Mac OS X. All the advantages and disadvantages. Operating system update. Widespread use of disk images

MacBook is a type of laptop developed by Apple.

Initially, Apple laptops of this class came in a metal case, which was cut from a single piece of aluminum. Subsequently, this model was transferred to the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air classes with the improvement of some technical characteristics.

Each MacBook is equipped with OS X Yosemite, the functions of which allow you to actively use various training programs. In order to fully concentrate on work, you can connect full-screen applications that will use every square centimeter of the screen. You no longer need to save documents manually - MacBooks are equipped with an autosave function. Using the "Versions" function will allow you to view the history of changes to documents. A MacBook is the best thing that can be recommended to modern students and schoolchildren. OS X Yosemite allows you to connect printers and cameras of the most different models, computer networks, and also makes it possible to work with Microsoft Office.

Two super-fast Thunderbolt ports, two USB port 3.0 and an SDXC card slot allow you to turn the MacBook Pro into a real photo studio. An Apple laptop of this class is a great purchase for beginning photographers. The display of the thirteen-inch model displays 4 million pixels. Such high density guarantees stunning image clarity that even some professional computers. You can edit the resulting photos in Aperture, this is done very quickly. High-speed flash drives allow you to quickly view collections of photos of any quantity.

Battery in MacBook case Air, combined with Intel Core, a new highly energy-efficient architecture, ensures long-term charging of the laptop. Thus, the thirteen-inch model can work for about 12 hours without recharging if the MacBook is used to work on presentations, texts, email or spreadsheets. When watching movies in iTunes, the battery will keep the device in playback mode for about 10 hours.

New Apple laptop equipped with flash drives highest speed response and memory capacity up to 512 GB. In addition, such memory works much faster than conventional hard drives. Thanks to this, the laptop turns on instantly: you just need to open it and you can start working right away.

The holidays and New Year are coming soon. Well, what to do if you don’t have money for New Year gifts? Pawning equipment at Master Pawnshop will help you solve this problem! Pawn your MacBook and get the long-awaited cash!

In our age it's fast developing technologies, as well as the computer industry, it is sometimes difficult to see behind the emerging new products that developers delight us with. The available variety of programs, operating systems, and utilities offered is such that it just happens that your eyes run wide. However, most often the user has one, basic question - which operating system should he choose? Let's try to answer this question by comparing Windows and Mac OS X systems.

Mac vs Windows

The main feature of the Windows system

Its wide distribution. This is due to the fact that this operating system was created for the users themselves; it does not force the user to adapt to the existing system; on the contrary, it adapts to the existing needs of the user. This is the most widespread operating system all over the world, despite the fact that, according to prevailing public opinion, it is the most “buggy”, “unstable”, unreliable”, etc. In addition, it is paid.

From a user's point of view, Windows works something like this:

  1. Core. Works with various devices, manages processes and memory, manages the existing graphics subsystem.
  2. The graphics subsystem itself. Provides interaction with users.
  3. Text subsystem. Provides text-based interaction with users.
  4. Remote access system.

Advantages: Guaranteed 100% support for any type of equipment, for this operating system you can find a driver for any device, and it itself contains many pre-installed drivers for quick recognition of various equipment. There are a large number of professional applications, the full-featured analogues of which are not available in other operating systems, for example, Photoshop and Promt.

The interface is clear and simple, which makes it completely accessible for use by anyone, even those who do not have basic computer skills. And the applications of the package are under named Microsoft Office have already become standards for office workers. The user can at any time receive qualified support or advice on his licensed operating system. Windows system.

Flaws: This operating system is very demanding on the necessary hardware resources of a personal computer, especially on the required volume random access memory. The graphical interface used, although beautiful and convenient, is also cumbersome and clumsy. As a result, many users disable its many graphical bells and whistles.

This system is considered much more vulnerable than the others. This is due to the existing security structure itself, for example, the ability to work constantly with administrator rights (which is partially resolved in the version operating system called Vista). At the same time, the system must run many thousands of old computer applications that were written for XP and other versions of Windows.

To run any such “old” program, the user must be given permission. In addition, the existing dialog box itself with a request to launch this or that program provides the user with too little information to make the necessary decision. Another important inconvenience is: even to remove a shortcut on the desktop, you need to confirm your intentions three times. This can be annoying and lead to the fact that the “Allow” and other keys are simply pressed thoughtlessly - the effectiveness of the entire intended protection mechanism is reduced to almost nothing.

As a result, you often have to deal with big amount viruses that use the vulnerabilities of this operating system to penetrate, including possible user errors that it itself provokes. The operating system is paid, its cost exceeds the cost of purchasing or downloading a freely distributed operating system.

Operating system Mac OS X

As is widely known, Linux and Mac OS X share UNIX roots. However, there are also very important differences between them, unlike open UNIX systems, Mac OS X acts as proprietary software, that is, there is a ban on free distribution, making various changes, and so on. The very first Mac OS appeared in 1984, which is much earlier emergence of Windows. The Mac OS X system itself is a significantly redesigned BSD-UNIX system with its own kernel (XNU).

Advantages Mac systems OS. The advantageous side of the Mac OS system is practically complete absence computer viruses for the Macintosh system. And the point is not only that the Mac OS X system is not too widespread compared to the Windows system, but also that all traditional computer viruses simply do not work in a UNIX environment. In theory, of course, there are samples of viruses that can work with some computer applications for Mac OS, however, their number in comparison with malicious software written for Windows is simply insignificant.

Viruses can cause harm only in cases where the user launches them by double-clicking the mouse. Programs that infect mail when reading letters or opening an Internet page are still unknown. Availability of simple safety confirmations. To deposit necessary changes in a Mac OS system, for example, to update an installed operating system or install a new program, the user usually only needs to enter a password.

The Windows system is more demanding in such cases

she suggests taking several different affirmative actions. Even exercise remote hacking a computer that runs Mac OS is much more difficult than hacking a machine that runs Windows, and various anti-virus programs may only be needed to prevent inadvertently sending an infected file to a computer running the system Windows, it won’t do any harm to you.

Ergonomic design of all applications, beauty of execution of both the operating system itself and the existing one hardware. Extremely easy for everyday use. Unfortunately, this excellent example still has a reputation in our country as an elite product, and therefore is valued many times more expensive than, for example, Windows.

Very simple controls. Mac software is generally easier to work with than Windows software. One prominent example is a package called iLife, which is installed on any Macintosh computer. It makes it possible to easily manage music and photos, process videos, and burn the results to discs. Anyone who can master one of the programs for the Mac OS X system can easily cope with other software - applications for this operating system are much more similar to each other than programs for the Windows system.

From the point of view of users, Mac OS is structured something like this:

  1. Core. Provides work with various devices, manages processes and memory.
  2. Text subsystem, working with the system via a terminal.
  3. System for remote access when working in text mode.
  4. System for remote access when working in graphical mode.
  5. A system for transferring a graphical application window to another computer.

Disadvantages of the Mac OS system

The very first thing is that Mac OS can only be installed on Macintosh computers manufactured by Apple. These computers, unlike the personal computers that have become familiar to us, have a closed architecture, that is, these computers are assembled exclusively by Apple. This is good, on the one hand, since it ensures 100% integration of everything computer equipment and software plus the excellent quality of the components used and the assembly process.

However, there is also back side medals. Since there is only one manufacturer of Macs, there is no competition here in principle. Which is not very good from a consumer point of view. In addition, there is some problem with the driver installation process. Drivers for the Mac OS system are not released for all available devices, and the system itself does not recognize all, even very frequently used equipment.

Almost complete absence of games. They are developed primarily for game consoles and personal computers with Windows. Although the choice available games for Mac is very modest, among them there are real pearls, for example, a flight simulator called X-Plane 9 or music game called Guitar Hero 3.

Peculiarities

The main feature that immediately catches your eye is the graphical interface of the system. For example, if in Windows every running program corresponds, as a rule, to one window with tabs opening in it, as well as toolbars, then the Mac OS system uses “floating” panels and windows that are not tied to a common window, but are located on the desktop. Another distinctive feature of the Mac interface is the dock panel.

It is a panel located at the very bottom of the desktop, where icons for applications and files that you need to access are located. fast access, as well as all running computer applications. It is possible to edit the panel, change its size, add and remove application icons. Available features follow: software. The list of programs for the Mac OS system is not as impressive as for the Windows system, however, nevertheless, it is not too small, in any case, all the main necessary applications for entertainment and work are there, in addition, the very concept of the software creation process from Apple implies that only one program will be enough to solve one problem, the most important thing is that it works flawlessly.

The developers of the Mac OS graphical interface believe that this way it will be much more convenient for users who will not get confused in the endless variety of possible options, and the computer itself will not turn into a dump of very dubious programs that threaten the performance of the entire working system. The number of available applications for Mac has increased significantly in recent years, however, the selection is still not as large as, for example, for a Windows system.

However, for almost any necessary task you can choose the appropriate software product. All you need is broadband Internet access, since it is very difficult to find and purchase software for Mac OS on disks (especially legal ones).

Results

So, we can summarize. If you need a very comfortable, functional, fast system for creativity and work and you don’t have money problems - your choice will be Mac. You can achieve excellent results with it.

Do you want to play something of high quality, and you need to do paperwork, but you don’t want to bother with various computer complications, and you don’t have too much money? Then – Windows, and only him. An excellent tool, not too complicated and convenient in moderation. There are some problems here and there, but overall it's a very decent tool.

A computer's operating system should be considered more than just software and a collection of applications and codes. It can be confidently called the real “soul” of any computer equipment– from tablet computer to laptop and desktop PC. The majority of users on the planet prefer the popular and generally available Windows operating system, for which the vast majority of computer equipment around the world is developed and manufactured. Nowadays, it is almost impossible to find a PC of any type with a “native” operating system that was developed for a specific brand and model. For this reason, any exception is of particular interest.

One such exception can be safely called Mac OS - an operating system developed exclusively for products Apple, in particular, for computers on the Macintosh platform. It is this that is the main serious competitor to the monopolist in this area – Windows OS.

Without a doubt, Mac OS has a number of advantages:

1. The operating system interface is focused on ordinary users. Mac OS can be set up in minutes on any computer designed for it, such as an iMac or Macbook. At the same time, no special knowledge is required to install and configure it, which means that everyone can create the most convenient interface for themselves without the involvement of specialists.

2. Mac OS does not have any specific or complex terms. Thanks to this, the operating system can be immediately used not only by software-savvy users, but also by people who are working with a computer for the first time.

3. Intuitive clear interface. All the most important applications and the buttons in Mac OS are arranged in such a way that it is extremely easy to master the operating system. To configure, you do not need to turn to help or specialized literature.

4. All windows open while working are visible at the same time and to see what is happening in other programs, you do not need to switch between them.

5. Everything you need is built into the operating system basic applications and programs. There is a program for viewing and editing audio and video, a program for working with text, and other necessary software.

6. Increased OS security. Hacking Mac OS is no more difficult than Windows, but its relatively low prevalence has led to the fact that there are an order of magnitude fewer viruses, Trojans and other malicious applications for Macintosh than for Windows. However, this does not mean that you should do without antivirus program. And the firewall is integrated natively into Mac OS.

Nothing is perfect in this world, and Mac OS is no exception. The main disadvantages are:

1. Limited range of computer equipment running Mac OS and high cost. While PCs running Windows OS are produced by all and sundry, computers with pre-installed Mac OS are produced exclusively by Apple, which has a big influence on the price. In addition, in the lineup Apple products there are no medium-power desktop computers, with the possible exception of the all-in-one iMac. But who will buy it if, for example, you already have a monitor?

2. The Mac OS operating system has a closed architecture, which does not allow it to be upgraded independently, thereby seriously limiting the capabilities of programmers.

3. A limited number of applications, programs, games, etc. are compatible with Mac OS. Therefore, for users working with serious programs, as well as for gamers, purchasing this operating system will be a losing proposition.

In conclusion, it should be said that Mac OS is designed for ordinary users who value convenience and simplicity, who use their computer for a minimum number of tasks - surfing the Internet, viewing photos and videos, and the like. For those who need more, it is better to opt for Windows.

Constant clashes between supporters of one operating system or another are already a fairly common occurrence on the Internet, and in everyday life. And if the main differences between Windows and Mac are known to most, then the existence certain applications and many people don’t even realize the functions. Today we'll talk about some things you can safely do on a Mac that you can't do on Windows. Not to say that these are some large-scale advantages, but as an argument in the next dispute it will be very useful.

Search for words on Mac

Just highlight a word in applications like TextEdit, Safari and Mail, click right click mouse and select “Find Word”. A window will immediately pop up with results for this word from the Oxford Dictionary, Apple’s own dictionary, and Wikipedia. Yes, you can install programs like ABBYY Lingvo on Windows computers, various extensions for browsers, but Mac has all this right out of the box, which, you see, is convenient.

Retrieve old versions of files

Have you often lost data due to accident or certain circumstances? If Word has an autosave system, then more often than not, after the application crashes (and this is quite possible), you can most likely say goodbye to the document. IN standard applications Mac, such as TextEdit and Preview, it is possible to view the full history of all latest changes, regardless of whether you saved the document or not. To do this, click on the file name in the title bar and select “List all versions.”

Instantly view any files on Mac

Select the file and click " Quick view” and you will get a “Quick Look” of its content - regardless of whether it is a document, movies, audio files or images. That is, you don’t need to run the installation to see what’s there, you don’t need to open your powerful video player, etc. In order to understand what kind of file it is (for example, if you can’t tell by the name), you can use this function. Fast and convenient!

Quickly share files between nearby Macs

How often do you need to transfer a file to the computer of someone sitting two meters away from you? Windows users usually do this using flash drives, file sharing services, sending by email, etc. All these methods are not so convenient and take a lot of time. Mac owner function available. For it to work, you don’t need to configure anything; you just need to be on the same Internet network, and then simply transfer the necessary files to the Finder to a specific location. Again, very convenient and will certainly save a lot of time.

Creating Screencasts on Mac

Screencast is a digital video recording of information displayed on a computer screen, verbatim: capturing video from the screen. This is necessary for explaining something, filming gameplay etc. In order to do this on Windows, you need to buy special software; on Mac, once again, this is available out of the box. In order to make a screencast, you need to open QuickTime Player and select File-New Screen Recording. A small window will appear with timecode and a Start-Stop button. After recording, you can view the resulting video and save it from given parameters.

Add comments to photos and documents on Mac

Double click on an image or PDF to open it in a window preview, and then click the Edit button in the toolbar (to the left of the search bar). will appear new panel tools, showing tools you can use to add text comments, arrows, and even a facsimile of your signature.

Make calls on iPhone or iPad, exchange messages

Open FaceTime app, register your Apple ID on Mac. After this, you will be able to make audio and video calls with your contacts, as well as receive calls from them. It's worth noting that audio calls also require iOS 7. Similarly, you can exchange iMassage messages in the Messages app.

Create PDFs instantly on Mac

Open a file or website page, click the “Print” button. In the Print dialog box, click the PDF button in the lower left corner, then select Save as PDF.

Conclusion

As you can see, the functions are not that large-scale, but they are definitely very useful. I agree that almost all of this can be done using third-party software on Windows, but the fact is that on Mac it is available right away and completely free. In addition, everything works very quickly and without failures. Throw away Windows, buy a Mac!

Advantages and disadvantages of Mac OS

Mac OS was released along with the first computer Apple Macintosh(the name of the brand was given in honor of the favorite apple variety of Jeff Raskin, the main Apple developer at that time) in 1984 and was then simply called Macintosh System Software. At the time of exit the operating room Apple system in terms of ease of use, it was far ahead of its competitors for the PC platform: it already had a graphical interface (remember that PC users in those days were content with command line, and file managers were just beginning to appear). Apple users there was no need to bother manual entry text commands, instead they used the now familiar mouse. In addition, thanks to the graphical interface, texts were displayed on the screen in the same form in which they were later printed. Similar conveniences on the PC platform appeared only with Windows release 3.0 in 1990.

Mac OS for professionals

Since then, Mac OS has always been ahead of the competition in terms of 2D graphics and visual design interface. And if today the difference is in graphic Mac capabilities OS and Windows are not obvious, then in those distant years the advantages of the “Apple” operating system allowed Apple Macintosh computers to become the main working tool for designers and layout designers. Over time, Windows also made its way into this area, but even now, due to both tradition and continuity software products, Substantial part professional work with graphics (for example, layout of the ComputerBild magazine) is performed in Mac environment OS.

Mac OS for “mere mortals”

The Apple operating system is relevant for both professionals and mass user. Mac OS offers whole line benefits.

Beautiful and convenient user interface

The graphical shell of Mac OS is pleasing to the eye and at the same time not overloaded with special effects (unlike its main competitor - Windows Vista). In stock - a lot of those not sold in standard versions Windows original functions that make working with your computer very easy.

High standards for the design of the operating system interface and its key applications encourage third-party software developers to take care of it appearance. Majority popular programs for Mac OS - even ported from Windows - fits well into the corporate style of the system.

Extended set standard applications supplied with the operating system

Examples include the iLife multimedia software package, QuickTime media player, etc.

Increased security

Although, as practice shows, Mac OS is no more difficult to hack than Windows Vista, the relatively small distribution of the “Apple” operating system leads to the fact that there are several orders of magnitude fewer viruses and other malicious applications “tailored” for Macintosh than there are for Windows. . However, you should not do without an antivirus - for Mac OS there are both free security solutions and, for example, Kaspersky Anti-Virus ported to this platform. But you don’t have to worry about the firewall - it’s already integrated into Mac OS.

High stability

Mac OS is designed specifically for Macintosh computer hardware, and even most third-party hardware works with drivers integrated into the operating system. In Windows, due to its compatibility with a huge array of different hardware and drivers, which cannot be tested and certified in its entirety, failures occur much more often. Besides, Apple computers not issued third party manufacturers, excluding “basement companies” and “craftsmen” who assemble PCs “on their knees”; as a result, there are no problems with the compatibility of components, there is practically no overclocking, and difficulties with cooling are minimal. All this also leads to increased stability.

Easy to install and uninstall applications

Installing most programs under Mac OS X is much easier than under Windows. The program appears to the user in the form of a single object - the so-called “package” (bundle). To install, you just need to drag the “package” icon into any folder or run it directly from the disk, and when you get tired of it, just throw it in the Recycle Bin. With this installation method, the program leaves no traces in the system registry (since Mac OS does not have one) and public folders. Only a few programs (mostly “monsters” such as Adobe Creative Suite or Microsoft Office) use the usual Windows users installers.

Widespread use of disk images

Application distributions are usually supplied as a disk image. Just double clicking on the file is enough for the OS to mount the image and it can be used as a regular partition hard drive. Similar function Microsoft implements it in the new Windows 7 OS.

Programs included with Mac OS X 10.5 Along with the Mac OS operating system, a “gentleman’s set” of applications is installed on the computer. Some of standard programs for Mac OS (iTunes audio combiner, which is used both for listening to music and for purchasing it over the Internet and managing mobile Apple gadgets; Safari, which is one of the most fast browsers, etc.) turned out to be so successful that they were ported to Windows.

Here is a list of applications that make up the Mac OS suite.

The address book. You can use it to record contact information about people you know, such as phone numbers or email addresses and websites.

Automator. The program allows you to automatic mode solve routine tasks (for example, processing and converting hundreds of photographs into another format). This reduces the number of steps that need to be performed manually.

Dashboard. This is an interface for widgets - lightweight auxiliary utilities. In Windows Vista they are placed on sidebar, and in Mac OS they appear on top of all open windows when you press the corresponding key (default is F12).

Finder– standard file Mac manager OS. Finder lets you search, copy, move, and delete files on your hard drive, much like using Windows Explorer. An interesting feature of Finder is the function of viewing pictures in the form of a three-dimensional “stream”, which is well known to owners of the iPhone and iPod touch.

Garage Band. Entertainment for recording audio can work with multiple audio tracks and is available for use even by beginners. In order to supplement the recording of your own “imperishable” with parts of other instruments, you can use the built-in bank of sounds.

iCal. With this calendar program, a Mac OS X user can plan his time.

iChat. Convenient chat client with webcam support.

iSync or paid service MobileMe allows you to automatically sync contents of hard PC disk with storage devices of other devices, such as an iPod or mobile phone.

iMovie. WITH using iMovie It is very easy to process and edit videos, and the iDVD program allows you to record a film on a blank.

iPhoto– a program for managing photo archives. Contains a fairly simple graphic editor.

iTunes– a media player with which you can manage your computer music library, as well as buy records in iTunes store Store (although it is not yet available to Russians). In addition, iTunes downloads music files to iPod and iPhone, as well as installs programs and synchronizes some data.

Preview. The built-in image viewer can handle not only image files, but also documents in PDF format.

Safari– “native” web browser of Mac OS X.

allows you to create multiple virtual desktops and easily switch between them. Pressing the F8 key displays thumbnails of virtual “desktops”: windows can be dragged from one desktop to another using the mouse.

Spotlight

The built-in search service of Mac OS works extremely quickly and at the same time “pays attention” not only to file names, but also to their contents.

Time Machine

– program for Reserve copy systems. Using Time Machine, you can create a “snapshot” of the operating system on an external drive, and later use it for recovery in case of problems.

Disadvantages of Mac OS X

Despite all the advantages and the aura of elitism, Mac OS is still an imperfect operating system. Moreover, in a number of functions it is noticeably inferior to the “pop” Windows. Some shortcomings of Mac OS are the flip side of its advantages, others are simply Apple's shortcomings.

Limited selection of Macintosh computers

While the “staff” working under Windows control, are offered by many manufacturers in countless variants, Mac computers are produced exclusively in one by Apple. Therefore, the choice turns out to be significantly smaller. Model Apple series peculiar. It lacks the usual average performance desktops. Between compact but weak Mac Mini and powerful, but extremely expensive Mac Pro there lies an unfilled abyss. For those who want to buy a Macintosh with decent performance and software reasonable price All that remains is the iMac all-in-one. But what to do if a person already has a high-quality monitor, and a candy bar is an excessive purchase for him?

Higher cost

Apple computers are more expensive than PCs of a similar configuration. " Admission ticket"in the Macintosh world will cost at least 23 thousand rubles. (that’s how much the cheapest “desktop” Mac Mini costs) or 38 thousand rubles. (most cheap laptop– MacBook).

Fewer programs

Among the “software” for Mac OS X, as noted above, there are programs to solve any problem, but their choice is still not as large as for Windows. Migrating from Windows to Macintosh can be difficult if your favorite applications are not ported to Mac OS. Although it doesn’t matter how many calculators there are, for example – a thousand or ten thousand: the user still works with one or two applications, which he chooses from the hundreds of most popular ones.

Fewer games

The vast majority of toys are developed for Windows and game consoles. Rare games are ported to Mac OS. Therefore, even top-end Apple computers are not equipped with powerful video cards.

Inflexible user interface

Mac OS does not give the user as much flexibility in controlling the size and placement of interface panels as is possible in Windows. Typeface system fonts can be changed within limited limits, and even then only with the help of additional programs. And this is a big problem for owners of fine grain monitors. Mac OS graphics are “tailored” to a resolution of 72 dpi, while even the 17-inch MacBook Pro model (resolution – 1920x1200 pixels) is noticeably higher. Between Windows themes Vista makes it easy to scale not only fonts and interface elements, but even the content of web pages. The conversation about resolution independence has been going on since Mac OS X 10.4, but things are still there. Interested users can, in principle, change the interface scale in Tiger and Leopard using the Quartz Debug utility included in the XCode developer tools package (it can be downloaded from the official Apple website - www.apple.ru), but the result will greatly disappoint them.

Macintosh and PC compatibility

It is important that everything popular formats files - DOC, RTF, PDF, JPEG, TIFF, audio CD, MP3, HTML and others - are supported by applications on both platforms. This means that almost any file can be transferred from one computer to another, opened and processed.

Evolution of the “cat family” Mac OS X today comes in two versions: a version for desktop computers and laptops, as well as in a version for servers. Variants of Mac OS X, along with the version number (from 10.0 to 10.6), are traditionally named after a feline.

Cheetah and Puma. The first version of Mac OS X 10.0, when it appeared in March 2001, was not stable enough; it lacked many now familiar functions. Soon after the system was released, free update up to version 10.1 (Puma), which corrected a number of shortcomings that existed in the first version.

Jaguar. Since version 10.2 on Mac OS X it is supported hardware acceleration user interface using QuartzGL technology (for this, the video card must be compatible with OpenGL). Thanks to it, you can decorate the graphical shell with interesting effects (example: waves that appear when adding a widget to the Dashboard).

Panther. Version 10.3 entered the market in October 2003, introducing FileVault data encryption technology.

Tiger. Apple introduced version 10.4 in April 2005. The novelties in it were extremely quick function Spotlight search and Dashboard - an interface for widgets.

Leopard. The current most modern production version of Mac OS X, 10.5, appeared in October 2007. The main innovations in it were utility program Boot Camp for installing Windows as a second operating system and Time Machine data backup program.

Snow Leopard. Version 10.6 is scheduled for release this year, the main changes in which are aimed at improving performance. Snow Leopard will allow you to use more RAM (theoretically, up to 16 TB). Many of the programs supplied with it should be transferred to 64-bit computing and, due to this, will begin to work faster. In addition, your Mac computers' processor and graphics capabilities will be more efficiently utilized by the operating system and will also reduce the amount of space it takes up on your hard drive. Perhaps interface scaling will finally work. Snow Leopard will be the first version of Mac OS developed exclusively for the x86 platform - most of the innovations in version 10.6 are “tailored” for Intel processors and are simply not necessary for Power PC-based Macintosh computers released several years ago.

When switching from Windows to Mac OS X, you need to check whether the familiar programs exist in the version for this “operating system”. Many popular apps for Windows, such as Microsoft Office, have been ported to the Macintosh. For most other programs there are powerful alternatives. For example, installed on every computer Mac package iLife programs, which contains such multimedia applications, like iPhoto, iMovie and iDVD, completely replaces the standard multimedia applications for Windows. A list of popular programs for Windows and their alternatives for Mac OS is given in the sidebar. See just below

Windows on a Macintosh computer

If analogue applications are not suitable, and you need original Windows programs to work, then you need to prepare a “native” environment for them. There are three ways to do this: virtualization, emulation and full installation Windows.

Virtualization

Corporate program Parallels Desktop allows you to install Windows on a virtual computer running Mac OS X. The main advantage of Parallels Desktop is the ability to exchange data between programs for Mac OS X and applications in the virtual machine. Moreover, the latter are displayed in the Dock along with the usual Macintosh software. Instead of “Parallels”, you can use the VMWare Fusion virtual machine - it has more advanced capabilities.

Emulation

This approach allows you to avoid purchasing a distribution kit and installing an operating system. An emulator program is a virtual machine and a virtualized OS “in one package”. The disadvantage of this approach is lower operating speed. In addition, some Windows applications may refuse to run in the emulator. Examples Windows emulators for Mac OS are Crossover Office and Wine.

Installing Windows as a second operating system

Using the Boot Camp utility, you can install Windows on all Macintosh computers with an Intel processor (drivers for Apple hardware are available on the manufacturer’s website - www.apple.ru). During startup, the computer allows you to choose one of two operating systems to boot. Of course, you won’t be able to run applications for different operating systems at the same time, but the system will work much faster and its capabilities will not be limited virtual machine. For example, the Aero interface in the virtual machine does not work.

Hardware support for PC in Mac OS X

Most modern PC equipment is compatible with Mac OS X. Many components operate without additional drivers; for other devices to work, you will need to install software from the manufacturer’s website or the disk included in the package.

Connects to Macintosh compatible peripheral devices As a rule, no problems arise.

Keyboard and mouse

Both of these input devices can be used with Macintosh computers if they have USB plug. Models with a PS/2 interface do not work with Macintoshes, since the latter do not have the appropriate connectors. Please note that the keyboard layout for Windows and Mac OS is slightly different. You can reassign keys using the universal DoubleCommand utility (http://doublecommand.sourceforge.net) or corporate program from the keyboard manufacturer - for example, Intellitype for Microsoft keyboards(downloaded from www.microsoft.ru). You can assign any functions to the mouse keys using standard panel Mac OS X system settings.

Monitors

Monitors with VGA connectors or DVI can be connected to all Apple computers. However, many laptops, as well as all-in-one iMacs, will require an adapter, since Apple provides them with special Mini-DisplayPort connectors. When choosing a monitor for your Macintosh, keep in mind disabilities Mac OS interface scaling: On monitors with higher resolutions, fonts and operating system interface elements may appear too small.

Mac OS on PC: Useful Web Resources It is easy to install Mac OS on a PC; it is much more difficult to “make friends” with all the components of the computer. Cases where Mac OS X detects all devices immediately after installation are extremely rare. As a rule, in order to fully utilize the functionality of the PC, you need to look for additional drivers or make fine tuning systems. The process is long and labor-intensive. The advice of experienced “hackers” will help make it significantly easier - there are several large resources on the Internet where users share their experiences.

wiki.osx86project.com- encyclopedia dedicated to using a Mac OS X on PC and Windows on Mac. Be sure to visit the pages that list hardware that is compatible with Mac OS X.

www.insanelymac.com– the largest thematic resource. Recently, it also opened a database of compatible hardware. On the Insanelymac forum you can find solutions to many problems that stand in the way of combining Mac OS X and PC.

www.applelife.ru– the main “Apple” site of the Runet. In terms of content and erudition of the public, this resource is inferior to foreign sources, but can also be useful.

Installing Mac OS X on PC

Mac OS X is designed for use exclusively on Apple computers. Its installation on PCs from other manufacturers is contrary to the license agreement. At the same time, there are no “technical contraindications” for such a step: since 2006, Apple computers have used Intel processors (old Macintoshes were built on PowerPC) and differ little in the composition of components from conventional PCs, and Mac OS itself is compatible with a wide range of “personal computer” components . Therefore, Apple does not rely solely on the law-abiding behavior of users, but protects its operating system from illegal use using hardware methods - an additional chip is installed in Macintosh computers, and without it, installation of the OS is blocked.

However, you can still install Mac OS X on a PC. The operating system's security was hacked back in Mac times OS X 10.4 is the first version to support x86-compatible Macintoshes. There are two popular ways to get Mac OS X without buying a real Macintosh.

You can use a special bootloader called Boot 123. It is written to a separate CD, and you first need to boot the system from it. Then it will be the turn of the DVD with the OS distribution. The latter can be either a branded disc or a pirated one.

The easiest way is to download a hacked Mac OS X distribution from the Internet and burn it to a blank. It allows you to install the operating system on your personal computer without additional tools. But the most important thing is that hacked Mac OS X distributions contain a large number of patches and drivers that allow the operating system to work on personal computers, far from the real Apple in configuration.