Leopard vs. Vista: feature chart showdown

There's no doubt, Vista and Leopard are both extremely advanced, feature rich consumer operating systems. But way back in January when Vista launched knew we had little choice but pit the two in a head to head chartngraph Thunderdome competition. We know we're not even going to be able to stop the epic fanboy arguments about break out over this one, so we just ask that you try to keep it fair. Leopard vs. Vista: it's on.

NOTE: This chart is only for out of box features, and does not take into account 3rd party software. We realize that with a few choice apps this chart would look completely different -- but that's not what we're after here.

• Green indicates a category with more and/or better features, and generally a better user experience.
  
• Red indicates that a category not quite up to snuff. Either it doesn't yet exist in the OS or it just sucks more than the alternative.
  
• † (dagger) indicates a category we think are too subjective or not similar enough to judge. These do not have any clear winner.
• ‡ (double dagger) indicates a category that is in many ways subjective, but that we feel one category is still ahead. Your own tastes may vary.
  
• Notes help out with a little background, where appropriate.

	Leopard	Vista	Comments / notes
UI
Accessibility	Integrated Braille input / output, voice synthesis, high contrast interface, etc.	Voice synthesis, high contrast interface, etc.
Fancy file browsing	Cover Flow, Quick Look	Preview pane, extra large icon view
Find windows	Exposé	Flip 3D
Indexed search †	Spotlight	Instant Search, Search Folders
Shell / window environment †	Aqua ("Illuminous" / unified)	Aero ("Glass")
Tablet and touchscreen	Nope	Yep	We know Apple has Ink, but that doesn't exactly make your Mac a tablet computer
Virtual desktops	Spaces	Nope
Software
Backup	Time Machine	Backup and Restore Center, ShadowCopy, Previous Versions	Whereas Time Machine may be easier to use than Windows Backup and Restore Center, Vista does feature all the same (if not more) backup features
Browser †	Safari 3	Internet Explorer 7	What can we say, we like Opera!
Calendar	iCal	Windows Calendar
Collaboration	Screen sharing from Finder or iChat	Windows Meeting Space	This one's hard to call; Apple has better ease of use, but Windows Meeting Space is more powerful -- so both win
Contacts	Address Book	Windows Contacts
Email ‡	Mail.app	Windows Mail
File manager	Upgraded Finder	Upgraded Explorer	The new finder is great, no doubt, but it lacks the raw power of Explorer
Faxing and scanning	CUPS + location aware printing	Windows Fax and Scan	It's arguable that Windows may have more powerful printing capabilities, but OS X is far better at printer plug-and-play
Legacy app support †	Rosetta	WOW64 (32-bit emulation in 64-bit Windows)	More info on WOW64 here
IM	iChat	Windows Live Messenger	Whether or not you like iChat, you can't deny it supports more protocols.
Preview files	Quick Look	Preview pane
RSS / feed reader	In Safari and Mail.app	In IE7
Speech recognition	Yep	Yep
Text editing	TextEdit	WordPad	Apple included Word 2007 and OpenDocument support in the new TextEdit -- WordPad still doesn't support Word 2007
Transfer	Mac Migration assistant, Back to My Mac (with .Mac)	Windows Easy Transfer	We might have tied this one despite Back to My Mac, but WET just doesn't work very well.
Video calling	Yep	Yep
Widgets †	Dashboard*	Windows Sidebar	*Now with .Mac sync and Dashcode
Media
Media interface	Front Row	Media Center (only in Home Premium or Ultimate Edition)
Media hardware support	Apple TV	Media Center Extenders, Xbox 360	Yeah, the Apple TV's good and all, but MCEs and Xbox 360 have a lot of features that ATV just doesn't have (HDTV streaming, video downloads, etc.)
Record TV	Nope	Yep
NTSC and ATSC tuners	Nope	Yep
CableCARD / DCT tuners	Nope	Yep (x4)
DVD authoring †	iDVD	DVD Maker
DVD playback (out of the box)	Yep (DVD Player)	Some versions of Vista (but not all)	More info on Vista DVD playback.
HD disc playback (out of the box)	Nope	Nope	Macs can play DVD Studio Pro authored HD DVDs, but we're not really counting that
Media player †	iTunes, Quicktime	Windows Media Player 11
Photos ‡	iPhoto	Windows Photo Gallery
Stereo Bluetooth (A2DP)	Yep	Nope*	*Vista CAN support A2DP, but only via 3rd party drivers
Video editing	iMovie	Windows Movie Maker (with HD)
System tools
Activation	Nope	Windows Activation
Automation (user)	Automator (with UI recording), AppleScript	Nope
Data detection	Address, phone number, etc.	Nope
Remote desktop (host)	Yep (VNC and X)	Available only in Business and Ultimate
Screen capture	Integrated	Snipping Tool application
System registry	Nope	Unfortunately
To-dos (tasks)	Yep (from Mail, iCal, etc.)	Yep (From Windows Calendar)
Networking and connectivity
IPv6	Yep	Yep
Networking tools	Network Setup Assistant, Finder with AutoFS, Bonjour	Network Center (Network Explorer, Map, Setup, Awareness, Projector), DLNA	Both provide tools for different networking needs, and we feel both are strong for different uses
Self-tuning TCP	Yep	Yep
Wireless	WiFi with WPA 2 support	WiFi with WPA 2 support	Vista shows signal strength indicators for its available network list, why the hell can't Leopard? (OS X does organize available networks by signal strength, though.)
Security
Antivirus	Nope	Nope
Encrypted, signed email	Yep	Yep
Email filtering	Spam filter for Mail.app	Junk and phishing filters in Windows Mail
Parental controls	Time quotas, usage schedules, granular application permissions, log viewer, remote access	Windows Family Safety Settings: time quotas, usage schedules, log viewer, some app permissions, and ESRB game support
Library randomization	Yep	Yep
Malware	Downloaded app tagging, signed applications, sandboxed apps	Windows Defender and Malicious Software Removal Tool, signed applications,
Smart Card support	Yep	Yep
VPN	PPTP and L2TP over IPSec	PPTP and L2TP over IPSec
Gaming
Graphics core	OpenGL, Core Animation	DirectX 10
Game network	None	Xbox Live Anywhere
Performance and hardware
Architecture	32 and 64-bit support	32 and 64-bit support*	Windows in 64-bit may require different drivers to function properly, many of which haven't yet been ported; Leopard supports 64-bit transparently with no differences in drivers or software
Auto-defrag	Yep	Yep
Auxiliary display	Nope	SideShow
Drive encryption	FileVault with AES256 support	EFS and Vista BitLocker	While we're sure neither will be easily cracked, Apple gets extra points for using AES256
Drive partitioning	BootCamp	Disk Management	Both work well, but Apple supports moving files between partitions
Multiple OS support	Yep	Yep
Network projector	Nope	Yep
Network storage	AirPort disk	Windows Home Server
Optimization	The usual multitasking	Windows SuperFetch and Windows ReadyDrive
Sync (device)	iSync	Windows Mobile Device Center
Sync (network)	Nope*	Windows Sync Center	*We're not counting .Mac sync, this is more about machine to machine
Usage profiling	Location awareness (network, power, printing)	Mobility Center (network profiles, sync, battery / power, etc.)
USB caching	Nope	Windows ReadyBoost
Business
Domain support	Active Domain, Workgroup Manager, External Accounts*	Active Domain (Vista Business, Enterprise, Ultimate only)	*New feature that allows your system account / home directory to be stored on an encrypted USB drive
Integrated web server †	Apache	IIS (Vista Business, Enterprise, Ultimate)
Presentation mode	Nope	Yep (Vista Business, Enterprise, Ultimate)
Other
Upgradeable to different version †	N/A	Windows Upgrade Anytime

Final score
Leopard: 46
Vista: 41

So, did we forget anything? Let us know, this chart ain't static, and we'll be updating as necessary. (And don't say Ubuntu / Linux / BSD -- we'll save that for another time.)

Updated: Yeah, we've been reading the comments and have made some updates to the chart (as we said we would!). Vista's search and preview panes definitely deserve more recognition, which is now reflected. A2DP in Vista, however, is only via 3rd party drivers, so we're not counting that as an out of box thing. And yes, we know, iLife isn't included in Leopard, but it IS bundled with all Macs, so it's fair game.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 15th 2007 6:59PM]

To respond to a few things:

1. JD is correct about the iLife thing - the chart says "out of the box". If I had an older mac and upgraded to Leopard I would not have iLife. New computers always have preinstalled software, that is why the chart called for "out of the box" features.

2. A Mac is a PC. "PC" stands for "Personal Computer". A mac is a personal computer. The proper name for non-macs is either "desktops" or "laptops/notebooks".

3. There is one thing that hasn't been mentioned in the PC vs. Mac debate. If I were to buy a Mac right now I'm spending almost $2,000 for what I want. If I buy a PC right now (or built it myself) I'm spending half that. In addition, I can add componants, switch out processors and upgrade my PC to my heart's content for a relatively low price and can buy my parts almost anywhere. Can Mac do the same thing? Macs have their place, but PCs are simply more versatile, more affordable and easier to use IMHO. Yes it can be a pain with security issues, but I have a hardware router and some good antivirus/firewall software on my computer and I haven't had a virus or had anyone try to break into my PC. It is all about HOW you use your computer.

Just my opinion. :-)

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 18th 2007 12:29AM]

Let's face it - Mac does it better!

I have used windows for years and been disappointed every time at the quality of rendered DVDs and the quality of other end material (audio and graphic) not to mention the endless problems with drivers. Personally I'm sick of that stuff.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 26th 2007 3:05AM]

Since when does Windows Vista come with NTSC and ATSC tuners CableCARD & DCT tuners? If you're trying to say that Leopard does not support any kind of tuners you're wrong, check out the Elgato EyeTV Hybrid.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2007 5:51PM]

What about the speed. I am really looking at this as an argument to chose between one or the other.

Between Vista Business, XP Pro, and OSx:
Which one is fastest to open an Adobe application?
Which one is fastest to boot and be ready to work?
Which one is fastest to shut down?

I am looking at which one helps me to be productive in the daily business life.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 20th 2007 4:38PM]

I think vistia has a better preformance then the leopard mac uses a simple blocker like at my house we use airproxy and we go throught the blocks and we come out of the air proxy every thing comes back virius and trojans and destroys the system. on windows i have never had that prob u dont need to type up side down the generic code on vista is more advanced.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 20th 2008 11:31AM]

more a question than a comment recently bought a sony viso with vista home preium my question is can xp user open file sent by the vista user

[s1lverli0n Posted Dec 24th 2007 1:09PM]

I have Windows XP, Vista, Tiger and Leopard computers. XP was not bad after a while when they fixed the bugs. Vista is just flat out horrible. I have never had so many issues during upgrading and after upgrading. Not to mention, my printer, camera, and tv tuner wouldnt work. yeah, nice upgrade microsoft. Now i have to buy new things. So i tried to live with vista until i got a virus randomly. And no i dont use IE. I use Firefox. That was it, i dont care if vista is good, i dont play games because I have an actual console for that, I went out and got a Mac with leopard on it. Sure there were a few minor issues which apple has fixed from their updates, I have been a lot happier using leopard than i have in vista. Now i just threw the the vista cpu on the side..its dead meat. And also, to those to say crap about mac without actually using them for a while, go freakin try one and dont assume stuff since u love vista. I have been using windows for 7 years and i switched to a mac, and i m happier than i ever did with windows. Sure if ur a pc gamer, stick with windows. But for everyday email checkers, and internet surfers/video editors, get a mac. It's easier.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 1st 2008 2:41PM]

Ya, about the tablet/touch screen, you said no to the mac. well, it just so happens that Axiotron just shipped Modbook OS X tablet!

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 1st 2008 11:20PM]

There are not many people that can 'objectively' state which Os is better. The only people able to do that are the ones who work with both systems. Like me. I've done movie editing on both systems until I screamed at my Pc and never bothered again to do movie editing on it. Crappy system for that kind of task.

On the upside for Xp/Vista, yeah... 95% of people use it. Games, softwares etc.. all the same for everybody, easier to get copies of whatever program you want etc...

But frankly, is tap water -the- best water just because everyone has tap water at home? No.......... Same thing for Windows. Because everybody uses it doesn't mean anything in terms of quality.

Does everybody drive a Buick? Of course not! Surprisingly enough, it is the auto maker with the highest reliebility score and yet.... people buy other stuff anyway (by the way, I kindda like Toyota for reliability, but Buick IS a more reliable machine)

It's like Apple; better product, WAY better reliability, nicer interface, better softwares, best looking, more fun etcc... An yet, people still -choose- a windows powered machine. It goes to say, it's not because a product is far superior that people will adhere to it. It's like 'health', we all know we should'nt eat burgers, fries, gigantic Coke barells, and yet, we do it.

We are stupid. Apple having a smaller marketshare than windows is irrefutable proof that people -ARE- stupid. I was once one of these.... Ciao

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 4th 2008 6:38AM]

I couldn't have said it better Mike Frenette ! Great post ! 

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 6th 2008 8:43AM]

APPLE RULES THEM ALL. THE PEPOLE THAT ARE STICKING UP FOR PC'S ARE JUST AFRAID OF CHANGE. "OH NO!" "WHAT WILL IDO WITHOUT MY CUTE LITTLE START BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM LEFT OF MY SCREEN"? PC LOSERS. JUST SHIT UP AND GIVE A MAC A TRY. I AM PROBABLY RIGHT IN ASSUMING MOST MAC USERS TODAY USED TO BE PC OWNERS AND JUST GOT FED UP WITH THE SLOOOOOW PC'S, ANTI-VIRUS SHIT, POP-UPS, AND 3RD PARTY SOFTWARE SHOWING UP ON OUR COMPUTERS. SORRY PC FAN FREAKS. APPLE IS HERE TO STAY.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 10th 2008 9:00AM]

When you get Vista you don't get only vista but IE7, Windows media Player 11, and so on. And if you buy a pc with vista you will get plenty off software like Norton or Mc Affee, Windvd, and so on...So the comparison is not reason (in each case ...).

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 13th 2008 12:19AM]

I'm not so sure that the lack of signal strength indicators is a good enough reason to ding Leopards WiFi. When you connect to a network you do get a signal strength indicator in the menu bar (just not before hand).

At my institute I recently had the displeasure of setting up two laptops, a Mac and a PC to access our enterprise WPA network. On the PC it took me an hour to follow a 6 page manual provided by the I.T. department with complicated details for getting all the settings right, installing certificates, etc. On the Mac my institute didn't even bother with a manual. I just logged in and it automatically configured itself.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 12th 2008 6:16PM]

Regarding the Antivirus thing - Leopard should have a YES there.

http://news.digitaltrends.com/featured_article79.html

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 14th 2008 6:47PM]

Just remember that all macs come with some sort of iLife Suite, either 05', 06' or 08' and you still have it on there when you upgrade (or should) and you can reinstall it from the disks that came with the computer if you did a clean install . So every single mac that can run leopard came with iLife installer. It is therefore reasonable to include it in comparisons of the operating systems. Mac OS X and iLife are so closly integrated anyway, it's not really 3rd party software.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2008 12:34AM]

Sync
Open the Utilities folder on any MAC, and you'll see the option to network computers.
You can use a simple USB cable, or Firewire cable to go between computers to swap data back and forth.
Sync is also used between Itunes and an Ipod.
Lastly using Utilities, you can format an internal or external drive in under 5 minutes. You can't do that on a windows machine..
You hook up the new drive, install the software, then use the net to go to their homesite where you'll need to get software and drivers so your windows machine can use the drive.
I just went through this with a new Maxtor/seagate external drive.
Sync also allows Hot swapping on a Mac, which you can't do on a windows machine.

Lastly, you forgot the biggest differences..
Mac's will run from the box with video and music, without the need to install upgrade cards
My Mac, is a g-4 Dual 533mhz. My younger son complains all the time that the TWO computers he has ( HP & Gateway ) at home are soooo slow, yet both of his are over 1.3 gig
PC mag did a review, and they claimed that the best laptop machine they used to run windows Vista, was a Macbook Pro. Go figure !

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2008 12:55AM]

AH, there is also one very last thing that I seem to have forgotten.
SYNC or iSync is a MAC program, and has been for well over 10 years.
If you knew anything at all about Mac's, you would have known that Microsoft Copied it from MAC. All they did to make it their own was drop the i in the name.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2008 12:59AM]

TV Tuners for the MAC.
About 6 months ago, I read an article on Digg.
EVERY digital cable box has a USB port on it.
Go to Apples home web site. Go to Developers software, and Download FREE of charge any and all software for the TV. Not only will this software turn your mac into a working TV set, but you can download, copy, edit, and store shows just like a Tivo. Add Imovies and IDVD to the mix and you get the picture.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2008 10:06PM]

I like Leopard. No system is perfect, but the mac approach of having one version that covers the range of 64 bit to 32 bit PowerPC and Intel hardware with support for software which may not even have been designed to run on Intel is just brilliantly simpler and easier to understand. Windows is way too "in my business" and a Windows install can slowly eat its self and is awfully fragile. I have never had to reinstall the OS on my old Laptop because it was "too screwed up to work right anymore" which happens a lot in Windows. I even opted to upgrade over the top of Panther to Tiger to Leopard with only some issues of software support from 3rd party vendors. I did not have to deal with windows activation, driver hunting, endless restarts looking for and deleting hardware the system only barely recognizes. I also never have had a virus, spyware or botnet drone problems like would be likely on a Windows machine. I know masochistic Windows fans will tell me of the great lengths they went to configuring windows and clutch of 3rd party CPU cycle eating "safety" applications to finally get a Windows machine that was "safer" though never safe from its own flaws. Vista's angled window view is a corny feature that shows off open GL but is not nearly as practical or useful as Exposé is. The eye candy should have a purpose. Besides, not all Vista installs/ versions do Aero Glass rendering. It is so complicated just to explain the different versions of Vista that it makes the case for Mac usability. Remember, Mac has been doing this beautiful rendering style since BEFORE XP was released. It is far more optimized and refined on the Mac. Ok it was only a few months before XP's initial release..but still...where has Windows been? It is clear that the future belongs to Apple, the industry leader in quality. Windows Vista users will have to just wait 6 more years for their OS to finally be as ready to go and good as Leopard is now. Lists of "features" are about as apt as a point for point comparison between the United States and Russia. "Yeah, Russia has jet fighters too...oh yah Russia is the largest country geographically...yes Russia has space rockets too...Russia just added democracy!" It doesn't tell the real story.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 16th 2008 7:24PM]

Isn't Bonjour a Leopard syncing program? Also, Mac doesn't really need an antivirus; it pretty much comes immune out of the box

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 21st 2008 6:35PM]

I think every opinion is based on (and maybe biased by) personal experience.

I used to work on Windows since 1992 (that's 15 years from W98 to XP).

All those years I used Macs only at office and I wouldn't buy a Mac for personal use afraid of losing all that software I had and merely because I thought Macs were far too expensive. Well, I was wrong in both cases...

Last year I realized that a MacBook isn't that expensive after all, compared to similar Windows machine. So I took the first step and bought one. My computer-related life changed surprisingly and dramatically! Everyday tasks suddenly became a breeze! Moreover, my work at home became easier and faster! So I started using the MacBook more and more frequently than my PC. I even got me a 19" display and started using the MacBook as a desktop machine...

Then came Leopard. That just made it! This OS is by far the most sophisticated piece of software ever (having experienced Windows from 98 to XP and Ubuntu)! To make things short, it all led me to take another decision and go for the brand new iMac. Now there is no place for my Windows PC on my desk and my life is far more simple using Leopard on both my Macs.

Networking is just pure love on the Macs, being it Ethernet or AirPort! Not to mention the Screen Sharing option and its speed capabilities.

Every external device plugs in and works just like a breeze! No drivers, no nothing! It just works! You just plug it and see it on your desktop! External drives, DVD-Rs, cameras, mobile phones, you name it!

I recently had the experience of Vista on my brother's super-mega Mozart PC... Well, Vista?... No, but no thanks! It's just a waste of time to make it work... Setups, settings, and more setups and settings...

I could go on like forever on bragging about Macs and Leopard, but it would be rather pointless... The only way a Windows/Vista user would realize the great differences between the two, is to live his/her everyday life with a Mac for a short period of time...

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 21st 2008 8:10PM]

Ok.. So I guess I'll be one of the first in this huge comments section to give some credible evidence:

1) Vista is still faster than OS X ON THE SAME HARDWARE! This is proved by the study done at http://www.gadgetell.com/2007/01/vista-runs-faster-on-mac-pro-than-apples-os-x/

2) Vista is a more secure operating system than OS X, contrary to popular belief. This is confirmed by an interview by a professional hacker who hacked OS X at http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9018138

3) Windows is much less buggy (and more secure) than OS X, based on number of medium and high risk security hole fixes over the past year. This doesn't surprise me, because Apple has never known how to make their own operating systems. This is confirmed here: http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=758

Have fun!