuperSite for Windows!!!
Yay!!!
dizzle, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Oh and I am a chick and would have loved to have authored that piece of hilarity sans the blasphemy and the cussing. But then again, I recognize and appreciate satire.
dizzle, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:44 am
Terrible review. Will not be reading Cult of Mac anymore. Thanks and goodbye.
Andrew, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:49 am
This article is utterly pointless beyond belief.
Josh, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Haha…what an awesome post! Why does everyone take everything to heart? Sheesh. I don’t think Leigh wrote this article as an actual review on Win7 so I think everyone needs to relax. It’s just meant to focus on how lame MS is. So all you people who are looking for a nice little review on windows7, why the hell would you go looking for it on a site that is all about Apple. DUH?!?! And Leigh, keep the offensiveness coming, it’s GREAT! I Love reading satirical blog posts. It just shows that there are some awesome writers out there with legitimate writing skills. KUDOS TO YOU!
-Robert
Robert, on May 16th, 2009 at 11:40 am
@dizzle: in all seriousness, my usage of “Dog-Damned” was intentionally to avoid blasphemy, so if you (or anyone else) inferred anything otherwise, that was not the case. (Not withstanding the possibility that my specific dog might be a pan-dimensional-super-being…)
@Andrew et. al.: if you got all the way to the bottom of this thing (overlooking the tags that clearly indicate humor) and still think this was supposed to be a “review”, I really must suck.
Leigh McMullen, on May 16th, 2009 at 11:41 am
unbiased review, i think not.
ur mum, on May 16th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Wow. What a bunch of whining douchenozzles. Not only is this NOT serious, but I could find a large number of so-called “reviews” that go the other way, yet are actually serious, if I really gave a rat’s ass about what a bunch of Windrones thought…
BDDC, on May 16th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I’m amazed at how many Windows people are on this Mac site taking this personally and feeling that they need to comment. It’s obviously tongue-in-cheek. If you confused this for an actual review and you can’t get that it’s a joke from the lines about being aroused by siblings in the shower and pouring bleach in your eyes then you’re a lost cause.
fred888, on May 16th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
You made my Saturday! This is easily the funniest software review I’ve read in years, and not so much it being Windows 7 than simply bloody hilarious. Reminds me of the glory days of MacAddict.
Knersus, on May 16th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
I love how folks are in such a rush to post their OUTRAGE on the internet they don’t bother finishing the article they’re so upset about. I mean, if they read it to the end they’d have seen the clearly marked “humor” tag, right?
Also great to see people who don’t read the other replies before posting and end up looking like an even bigger ‘nozzle for still being full of INTERNET RAGE after the author replied at least two or three times explaining to the folks in the shorter buses what words like “satire” and “humor” mean.
Extra special interweb props to the “I’m leaving this site, goodbye” guy. I’m sure the CoM staff will observe three days of mourning for the loss of such an important contributor.
Maybe Leigh should have mentioned something about BLUUUUUUUE RAAAAAAAAY, that seems to work when needing to pacify fanatical Windows users.
Awesome, on May 16th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
“at a minimum use web applications that require that bane to open standards developers everywhere: Internet Explorer.”
Have you tried ies4osx to run Internet Explorer without installing windows? It’s free.
http://www.kronenberg.org/ies4osx/
MikeRoe, on May 16th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
//edited to make it slightly less offensive and yet still totally comical –LM //
READ THIS!!!!
1. the most biased “unbiased” review i’ve ever read
example A: “Even thinking about installing Windows on my beautiful, pristine MacBook Pro makes me feel dirty”
P.S. judging by this statement your a complete XXXXXXXXXX and have little left of a life
2. could you XXXX XXXX XXXX any harder? i mean honestly your life revolves around a website called “cult of mac” you should change it to “www.iXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDaily.com (And you probably pay for your iphone ringtones too, you little corporate puppet)
3. I have an Iphone, a mac, and a PC, the pc and mac BOTH have problems and annoyances, I love macs, I love PC’s, Yes microsoft is a huge evil company, but so is apple i mean are you fucking serious? APPLE is the biggest XXX of a company ever, quit xxxxxxx xxx xxxx SO GODDAMN XXXX
4. “…Many of us have to use Windows software in the course of our jobs…” Why is that? because mac doesn’t satisfy all your needs? ohhhhhhhh because mac DOESN”T have EVERYTHING you need is that why you stupid XXXXXX XXXXXX
PS I’m a Realtor, try using Multiple Listing Software on a Mac….doesn’t work, XXXX XXX
haha mac worshiper, on May 16th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
I have always enjoyed reading the posts from the blog, but this is the one that is making me unsubscribe.
I feel like a victim of spam.
Ath, on May 16th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
You might be taken more seriously if you didn’t say “fuck” in every paragraph.
David, on May 16th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Having over $10,000 in Apple hardware/software and have used Win 7 on my MBP (under Fusion) for several months I have a few conclusions of my own:
1. It is fast. I run it under Fusion and it is fast. I also installed it on a 3 year old Sony Vaio with 1 Gb of ram and it is as fast/snappy as my MBP running native apps.
2. It is easy to install.
3. It is STABLE. Very STABLE. For MS, this is a big deal. Vista was pure Scat but Win 7 is the Vista MS should have made.
4. It runs on multiple vendor’s hardware so no new hardware will be needed to upgrade to Win 7 in most cases.
5. It supports 99.9% of the most commonly used business applications in the world…I am still waiting for AutoCad on OSX. (Why have so may Mac users, like me, either run Windows under bootcamp or Fusion/Parallels?)
6. While it is not as pretty or refined as OSX, it is a MAJOR step in that direction and it will impress existing windows users to the point where they will not consider buying a Mac. This will be especially true of CIO’s and IT directors at most companies in the world.
7. It is good enough/stable enough to assure the Mac will be relegated to its niche market with its dwindling market share.
8. Apple should be (and is!) concerned. Inexpensive Macs are on the way.
Why is that when the high margin Macs have fueled Apple for years? (Read: Apple is worried, and should be).
Sorry Fanboys. The truth often hurt!
Leon, on May 16th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
I thought this was hilarious. Sure, the profanity was a little over the top but I don’t think it detracts from the humorous intent of the article. I mean, this is a Mac website, and I would expect nothing less than a humorous article bashing Windows (whatever version).
What I do find amazing, just like several others who posted, is that there are so many Windows fans who apparently come to read this site, just so they can find something to rag about. That’s almost as hilarious as this “unbiased review” was.
Oh, and yes, I do use Windows XP running in Parallels on my MacBook Pro. I don’t like it, and would never use it if I didn’t occasionally need to run a couple of Windows apps for work.
webdude, on May 16th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
@leigh it is not that you suck, but the pantywaist whiners that suck
(that said, you are not doing a very good job of avoiding blasphemy-you know its best just to stay clear of that-but then again a lot of people take offense at the name of my blog so I will shut up now)
The comments are hilarious.
@Leon “7. It is good enough/stable enough to assure the Mac will be relegated to its niche market with its dwindling market share.”
Sigh. Apple has always been happy with its niche market, plus you are assuming that while Microsoft is releasing Vista SP2 that Apple has stood still. Nope. And while I do have a VM, I hate firing it up, and the only reason I do so is because I already owned a copy of Windows and Word, and I need Word for work. I wasn’t about to give Microsoft more of my money. I tried Vista and sold it. Microsoft its too little too late. And no I don’t think it will totally stop the hemorraging. Vista is going to take a long time to recover from, and Apple isn’t just letting time go by picking their nose.
I am happy Microsoft is going to put out something that isn’t utter crap. Good thing they had Apple to copy from. But it will spur Apple to more innovation, and in that I am glad. And if it keeps some of the priceless examples of moron PC losers that have appeared on this thread from switching, I will fly to Redmond and kiss the ground.
As a typical Mac snob elitist, I prefer the cult to be kept small.
dizzle, on May 16th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
@leigh //edited to make it slightly less offensive and yet still totally comical –LM //
Come on! Let us see the original? Why doesn’t big bad brave realtor who hatessssesss thosseee maccessessss so much tell us what realty company he works for so that we can make sure we don’t patronize such an orifi.
Mr. Realtor, please get rid of all your Apple products; you are an embarassment.
dizzle, on May 16th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
@Dizzle, and for ANYONE who thinks I’m trying to convert folks to OS X… I very much want the cult to remain small… one but need look at all the toothless hillbillies that are toting around iPhones to see what will become our happy little family if all these booger-eating-morons start using Macs.
To be clear, Windows lovers, please continue to use Windows, don’t read this “review” as an argument in favor of OS X. It’s Not it’s really just a warning for the faithful.
Loyal windows users– we don’t want you… really. Stay home, play click the dialogue box until your left finger gives out and don’t never, ever, never buy a Mac, because you’re not welcome here.
Leigh McMullen, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
@David: I didn’t say “fuck” until over 1000 words in, I said it exactly 5 times and then stopped. Look to the other comment I made regarding the intentional use to profanity as a comedic effect.
Leigh McMullen, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
P.S.S. 45 comments so far… no one has found the hidden Sisters of Mercy reference…
Leigh McMullen, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
To Dizzle- I seem to get what that realtor is saying is that he can’t use only mac as much as he wants to. This is why Apple has a hard time getting into the business sector. I don’t know if you have seen Windows 7 but MS is giving the people who are looking at Apple with an open mind, a full solution to any problem someone might have using a non windowsxp machine in a business setting. Microsoft isn’t going to war with Apple no matter what you might think, this is about putting XP out of business. That is the real target. if MS can be the real alternative finally to XP then they win. All of Apple’s advertising’s main effect really was keeping XP the no 1 OS out there. Apple has gained a bunch of shallow people under their umbrella recently but when you deal with business hardware sales and the majority of retail desktop sales it still is MS game. So go ahead and browbeat the people who would prefer to be on your side of the fence. Let’s see what they make of Windows 7.
Brian Burke, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
@Leigh – I can’t tell you how much I can’t stand your use of the phrase ” The Faithful “. I can’t tell you how much negativity that implies. The unquestioning mac faithful! This is an embarrassment and I personally know a few mac users (who actually use mac’s for graphics and web design) who don’t consider themselves some form of religious cult member. I personally think there is a lot to like about macs but the biggest detractor in my book is being lumped into a quasi fanatical religious organization organized around my hardware provider of choice.
Brian Burke, on May 16th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Awesome article, Leigh! To those who are saying ‘This review is biased/Suck dog dick/anything in between’ – y’all have a serious problem with reading comprehension because: NO FUCKING DUH. Ditto for those who point out that there were five fucks in one sentence. Gee, either that was intentional or the writer has a six-character attention span THINK FOR ONE MINUTE YOU SORRY PROVINCIAL ASSHOLES.
DBL, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
I have no idea wtf Sisters of Mercy is. I guess I’m not as hip as most of the other regular followers of this site.
I agree with much of what you have to say. The ‘ribbon’ as replacement for the traditional File, Edit, etc menus is an abomination. I fucking hate that thing.
Some of your comments are just silly, though. Of course your piece of shit Mcafee isn’t going to install on a pre-release version of Windows. Hell, it will take them two months after retail to get a version out that will install without errors and 100 nag screens.
Your Internet Backgammon nag screen comment is hilarious, though. I whine about the same thing on my Mac. Every time I launch iWeb it hounds me about joining MobileMe. There isn’t even a check box to make that nag screen go away.
Finally, I agree with you that there are too many ‘accept defaults or customize’ screens. Aunt Helen doesn’t know what the hell those options are, so just make the recommend settings the defaults so she doesn’t call me to ask what ‘collect most recently played game information’ means.
At any rate, it was worth a half-drunk chuckle late on a Saturday night. Keep up the great work.
matt, on May 16th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
iphoto is a documnet or a application? as far as I know of quits when you press the x.
I use Powerbook a d I am a apple fan, but sorry ur review is just plain biased.
Naheed, on May 16th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
@Kaz, apologies for not flaming your ignorant hide earlier, but I was too busy using my “accessory” for probabilistic modelling, Markovian analysis, predicitive models, and multivariate regression to stop and spank your sorry butt. Based on your impressive prose and deft use of the language, I’m guessing you’re finishing your PhD in Literature, so I’ll explain all that.
As someone who uses advanced maths and statistics in my every day job, I need a computer that has the horsepower to actually do my work. Technically, I could use a PC, but then I’d need to outfit it with a nuclear reactor and more memory than Google if I wanted to do more than one task at at time – or a day. Lest you think this pure hyperbole, I can sort a 115K record (x 30 field) database in 15 seconds on my Mac. The exact same sort on a comparable PC took 40(+) minutes.
You might spend a little less time with Chaucer (no, not the WWE intercontinental champ) and more time reading up on dialectics. Your arguments are stronger when you don’t contradict them yourself. AutoCAD is not “creative” software. It’s a tool to make the architects life easier. That’s all. (Where have I heard that?) All the creativity is done in the Architect’s head. It sells so well because they give it away to schools (and excellent marketing strategy), and it’s cheaper to just build bigger and uglier Windows versions than to start with a fresh, well written code. It’s not on Mac for exactly the same reason.
My Mac is a tool. So is a PC. But the PC is like those crappy 12-in-1 ratchet/drill bit/screwdriver/saw/dremel/nail clipper combos you get at Wal-Mart. With a little non-standard application you can usually get it to do what you need – if you don’t break it. PCs always seem to use 1/2″ sockets for 13mm bolts. My Mac is like a cabinet full of DeWalt, Mac Tool, Snap-On, and Husqvarna. It does things well, it does them right, and it doesn’t break.
Save your bizarre rants for your WoW buddies and let the grownups talk amongst ourselves.
***** Hey Leigh, these Whine-dows yahoos came out of the woodwork like cockroaches. They must be trolling the Internets for anything that says something bad about their shiny new(?) OS. But it points out a big difference versus fanboys: the fanboys spend 500 words telling you why OS X is a divine miracle (when 10 words will suffice). The Whiners don’t talk about Windows, just the horrible OS X conspiracy to steal your money. And while not your best post, the basic message – a little faster, but more of the same crap – comes through.
imajoebob, on May 17th, 2009 at 12:05 am
What’s funny is that many commenters throw you on the ‘windows fan’ pile as soon as you dare to speak positively about windows (or nagetively about Macs). I suspect this is untrue for most cases; there are plenty of people, such as myself, who own and use both Macs and PC’s on a regular basis, and who have a stake in the improvement of either platform. Since both have annoyances, pointing them out in such a biased way serves little purpose. Why not give the developers credit for taking out some of the annoyances and improving their product? Because the way I see things, I’m more excited about the imporvements from Windows 7 than from the improvements that Snow Leopard offers. But that may be just because I think Leopard is currently more pleasant to use than Windows XP is
By the way, I do appreciate satire, but please make it a bit more intelligent. If you want to write a product down, don’t just say that it sucks and how fucking annoyed you are with it, but point out why it sucks and how the positive side does not compensate for the irritation.
Tycho, on May 17th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Nice simple review, sorry you had to go through it. Thanks Leigh.
Windows 7 == Vista SP2. Service packs are free but this one will cost ya
Steve, on May 17th, 2009 at 2:43 am
Hilarious ! You made my day.
Comedy is obvious. Everyone taking it seriously must consider not voting on the next elections ^^’
That being said. Seven looks like Vista SP3 — or say Vista like it ought to be and that’s shameful. I did not like Vista as I felt not comfortable using it, and they haven’t adopted a new approach, which means I won’t use it for fun, but only when needed.
That’s my personal major drawback about Windows and I’m proud of it
JayPan, on May 17th, 2009 at 3:25 am
Ok, I see you have some points that are valid but really, isn’t Windows 7 an order of magnitude better than anything MS did before? I have it on my MacBook Pro and I was amazed how much faster it boots (Parallels VM), how good looking it is, the fact that it’s free and fully functional until March 2010 etc.
The bugbear I found is that there are almost no applications included. No calendar, no email app etc. I guess you’re expected to use the online offerings (Windows Live) of purchase Office – as if!
PS. Anti-Vir Personal Edition seems to be fine with Win 7 for me.
Philber, on May 17th, 2009 at 5:44 am
Shit. Load of shit. And any way, who needs anti-virus? Not all of us are arse backwords retarded, regardless, McAfee, that’s bullshit any way. The ribbon, I’m sorry that you arn’t open to change, oh you Mac users, so small minded.
No one likes IE8, and you even critised their website. THEIR WEBSITE. NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OS.
SF, on May 17th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Unbiased at all !!!!
whats with the wallpaper….abused childhood side effects ?
adam suail, on May 17th, 2009 at 9:15 am
> Show this every time is the default option??!!! Who the fuck in their right fucking
> mind would ever want to see that useless fucking fuck box ever fucking again?
Apple’s iPhoto ‘09 tutorial has “show this every time” or some such language as it’s default selection. I know this only because it pisses me off EVERY TIME I OPEN IT on my friend’s computer…but one day that Tutorial might be useful for him (I just switched him to a Mac Mini.)
Darcy McGee, on May 17th, 2009 at 9:18 am
@Darcy: Yeesssss…. but I hope one can see the difference between a “Always show at startup” for a tutorial (as in iLife) or pick your template (as in iWork) rather than always show this when the dialog relates to some BS information policy that states (basically): “Listen, retard, in order to play an internet game we have to share some basic information about you.”
@SF: MS was sued for anti-trust by the States Attorney’s General because of bundling their browser with their OS. Their argument: The Browser is the OS.
Leigh McMullen, on May 17th, 2009 at 9:45 am
As unbiased as my left nut. You are a disgrace to the tech community.
Tom C., on May 17th, 2009 at 10:03 am
It still bothers me to this day, that people must insult and ridicule another OS. Macfags, Microshit, its all so juvenile. Why must I choose between Mac and Windows, and why should you care? Both offer more or less the same functionality, and have no pros or cons over eachother.
Your arguments just don’t make any sense. You are complaining about “upgrading” and “custom” when the average user will NEVER see that dialog. And if he does, he will pick Upgrade. Only someone “Advanced” i.e. installing on Virtual Machine will choose custom. And to others choosing which hard drive to install on is pretty advanced. Most people think there is only one hard drive and will blame Bill Gates when their tax records are erased.
Then you install an anti virus on a VM. Then you complain about Win7 not supporting it. Well a quick walk to http://www.mcafee.com/us/ tells us that
“Client computers  Windows 2000 Professional with Service Pack 3 or later, Windows XP Home or Professional (32 bit), Windows XP (64 bit), Windows Vista (32 & 64 bit).”
SHOCK HORROR, Windows 7 isn’t listed. Your complaining that software doesn’t work on Windows 7. Thats like complaining that Norton doesn’t work on Mac.
I could go on and on about the inconsistencies and just plain bias, in your review, but at this point I just feel like I’m being trolled by uneducated opinions. You need to wash your eyes out with Bleach? Windows is not that bad. You didn’t even give “Ribbon” a chance. You just bashed it much like a child bashes an exotic meal.
I really have no problems with Macs, Apple, or iPods. Its just their users who wear this Mac badge with such a high nose, and say Macs are the BMWs of cars, and yet every other aspect of their lives are Toyotas. I hate how they condescend on the rest of this nerdy community, when in reality they are just using BSD with lipgloss.
Mac is a great OS. I have been using it since the 90s and before iMacs, and before you had to be a trendy hipster faggot to own one. I still own a MacBook, and a Mac Pro. I also own a Debian Server and Vista Desktop.
They are just computers. There is no reason to insult one, they all provide different functions. I don’t turn on my Macbook to play Call of Duty, but I don’t turn on my Windows to do video editing.
There is no reason to insult and sneer other OSes. Unless you are being paid by apple to do so. Then you have all the right. But to do this for free, is just shallow and shows that you have nothing better to do on your “perfect” macs.
Phil, on May 17th, 2009 at 11:16 am
Haha, oh wow.
Where does it say McAfee Anti Virus works on Windows 7?
The Windows-7 versions won’t be out until the official release of the OS.
And why do you even need AV? Common Sense is all you need… McAfee is ass btw.
“What I don’t understand is how this Windows 7 is anything more than Vista SP2. It doesn’t seem any different to me.”
The new kernel is smaller, faster, and scales much better. OSX’s BSD clone Dawin, is nowhere near as good as Linux, BSD(nowadays, until Apple rips it off again) and NT.
HardWare, on May 17th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Please stop blogging, this was horrible and it made my eyes melt
nothingy, on May 17th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Um, this, according to Leigh (the *guy* who write the piece), is to be humorous. Let’s laugh, sympathize, or not, and when not, nicely, for we are *supposed* to be adults and civil.
I am always amazed that, more often than not, the first reply to any Mac review is someone bashing Macs–usually with some kind of homophobic assault (”Macfag” see above). One thinks these folks conflate their sexuality with their operating system, hate or deny their sexuality, i.e. operating system, and foist the self-hate onto others. One thinks, one does actually believe, nor assert that it is so openly, and if openly, in clear derision of crudity.
That is, grow up, this piece was someone stating an opinion, not a real review. That’s normal and whining and belching foolishness is abnormal in response.
Jason, on May 17th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
“That’s a pretty cool feature and one we should steal. After all, they’ve stolen enough ideas from us over the years.”
Don’t forget that Apple stole from Xerox and the *BSDs!
Anonymous, on May 17th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Wow, this is perhaps the worst piece of journalistic reporting i have ever read. The overt and clear bias was just laughable. Also good job using a VM to test the OS. Of course its not going to work exactly right. How would you macfags feel if someone did a review of 10.5.6 in a VM? You would be pissed because that not what VMs are for you idiot. Also, what shitty site doesnt provide a test platform for reviewing things on. Thanks CultofMac, you have scraped the bottom of internet reporting.
Unknown, on May 17th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
I’m not even going to go into the many, many things Leigh did wrong and neglected in the “review” but i will say one thing.
When something like this goes up Windows fans are quick to start getting pissed off and start making angry comments, and the Mac fans are quick to say “When something like this goes up Windows fans are quick to start getting pissed off and start making angry comments”.
But if someone did this exact thing for the next iteration of OSX you can be damned sure there’d be plenty of Mac fans ready to make exactly the same angry replys.
Cindres, on May 17th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
to be fair
“See in OS X, a window is a document. It’s always a document, and it’s only one document. Always. That’s why when you close the window, the application still shows as running, because the window is just the document. Not the application.”
that isn’t always true. some mac apps, iweb for example, do quit when you close the window.
and Kaz, you couldn’t be so wrong. Google has NOTHING to do with the mac malware, it is the unix understructure. and most folks that use macs are highly productive. just perhaps not in the same way you are. I, for example, edited 4 30 minute long short films with self composed scores, created websites for each, recorded podcasts for each, filled out numerous festival aps etc. all in the last 5 days and all on my mac. it’s not just for holding my itunes and watching tv on hulu.
Scott, on May 17th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED I tell you at all the people who have come to Cult of Mac looking for a rave review of Winders 7. Its like people who write at the Cult of Mac might like MAC OS X or something. Totally fucking unbelievable. Next, I’m going to waddle over to Microsoft’s website and see if I can find an unbiased review of iWork.
Get a grip.
thanx_al, on May 17th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I used to be anti-Mac, back in the days where relative computing power mattered. The fact that I could get more power (for the buck) on a PC meant that I could do more for the money. I used to like having all those extra dialogue boxes and options, too. When I tweaked one option over another, it really made a difference in performance. Hell, I remember when maximizing extended memory shuffling IRQs made a huge difference in performance.
Those days are over.
These days, computer power far outstrips the need most software to use it. That is why I, for the first time ever, bought a Mac (this year). Not only did I buy a mac, but I bought the cheapest, least powerful one out there (the new $599 Mac mini – though I did max out the RAM to 4GB after it arrived). I plugged the damned thing up to my 42 inch 1080p, added a 2nd monitor for multitasking, and have been off to the races.
I didn’t intend for the mini to become my primary computer, when I have a far more powerful PC, but I must say that I hardly turn on the PC, anymore. I even do video editing on the mini, now, despite the Apple rep telling me that it wasn’t powerful enough for that. It works fine.
I still like PCs, partly because I went through the pain of learning the ins-and-outs years ago and it just isn’t work to me. I still think PCs, for the money, are more powerful than Macs, and I am already frustrated at how many programs I want only come in PC versions (yes, I know about VM ware, but even so…). Still, I don’t feel I got anything less than a bargain with the mini, and I spend about 80% of my computing time on it. I get it now. It’s all about the interface….at least for me, it is.
Rico, on May 17th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
@kaz
safari ftw.
brad, on May 17th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
I’m surprised there isn’t as much flamewaring on this page…but then again you are a lot less likely to find microsoft fans trying to attack OSX as you to apple fan boys googling anything mirosoft so they can add “M$ sucks” to the comments section (prove me wrong).
I feel on this page accidently because i was looking for some benchmarks/reviews for windows 7, which i just installed today, and I am very happy with so far.
I used OSX daily at work, and I feel it has no notacible perfomance enchanments to windows other than FCP (which I have to use) to be a very good piece of software, and routing the audio API is a bit eaiser.
the constant bashing of rival OSes is just like a school yard bully picking fights because of his own insecurities…
ya i guess being around for 20 years and not increasing your market share at all is something to be insecure about…they keep saying…its going to take over the market,….its going to overtake the market…yadda yadda…
ok i don’t know why im bothering
trollomatic, on May 17th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
A window isn’t always a document in OS X, but I agree that the situation is a lot worse in Windows. The reason why Windows is so screwed in this regard is the same reason that most of Windows is screwed – Microsoft never make any bold moves and get ties with the past.
The window-within-a-window problem dates back to Windows 1.0. Windows 1.0 was little more than lots of windows all running DOS apps. Because these DOS apps used there only windowing system Windows was managing windows of windows. This problem has never been fully addressed and is one of the many reasons why Windows is such a sprawling mess today.
Even when Windows 1.0 was released there were OS’s doing windowing correctly (eg Mac OS). A re-occurring habit of Microsoft is to steal a good idea and make it worse because they don’t understand why it’s a good idea.
Windows will always be a horrible, horrible mess until Microsoft makes the bold move to start fresh and ditch the bagage of 25+ years of mistakes. I used to think that Microsoft were malicious, but now I think they’re just incompetent.
Benedict, on May 18th, 2009 at 1:49 am
The comment trail on this is the best thing I’ve seen for a while. Its amazing how worked up people can get. But I suppose if you call somebody’s baby ugly then they will get upset.
I use most of the major OS’s going, Windows for work admin (they make me), Mac OS for home, Linux as a server and Solaris for my real work. They all have their pros and cons, and each (sort of) does the job required in the right environment.
I got a Mac about 4 years ago for my wife and it was very strange at first. It just didn’t make a fuss about things that windows get all excited about.
The best example is what happens when you plug a printer into a USB port under windows and OS X. Windows pop-ups about 10 dialog boxes telling you that you’ve plugged in a printer, and do you want to install the driver, and look how clever I am in finding the right driver for you and do you want it to be the default printer, blah, blah, blah.
When I first plugged the printer into OS X, nothing happened, no dialogs no look at me. I thought it had not picked it up. Then it dawned on me that it was just there and working. No song and dance just getting on with it.
Its the difference between a child and an adult. The child says look at me being clever, the adult just does it.
zeneasy, on May 18th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Biased review!
Market share says it all!
I have Windows 7 and there’s a Mcafee version for Windows 7. Period.
MS is not good, on your crappy iPhone and launch the email app. What’s the first menu on the list? Of course Microsoft Exchange! it wasnt put there by Bill Gates, it was put there by Steve Jobs and you know why? microsoft rules.
Isaac, on May 18th, 2009 at 8:49 am
love the comments trail….wow, don’t people get irritable easily
tim lees, on May 18th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Isaac,
If market share says it all, how is the iPhone crappy?
Rico, on May 18th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Just another reason why I hate elitist Mac fans. I use both Windows PCs and Macs, and I much prefer Windows. But that’s besides the point — this article is a waste of time to read (If you want to learn about Windows 7, try winsupersite.com) and isn’t really funny at all.
I, too, will no longer read CoM. Sorry!
Joe, on May 18th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
I nearly broke out in a laughing fit with the committee of retarded monkeys thing.
Awesome bit of biting dark humor.
crosswiredmind, on May 18th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
This post is a sterling example of why I loves me my internet.
The comments that followed are a depressing example of why I hate it.
That so many people felt compelled to explicitly prove their inability to recognize or appreciate the most obvious form of irony clearly proves how Larry the Cable Guy became a millionaire.
Keep it up, Leigh! You’re doing Dog’s work!
Allan, on May 18th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
Frankly,you just wrote something so unfair that i am close to defending ms.
I mean after vista, how dare you?!
Ms or apple, on May 19th, 2009 at 3:17 am
I have seen the dark side and there is no light at the end of the tunnel for M$!
in Germany we just call it “Windoof” = “Win(stupid)”
Guido, on May 19th, 2009 at 5:28 am
You claim this to be an unbiased review – in the title, no less! Then you write a totally biased review anyway! If I wanted to read a takedown of Windows, I’d go to a Mac site … hey, waitaminute! I see what you did there. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE!
cschack, on May 19th, 2009 at 5:30 am
One VERY cool thing Windows 7 will do that OS X does not: it will be able to use a USB thumb drive, or an external flash drive, as extra system memory. I believe it uses the additional memory for paging virtual memory, but still. Got a 4 gig thumb drive laying around? That’s an extra 4 gigs of system memory for Windows, SOL for OS X.
I hope Cupertino will follow Redmond’s lead on this one.
Tom R., on May 19th, 2009 at 6:31 am
////—Satire off —-////
@Tom R.
Windows has always been able to do this, though not easily, you could adjust your registry settings to tell it where to locate the paging file. I’m sure OS X has a similar configuration setting.
NOW let me tell you why this is a terrible idea: Lets say you’re using your thumb drive or any bus-powered drive (that is the drive gets it’s power from being plugged into the computer) as a paging drive for virtual memory.
What happens if you bump it, what happens if you piug another USB device in and it momentary drops power to the USB bus? what happens if any number of things happen that just for a moment cause that thumb drive and the computer to stop talking.
BOOM
I can see why it sounds like a cool idea especially with USB drives being cheeper than RAM lately, but it is in fact a BAD IDEA on both a PC or a Macintosh.
////—Satire On—-////
Leigh McMullen, on May 19th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Why do you guys insist on continuing this argument. Seriously, this argument should be banned from any future discussions, BECAUSE THE WHOLE OS X vs WINDOWS ARGUMENT IS FUCKING USELESS.
I’m a proud MacBook owner, and a proud Asus (vista/win7) laptop owner. I use them BOTH. Just in case you guys forget, these OSs can coexist. Stop bashing on Windows because you’re so smug over your goddamn Apple computer. Yes they’re sleek, but who really gives a fuck besides you? Your arguments are pointless, like you think that because you start bashing on Windows, Microsoft is just going to close up shop overnight and succumb to Apple. No one cares about your opinion on which OS is better, they both achieve what computers are meant for… personal computing.
James, on May 19th, 2009 at 9:46 am
I have used both platforms for many, many years and there is only one that is actually worth the effort – and it aint Windows !
The media is ALL Mac – why ?
Well its simple – they work
that is all I care about.
Windows has proved itself to be unreliable and in the professional area, this is everything.
Windows is fine for anyone who can be bothered to sort out its many issues, not to mention the Virus protection and hours of downtime / maintenance that simply does not exist on Mac.
I had hoped Vista would be a new start and it certainly looked good – but the day to day experience is sadly lacking. Basically it is very annoying, asking for permission for this that and the other, right when you are trying to edit something. Not as bad as XP , which constantly interferes with your thoughts with a million pop ups.
Windows 7 looks like another version of vista with even more ideas taken from the Mac and implemented poorly.
But all the sheep will buy it and suffer its problems, so I say good luck to them. They are welcome to it.
And whilst all these fuckwits are creating viruses and spyware for the sheep , we Mac users are left out for that loop.
The best thing I can say of Windows is it has kept alot of people in gainful employment, so thanks MS, keep up the shit work- after all, we all have mortgages to pay and W7 will guarantee more work for years to come.
Buy W7 ( I need the cash ! )
Remember folks, there are 7 deadly sins….
Smithy, on May 20th, 2009 at 3:56 am
@kaz wow, did you get lost on the way to gizmodo? apparently YOU give enough of a shit to go on a paragraphs long tirade about it.
os warz are stoopit.
firesign, on May 20th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Brilliant piece! I laughed all the way through it and even read parts of it aloud to my wife so she didn’t think I was going mad laughing maniacally.
Grow up, people. Whether you like Windows or Mac or both, this is a great read and the author makes a few valid points.
Oh, and I LOVE Windows 7! And my MacBook Pro. Go figure….
Kevin, on May 23rd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
>>See in OS X, a window is a document. It’s always a document, and it’s only one document. Always. That’s why when you close the window, the application still shows as running, because the window is just the document. Not the application.<<
And somehow you see this as a virtue??
deepee, on May 24th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
>>Windows 7 looks like another version of vista with even more ideas taken from the Mac and implemented poorly.<<
Sorry, I don’t see anything “mac like” in Win7.
deepee, on May 24th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I want back the time spent on this page. Utterly bad writing and bad ideas. The internet really is a garbage dump
Leonidas, on May 25th, 2009 at 1:29 am
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