Bragging rights
Comparing Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system to Apple's OS X falls into the apples and oranges category, right? You could make that argument, though in terms of speed and performance, one need only install Windows 10 on a MacBook using Boot Camp and run cross-platform benchmarks in order to reach some conclusions. That's exactly what a Computer Science student at Tufts University in Medford-Somerville, Massachusetts did, which led him to conclude that Windows 10 is faster than OS X.
His name is Alex King and in his latest blog post titled "Testing the 12-inch MacBook's Performance with Windows 10," he details his experience upgrading Windows 8.1 to the Windows 10 Insider Preview on his 2015 MacBook. He had previously given Windows 10 a whirl a month ago through virtualization, though at the time, he wasn't sure he wanted to commit to using the OS full time.
One of the first things King did after installing Windows 10 was to increase desktop scaling to 150 percent, as the new MacBook boasts a 2304x1440 (16:10) resolution. After adjusting the resolution, he begain playing around with Windows 10.
"Here's the real kicker: it's fast. It's smooth. It renders at 60FPS unless you have a lot going on," King said in his blog post. "It's unequivocally better than performance on OS X, further leading me to believe that Apple really needs to overhaul how animations are done. Even when I turn Transparency off in OS X, Mission Control isn't completely smooth. Here, even after some Aero Glass transparency has been added in, everything is smooth. It's remarkable, and it makes me believe in the 12-inch MacBook more than ever before."
That's high praise from a MacBook user. Incidentally, King also had good things to say about Microsoft Edge, the new browser formerly known as Project Spartan. While he noted it was still "rough around the edges," he still came away with the impression that it's an "absolute champion" at this early stage.
"Maybe it's ironic that in some regards, the new MacBook runs Windows 10 (a prerelease version, at that) better than it runs OS X. But it's a testament to two things: Apple's fantastic MacBook hardware, which is forward-thinking yet surprisingly agile; and Microsoft's excellent Windows software, which entices and excites with its beautiful interface, useful new features, and rock-solid UI transitions," King added.
Either way, it bodes well for Windows 10, which is due to release in final form sometime this summer.
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