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2) each release of the operating system runs *faster* on the old hardware than the previous release, not slower (this in itself contributes greatly to (1) above). This didn't apply when they jettisoned system 9 for the new OS X of course, but has generally held true otherwise.

Hmmm

I was used the Mac during the system 7/8 period and I can't agree that each release was fastest than the last.

I also disagree with the claim that each new version of Windows is slower on the same hardware. That may well have been true during the Win3.11, Win95 era (not coincidentally around the same time as system 7/8). In my experience, on the same hardware, WinXP is faster than Win2k, which is faster than NT4 (I have also found than on much hardware Win2k is faster than Win98).

It remains to be seen whether Microsoft's next OS, Longhorn, will follow this trend. Early indications are not true...

One thing I think we can all agree on though, all the current OSes on both platforms are a great improvement in usability (excluding the OSX dock obviously) and reliablity to the ones we had in the system 7/8, Win3x/Win95 times.