| Windows | macOS |
| Right-click → “Open with Notepad” | No plain text shortcut; TextEdit defaults to rich text |
| Pin any file/folder to taskbar | Dock only supports apps |
| Resize windows from any edge | Resize limited to bottom-right corner |
| Snap windows with Win+Arrow keys | Requires third-party tools (e.g., Magnet) |
| Rename multiple files in Explorer | Available, but less intuitive in Finder |
| Tabs in File Explorer | Finder tabs exist, but less flexible |
| Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager | No direct shortcut for Activity Monitor |
| Create shortcuts anywhere | Aliases exist, but less customizable |
| Alt+Tab switches all windows | Cmd+Tab switches apps only |
| Customize mouse pointer | Limited options |
| Install apps from any source | Gatekeeper blocks unsigned apps by default |
| Run portable apps from USB | Most apps require installation |
| Built-in Paint app | No native equivalent (Preview is limited) |
| Disk Cleanup tool | No direct equivalent |
| Control Panel access | System Settings more limited |
| Create local user accounts | Apple ID often required |
| Calculator with programmer mode | Lacks programmer mode |
| Win+R “Run” dialog | No equivalent quick launcher |
| Customize folder icons | Possible, but more complex |
| Clipboard history (Win+V) | No native clipboard history |
| File Explorer with preview pane | Finder has preview, but less configurable |
| Taskbar shows all open windows | Dock groups by app, not window |
| Right-click → “Send to” menu | No equivalent quick-send options |
| Set default apps easily | More restricted |
| Use .exe files directly | Not supported |
| Access BIOS/UEFI | Not user-accessible on Macs |
| Use legacy peripherals | Often lacks drivers |
| Customize login screen | Limited customization |
| Read and write to NTFS drives without any limitations | Read NTFS only |
| Built-in troubleshooters | No equivalent diagnostic tools |
| Use multiple taskbars (multi-monitor) | Dock only appears on one screen |
| Install unsigned drivers | SIP blocks this |
| Use system tray icons | Menu bar is more limited |
| Set per-app volume | Not natively supported |
| Use legacy software | No backward compatibility |
| Customize boot options | Limited boot control |
| Use keyboard shortcuts globally | Shortcuts are app-specific |
| Access recent files from Start menu | No unified recent files list |
| Use multiple user sessions simultaneously | Fast user switching is more limited |
| Built-in screen snipping tool | Screenshot tool is less flexible |
| Use third-party antivirus freely | Limited kernel access |
| Install from Microsoft Store or web | App Store is more restrictive |
| Use taskbar jump lists | No equivalent in Dock |
| Customize system fonts | Not allowed |
| Use legacy control panels | No legacy access |
| Access hidden files easily (Ctrl+H) | Requires terminal or Finder shortcut |
| Use multiple desktops with taskbar per screen | Spaces lacks taskbar per desktop |
| Use built-in voice recorder | Requires third-party app |
| Use Windows Hello (face/fingerprint login) | No Face ID; Touch ID only on supported Macs |
| Easily change file extensions | More hidden in UI |
| Full UI theming with third-party tools | Limited to built-in Light/Dark modes |
| Rainmeter widgets | No equivalent with same flexibility |
| Registry editor | No system-wide registry access |
| PowerShell scripting | AppleScript + Terminal (less powerful) |
| Global file association control | App-based, less flexible |
| “God Mode” folder | No master settings folder |
| F8 Safe Mode boot | Requires recovery partition access |
| Compatibility mode for legacy apps | No support for 32-bit or legacy apps |
| Virtual desktops with custom shortcuts | Mission Control (limited shortcut control) |
| AutoHotkey macros | No native equivalent; third-party tools limited |
| Native DirectX 12 games | No DirectX; uses Metal or wrappers |
| Game modding without Wine | Often unsupported or limited |
| Emulators like BGB, Cemu, PCSX2 | Some work via Rosetta/Wine, not all |
| SolidWorks, Revit | Not available natively |
| Windows Mixed Reality | Not supported |
| Xbox Game Bar | No built-in game overlay |
| Microsoft Store + Xbox App | Not available |
| Full compatibility with game launchers | Some launchers lack macOS support |
| Optimized GPU drivers (NVIDIA/AMD) | Limited to Apple Silicon or Intel |
| Gaming peripheral config tools | Often lack macOS versions |
| Build-your-own PC | Not possible or options much more limited |
| Install on ARM, x86, x64 | Only on Apple Silicon or Intel |
| eGPU support | Deprecated on Apple Silicon |
| BIOS/UEFI access | No user-accessible firmware |
| Install on Steam Deck | Not supported |
| Legacy printer/scanner support | Often lacks drivers |
| Specialized USB device support | Limited by driver availability |
| Native DirectX SDK | Metal SDK (different API) |
| ASIO driver support | CoreAudio only |
| Industrial USB tools | Often Windows-only software |
| BitLocker encryption | FileVault (comparable) |
| Group Policy (GPO) | No centralized policy system |
| Advanced password policies | Limited to MDM tools |
| Application Guard | No browser isolation equivalent |
| WSUS update deployment | No centralized update server |
| Hyper-V virtualization | Parallels/VMware (not native) |
| Sysinternals Suite | No equivalent toolkit |
| SCCM/Intune deployment | Apple Configurator/MDM (less granular) |
| Advanced firewall rules | GUI limited; command-line needed |
| Assigned Access (kiosk mode) | Limited via parental controls |
| Full Visual Studio + .NET | Visual Studio for Mac is limited |
| Test on Internet Explorer/Edge legacy | Not available |
| WSL (Linux Subsystem) | Unix base, no Linux kernel |
| WinDbg for driver debugging | No equivalent |
| VirtualBox unrestricted | Apple restricts virtualization on ARM |
| Tools like Fiddler, ProcMon | Limited or unavailable |
| UWP app development | Not supported |
| Win32/COM API access | Not available |
| Chocolatey package manager | Homebrew (less system-integrated) |
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