Add "Mac OS's Best Features" to Windows

[Reid Kistler]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.tested.com/news/how-to-steal-mac-oss-best-features-for-windows/45/' target='_blank'>http://www.tested.com/news/how-to-s...for-windows/45/</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Despite the claims of either operating systems' acolytes, both Windows and Mac OS X are very capable OS's that, at least functionally, are more similar than they are different.... But we will concede that there are some UI features unique to each OS that do help enhance the computing experience.... The good news for Windows users, though, is that these features have made their way over to Windows with the help of third-party software. Here are four of the best Mac OS's Aqua UI features that can be emulated in Windows with free utilities." </em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1279905246.usr19541.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>If you find yourself suffering from Mac OS envy, Norman Chan's article provides options for adding four Mac-like features to Windows. I am not familiar with the Mac OS, and so must take the author's word that these are the "best features" it provides - but if they are, I cannot help but wonder what the fuss is all about. In any case, <a href="http://rocketdock.com/" target="_blank">Rocketdock</a> is proposed as a stand-in for Mac's <em>Dock</em> feature, while <a href="http://insentient.net/" target="_blank">Switcher</a> stands in for <em>Expose</em>. But while Rocketdock and Switcher both seem to be well regarded applications, they also have some limitations: Rocketdock supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, but 32-bit only; while Switcher requires Windows Vista and Aero, and thus skips Windows 2000 and XP. (The last release of Switcher was in October 2007, and I could find no mention of Windows 7 on their site.) The article also shows you how to add "Two-Finger Scrolling" and "Cover Flow" functionality to your Windows installation. Are these, indeed, the "best features" of the Mac OS? And, if so, are the proposed options the best ones for adding these functions to Windows?</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

[Joel Crane]

First, the dock in Mac OS X is useful and pretty, but the superbar (right?) is equally useful and looks very clean.

Second, I really like Expose, but again, Windows has a slightly different but equally useful approach that works just as well. In fact, I think Aero does a better job when it comes to switching between large amounts of Windows and programs.

Expose would be very useful in Windows 2000 and XP, but without a compositing manager (Aero in Windows, Compiz in Linux), there is no way to graphically manipulate program windows.

Third, Cover Flow is a feature in iTunes. Although bloated and very out-of-place in Windows, iTunes is available for it.

Finally, some Windows-equipped laptops and netbooks have two-finger scrolling, such as the EeePC 1005HA, my dream netbook. My older laptop supports two-finger scrolling with Linux, but I'll be sure to check out the article to see if I can enable it in Windows.

[Hooch Tan]

Expose would be very useful in Windows 2000 and XP, but without a compositing manager (Aero in Windows, Compiz in Linux), there is no way to graphically manipulate program windows.

I have come across several Expose like programs for Windows XP. I went through a phase where I wanted to see if it really was as good as everyone said it was. (It wasn't for me. The taskbar works well enough for me.) I can't remember which programs I tested, but they did work as advertised. The only main difference I remember is that there was some lag in some of them (I tested on a more limited laptop) and the windows were not live, just snapshots of what was on each window at the time you called up the switcher.

[doogald]

I couldn't resist the snark. For me the best feature of Mac OS is that I am not running Windows. For that, I think, they will not find a utility.