The Cynosural Blog

Link: http://scobleizer.com/2006/12/19/smart-persons-debate-of-osx-vs-windows-vista/

Having just posted on my Three Months with a Mac after 35 years with computers, criteria for the debate being posed by Robert Scoble, seem like an interesting follow-on.

I'd like to get a group together to debate Windows Vista vs. Mac OSX sometime in January after MacWorld and CES (since Windows Vista ships on January 31st, that'll be a good time to do it).
-- Robert Scoble posts Smart Person's Debate of OXX vs Windows Vista in Scobleizer

Of course, seeing how Robert's post already has over 70 100 comments, this may be moot extraneous.

User Experience

This is where we usually start... with the users.

1. Consistency of user interface throughout all use cases
2. Natural progression from action to action when performing a task
3. Attractive - draws users in rather than being a forced issue
4. Installation of new software, hardware & peripherals
5. Maintenance of current software
6. Configuration
7. Interoperability with other systems at the same level and other classes of systems [server, web-as-platform, mobile, cameras, etc.]
8. Availability & choice of software for required tasks
9. Comfort level - i.e. how secure, happy and carefree are the users

Quality, Reliability, Stability & Maintainability

Quality is conformance to specifications; maybe the debate should talk about specifications in regards to standards and expectations. Reliability is the probability of meeting those specifications over a given life; maybe the debate should discuss what's a reasonable lifetime for an OS. Stability is the length of time between crashes or forced reboots; perhaps the debaters should ponder the rotating hourglass vs. the rotating beachball. Maintainability is the ease of restoring a system to stable operation based upon scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, sparing needs, expertise required and time from failure to restored normal operations; perhaps the debaters could discuss "Forced Quit" vs. "the three fingered salute".

Security

The current state of operating system, networking and application security is dismal at best, regardless of the OS you use. But the debate should have a large session on how the OS deals with threats and protects the users and user files, while still allowing them the freedom to work and play as they wish, with whom they wish.

TCO/LCC

One point in this area would be how much does the user need to spend, in terms of money and time, beyond the initial purchase price. This might be software to extend built-in functions, or training required to be able to manage the system, or time lost to any frustrations caused by trying to use the system.

There are many more, but this is a blog post not a white paper.

Of course, with virtualization, this is going to be moot soon anyway. I touched on this in my Three Months with a Mac post, and I'll no doubt have more to say later.

Good luck with the debate.