Economic Snapshot: Microsoft's Windows 7 vs. Apple's Snow Leopard

By Mike Schuster Aug 21, 2009 12:45 pm

Our unscientific poll.

Until Apple (AAPL) releases a tablet computer and Microsoft (MSFT) does whatever it needs to do to make the Zune appealing, consumer excitement for those two companies will have to be limited to the forthcoming updates to their operating systems. Windows 7 is still slated to drop October 22, while Snow Leopard's availability is rumored to be pushed up to August 28 -- giving Apple a two month head start on ads and word of mouth.

But the playing field won't be as level this time around for Apple. Although the Cupertino company welcomed more than a few converts from Redmond's PC camp after its introduction of the much-maligned Vista OS, those who have tested Windows 7 agree that it's a vast improvement from its buggy and awkward predecessor. Consumers comfortable with Windows XP are understandably hesitant of upgrading, but Brian X. Chen from Wired Magazine assured readers that Windows 7 is worth the purchase.

As for Snow Leopard, Apple has gone on record that there will only be incremental differences between the new OS version and the current 10.5 Leopard -- hence the similar name. On the positive side, Mac users enjoyed Leopard overall and won't be confronted with a complete overhaul. However, those who wanted flashy new features will be left somewhat wanting.

With the competition gearing up in the coming months, hopefully both sides will be pulling out all the stops in creating and updating top of the line operating systems. And if we're lucky, the cutthroat attempts to gain more users won't lead to an increasing gap in compatibility.

Either way, analysts are chomping at the bit to see how this holiday season will play out. Will one side pull ahead with a commanding lead? Or will sales and positive reviews prove to be a photo finish?

In the meantime, customers who are or will be in the market for a new computer will have to sift through the pros and cons of either OS. Where does each outshine the other? Minyanville takes a look at the advantages of both Windows 7 and Apple's Snow Leopard.

Advantages of Microsoft's Windows 7 vs Apple's Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard: Though its crashes are rare, they're infinitely flashier than competitors		Windows 7: A complete absence of Justin Long
Snow Leopard: Lowers touchpad users' sexual inhibitions with "four-fingered swipe" compatibility Snow Leopard: Ease of use reflects a typical Mac user's lack of motivation		Windows 7: Inspires more anti-virus innovation than any other OS Windows 7: Unlike Vista, Microsoft has yet to trick people into using it

Snow Leopard: Can earn you a free latte in select coffee shops across the country		Windows 7: With only 6 different editions, chances are still fairly high that customers will choose the correct version