In part one of my comparison of Windows Vista Beta 1 and Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, I examine the look and feel, desktop search, and data visualization and organization features of both systems! After years and years of waiting, we finally have a reasonably stable Windows Vista beta build to work with. Windows Vista Beta 1 (see my review) doesn't feature many end user features per se, but it does include a nearly complete next-generation Windows shell, instant desktop search, a preliminary version of the new Aero user interface, and other useful functionality. For Windows enthusiasts, Windows Vista Beta 1 is a much-needed demonstration that Microsoft can still churn out valuable Windows releases, after years of doubt. For Mac OS X users, however, Windows Vista Beta 1 engenders a sense of déjà vu. Isn't a lot of this stuff already in Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" (see my review)?

Paul Thurrott Windows SuperSite