Managing apps means many things. From discovering apps to allowing you to install, repair, or uninstall them, managing apps is a key part of our computing life. And since we do this very often, it is important to learn how to do it efficiently to be more productive no matter which operating system you use.
How easy it is to manage apps on your desktops and laptops depends on many factors, including the operating system you’re using. While macOS does so many things right and better than Windows, the former has an edge when it comes to managing apps. And there are multiple reasons why we say that.
1. Windows Has Better App Support Than macOS
Windows has the largest market share in the desktop operating system space globally and can run on a wide range of devices and hardware. This is one of the reasons why app developers pay a lot of attention to developing apps for Windows and often launch their apps first on Windows. You’ll find a lot of apps that are available only on Windows desktop but not on macOS.
There is an app for almost everything on Windows, but that’s not the case with macOS. If you are a Windows user, you stand to benefit from the sheer number of apps available on the platform.
2. Windows Can Run Android Apps
When we say better app support, we don’t mean only desktop apps. You canrun Android apps on your PCif you buy a Windows 11 PC. But even if you’re not running Windows 11, desktop apps like BlueStacks can come in handy in using your favorite Android apps and games on your PC.
There are multiple ways to run Android apps on Windows 11. you’re able to launch them on your PC through the Your Phone app or by installing the Amazon Appstore. The Your Phone app will open apps installed on your Android handset, while Amazon Appstore is essentially an app store where you’ll get to download many Android apps directly on your PC.
No matter whether you’re accessing your Android apps using the Your Phone app or the Amazon Appstore, you’ll be able to pin them to the taskbar. This way, you may manage your Android apps on a Windows 11 PC, like desktop apps.
You can’t run Android apps on your macOS device. However, you can find some iOS apps on the macOS App Store for use on your Mac computers. It’s also important to note that only Apple Silicon Macs can run iOS apps. So, if you’re using an Intel-based Mac, you’re out of luck. In short, running mobile apps on your Mac comes with lots of conditions, unlike Windows.
3. Installing and Uninstalling Apps Are Easier on Windows PCs
Installing and uninstalling apps is one of those things that we perform quite often, no matter which OS we use. But if we have to pick a winner between macOS and Windows, we’ll choose the latter because of the simple fact that the install and uninstall process is simpler on Windows.
On Windows, you don’t have multiple ways of installing apps, unlike macOS. In most cases, you either download a .exe file and double-click on it to start the installation process or go to the Microsoft Store to install the app. On the contrary, there aremultiple ways to install Mac software, depending upon what file you’re installing the software from.
Installing apps from the macOS App Store is as easy as on Windows. However, it gets a bit complicated if you try to download and install an app from the web. If it’s an app from a DMG file, you will need to double-click on the file to open it, and then drag and drop the icon to the Applications folder.
To install a macOS app from a PKG file, you need to double-click on the file and then follow the instructions. If you’re new to macOS, all these different ways to install apps might confuse you. Getting rid of apps is fairly simple on Mac computers, but it’s even easier on Windows.
On a PC, you can uninstall apps from multiple places. You can uninstall them from the Settings, Start menu, and Control Panel. If you’re new to Windows, it is easier to find ways to uninstall an app simply because there are many options to do so. That’s not the case with macOS.
If you’re using macOS, you’re able to uninstall apps only by dragging and dropping the app icon from the Application folder to the Trash in the Dock.
4. Windows Has Better Multitasking Capability Than macOS
If you’re using a Mac, chances are you’ll spend more time organizing app windows than you usually do on Windows. This is especially true when you want to snap two app windows on your desktop.
Windows 11 has the best multitasking feature in the form of “Snap layouts”, allowing users tosnap multiple app windowsin different predefined layouts. This takes less time than resizing app windows manually using the mouse cursor on a Mac. Windows 11 and 10 also have powerful tools like PowerToys (check outhow to use PowerToyson Windows PCs) to allow users to snap more than four apps on the desktop.
macOS' native multitasking solution isn’t nearly as good as Windows. While there are third-party apps for snapping windows on a Mac, they aren’t as good as PowerToys. Also, many of these apps are paid on macOS.
Should App Manageability Be the Deciding Factor in Choosing Your OS?
While choosing the operating system, you should pay attention to a lot of things. Being able to manage apps is easily one of the factors that you should take into consideration before taking a call. That said, you should look at other aspects of OSes that can influence your decision.
Apart from app manageability, there are other major metrics based on which you should judge what operating system is right for you. Choose the one that you feel strikes the right balance between everything: usability, performance, security, and software compatibility.
Make the Best of Windows' App Manageability
You’ll always reap the benefits if you know what’s best and worst in an operating system, as it’ll help you make an informed decision about what product you want to buy.
App Manageability is one of the strength points of Windows, especially if you’re using Windows 11. And if you’re using a PC running the latest Windows version, you’re now well-versed in how to make the best of its app manageability.
