Why Leopard Isn't Better than Vista
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Apple's newest operating system is at best an evolution from predecessor Tiger. Some of the criticisms leveled at Windows Vista apply to Leopard. Seriously. |
I bought my copy of Leopard on Saturday from the local Apple Store. Granted, I've only used the software for two days, but it has made a remarkably fast first impression. There is much to like about Leopard, but this cat scratchesoh, am I wounded.
What's bugging me about Leopard is what bugged me about Vista eight months ago:
- Feature or UI changes made without really good reasons
- Application compatibility problems
- Diminished performance compared to the predecessor operating system
- Irksome sense the software shipped before being really ready
I tested Leopard on a MacBook Pro that Apple provided for testing Aperture: 2.4GHz processor, 4GB of RAM, 256MB graphics accelerator and 160GB hard drive. I kept the notebook longer for Leopard testing. No doubt someone will ask for the loaner back as soon this post is passed around Cupertino.
My problems with Leopard started fairly quickly. Apple's pre-Leopard launch marketing exacerbated the problems, because it so increased expectations about those 300 new features. Apple's past practice of delivering more than promised gave some confidence about Leopard. Sure, there are some truly whiz-bang enhancements, with some of the seemingly smallest having big impact (example: users can from the main Spotlight search window type in definitions to find words in the dictionary). But compatibility and performance problems are causing me way too much trouble.
Some quick examples:
- The new Apple Mail can no longer delete messages from my personal domain's IMAP server; they're piling up in the inbox
- Leopard is incompatible with my version of Cisco VPN. I did hunt down a compatible upgrade
- Safari crashes ... often enough
- Outlook Web mail works sometimes in Safari, but usually just hangs; it's A-OK in Firefox
- Internet connection is sluggish and routes slowly (connected through an Apple AirPort router); performance is speedy by comparison on Windows Vista or Tiger
Interface changes add unnecessary complexity to the operating system. Another added complexity: Like Microsoft, Apple has added new and annoying security prompts to the operating system. This morning, I downloaded an updated NewsFire RSS reader and got a warning popup asking if I really wanted to open this applicationbecause it came from the Internet. Maybe Apple's user interface designers should watch their own TV commercials: "Security."
I'm going to give Leopard another day, but already I'm thinking about switching the MacBook Pro back to Tiger. Isn't that a story told and retold about Vista, where people went back to XP? It's a story other Leopard adopters may tell.
My point: Leopard is no better than Vista, in the sense that someperhaps manyof the same migration complaints and problems apply. Windows' visibility and exponentially large number of applications amplify its complaints. There are more potential problems to have with Windows compared to Mac OS X. Besides, Microsoft is the successful company so many people love to hate. Criticism is easy, and it's frequent.
Leopard's problems would be a whole lot bigger if more businesses used Mac OS X. I'm simply one consumer user. By the way, I had no serious problems (other than Cisco VPN) migrating to Leopard's two predecessors, Panther and Tiger. My user experience, while anecdotal, shows the problems that can come as an operating system adds on features and its supporting ecosystem of software increases. Those 300 new features have their price in increased complexity and compatibility problems.
By the way, Cover Flow is the one Leopard feature I really like. Cover Flow lets me scan through documents without opening them, which is hugely convenient. But the one compelling feature won't be enough to stick with Leopard, particularly if personal and professional e-mail problems persist.
By comparison, Vista's shakedown is largely over. I have little to complain about and lots more to like about Vista than I did in February.
Related Posts:
- Why Leopard Is Better Than Vista, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 29, 2007
- The Great Double Standardd, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 26, 2007
- Apple Is No. 3. So What?, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 22, 2007
- Vista: Cat Scratch Fever, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 19, 2007
- Vista: None for All?, Microsoft Watch, Oct. 4, 2007
- XP's Success Isn't Vista's Failure, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 28, 2007
- Windows Vista Ultimate: Plus or Minus?, Microsoft Watch, Sept. 26, 2007
- Broken Windows, Microsoft Watch, Aug. 9, 2007
- The Vista Contradiction, Microsoft Watch, June 4, 2007
- How Does Windows Vista Rate?, Microsoft Watch, May 20, 2007
- Is Vista One Step Ahead?, Microsoft Watch, May 16, 2007
- I Shacked Up with Windows Vista, Microsoft Watch, May 10, 2007
- Personal Vista, Microsoft Watch, May 2, 2007
- What Would You Pay for Vista?, Microsoft Watch, April 22, 2007
- Vista Missed Its CueNow What?, Microsoft Watch, March 23, 2007
- Windows Ultimate Advantage, Microsoft Watch, Jan. 7, 2007
Create, Communicate, Collaborate with IT Professionals at Ziff Davis Enterprise IT Link.


Comments (63)
Coming soon to this thread, the usual accusations that your article is intent on bashing Leopard and promoting Vista. But I've already sort of come to the same conclusion as you. A Mac machine is still just a computer, and it will have the usual early "release shake-out blues" with its new operating system as Microsoft did with XP and with Vista.
After spending more than a year visiting the local Apple store and doing some short test drives and asking a lot of questions, it's clear that the Mac system isn't compelling enough to make the switch. A PC with Windows works okey-dokee for me, and that's that.
Posted by mgo | October 29, 2007 6:04 PM
Until the issues you mention (or others) happen on a wide scale (hint: they won't), then your comment that Leopard being no better than Vista is at the very least unsupported, and at the most outright wrong. With Vista, the reported issues were widespread. Heck, it was hard to find anything but a horrible review of Vista in the first few months (and even now, for that matter). Compare that to the stellar reviews Leopard is receiving.
You're reaching anyway. Certainly some of your issues are a reach. Outlook web mail doesn't work in Safari? Well, sure, that's Apple's fault. Please. Also if you think Vista's UAC is ANYTHING like Leopard's security prompts, than I have to question your sanity. Honestly, this post, and your ridiculous rant about the "double standard" from a few days ago, are borderline trolling.
It's been less than a year, and you're already re-writing Vista's history. Wow.
I subscribe to your site because you tend to look at Microsoft critically, but lately you've changed from a Microsoft Watcher to simply an Apple-Basher. I guess the page hits were too hard to resist...
Posted by Tom | October 29, 2007 6:09 PM
I'm not going to bash someone for disliking Mac OS X Leopard, but when someone comes from a Windows mindset, it doesn't matter what operating system they're trying to use, they have a closed mind about it. Nothing is perfect in the computing world, and you can't make everyone happy all the time. But, I've used OS X, Vista, and Linux, and Vista is pretty much put to shame in a lot of ways by both Mac and Linux. It's still more polished than Linux in some areas, but that's coming to an end sooner than you'd expect. The Mac, however, is mostly heads above what Vista was promised to be, let alone the disappointment it ended up being.
Posted by Ruel Smith | October 29, 2007 6:12 PM
Why not check out Shimo as an alternative to Cisco VPN Client. I am not sure how it will perform under Leopard, but I have been enjoying it under Tiger a lot more than Cisco's application.
Posted by Kristiaan | October 29, 2007 6:40 PM
I'm glad Vista's shakedown is over and you're happy with it. I hope you're as patient and willing to try again with Leopard.
Posted by HG | October 29, 2007 6:44 PM
Regarding Cisco VPN alternatives. Leopard adds more VPN protocols and among them are Cisco protocols which were not available in Tiger.
You might check out the built-in VPN protocols provided by Leopard. You might find that Leopard has actually simplified your life.
Posted by HG | October 29, 2007 6:46 PM
Baloney.
FIRST thing I noticed when booting into Leopard on my Macbook Core 2 Duo 2G RAM laptop was how FAST Safari loaded pages, when compared to Tiger -- under Tiger, I would typically obtain 2 Mb/s+ when running one of the internet speed site tests. Under Leopard, I am typically in the mid-6 Mb/s download speed range -- Comcast is my provider.
So far, all of my applications seem to work properly -- to include my Leopard-beta VMWare -- quite an achievement for a major software upgrade.
Niffy
Posted by Niff Stipples | October 29, 2007 6:50 PM
"Like Microsoft, Apple has added new and annoying security prompts to the operating system. This morning, I downloaded an updated NewsFire RSS reader and got a warning popup asking if I really wanted to open this application because it came from the Internet."
Actually, this was added in 10.4.7, and refined in Leopard. Upon FIRST launch (Windows does it on every launch) of a new application that came from the Internet you are told where it came from (URL), what application fetched it, and when it was downloaded. You are then asked if you want to run it. You are NOT asked again on subsequent launches. This is much more useful information than the UAC, and has nothing to do with the standard Mac security model of asking for a username/password which is what the UAC is most commonly compared to. This allows you to see immediately if this application was downloaded without your intervention, even a week later after it was downloaded and you run it for the 1st time.
Posted by e | October 29, 2007 7:00 PM
I would be curious to know what method of installation you used. I prefer a clean install for a major OS revision. I did this with Leopard and have had nothing but good luck.
Increased speed. No conflicts. No crashes. In fact, I think memory management is vastly improved.
Posted by Uncle Paul | October 29, 2007 7:52 PM
I can already see lot of features copied from Vista and given different name. Is Leopard the "Copy Cat".People commenting on Vista must work with a recent update and then comment on it rather than commenting based on beta or decade old releases.Anyway the world has already seen Vista's success in latest Microsoft's revenue announcement (even after the continuous hate from IT bloggers).That is the power of Microsoft..it's product's are customer friendly and very flexible for home and enterprise use (May not be IT bloggers friendly). Now with the release of SP1 (by the way it's free and does not come out with a new cat name, just to empty user's wallet) it'll be more complete than ever.
Posted by cloudglitter | October 29, 2007 8:01 PM
For Mail to delete files off the server, as always go to preferences-Accounts-Mialbox behavior, and change it.
I cant believe you wrote a review after only two days. Joe, you know windows guys cant process the info that fast.
Pope
Posted by Pope | October 29, 2007 8:05 PM
Reason #1: Leopard only runs on one brand of hardware.
Over the years, I have bought DOS/Windows personal computers from IBM, Dell, and HP. With Leopard, your only computer hardware choices are Apple, Apple, and Apple.
Posted by TomT | October 29, 2007 8:36 PM
Can anyone else believe what crap Microsoft Watch has become lately? Wilcox has turned into Dvorak: writing flame bait with no technical merit or journalistic integrity just to boast an increase in views. I'm removing Microsoft Watch from my list of RSS feeds. I advise everybody to do the same.
Posted by brian | October 29, 2007 8:58 PM
Joe , you are really a joker .
Within a week , you commented a product with an extreme dichotomy views:
1) Why Leopard is better than Vista
2) Why Leopard isn't better than Vista.
As I mentioned few times before, your perception kill you. You praise and embrace Leopard last week although you have not get it tested
See now ..
Posted by Marty | October 29, 2007 9:42 PM
Joe, for every new OS, there is a pain to learn and upgrade.
Now you are facing the problem with Leopard as similar to the problem you faced in dealing with Vista.
I hope that you have learned a lession , not to keep bashing Vista ...
Leopard or Vista , you decide yourself ..
Posted by John | October 29, 2007 9:45 PM
Joe, for every new OS, there is a pain to learn and upgrade.
Now you are facing the problem with Leopard as similar to the problem you faced in dealing with Vista.
I hope that you have learned a lession , not to keep bashing Vista ...
Leopard or Vista , you decide yourself ..
Posted by John | October 29, 2007 9:46 PM
Congratulate to Mr Joe Wilcox :
Don't be despair
Now at least you have a reason to bash Apple as well.
It is time to change your column to :
((Microsoft - Apple)x Watch))x Bash
Posted by Mary | October 29, 2007 9:49 PM
Joe wrote : I have little to complain about and lots more to like about Vista than I did in February.
Since you have tested Leopard , you hate it , you "re-love" Vista .
Then you should test Ubuntu and Open Office , you will hate it and you will love your Microsft Office again .
So , in your mind , the "evil empire " won ..,.
Posted by John | October 29, 2007 9:57 PM
I got my copy of Leopard on Saturday too. It works great. I haven't found a problem yet. Safari hasn't crashed, and all of my apps work.
Posted by Marty B. | October 29, 2007 10:15 PM
Marty, everyone, I suspect that Joe Wilcox may have posted both columns "Why Leopard is Better than Vista" and "Why Leopard Isn't Better than Vista" today deliberately to make a point. (In fact, it might help elaborate on what was posted about double standards.)
Posted by Wes | October 29, 2007 10:30 PM
Funny, I read at least eleven Leopard reports from other such as ArsTechnica and Cnet and they say the exact opposite of what Joe Wilcox says! What gives?
I really can't trust Joe anymore. I will go with the other reports, after all, they agree. How can one guy be so different from the others? Something smells fishy here?
Posted by Don Williams | October 29, 2007 11:39 PM
Wes has a point.
May be Joe just want to show to us that he is impartial that he will condemn both Apple and non-Apple
May be not , he hate Microsoft so much that he has to put his hope on Apple.
May be not , he is such an hopeless installar which he fails to install both Leopard and Vista using his own hands and brain
May be not , he is probably a Llinux lobbyist
May be not, his ex-Jupiter Research did not train him hard enough to analyse
Posted by Peter | October 30, 2007 12:01 AM
Joe , you are indeed confused , you probably need theraphy
1) Isn't that a story told and retold about Vista, where people went back to XP
2) I have little to complain about and lots more to like about Vista than I did in February
So , what do you use now ?
From XP switch to Vista and then switch to Leopard and then go back to Vista and will later switch back to XP .
Posted by Laker | October 30, 2007 12:08 AM
Dear Readers and Joe Wilcox :
The entry " Why Leopard is better than Vista " is posted on Monday , October 29, 2007 4:16pm/EST
AND :
The entry " Why Leopard isn't better than Vista " is posted on Monday , October 29, 2007 4:17pm/EST
My question is how can a writer twisted his mind in just ONE Second from 4:16pm to 4:17pm.
I can conclud that Joe had prior written these two article before any testing on Leopard is done. In fact I suspect Joe has not been touching on Leopard up to now
He than posted it one after another in such a way to create dramatic and sensational effect.
He just want to play around reader's sentiment and emotion .
But , what a good tactic @@#!@$%
Posted by Sleuth | October 30, 2007 12:26 AM
I upgraded 3 home systems on Friday... yep, there are some issues. But no show stoppers. My personal laptop is among the new Leopards... it is heavily used. VPN Tracker is busted, but they have a v5.0 beta that works. I already enjoy better productivity with several apps. There will be a few patches to fix the worst glitches soon. Just don't be to eager to install this yet on mission critical systems. (If you didn't already know this, then you should not be upgrading anything!)
All things considered it looks like this Cat will grow up fast.
Posted by Dave | October 30, 2007 12:35 AM
Don Williams wrote: "I read at least eleven Leopard reports from other such as ArsTechnica and Cnet and they say the exact opposite of what Joe Wilcox says! What gives? I really can't trust Joe anymore."
Hi, Don,
Many--but, of course, not all--reviewers got Macs from Apple with Leopard preloaded. I preformed an upgrade over Tiger, which is what most people would do. Apple's forum on Leopard installations is rife with problems. My installation went fine, but this forum is more indicative of real world situation than are the reviews. Some people will have problems.
I've been using Macs since 1998, and this is the second Mac OS X version that bugged me. The original came up short in big ways--like no support for optical drives shipped on Macs--but I tried to love it. Every version since the first really satisfied.
Leopard has many new and enticing features, but there are bound to be problems, too. Vista got a bad rap for its compatibility problems and UI changes. Leopard is no different in having problems, which was the point of the post.
By the way, Fake Steve Jobs has an amusing missive on Leopard installation problems.
Joe
Posted by Joe | October 30, 2007 1:06 AM
But Joe, I don't think you tested Leopard. I don't think you like or dislike Leopard.
To me , it is your boss' request to ask you to do some balancing act before your 100% bias to bash Microsoft
At least we are shown that you start to bash Apple.
But, then , the focus should be on Microsoft and its roadmap , not the like-or-dislike Vista.
And all these shallow topics should not be publishd in future
Sleuth bring up an interesting point which I think you need to explain clearly
Posted by Paul | October 30, 2007 2:02 AM
Here is yet another fault in Leopard.
This article was neowin.net
Early adopters of Apple's newly released OS X 10.5 Leopard operating system may soon have a sour taste in their mouth as reports file in that users are unable to work with the latest version of the Java programming language. Following the release of OS X Leopard on Friday evening, threads began to appear in Apple's support forum where numerous users reported that code written in Java 1.6 (also known as Java 6) failed to execute. The problem allegedly lies in an outdated version of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), an application that allows OS X to interpret and run Java code. Java 1.6 was officially released in December 2006, but Leopard reportedly supports only Java 1.4 due to Apple's insistence on developing the JVM themselves, rather than allow Sun to do it. Apple did not respond to a request for comment.
Users on Apple's support forums are, to say the least, a bit miffed at the development. "This is a show stopper for me, and I will have to revert to 10.4, since my job as a software engineer for Sun requires Java 6," wrote one user. "This will likely prevent a lot of people from upgrading." Users were further angered when many of the threads about the issue were reportedly deleted from Apple's support forum without explanation.
Posted by Neil | October 30, 2007 2:32 AM
Sleuth wrote: "I can conclud that Joe had prior written these two article before any testing on Leopard is done. In fact I suspect Joe has not been touching on Leopard up to now."
Nope, I wrote both posts on Monday, one after the other in the order they appeared. But I held the first one until the second was ready.
There was no intention "to create dramatic and sensational effect," but to offer balance. The posts aren't self-exclusive. The titles may be similar, but the content is not. Two very different perspectives are offered about Leopard and Vista.
I never write about using software that I haven't used. Of course, I've used Leopard, which I installed on three different Macs.
To Wes: I didn't write both posts to make any point. I started to write only the one, but decided on a second post about midway through the first. Had Leopard satisfied like the last three versions of Mac OS X, there would have been no second post.
To John: I never said, or even insinuated, that I hate Leopard, nor did I suggest any "re-love" for Vista. The operating systems are just tools to me. I have work to do and will use what gets the job done--and that includes content created for personal use. I would be more likely to use a Mac for iLife than for Leopard.
Joe
Posted by Joe | October 30, 2007 2:46 AM
Leopard has had trouble from the start.
Vista didn't have these high level critical problems when it came out. Sure there was driver issues, but not BSODs (specially while installing it), application incompatibility, critical UI issues, people not pleased with the Dock, the menu bar, and the list will probably keep on going for a while.
For all those people who poked fun at Vista during its early history, who's laughing now.
Leopard was supposed to be a much more reliant OS than Vista .... I don't think so !!!
Posted by Neil | October 30, 2007 2:46 AM
Joe , your reply does not sound logical .
If you have written the first article, " Why Leopard is better than Vista" , logically you will not immediately embark to write an article to revert your decision and against it in the same day , It sound strange , right ?!
The difference of publishing time is only ONE SECOND . One second ..that is a click to post two entry .. right ..?!@
Even you wrote the first article and immediately to the Leopard testing on the same day , you will hesitate to write to against it. Your mind will be struggling .."to be or not to be " situation
I sincerely doubt your reply
Posted by Sleuth | October 30, 2007 3:02 AM
Leopard is out?Really? Can I download it and install it on my PC? Oh I forgot I have to buy a new Mac for it...GET MY DRIFT? New Version...new computer....
Posted by evan | October 30, 2007 3:29 AM
Microsft Watch Proclaims Vista is Better Than Leopard Shocker!!!
Anybody who really knows, reads John Siracusa reviews.
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/mac-os-x-10-5.ars
Joe Wilcox,enjoy your bed with Paul Thurrot and Robert Enderle ;-)
You'll stop hedging your bets soon enough. Just install Vista on your Mac and be done with it. If you're hard enough!
Posted by Mike Peter Reed | October 30, 2007 6:30 AM
"Diminished performance compared to the predecessor operating system"
At least for Leopard, I disagree on this point.
Personally Leopard is significantly faster than Tiger on my Core2Duo MacBook. Applications start faster, reactivity is better...etc. ANd I did an upgrade, which mean that I have the same exact applications installations than when I was on Tiger.
This is by the way confirmed on numerous reviews, including the one fron Ars Technica who are known to make very good and accurate reviews. So maybe you got a problem on your Mac more specifically?
Posted by Bertrand Presles | October 30, 2007 6:58 AM
@Evan
Download it? No it's illegal, you have to BUY it :)
Also you don't need a new Mac, you need a Mac, any Mac with at least a G4 are supported... Well if you have a G4 lower than 867MHz you'll have to do a small trick, but it works, and it works well :)
Ah but maybe you don't have a Mac yet? Well it's still possible, but illegal... Just like putting a Ferrari engine on a Land Rover :)
Posted by iFrodo | October 30, 2007 7:01 AM
Joe,
at least with Leopard you won't need to dump any computer older than 6 months as with Vista just to get it to work... Why, why do all companies emit drawbacks about switching to Vista? Are ALL those IT-guys mad or what? Why on earth would they then keep ol' good XP in the house if Vista was so good?
And, "one more thing" ;o), you're trying to compare a major update from Microsoft that needed 6 years to come out without anything really new except what could be expected from an OS, and that needs a brand new computer to work, to a major update from Apple that needed 1 and a half year to come out, which is not revolutionary but has some nice features and from which you could have read (if you would have bothered to get informed before you wrote) about some bugs but a general flawless integration.
Vista IS a bug, a 6-years old bug. It looks now pretty ok, but the huge amount of resources it needs to achieve only this lets it lay way behind Linux or MacOS X, which don't need a newest generation 256MB graphic card to make a single window flip over...
I have to admit I'm now a Mac user, and that I hated Macs until 1 year ago, until I discovered Intel Macs and Tiger. I bought a MacBook Pro 6 months ago, and really, truely (I swear I was a Microsoft fan before), I would never, ever go back to the worries and heaviness of Windows.
Please, Joe, inform yourself correctly before you post such a piece of.... You are really "mala fide" and cheating your readers for me...
Think about it
Posted by JP | October 30, 2007 7:35 AM
apple fanboys are so retardd
Posted by steve jobs | October 30, 2007 8:44 AM
4 different versions of VISTA, only one and complete version of LEOPARD.
Windows Vista Ultimate
Minimum supported system requirements
===> Certain product features are not available with minimum supported requirements.
* 800 MHz processor and 512 MB of system memory
* 20 GB hard drive with at least 15 GB of available space
Mac OS X Leopard
Minimum supported system requirements
Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
minimum system requirements
* 512MB of memory
* DVD drive for installation
* 9GB of available disk space
Windows Vista Ultimate
Minimum supported system requirements
===> Certain product features are not available with minimum supported requirements.
No comment ...
Posted by pedro le coati | October 30, 2007 8:54 AM
JP,
My computer is 3 years old. Runs Vista happily with a 3.7 performance index....
Posted by evan | October 30, 2007 8:55 AM
You will always find a computer that does this and that... I believe in what you say, Evan, but maybe you did buy a top-of-the-line computer at that time? It's probably not the case of everybody. I mean, what I find stupid somehow, is that even if you buy a brand new PC today, half of its great resources will be used up by the OS itself already... I really think Microsoft should (and they probably will!) re-think all their OS from A to Z, including (especially) the file system which is way too heavy and causes all the flaws and suddenly slow machines when more than 2 programs are opened simultaneously.
I'm no apple fanboy as "steve jobs" mentioned 3 posts ago, as I've been working and having fun on Windows computer since 15 years. But I just talk from my experience as a switcher. And this experience is great! Over the last 6 months I lost way less time as I did under Windows OS (driver problems, virus in spite of a good antivirus, ...). I've been very happy with my Dell computer, which ran flawless during 6 years (and still works well), but you all know that, suddenly, thanks to Windows updates, drivers don't work anymore for your both CD drives (how come?) and you have to spend 3.5 hours to find out you have to delete a registry key to let it work again. I was really fed up with that, and my experience to date tells me it was worth the switch...
I don't want to bash anybody or anything here, if you guys feel agressed, then run over this post and read the next, I just wanted to tell Joe he shoud be in good faith when making comments.
cheers
Posted by JP | October 30, 2007 9:09 AM
I like Leopard - its usability is high though I have reservations about Time Machine (if your Mac dies and your other machine is a PC...) and some other features. The overall impression is excellent.
However, it runs (officially) only on Apple hardware - and that's the rub. Apple's support service leaves much to be desired. Dell will give me (and has) next day, on-site service and XP works well enough on my machines. Will I switch to Macs? Not till Apple matches Dell for service. I reckon that most users who rely on their computers will decide similarly.
Posted by Arthur Norton | October 30, 2007 9:32 AM
Hey WILCOX!
Still trying to bash Apple and OS X, how it comes that all the thing that you are saying do not apply to me or to any other reviewers of Leopard on the web? I mean for example, the serious Arstechnica made a very precise and deep review and they noticed the improved performance compared to Tiger.
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/mac-os-x-10-5.ars
So that comes that you are the only who say that Leopard is slower than Tiger.
In my case Leopard on my macbook pro or my 5 years old G4 has showed very pronounced performance improvement. Safari is faster, booting up takes less than 15 seconds (compaed that to the time that Vista needs top boot) on macbook pro, the finder is well faster than in Tiger, applications starts well faster too.
I did not have any troubles with Safari in terms of stability or any kind of applications compatibilities problems.
I did have some issues with X11, but they are known issues that Apple will fix soon.
So should i conclude that you are a big windows fan boy lier?
I guess i do that....
Ah yes remove your photo , it is just ugly.....
Posted by Hakime | October 30, 2007 9:42 AM
Joe Says:
"To Wes: ...I started to write only the one, but decided on a second post about midway through the first."
@Joe:
Come on Joe, that's trolling!
Yeah, lets hit a bee hive with a 'Louisville slugger' and lets see what happens.
But in the final analysis, YOU got your desired results.
PS. I don't have a dog in this fight (no pun intended). @Joe; Both articles had no journalistic integrity. Just one person's observation.
Posted by n0neXn0ne | October 30, 2007 9:50 AM
Hakime Says:
Ah yes remove your photo , it is just ugly.....
Click here for a better looking photo ;-)
@Joe:
Ya must've "Peed" in somebody cereal this morning.
Posted by n0neXn0ne | October 30, 2007 10:06 AM
Vista runs just fine on a two year old desktop and one year old laptop.
Apple needs to be critizied highly for these issues. Even more so when they are supposedly the kings of usibility and stability.
I to am left unimpresseed with Leopard. I will continue to use it, but there isn't much new that is really usible for me. I do like the new look, very nice.
Spaces was ripped off from Linux. Coverflow was bought, not Apples idea and is really only going to useful with documents. Bootcamp is cool. I'd like to know the magic behind making Windows run. Time machine, just a fancy look to a backup program. Sorry, give me something else instead.
I'm with you Joe, what's up with the new prompt when running an application? I already downloaded it, installed it and now I'm prompted again? Please. I already elevated when I installed it as well. Can't the OS keep track of the fact that I entered an admin name and password. OH ya, that is more work than in Vista too. Only an admin password required in Vista. Also, what happened to my little icon that showed when the mail app was actually checking to see if there is email? I step backwards there.
What's up with all the application problems? I could argue that Leopard isn't ready for primetime if I was to use the same headlines I saw for Vista.
Why the BSODs? They are blaming a third party developer for being in the OS where they shouldn't? Come on. Work with them anyway. They had to have known this was coming.
Networking is worse in Leopard. It won't see my windows machines, but they can see the Mac.
I think I will like the stacking feature, seems handy.
It's a nice step in the OS. Vista was a much bigger step and it should be considering the development time it had. Apple should not be given a free pass because they are the makers of the iPod.
Posted by David | October 30, 2007 10:11 AM
@David :
For reference, maybe you need to read one of Joe's previous article,
Vista: None for All?
[Article's conclusion]
"If Windows really mattered, why would any business go backwards?"
Proof positive, positive proof, he's just trolling...
Posted by n0neXn0ne | October 30, 2007 10:40 AM
@Joe:
Thanks to Lars Erlandsen [at] LT.
"Split the pile in two.."
"Brian,
You have apoint: If we bury our heads in the sand, we are deluding ourselves that all is good in the Linux world. However, when we are dealing with known trolls, it would be good to know so and not waste too much emotional energy on them.
Create a new category (fan-the-flames, trollstories, inciting-bloggers, whatever), and drop them there. Good articles if you need a laugh; generally ignored and not fed the oxygen of publicity at all other times.
Lars Erlandsen."
@Joe:
Why not consider something like this?
All you are really doing is giving folks gastric ulcer.
Folks go to work to have a nice day, not to be greeted with 'spam'... Think about it.
Some folks may read it for a good laugh if it's categorize corretly.
Let's not bring 'WWE Wrestling to bloging. ;-)
Posted by n0neXn0ne | October 30, 2007 11:58 AM
Yeah, there are some dings in Leopard. I just installed it last night on a dual 2GHz G5, and just finished on a 17" MacBook Pro Core 2 duo 2.33 GHZ at work. A few utilities in Mail didn't work.
I love it so far. Networking just fine. Safari, not one crash. Interface, getting used to it. Not nearly as bad as portrayed here. Cisco VPN? Yeah, to be expected. It's Cisco after all. Same thing happpened in Tiger. This is a .0 release (as is Vista) so there are bound to be some bugs. But so far this is the best .0 of OS X I've seen, and I've used every version since the public beta.
If you think this is no better than Vista, then you need to get a credibility transplant. Because with only a few hours time spent on Leopard so far, this is so far and away better than Tiger, and Tiger is so much better than Vista that I have to laugh to conclude that another Microsoft astroturfer has spoken, regardless of the facts.
Posted by Eric | October 30, 2007 12:10 PM
I think sir that you are a numpty.
Vista is a poor attempt at becoming OS X 10.4...and it fails miserably. Cmpatibility is still poor as blue screen errors are an every day occurance from six people I know that use it.
Leopard is a massive step up from Tiger...and ive installed three copies of it now on different machines...with NO problems whatsoever. It is faster, better looking and more advanced than tiger and most definately Vista which is still a good three years away from Apple for an advanced OS.
Posted by Jay | October 30, 2007 12:17 PM
Yer an idiot... Even Windows users don't like Vista ah!
Posted by Xof | October 30, 2007 4:02 PM
Performance has degraded? You must be the only person that's experienced this. The general consensus is that performance has improved. And yes, it has.
Annoying security pop-ups? Want to to a comparison of a fresh install of Vista and OS X. Use both for an hour and compare how many pop-ups occur in one against the other? I bet Vista will be way ahead. It would be at a similar ratio to the number of Vista installs compared to OS X in the world.
Posted by Diego | October 30, 2007 6:29 PM
Neil quoted an article on the lack of Java 6 in Leopard: "The problem allegedly lies in an outdated version of the Java Virtual Machine (JVM), an application that allows OS X to interpret and run Java code. Java 1.6 was officially released in December 2006, but Leopard reportedly supports only Java 1.4 due to Apple's insistence on developing the JVM themselves, rather than allow Sun to do it. Apple did not respond to a request for comment."
This is inaccurate, and I wanted to set the record straight. The article on neowin.net inaccurately quotes from an article on vnunet at http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2202328/apple-leopard-stomach-java
Leopard ships with JDK 1.5, not 1.4 as stated in the neowin.net article.
Java 1.5 has been in Tiger since almost the beginning. JDK 1.5 was available for Tiger from early on, and was made the default VM quite some time ago with a system update. (It was not the default VM initially. There's a utility in Tiger that lets you set which JVM is the default.)
Java 6 was available from Apple's developer site as a free download for Tiger, but this early access beta was pulled off Apple's site recently with no explanation. I attended JavaOne in 2006 and attended a birds-of-a-feather session featuring Apple's Java engineers, who promised that Apple would no longer lag so far behind Sun in delivering up-to-date Java runtimes. They were demoing the latest Java 6 build on MacBook Pros.
Then, as recently as February of 2007, Steve Jobs publicly dissed Java, saying in effect that nobody develops in Java anymore. This is a far cry from the Steve Jobs who once gave a keynote at JavaOne and promised that OS X would be a premier platform for Java. Granted, Jobs' more recent comments were made in the context of discussing phone software development and the iPhone, but he was off-base there too -- most mobile phone software is still developed in Java these days.
James Gosling has stopped carrying around a MacBook Pro and explained why in recent blog posts. So it seems that many people in the Java world have caught on to Apple's shift in developer focus. The deprecation of the Java-Cocoa bridge was an early sign of this; now that Apple is promoting Cocoa bindings for Ruby and Python, we can see that Java has lost its luster in Cupertino.
It was almost enough to put me off buying any more Apple laptops. But a couple recent abortive attempts at buying non-Apple hardware (Acer and HP) made me realize that despite Apple's mis-steps in the software realm, their track record is pretty good overall. So I find myself in the position of contemplating picking up a MacBook or a MacBook Pro, but then using Parallels or Boot Camp to set up a Linux environment just so I can be able to do Java 6 development. Maybe now that Java is Open Source, an OS X port of Java 6 won't be too far away.
Posted by Rob Poole | October 30, 2007 6:33 PM
iFrodo
Evan meant that he doesn't have a Mac, and that to run Leopard he would have to buy one, which he didn't intend on doing.
That is why he said "GET MY DRIFT? New Version...new computer...."
People who have PC's will not switch to Leopard and buy a MAc as well.
Leopard is really only for people who currently own a Mac, not for PC users !
Posted by Neil | October 31, 2007 3:33 AM
If Leopard is worse than Vista, then it is funny though, that Microsoft Vista programmers use the Mac OS X as a reference design, and copy the OS X GUI straight right over to Vista:
http://moishelettvin.blogspot.com/2006/11/windows-shutdown-crapfest.html
Posted by Mjau | October 31, 2007 5:48 AM
Actually, Leopard will run well on Macs made as far back as 2001. Will Vista run on a 6 year old computer? The answer is no. Leopard will run on an 8 year Mac if you upgraded the CPU to 867GHz or better, starting at a cost of $150. Add the $129 leopard and that's what it Vista Ultimate will cost, and you still have money for more RAM. Of course, most of Mac users and Windows users [I am both] will not upgrade to either. Leopard is not a service pack, as it has loads of new features and apps. Microsoft would charge you for them, you know Windows ME and XP. Duh.
Posted by Bill | October 31, 2007 11:18 AM
I am a Mac user, and a very enthusiastic one. One might even call me a "fanboy," but I happen to think the combination of these two reviews appears to be a good attempt to put forth some balanced views on the subject. We Mac users tend to be in defend and attack mode so often that we fail to realize when someone is really trying to be objective. I certainly think the concerns Joe has raised concerning Leopard are legitimate. The fact that he is in the Windows camp does not make them any less so.
Posted by Steven | November 1, 2007 12:01 AM
Steven wrote : The fact that he (Joe) is in the Windows camp does not make them any less so
But Joe is hardly on Windows camp. He just possesses too much of negative influence in his mind.
Now he can't even write a nuetral statement on Microsoft
Posted by Peter | November 1, 2007 4:48 AM
Wow this article is and the article Why Leopard is better than vista just about 100% bs. I mostly use windows too, but I know the security prompts don't come that often on mac os, as they do in vista. The 300 utilities don't any complexity, and why does a windows magazine have to point out apple vs microsoft business models. They is a operating system review not a business review. Microsoft can prebuilt all the applications they want into vista, partnerships should not stop them from good business. So what you had a device that didn't work properly, in windows I get incompatibility problems all the time, by that comes with every os, no need to point it out like it' s a huge problem. In every os I have had compatiblity problems, and that includes ubuntu.
The usuablity is leopard is greater,not less.
The interface is clearer, and easier to use.
You said that you have used tiger, but you didn't elaboarate on the itunes like finder.
This article is b.s. plain and simple. Consumers don't care why vista got more viruses, and holes. Or why vista didn't come with the many tools the leopard offer, or why leopards intregration with hardware is better cause it's made apple.
We care about the OS we receive at the end of the day, and for sure leopard is not a test product.
Posted by Josh Chacin | November 2, 2007 5:23 AM
I'm loving Spaces and its virtual desktop environment. Never thought I'd even use Spaces and it has fast become one of my favorite Leopard features. Quick Look is awesome, too. Talk about a productivity enhancer — I don't even have to launch Microsoft Office to view files.
Posted by Partners in Grime | November 3, 2007 9:46 PM
Leopard is just better. Everything is better on a Apple computer than a Windows
Posted by Me | November 6, 2007 11:05 AM
I am so glad that Apple doesn't pay any attention to "analysts" or techie bloggers. Apparently, Apple actually pays attention to what their customers want/need and surprisingly enough - delivers, stable, secure, attractive products that are reasonably priced. "Wake up Windows Users - the Matrix has you!" My story is simple - I'm 42 years old, and currently run a technical consulting company. I have been using Windows/OS professionally since 1991. 18 months ago, and in the middle of major proposal - my 2 year old XP machine died on me. After several days of fruitless tech support, I decided to save what files I could and move to my sons Mac Mini ( PPC ). It turned out to be the best day of my computing life! Shortly there after, I purchased a Mac Book Pro ( Intel ) and effortlessly ported my user environment to my new machine. It couldn't have been any simpler or more flawless. Since then my Mac has ALWAYS exceeded my expectations in every way over my Windows experience. By my own conservative calculation I have SAVED 1 hour a week in time that I have not had to devote to crashes, viruses, software problems, tech support calls, etc all due to OSX and Apples rock solid hardware. That's at least 52 hours of massive frustration and non-productivity that I have avoided thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple's Engineers just giving a damn about little old me and working real hard to make my computing experience better and better. My Mac Book Pro is slightly more than a year old. If you offered to give me a top of the line HP/ or Dell Vista laptop with all the bells and whistles today - with the only condition being that I had to only use that Vista machine for one year - my answer would simply be - NO. Even if you threw in an ADDITIONAL $1000 dollars cash to do what I wished with but with the same condition of not using anything but Vista for a Year. My Answer would still be NO. It is literally true that you couldn't PAY me to switch back to Windows. Thank you Apple!
Best Regards,
Darrel
Posted by Darrel | November 7, 2007 5:19 PM
Leopard sucks. It feels clunkier than Vista does. In fact, Vista runs nicer on my brand new Macbook, than Leopard (which was pre-installed by Apple).
Posted by This Guy | December 2, 2007 1:54 AM
I read this article thinking that you'd have some intelligent to say, but alas, you didn't. You say Leopard is worse than Vista for adopting features that Vista has (the dialog about downloading applications) and you complain that CISCO doesn't work when an update was swiftly released and, as you note, you found it.
Maybe you don't understand computers very well?
Posted by Alan | December 4, 2007 7:50 AM