Roughly comparable to 'petrol' and 'diesel': two different approaches to how a computer works, 'platforms' on which the operating system is built. Together Mac and Windows cover c. 98% of the computer world: the management of both companies are working towards reducing the traditional opposition between the platforms - Microsoft is investing in Apple, Apple is developing an operating system which is compatible with both platforms.
Macintosh, Mac - made by Apple Computer Inc.: a whole culture dedicated to people-friendliness and free creativity: c. 30% of the total market, c. 90% of the graphics sector, 60-70% of education; Apple are the sole producers of both Mac-computers and their operating system, except for a couple of years recently when experiments were made with licensing to a few other hardware manufacturers.
Windows - made by Microsoft Inc. as an imitation of the Mac operating system, after Apple declined to license it to Microsoft: by aggressive marketing, cover 70% of the world market in operating systems. The platform which Windows software is based on is from IBM, and licensed producers of IBM-compatible computers are legion.
'PC' and 'CD'?
- no connection between these two...
PC = Personal Computer - CD = compact discApple has the honour of being first to manufacture a personal computer, starting in 1978; however IBM have the rights to term 'PC', so that this has come to refer to whatever isn't Mac; then Apple licensed back the name when they started their second generation of computers, under the label 'PowerPC'.
Nonetheless, the most common names for the two platforms are 'Mac' and 'PC'
One can say that..
Traditionally Mac users have seen Windows as a clumsy copy which is some years after the Mac in both technical development and user friendliness - e.g. the fastest Mac is twice as fast as the fastest PC. The greater part of what is produced on a PC can be read with the Mac's standard equipment; and for those who want to access Windows programs there is software which supports that.
Windows users have traditionally known rather little about the functionality of the Mac. Those who buy and sell PCs often don't know that there is a choice; but when a choice is made consciously, it's often based on sacrificing quality for the advantages of large scale. Windows advertising is often based on a claim that it's as good as a Mac - Apple has not needed to make any comparison with a PC...
What is a web-site?