From Microsoft Chairman and Co-founder Bill Gates and Apple Chief Executive Office Steve Ballmer down to fans turned fanboys and zealots, the Windows - Mac OS X face-off is a multifaceted comparison designed to constantly place either product on top of the other. But while an actual undisputed winner or underdog is less relevant, the competition is healthy as end users ultimately benefit from the advancements introduced to Windows and OS X respectively, as both the Redmond and Cupertino-based companies advance their operating systems aiming for the largest possible market share.

However, this does not mean that Microsoft and Apple are competing strictly on the territory of the operating system market. The fact of the matter is that both companies also deploy PR tactics against each other, in order to manipulate public perception and ultimately influence the consumers. Apple's Get a Mac video commercials are notorious for poking fun at the PC and the Windows operating system. The PC guy going against the Mac guy is a situation illustrative of the overall Windows vs. Mac OS X operating system measuring contest.

But one aspect where Microsoft and Apple have always competed is security. While Windows and security are generally regarded as concepts that fail to mix, Apple has applauded its own Mac OS X as an epitome of security. And in this context, the Cupertino-based company has always compared OS X to Windows, emphasizing the inherent user protection delivered by its proprietary platform, and creating an aura of perfection around the operating system. And at a PR level, Mac OS X is indeed perfect in terms of security.

Microsoft has taken a more pragmatic approach. Jeff Jones, Strategy Director in the Microsoft Security Technology Unit has been playing the vulnerability counting game ever since Vista hit the shelves in January 2007 and has come up with the conclusion that Microsoft's latest operating system is superior to OS X 10.4 by accounting for a fraction of the number of security vulnerabilities impacting Tiger.

At the same time, searching for "virus" on the Apple official website, returns a single result reading: "Windows. Why you'll love a Mac," as first reported by Techno Juice. This might be a cheap shot from Apple, but the fact of the matter is that it will probably speak more to end users than all the vulnerability statistics in the world. But at the same time, it is all a matter of perspective. This because searching for "virus" on the Windows Vista official website returns results pointing to Windows Vista and Windows Live OneCare, among others, as solutions for enhanced security.