Does Your Business Need Mac’s Snow Leopard Or Windows 7?
The latest Mac OS runs faster 64 bit apps and supports MS Exchange, but will that be enough to convince companies to take it onboard?
Apple also announced that Snow Leopard will support 64-bit applications. All the apps built into the operating system are optimised for 64-bit chips and should run faster than previous versions on Leopard.
Once again, Apple hasn’t shocked the world with the 64-bit announcement. That’s been around for decades. Microsoft first started supporting it with Windows XP. And so far, few developers have created applications that capture the power of 64-bit architecture. The OS might be faster, but when it comes to performing daily duties, it probably won’t provide much value.
Price
Where Apple might hold a significant lead is on Snow Leopard’s price. When the operating system is made available in September, current Leopard users will be able to upgrade for $29 (£18). A family five-pack of licenses will be made available for $49 (£30).
Microsoft can’t match that pricing. The software giant is planning on releasing a variety of versions of Windows that will undoubtedly be priced higher than Snow Leopard. There’s even some speculation that a Windows 7 upgrade license will cost more than that five-pack of Snow Leopard licenses. For companies, that might be an issue. Paying less is always preferred and given Snow Leopard will be so much cheaper, it might be more attractive to the business world than ever before.
But isn’t it about the software?
But in the end, we can’t judge these two operating systems on a couple of features. Business cares most about software. Which operating system will provide the most support for mission-critical applications?
That answer is, unequivocally, Windows 7. Along with the fact that more software is developed to work with Windows, we can’t forget that XP Mode will come bundled in the professional editions of Windows 7. That means any app that works with Windows XP will work with Windows 7. It also means companies won’t have to worry about application compatibility as they will with Snow Leopard.
Apple might have done a good job updating its operating system, but it’s still a victim of snubbing business software developers. And even with Exchange support included, it seems Snow Leopard is still designed specifically for home users instead of companies.
