The battle between Windows and Mac has reached a new phase with Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks. While you could call the new Windows with the re-introduction of a Start button and the ability to boot straight to the desktop. Meanwhile Apple largely stays the course with OS X Mavericks. At the same time Mavericks continues to borrow features from iOS, including the new Maps and iBooks app.
Those in the market looking for a new laptop have two very distinct choices Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks. So we decided to put the two platforms against one another for you to make up your mind and bye your favourite product.
Interface
Windows 8.1 still features the same Live Tile interface as Windows 8, making it easy to see social updates, the latest weather conditions and news headlines at a glance. But now there are more tile size options at your disposal. You can also set the same background for both the Modern interface and desktop UI. The Start button in Windows 8.1, However this button merely returns you to the Start screen and its Live Tiles. It’s actually kind of tease.
And while Windows 8.1 surfaces more data at a glance, such as the search bar in the Mail app, other times you’re forced to swipe up to reveal the app bar before you know what options are at your disposal. Yes, Windows 8 has improved, but it still feels like work at times.
OS X Mavericks offers a very similar interface to Mountain Lion, including an iOS like Launchpad for the apps you download from the App Store, a Notification Centre that shows your alerts and a dock for your favourite apps.
Apple has modernized the look of some of its apps, including Calendar and Notes.
Multitasking
Microsoft extends its lead over OS X with 8.1 by allowing users to run up to four apps on the screen at once. You can’t even snap two windows side by side on OS X Mavericks. Just as important, you can now snap two Modern apps side by side and have them both take up half of the screen. Before it head to be a 70/30 percent split.
Multitasking on OS X Mavericks hasn’t improved much, which is a shame. Mission Control provides only a dashboard as to what’s open. You can’t close any apps from this view. Why not let users swipe up on an app to close it, as you can do on the upcoming iOS 7 For the most part, OS X is best for unitasking because of its ability to run many apps at full screen.
Cloud
Microsoft highlighted SkyDrive in the modern style interface in Windows 8 but didn’t even include it on the desktop. That changes in Windows 8.1, as it’s integrated right into Explorer. It’s clear that Microsoft would prefer that you would use its service, which includes 7GB of free storage.
The beauty of SkyDrive in Windows 8.1 is that your files appear as though they’re stored locally (complete with thumbnails) but take up very little hard drive space. Microsoft also updated the SkyDrive app to let you access files that are both stored locally and in the cloud. Moving files could be easier, though.
Apple hasn’t made many changes to iCloud within OS Mavericks itself, but it does integrate with the new Tags feature, making it easier to find your files when you log into another Mac. Another welcome new feature is iCloud Keychain, which stores everything from usernames and passwords to credit card info and Wi-Fi credentials stored in the cloud. Everything gets encrypted and pushed to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. By the same token, the new Books apps in Mavericks syncs your progress and notes in books.
Things will get more interesting once Apple launches iWork in the Cloud (in limited beta now). The service will bring Pages, Numbers and Keynote to both OS X and Windows users via the web, but it doesn’t look as though it will be as robust as Office 365 or Google Drive.
Built-In Apps
Windows 8.1 includes some enhanced apps and brand new choices to help users get more out of the touch friendly OS. We continue to like appreciate the Bing News, Travel, Finance and Sports apps, with their sleek panoramic designs and customizable interfaces. You can also pin favourite items to your Start screen, as we did with the New York Yankees.
Creative types will dig the new Fresh Paint app for Windows 8, which includes oil paints, graphic pencils and watercolours and lets you paint via touch, stylus or dedicated drawing tablet. And foodies will salivate over the new Bing Food & Drink app, which includes tasty recipes, a shopping list and meal planner.
With the help of Photos app, you can now auto-fix and fine tune photos with a few taps. However, the iPhoto app in OS X Mavericks has many more options and integrates well with Shared Photo Streams, making it easy to import images from your iOS device. With OS X Mavericks, Apple has given some its Calendar app a major makeover while adding Maps and iBooks. In addition to a cleaner design, the Calendar app now offers an Event Inspector feature that will auto complete meeting locations as you type. The app will show the cross street on a mini map and even the weather forecast for that appointment time.
Maps for OS X Mavericks is similar to the iOS version complete with 3D flyovers for cities. We also like that points of interest include Yelp ratings and photos. However, while Apple’s Maps app looks better and is easier to use, only the Bing Maps app includes transit directions.
App Stores
From Microsoft: Microsoft recently passed the 100,000 app milestone for the Windows Store, and the company claims that the majority of top iPad and Android apps will be available for Windows 8.1 by the time Windows 8.1 ships. Those will include Facebook and Flipboard. The Windows Store continues to stock only modern style apps and not desktop apps, which results in a fragmented downloading and shopping experience. For now, the Store is missing some key apps you’ll find on the iPad, such as Pandora, Draw Something and Words with Friends. But this face off is between Windows 8.1 and OS X Mavericks, and in that regard Windows has a huge lead over Apple in the number of desktop apps you can find outside of the Windows Store.
The Mac App Store stocks thousands of choices, ranging from photo editing apps and social networking tools to games. Apple’s store also presents more information on the screen at once, making it easier to find what you’re looking for. The Mac App Store can now update your apps automatically, similar to Windows 8.1. However, only the Mac App Store stocks apps optimized for Retina Displays (260 at last count).
Gaming
This round will be very quick and that’s what you all are waiting for, the hottest games simply don’t find their way to Macs fast enough at all. “World of Tanks,” “Tomb Raider,” “Far Cry 3,” “Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.” None of these top tier Windows titles are available for Macs.
The good news is that casual gamers will find plenty to like in the Mac App Store, from “Real Racing 2” and “Angry Birds Star Wars” to Bejeweled 3 but The Mac App Store does stock some decent games, such as “Batman: Arkham City,” “Doom 3” and the earlier “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” but hardcore gamers are still better off with Windows.
