Ishes

1. Supports multiple screens on the same monitor. Some graphics cards allow for an amiga screen to co-exist by a graphics card screen.   Back
2. Support for data CDs, but no built-in audio CD player.   Back
3. Not completely secure (unlike WindowsNT)   Back
4. While the operating system is, for the most part, pre-emptively multitasking, most software is still geared towards a 16-bit cooperative multitasking environment   Back
5. The Amiga does support foreign languages in both the system and any software that chooses to support it, but doesn't support non latin alphabet languages like Greek, Japanese or Hindi.   Back
6. Both System7 and Windows95 support foreign languages, but only through completely separate versions of the operating system and applications. Thus they are not truly multilingual because reinstallation is required to switch operating language.   Back
7. See 6.
8. Windows95 makes a big issue of being plug and play comaptible and indeed checks existing hardware, but, as far as I am aware, IRQs and DMA channels are still as important as ever and Windows just covers up the difficulties. The PC hardware would need a radical redesign to be truly plug and play.   Back
9. System 7 does provide a programmer's CLI, but it isn't the same as having a fully-blown shell, nor is it as accessible.   Back
10. System 7 does provide partial memory protection so that programs which fail are not guaranteed to crash the machine. However, it is almost as prone to complete system crashes as the Amiga.   Back
11. Only the most minor of changes can be made in Windows without having to shut down all currently running applications and restarting Windows. However, changes can be made and deferred until the work you are doing is finished before needing to restart.   Back
12. Workbench is the only OS of the three that doesn't conform to its own system guidelines, but most software available for the Amiga conforms to the standards adopted for the most common keyboard shortcuts.   Back

Terms defined
Add-in system extensions?
Can you add extra utilities to the system at startup. The Amiga does it with WBStartup, the Mac has an Extensions drawer and the PC has a Startup drawer.

24bit support?
Both Windows and System7 support 24-bit screens

Multiple screen support?
The Mac supports multiple monitor displays as standard.

Networking?
The Mac has always had a networking protocol (AppleTalk) built-in and has recently added further networking facilities with MacTCP. The Mac is also the only machine of the three that has the necessary hardware included as standard, although a networking card for the PC can be as cheap as £35.

CD-ROM support?
Do the machines support the use of CD-ROM. The Mac is the only one that will boot from a CD without needing to do any extra work.

Comms & Internet?
Windows95 comes with a simple comms package and fax facility. It also has mail facilities andthe Plus Pack adds further functionality.

Security?
How secure is the operating system. Can you hide files, protect files from deletion or unauthorised access.

Pre-emptive 32-bit multitasking?
The Amiga really scores here, being able to multitask on the minimum of memory and processor speed. Fully pre-emptive multitasking is not planned for Macintoshes until 1997.

Runs from floppy?
Unsurprisingly, the Amiga is the least hampered by having to boot from floppy although it can be done on a Mac.

Foreign Language support?
Is the integration of other languages easy in the OS.

Video friendly?
The Amiga is the machine most suited to working at video level. Most Macs come ready to work with multiscan monitors (there are some macs that have video output).

Plug & Play?
The ease with which new hardware can be added to the system. The Amiga has always had AutoConfig, but PC owners have long struggled with setting up new cards.

CLI & GUI?
Can you get to the guts of the machine without needing to interact through a GUI.

Systemwide programming Language?
Another area where the Amiga scores. ARexx is a very powerful tool in the right hands even though most of us rarely bother with it.

Representational Interface?
Does the screen accurately represent the way your machine is? Windows95 falls down on this point because the icons displayed have no relation to the location of the files on your hard drive and the floppy drive icon is always visible even when there is no floppy in it.

Universal menus?
Under System7 and Workbench the menus are always in the same place: the top of the screen. With Windows the menus are attached to the active window and/or to the right mouse button, thus losing consistency.

Memory Protection?
Can portions of memory be closed off or even shut down in the case of a software problem.

Sytem preferences changes possible during operation?
Workbench has a problem with applications open on the Workbench screen itself(a problem that can be solved by application programmers turning applications into commodities), but otherwise preferences can be changed without needing to reboot.

Three button mouse support?
Multiple button mice are available for Macintoshes, but they are not supported under System7, additional software drivers need to be installed.

Undelete function?
Can files which have been deleted be recovered.

Hard drive self repair?
When write errors occur, Workbench and System7 equipped machines will revalidate the drive so that although the file in question might become unusable, the drive's integrity is maintained.

Hard drive optimisation?
You can optimise the Mac's hard drive by simply holding down a combination of keys while the Mac is booting

Virtual memory support?
Because virtual memory systems, for the most part, rely on the existence of an MMU and so few Amigas come equipped with one, the Amiga has never had system support for virtual memory.

Quickstart Applications menu?
System7.5 provides both the familiar Apple menu and also a dock similar to Toolmanager's called the Launcher. Windows95 provides users with a task bar menu which contains every application available in Windows, along with recent files opened.

Disk compression?
Windows95 automatically disk doubles the hard drive that Windows is being installed onto and will also take care of new applications when they are installed.

Standard keyboard shortcuts?
Are all system operations given the same shortcuts every time.

Disabled people
Are there facilities to help disabled people use the OS (such as larger fonts for people with visual problems, or sticky keys for people who aren't able to hold down two keys at once).

Online help
Is there help available for any or all aspects of the operating system.