According to ZDNet, Apple’s recently launched MacOS 26 Tahoe includes several features that are new to the Mac platform but have existing counterparts in Windows. These include enhanced window snapping, a new unified Games app, real-time translation powered by on-device AI, and deep visual customization for folder icons in Finder. The window management improvements follow Apple’s initial comprehensive set added in MacOS Sequoia last year, while the real-time translation mirrors functionality that arrived on Windows’ Copilot+ PCs in 2024. The custom folder icons, a novelty for Mac users, trace their roots in Windows back to the Windows 3.1 era, several decades ago.
Window Wars
Look, Apple finally giving MacOS decent window snapping is a win. But here’s the thing: the way they’ve implemented it still feels like catching up. You drag a window and it snaps. Great. Windows has had its superior Snap Assist grid preview for what feels like forever—just drag to the top and you get a menu of layout options. It’s more intuitive and powerful. For anyone who lives with multiple apps open, this isn’t a minor detail; it’s core productivity. Apple’s playing a solid game of feature parity now, but they’re years late to a party Windows has been hosting.
Gaming App vs. Gaming Ecosystem
Apple’s new Games app is a smart move. It’s a clean hub for Apple Arcade and your library, with social features baked in. But calling it competition for the Windows gaming environment is a massive stretch. Windows 11 isn’t just an OS with a games app; it’s the foundation for an entire ecosystem. Steam, Discord, Epic Games Store—and the ocean of PC games that aren’t on the App Store—all live there natively. Apple’s app is a nice launcher for the games Apple has. Windows is the platform where gaming actually happens. It’s not even a fair fight, and I don’t think Apple expects it to be. They’re just trying to make their corner more appealing.
Translation and Customization
The on-device, real-time translation in MacOS 26 is genuinely impressive from a privacy and engineering standpoint. But again, Windows got there first with its AI-powered translation across apps and video platforms. The feature sets are strikingly similar. And then there’s the folder icon customization. I laughed when I read this. Mac users are excited to finally make a folder pink or slap an emoji on it? That’s been a quirky, niche part of Windows since the early ’90s. It’s a tiny feature, but it perfectly illustrates the dynamic: Apple often gets credit for “inventing” or “perfecting” things that have existed elsewhere, just because they package it sleekly and make it mainstream on their platform.
The Real Takeaway
So what does this all mean? It’s not that MacOS 26 is bad—far from it. The update is packed with good stuff. But this constant back-and-forth highlights how both operating systems are in a permanent game of leapfrog. Windows innovates in utility and raw functionality (often for a power-user or industrial market where robust, customizable hardware is key), while Apple focuses on polish, design cohesion, and seamless integration. One isn’t inherently better than the other; they just have different philosophies. The real winners are us, the users, because this competition means both platforms keep getting better. But maybe, just maybe, we can stop being shocked when one “new” feature has been on the other side for a decade.
