Alongside the serious business of security, Microsoft now has an astonishing shiny new interface, which, when compared to the teasing gradations in Apple's product, sadly is rather like seeing your uncle dressed up in a 1980s track suit. Other tricks and gimmicks include the new Gadgets that bring bit-size bits of data to your desktop, such as weather and stocks. To get the advantage of the new features, however, you'll have to opt for more than the most basic version, and ensure your machine is suitably specified - particularly for the graphics.
Chinese input is improved in Vista and is arguably better than the standard system provided by Apple. Where it gets really interesting is when you download and install the Google Pinyin IME. Gleefully bashing away at the keyboard and forgetting everything I had learned about tones, the system constantly checks the Google server to ensure the characters are correct. It doesn't help with tones or grammar, but for those times that an e-mail simply has to be squeezed out it's brilliant fun.
Making the decision between OS X Leopard and Vista is rather academic. Many people will have no choice in opting for Windows, and in many ways the greatest competition is between Vista and its sibling XP. For computer users buying from fresh, and especially those studying Chinese, a Mac could make a fantastically handsome tool in the learning arsenal
- Jonathan Biddle is Head of Industrial Design at DEM INC
RSS