As for the other topic...

"Apple doesn't seem to garner this sort of reaction" because Apple doesn't do this sort of thing to users... as much. (of course, developers are a different story, poor guys) You're totally right, Windows is held back by a lot of ancient equipment, and removing some of that backwards compatibility might go a long way in improving Windows as an OS. Apple IS controlling and arrogant, and after changing from OS 9 to OS X, then from PPC to Intel, they've proven to be quite the bully when it comes to developers. However, OS X still supports PPC G4, PPC G5, and the latest Intel machinery - it runs on hardware dating back to the dark ages of OS 9.2! When was the last time a major Windows upgrade ran on two distinctly different chip architectures, and on computers 6 years or older?

And yeah, one can always make the the point that Apple designs only for their own equipment, whereas Microsoft has the decidedly worse task of trying to design for EVERYTHING else. But... honestly? If you're running Windows... bloat has to be expected. And not because Microsoft sucks; they work hard to make good code. The thing is, the user makes a decision by choosing the Windows platform: you have a computer system with variants as wild as can be imagined (from hundreds of manufacturers to DIY), you have access to much more software, MANY more games, compatibility with the majority of the business world, networks, and even ISPs. The list goes on for awhile, but yeah, there's going to be a price to pay. It's a decision.

Apple, the dictatorial monster that it is, runs a very, very different operation. Mac users make their decision as well: they choose a system that, while severely limited when it comes to gaming and DIY customization, is run by a company that is controlling and obsessive about it's systems and the quality of operation and user experience. Being mildly OCD myself, I appreciate this quite a bit. It often allows the architecture to better fit together, for hardware and software to work more seamlessly. Even 7-8 years ago, Macs had no serial ports or floppy drives. USB and Firewire was standard, as was full screen video editing, gigabit ethernet, and dual processor designs (probably why you don't see people clammering for Leopard upgrades - their computers were good to begin with). The Apple platform also locks the user into a specific line of products, among other positives and negatives. Again, it's a decision.

Just because you're a mac user, doesn't mean everyone else wants a white sports car too. Just because you're a windows user, doesn't mean everyone else wants an endlessly customizable truck with a spacious cab and your own paint job. Both approaches have advantages, both have downsides. If bloat is a concern, move to something Unix based. If games are of importance, get the heck off a mac. You can rest assured both companies will probably continue doing what they do: Microsoft will still try to support those old gaming ports and BIOS settings, Apple will dump last decades technology for next weeks expensive breakthrough. As you can see... there's simply a decision to be made. Pick your poison.

Hmm. Somehow this got way off of the Apple-makes-a-decent-OS-that-still-runs-on-old-computers rant, and got onto something completely different. Sorry. I'm going to bed now. I don't think this post even addressed what I was trying to reply too. Well, I claim little to no responsibility for what has been said. It's past my bedtime.