APPLE VS. MICROSOFT

I don’t work on Macintosh Systems, but I ran across a new article in eWeek, Will Leopard Out-Vista Vista?  The article discusses much of the de-hyped claims of Microsoft Vista as well as the still-hyped claims from Steve Jobs regarding Apple’s OS, code-named Leopard.  A couple points of reference in the article are:

• What’s now promised for 2007 is a radically de-featured Windows XP upgrade
• security problems that once left Apple untouched, thanks to a completely different processor instruction set, may soon become more all-inclusive.

Basically, it has been my experience that Apple’s claim to fame in the past has been that their machines ‘don’t crash’ as often as the Windows machines.  That claim, of course, was more bolstered by their proprietary hardware then any kind of technical wizardry.  So, I’m curious now that Apple has decided to start using the intel architecture and openly competing on the same systems as Microsoft, will their reputation hold up? 

Does Apple stand much chance of competing against both the Windows and Linux operating systems that primarly dominate the Intel Architecture?   

From personal experiences, I often wonder why Apple gets much more praise and trust in the marketplace then Microsoft.  I’ve owned computers since 1981 and watched both companies grow through the years.  Neither one has exactly kept their hands clean throughout the years and I wouldn’t trust one any more then the other.  If I had to put my faith in an OS Manufacturer, I’d personally choose one of the Linux distro’s.  Of course, when it comes to getting work done, I’m content with Windows and it’s diverse and user-friendly software library.  Comments?