Well, I think your headline is a little bit wrong, because it implements that you compared a backup solution made by Apple with a solution made by Microsoft, but all you do is comparing it with a product of a third party developer. That´s a little unfair I think. I don´t use Time Machine at all. Never used it, because Apple mostly does consumer stuff, which doesn´t fit my needs. So I have exact the same problem you have. But instead of changing the platform (little sidekick, sorry ;-), I get myself a good backup  solution for Mac, which is Chronosync, and guess what, it does exactly the same thing that your Windows solution does. Set and forget, versions, all that stuff. It even looks after the owner´s rights. So I could take your article and just replaced MyBook with Chronosync and it was the same conclusion. Apple´s Time Machine is crap.
Btw, I´m no Apple fanboy. I just like Macs.