You may have heard that Microsoft announced the new version of the Windows operating system in June. When Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015, they said it would be the last version of Windows, but they clearly changed their minds and Windows 11 is now on the way.
As a Mac user, you’re sure to be curious about what macOS is borrowing from Microsoft and what others will make you envious of your friends who use Windows 11.
In this comparison, we’ll take a look at what’s happening to Windows 11 and how it stacks up against macOS (and macOS Monterey, which is coming around around the same time).
How does the design of Windows 11 compare to that of macOS?
Someone must have said: Windows 11 looks more like macOS than ever. At the bottom of the screen we have something that looks like the macOS dock; application windows have rounded edges like macOS and Mac OS X; many icons have been redesigned to be nicer; and the new widgets appear to be from macOS.
Windows 11 also has a new startup sound. It’s not the same used in macOS, but we mentioned it because Mac’s iconic startup sound has made a recent comeback with macOS Big Sur. So it seems that these sounds are all the rage.
There are new design cues in Windows 11 that we’d love to see come to Macs. For example, next to their new look, the icons have some nice animations. We also love that you can choose from multiple themes (not just Dark and Light) to customize your interface.
If you choose a theme, you will have wallpapers and colors that go together. Lo más similar que hemos visto nunca en los Macs es la forma en la que los nuevos iMacs pueden configurarse en el mismo color que el de su aspecto exterior, de forma que el iMac rosa tenía ese rojo a lo largo de la interfaz y en el wallpaper.
You can obviously change the wallpaper and screen savers on the Mac, but we’d love to see how Apple allows Mac users to customize it a bit more. Currently, you can choose between dark mode and light mode, but it would be nice to have multiple themes to choose from, right?
Here’s how the layout compares, but what about the new apps and interface features? We will look at the main differences and similarities below.
Dock vs taskbar and start menu
As we said above, one of the big changes in Windows 11 is that the taskbar is located in the center, which reminds us of the Mac Dock.
The Windows taskbar includes the Start button (previously located in the lower right corner of the screen). On a PC, the Start menu is used to access apps, settings, and files, and the new taskbar includes it in a cleaner, more intuitive user interface.
The taskbar was on the left side of the screen, and if Windows users don’t like this new Mac-like design, they can place it where it was before.
As with the macOS Dock, it looks like the Windows taskbar will include shortcuts to the apps you use most often, and like with the Dock, there will be a shortcut to File Explorer (similar to Finder).
The Mac Dock also includes shortcuts to Downloads, Trash, Everything Minimized, and Launchpad, which is an overview of all the apps installed on your Mac.
In comparison, the taskbar seems less cluttered, but you can click the Start menu icon on the Windows taskbar to access the Start menu, which includes stationary apps and an all programs section for users to use. Windows can see everything they have installed.
We like the “Recommendations” section, which offers shortcuts to the most recently used files, folders, and apps. And not just the ones you’ve accessed from your PC, but also on other devices or even from a cloud service like OneDrive and Microsoft 365.
After seeing the new look of the taskbar, we expect Apple to update the Launchpad in the next version of macOS, ideally so that it doesn’t take up the entire screen. For example, you might be inspired by the design of the new app library that’s coming to iPad with iPadOS 15.
Widgets
Widgets are another aspect of Windows 11 that seems to have been inspired by macOS. Widgets aren’t new to Windows, but the way Microsoft has updated the interface so that a new widgets appears on the left side of the screen, it is very reminiscent of how the widgets and notifications appear on the right side of the Mac screen.
The widgets They are designed to provide users with important information at a glance. Unfortunately for Mac users, there aren’t many. widgets available beyond a calendar, clock, news and actions.
Compared to widgets available on iOS, it’s quite disappointing. Maybe if there was more widgets useful, we would use them more often, but currently this is a little used feature in macOS.
Microsoft is likely to offer more widgetsAlthough it will use third-party manufacturers to create them like Apple. Like Apple, Microsoft will feature news and stock market information in this section.
Multitasking
One of the features of the Windows operating system that we have wanted for years is the ability to split multiple windows on the screen.
Sometimes (almost always) you want to use multiple apps at once, but just opening it isn’t enough. You want to be able to see it, either so you don’t miss a Slack message or an important email. While notifications can help you (and avoid distractions), you’re usually using two programs at the same time.
On a Mac, you probably have several open apps layered on top of the screen, you’re going to move them back and forth, or click on one to bring it to the foreground. It works, but it’s nothing organized.
In Windows, there is a way to organize windows, and it will be even better with Windows 11. You will see the “Snap Layouts” button when you hover over the Maximize button and you can choose a cleaner layout for the apps on the screen. screen.
The closest thing that Apple offers is the multitasking screen where you can add a second app, but it doesn’t work as well.
Windows 11 Snap Layouts functionality will also be retained if you are using an external monitor. This is similar to how Spaces works in macOS to group multiple apps together. We would like to see a combination of these features in the future macOS.
File Explorer vs Finder
File Explorer also has a new look, which includes a streamlined toolbar with icons representing basic actions such as creating a new folder or sharing files.
These icons remind us of the ones we see on the Finder toolbar, suggesting that Microsoft may have realized that Apple’s method is better.
Settings vs System Preferences
In Windows 11, the ‘Settings’ menu (the equivalent of ‘System Preferences’ on Mac) has also been redesigned, with new colored icons. These customizable parameters mentioned above are accessible from this menu.
Faster updates
In June 2020, Apple announced that with the arrival of macOS Big Sur there would also be improvements to the speed at which updates occur, as well as the ability to use the Mac while updating. .
Now Microsoft has promised something similar. Apparently, Windows updates will be 40% smaller and take place in the background.
Android apps vs iOS apps
Windows 11 will introduce the ability to run Software from Android. Windows users seem to be able to install Android apps from the Amazon Appstore and use them on their PCs.
You probably know that Apple introduced this feature with the Mac M1s it released in November 2020, so it looks like Microsoft is getting used to it.
That said, Apple has been disappointed when it comes to which iOS apps can actually run on a Mac. The last time we looked at it, we counted around 45.
Now Windows users will be able to run Windows 11 on tablets. There will be many iPad users who will want to do the same with macOS and the Tablet of Apple.
The same but different
It is clear that the two operating systems, as different as their source codes may be, are increasingly looking alike. But while we could say that Microsoft took inspiration from Apple for Windows 11, Apple might be paying a little more attention to what Windows is doing right.
Price and compatibility
Windows 11 will be free on compatible PCs. You can check if your PC is compatible using the PC Health Check app. You will need a TPM 2.0 chip and a DirectX 12 compatible graphics card. You can read our article Will Windows 11 work on Mac? to see if you can use Windows 11 on your Mac.
On the other hand, macOS Monterey will also be free and compatible with all Macs from 2015 or later. You can read the full list of Macs and MacBooks compatible with macOS Monterey.
Release date
Versions Overview Windows 11 is now available for Windows Insiders. Windows 11 is expected to arrive in October, but free updates are unlikely to arrive until early 2022.
On the other hand, macOS Monterey will also arrive in late 2021. The developer beta is already available, while the first public beta is expected in July.
Original article published in igamesnews UK.
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