Of course, there are significant provisos to get through first -- it's only one machine, running on Apple's drivers, testing mostly Apple applications, and the two systems default to different versions of QuickTime -- but we can still glean some indication of where the two heavyweights are relative to one another.

ENGADGET: Windows 7 versus Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro: big cat's faster, 7 is better for games

But I like Apple's take even better, mostly because of that slide-out right-hand panel.

CNN: Review: Mac's Lion adventure continues

Apple's results also weighed on Asian markets, which ended mostly lower despite preliminary data showing manufacturing activity in China accelerated in January.

WSJ: Blue Chips Notch 5th Straight Gain