When it comes to compatibility and device integration, no company can match Apple’s ecosystem. You’d still do well to install antivirus software on Macs. But as we said, that doesn’t make macOS impervious to malware. Fewer computers mean fewer people creating malware for the OS. MacOS is more secure than Windows because of the company’s policies and the lower number of machines running Apple’s operating system.

Windows is subject to more malware attacks than macOS. However, given the sheer number of Windows users, the operating system will suffer a greater volume of attacks. Microsoft has done an admirable job releasing security updates in recent years. Since Windows is so ubiquitous, it’s no surprise that it has to contend with so much malware. Windows vs macOS: Security/safetyīecause of Windows’ open nature, computers running the operating system have been besieged with viruses, spyware, ransomware and other types of vicious malware. So in general, it's wise to think about what kinds of software you need to use regularly, then check and see if that software is available on Windows, Mac, or both. While any software that runs on Windows can be made to run on macOS if you emulate a Windows environment on your Mac using software like Parallels, that requires a fair bit of effort. This is especially true of PC games, which are generally designed for Windows PCs and only sometimes offer native Mac versions. However, the variety of software available is generally more diverse on Windows than Mac. This is a major selling point of a laptop or desktop PC - the promise that you can download files and software directly to your device, without being limited to what's on offer in an app store. While the Mac App Store is a bit more vital than the Microsoft Store in terms of apps, both operating systems support a variety of programs and can download and run them directly from the web. You can download third-party apps on both Windows and macOS via the web or the platforms’ respective app storefronts. However, unlike Microsoft Office, iWork is completely free. Microsoft Office is more widely used because there are more Windows machines in the world. Given their similarities, it’s hard to say which OS has better office tools. Where Microsoft Office has Word, Excel and PowerPoint, Apple’s iWork suite has Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Windows and macOS have different names for similar office tools. Microsoft Office and Apple iWork offer similar office tools.

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