2 thoughts on “Mac OS Ken
TechFan Podcast #65”

  1. Tim,

    You had asked if it is worth switching from VMWare Fusion to Parallels. IMO no. Both are excellent products. I have both, I keep getting them in bundles. Both keep matching each other in features and performance, one or the other may be ahead at any moment, but it always changes. I tend to stick with VMWare Fusion because I like to test out Linux distribution and VMWare has pre-configured “appliance” virtual machines on their wen site, which makes installation absolutely painless.

    There is also a free option, Virtual Box, which is not as sophisticated as either Parallels or Fusion, but works well. If Ken, as he mentioned, is interested in Windows 8, there is a good no-cost way to do that – Virtual Box, plus the Windows 8 Developer Preview, which is a free download from Microsoft. This will be replaced by the Consumer Preview (aka beta) at the end of February, so it might be a good idea to wait for that release.

    As to Win 7 being comparable to OS X, in a word, no. Not in features, or performance, or ease of use. I ran a PC support area and have supported Windows from the first version, I am not speaking as a Mac bigot, but Windows is badly in need of what Apple did with OS X, blowing it up and starting over, using virtualization to run the old software. They are just putting fresh coats of paint over a rotting infrastructure. That there is a registry in Windows 8 is extremely disappointing. The ARM version of Win 8 for tablets is what they should be doing, but it is incompatible with older software and shouldn’t be called Windows any more than Windows CE should have been, or than iOS should have been called Mac OS X Portable. Microsoft just likes to call EVERYTHING Windows or Office.

    Running Windows today when you have the option to run OS X is simply masochism. If you can’t afford a Mac, or your work gives you a PC, that is a different story, but a look at retail sales over $1000, where Macs exist, shows that an overwhelming percentage of those sales are Macs – even retail over $500. People don’t willingly choose Windows when they have options and know better.

    Bob DeGrande

  2. Bob,

    “People don’t willingly choose Windows when they have options and know better.”

    Boy, does that ever hit the nail on the head. I don’t think the tech industry really understands the reasons for the consistent growth in market share of the Mac for the past two years, while the PC makers have all generally seen declines.

    The ONLY reason for Windows marketshare domination at this point in time is because it’s entrenched in businesses, IMO.

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