Windows 8 vs. Mac OS X Mountain Lion comparison
Go through our detailed comparison between Windows 8 and Mac OS X Mountain Lion. Know what are the differences in their looks, performance and features and make the decision which operating system suits you better,
The recent discussions in the tech world are about the new OS released by Microsoft and Mac which are Windows 8 and MAC OS X Mountain Lion respectively. The traditional fight between the mighty players has been brought to the next level by the release of both operating systems. Also, we can say that this war has resulted in the the next revolution of the computer operating systems. Both the operating systems were release in the previous summer. On comparing these two we come across many similarities and dissimilarities, and anyone who is planning to buy either of the systems should know the differences between the two operating systems.The Looks
First just look through the actual looks of both of the operating systems.
Windows 8: Instead of the usual taskbar, start menu and Windows explorer, a Start screen has been built in for you in the Windows 8. Here the icons are in forms of rectangles and squares which are actually the app looks of smartphones and tablets, these are called the Live Tiles. These are actually 'live' in the sense that it enables the user see the notification or message or whatever the app is about by just a glance. Suppose it is a Yahoo Mail app then it would show you if you have any new mail. In Windows 8 we have Metro styled user interface with colorful and pleasant appearance.
Os X Mountain Lion: In OS X, Mac presents a uniformity in the look with a typical desktop. It resembles the previous version of Lion by keeping the traditional Mac look. In the case of looks, Apple has approached a type of minimalism. Here apps are condensed to icons and to get the user's attention to all parts, a bird eye view is provided here. Like the Start Screen in Windows 8, here is an approximation called the LaunchPad. In it the icons and apps are arranged as a grid like in an iPad.
On comparing, Windows 8 lies a step ahead by its LiveTile feature. It is also ahead of OS X with the lively and colourful interference have they used. It seems that Apple is not much worried about the looks, that seems to believe that 'beauty lies inside'.App Market
Now, the next thing everyone looks for after the looks may be the app market. Both companies have their own app stores.
In the case of Mac Mountain Lion, the number of apps is way more than that in the Windows store but with the pace the Windows 8 store is growing, you won't find any shortage of apps. Windows store is clean, attractive and smartly designed like the Mac store.
In Mac store, the apps are categorised according to their types. They are organised in such a manner that the user can buy the item, by just a single click. Moreover, the biggest advantage is the presence of a search feature which is dearly missed in Windows 8 store.
Considering the Windows 8 market is still new and there are going to be improvements in it soon with the upgrade of Windows 8.1 we don't rank Windows 8 store much farther than iTunes. However, the win here is of Mac OS X.
Live Sync
Both Windows 8 and OS X provide live sync which is a must have option in this generation.
Mac does this by iCloud facility and at the same time Microsoft does it through Windows Live sync.
iCloud sync comes with single-login feature. With a unique single user id and password, the user gains access to documents, gamecenter profiles, reminders, notes and even apps.
In case of Windows 8, user can log-in to any PC loaded with Windows 8 via Windows Live sync with unique Live account. It syncs the PC's basic settings including documents, apps and so on. This makes the users to migrate easily from one Windows 8 device to other Windows 8 device. File Management
In case of file management, Apple has done a little work with the File Management system and it looks as same as that of the previous Lion OS but with some background improvements for performance. In OS X, finder app is used for file searching and customisation. On searching, the OS X Mountain Lion sorts the item by name, kind, creation date etc. on ascending or descending order. They can be customised as rename, move, copy, delete or even burn them, which is a thing not to be discussed.
In the case of Windows 8, user don't have to be bothered about not seeing any apps or search areas on the screen. For searching, simply start typing on the keyboard. The result will come from the right side of the screen and will display it instantaneously. Here in Windows 8, the search capability is made more stronger this time, the search feature searches for app, files and installed softwares. With Windows 8.1 it will be further expanded to include even your mails and Bing results.Touch Interference
It's more about the fingers for the Windows 8 unlike the Mountain Lion OS X. It's onscreen keyboard makes it more finger friendly but the non-touch interface works fine too. It comes with gesture recognition and palm rejection features which makes it even more user friendly. The palm rejection enables the system to not let anything happen to it when the palm is accidentally used.
Apple is not fond of touchscreen PC, but Moutain Lion, with built-in trackpad in Macbooks and Apples optional Magic Trackpad performs some cool gestures. It feels complicated for the first time and then comes in handy with it which is useful in many ways.
Minimum Requirements
Windows 8
Windows 8 runs on any system that was earlier running Windows 7
Processor : 1Ghz or faster with 32-bit or 64-bit processor.
RAM : 1 GB for 32-bit and 2 GB for 64-bit.
HD space : 16 GB for 32-bit and 20 GB for 64-bit processor.
Mac OS X Mountain Lion
Processor : Intel core 2 duo processor or higher
RAM : 2 GB
HDD : 8GB of available space
Supported models : iMac( mid 2007 or newer)
MacBook(late 2008 aluminium or newer)
Other Apps and Features
Windows 8
It can be listed as a feature that everyone is waiting for. It's actually a backup plan. It simply allows the user to copy all the system settings including wallpapers, notes etc directly to a USB thumb drive. It helps the user to boot Windows 8 from the USB drive. The PC settings can easily be retrieved just by plugging it to a Windows 8 loaded PC and by this even the Start Screen remains the same as the user's. But the company says that the user may not be able to Hibernate with this feature.Mac OS X Mountain Lion
The OS X comes with complete integration with the game centre, which is the gaming hub for the iPhone and iPad. Mac is porting it directly to the OS X. It allows the user to play online games with friends and compare achievements. It gives access to the centralised system of gameplay. It is device independent and works on all iPhone, iPad and the OS X.
It is a feature that updates the user's documents and integrated apps and even makes back-ups when in offline. During the update process not even the CPU wake ups and no fan runs.
Through Airplay Monitor mirroring of Mac screen with a HDTV is easier. This was first introduced in iOS and ported directly to the OS X. It makes it possible by connecting the TV to a Apple TV in local network.Conclusion
Through this we have covered most of the similar and dissimilar features that both have. Microsoft has made Windows 8 with cool looks and a variety of concepts, contents and apps while keeping it affordable for everyone. However, Apple has done not much changes in OS X, most of the features are directly ported or upgraded from its previous versions or devices. In this area Microsoft does better. The thing is that they have prepared the operating systems in such a way that they are made available in tablets too. So with no doubt we can say its time for the next revolution in the computer OS.
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