The OS battle: Windows 7 vs Mac OS X Snow Leopard
Words Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

2009 was a landmark year for desktop operating system upgrades. Apple got the excitement going by introducing the Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) that enhances performance and functionality while actually saving space by trimming off a lot of archaic code. The result is faster startup, shutdown, wake-from-sleep, and Time Machine backups.

The more recent story that affected a larger user base was the release of the much-awaited Windows 7, Microsoft's follow-up to the troublesome Windows Vista OS. Faster, safer, and more efficient, Windows 7 is poised to reclaim the confidence in Microsoft, migrate hundreds of millions of Windows XP users to the future, as well as erase the stigma left behind by Windows Vista.

WINDOWS 7: THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION

Windows 7, which is available in Home Premium, Professional, and Ultimate versions, is the best version of Windows to date. Prior to the official release, we used the Windows 7 Release Candidate extensively and simply loved its stability and speed.

The upgrade path to Windows 7 from a Vista machine is straightforward and rather painless, but Windows XP holdouts are now forced to decide whether a clean install is worth it or if it's better to buy a new PC with Windows 7 preinstalled for free.

Most of the improvements are under the hood: stability, increased performance, and better memory management. This is also the most visually elegant, easily customizable, and user-centric version of Windows.

A Jump Lists feature gives two-click access to recently used applications and files. There's also a new Taskbar that organizes applications much like the dock on Mac OS X. There's less bloatware out of the box, too, so you don't have to worry about programs you will never use taking up valuable space. In Windows 7, you get the option of installing Windows Live Essentials (http://download.live.com/), a one-stop download for supplemental apps like Mail, Photo, Blogging, Messenger, Movie Maker, and more. Microsoft has made the conscious effort of not forcing these apps down user's throats.