diff --git a/aqt/__init__.py b/aqt/__init__.py
index ae0016414..1805d6d94 100644
--- a/aqt/__init__.py
+++ b/aqt/__init__.py
@@ -115,10 +115,11 @@ class AnkiApp(QApplication):
 
 def run():
     global mw
+    from anki.utils import isWin, isMac
 
     # home on win32 is broken
     mustQuit = False
-    if sys.platform == "win32":
+    if isWin:
         # use appdata if available
         if 'APPDATA' in os.environ:
             os.environ['HOME'] = os.environ['APPDATA']
@@ -136,7 +137,7 @@ def run():
 
     # on osx we'll need to add the qt plugins to the search path
     rd = runningDir
-    if sys.platform.startswith("darwin") and getattr(sys, 'frozen', None):
+    if isMac and getattr(sys, 'frozen', None):
         rd = os.path.abspath(runningDir + "/../../..")
         QCoreApplication.setLibraryPaths(QStringList([rd]))
 
@@ -165,7 +166,7 @@ def run():
 
     # qt translations
     translationPath = ''
-    if 'linux' in sys.platform or 'unix' in sys.platform:
+    if not isWin and not isMac:
         translationPath = "/usr/share/qt4/translations/"
     if translationPath:
         long = conf['interfaceLang']
diff --git a/aqt/addcards.py b/aqt/addcards.py
index 3217d59da..56e8cdc39 100644
--- a/aqt/addcards.py
+++ b/aqt/addcards.py
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ from anki.utils import stripHTML, parseTags
 from aqt.utils import saveGeom, restoreGeom, showWarning, askUser
 from anki.sound import clearAudioQueue
 from anki.hooks import addHook, removeHook
-from anki.utils import stripHTMLMedia
+from anki.utils import stripHTMLMedia, isMac
 import aqt.editor, aqt.modelchooser
 
 class AddCards(QDialog):
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class AddCards(QDialog):
         self.form.buttonBox.addButton(self.addButton,
                                         QDialogButtonBox.ActionRole)
         self.addButton.setShortcut(_("Ctrl+Return"))
-        if sys.platform.startswith("darwin"):
+        if isMac:
             self.addButton.setToolTip(_("Add (shortcut: command+return)"))
         else:
             self.addButton.setToolTip(_("Add (shortcut: ctrl+return)"))
diff --git a/aqt/browser.py b/aqt/browser.py
index 9987a65fa..a0fcfdbbe 100644
--- a/aqt/browser.py
+++ b/aqt/browser.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import time, types, sys, re
 from operator import attrgetter, itemgetter
 import anki, anki.utils, aqt.forms
 from anki.utils import fmtTimeSpan, parseTags, hasTag, addTags, delTags, \
-    ids2str, stripHTMLMedia
+    ids2str, stripHTMLMedia, isWin
 from aqt.utils import saveGeom, restoreGeom, saveSplitter, restoreSplitter, \
     saveHeader, restoreHeader, saveState, restoreState, applyStyles, getTag, \
     showInfo, askUser
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ class Browser(QMainWindow):
     def setupHeaders(self):
         vh = self.form.tableView.verticalHeader()
         hh = self.form.tableView.horizontalHeader()
-        if not sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+        if not isWin:
             vh.hide()
             hh.show()
         restoreHeader(hh, "editor")
diff --git a/aqt/clayout.py b/aqt/clayout.py
index 1ef54efcf..bc6904d7d 100644
--- a/aqt/clayout.py
+++ b/aqt/clayout.py
@@ -9,8 +9,8 @@ from anki.consts import *
 import aqt
 from anki.sound import playFromText, clearAudioQueue
 from aqt.utils import saveGeom, restoreGeom, getBase, mungeQA, \
-     saveSplitter, restoreSplitter, showInfo, isMac, isWin, askUser, \
-     getText
+     saveSplitter, restoreSplitter, showInfo, askUser, getText
+from anki.utils import isMac, isWin
 import aqt.templates
 
 # fixme: replace font substitutions with native comma list
diff --git a/aqt/config.py b/aqt/config.py
index c268c0eea..d704225b5 100644
--- a/aqt/config.py
+++ b/aqt/config.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 import os, sys, time, random, cPickle
 from anki.db import DB
+from anki.utils import isMac
 
 defaultConf = {
     'confVer': 3,
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ class Config(object):
     def __init__(self, confDir):
         self.confDir = confDir
         self._conf = {}
-        if sys.platform.startswith("darwin") and (
+        if isMac and (
             self.confDir == os.path.expanduser("~/.anki")):
             self.confDir = os.path.expanduser(
                     "~/Library/Application Support/Anki")
diff --git a/aqt/editor.py b/aqt/editor.py
index 8c828547f..a5b059c80 100644
--- a/aqt/editor.py
+++ b/aqt/editor.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from PyQt4.QtGui import *
 from PyQt4.QtCore import *
 from PyQt4.QtWebKit import QWebView
 import re, os, sys, tempfile, urllib2, ctypes, simplejson, traceback
-from anki.utils import stripHTML, parseTags
+from anki.utils import stripHTML, parseTags, isWin
 from anki.sound import play
 from anki.hooks import runHook
 from aqt.sound import getAudio
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ class Editor(object):
     ######################################################################
 
     def setupKeyboard(self):
-        if sys.platform.startswith("win32") and self.mw.config['preserveKeyboard']:
+        if isWin and self.mw.config['preserveKeyboard']:
             a = ctypes.windll.user32.ActivateKeyboardLayout
             a.restype = ctypes.c_void_p
             a.argtypes = [ctypes.c_void_p, ctypes.c_uint]
diff --git a/aqt/main.py b/aqt/main.py
index 0d20f2c63..e9bfa9b80 100755
--- a/aqt/main.py
+++ b/aqt/main.py
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ QtConfig = pyqtconfig.Configuration()
 
 from anki import Deck
 from anki.sound import hasSound, playFromText, clearAudioQueue, stripSounds
-from anki.utils import addTags, parseTags, canonifyTags, stripHTML, checksum
+from anki.utils import addTags, parseTags, canonifyTags, stripHTML, \
+    checksum, isWin, isMac
 from anki.hooks import runHook, addHook, removeHook
 import anki.consts
 
@@ -1011,7 +1012,7 @@ sync will overwrite any remote changes. Continue?"""))
             import aqt.dropbox as db
             p = db.getPath()
         except:
-            if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+            if isWin:
                 s = QSettings(QSettings.UserScope, "Microsoft", "Windows")
                 s.beginGroup("CurrentVersion/Explorer/Shell Folders")
                 p = os.path.join(unicode(s.value("Personal").toString()),
@@ -1154,7 +1155,7 @@ It can take a long time. Proceed?""")):
     def setupSystemSpecific(self):
         self.setupDocumentDir()
         addHook("macLoadEvent", self.onMacLoad)
-        if sys.platform.startswith("darwin"):
+        if isMac:
             qt_mac_set_menubar_icons(False)
             self.setUnifiedTitleAndToolBarOnMac(True)
             # mac users expect a minimize option
@@ -1163,7 +1164,7 @@ It can take a long time. Proceed?""")):
                          self.onMacMinimize)
             self.hideAccelerators()
             self.hideStatusTips()
-        elif sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+        elif isWin:
             # make sure ctypes is bundled
             from ctypes import windll, wintypes
 
@@ -1187,7 +1188,7 @@ It can take a long time. Proceed?""")):
     def setupDocumentDir(self):
         if self.config['documentDir']:
             return
-        if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+        if isWin:
             s = QSettings(QSettings.UserScope, "Microsoft", "Windows")
             s.beginGroup("CurrentVersion/Explorer/Shell Folders")
             d = unicode(s.value("Personal").toString())
@@ -1195,7 +1196,7 @@ It can take a long time. Proceed?""")):
                 d = os.path.join(d, "Anki")
             else:
                 d = os.path.expanduser("~/.anki/decks")
-        elif sys.platform.startswith("darwin"):
+        elif isMac:
             d = os.path.expanduser("~/Documents/Anki")
         else:
             d = os.path.expanduser("~/.anki/decks")
diff --git a/aqt/plugins.py b/aqt/plugins.py
index e49f930fc..a9564b1b0 100644
--- a/aqt/plugins.py
+++ b/aqt/plugins.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import sys, os, re, traceback
 from PyQt4.QtCore import *
 from PyQt4.QtGui import *
-from aqt.utils import showInfo, showWarning, openFolder
+from aqt.utils import showInfo, showWarning, openFolder, isWin
 from anki.hooks import runHook
 
 class PluginManager(object):
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class PluginManager(object):
         self.mw.connect(f.actionOpenPluginFolder, s, self.onOpenPluginFolder)
         self.mw.connect(f.actionEnableAllPlugins, s, self.onEnableAllPlugins)
         self.mw.connect(f.actionDisableAllPlugins, s, self.onDisableAllPlugins)
-        if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+        if isWin:
             self.clearPluginCache()
         self.disableObsoletePlugins()
         plugdir = self.pluginsFolder()
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ class PluginManager(object):
 
     def pluginsFolder(self):
         dir = self.mw.config.confDir
-        if sys.platform.startswith("win32"):
+        if isWin:
             dir = dir.encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
         return os.path.join(dir, "plugins")
 
diff --git a/aqt/utils.py b/aqt/utils.py
index 0965b68d0..c67ed3177 100644
--- a/aqt/utils.py
+++ b/aqt/utils.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ from PyQt4.QtCore import *
 import re, os, sys, urllib, time
 import aqt
 from anki.sound import playFromText, stripSounds
-from anki.utils import call
+from anki.utils import call, isWin, isMac
 
 def openLink(link):
     QDesktopServices.openUrl(QUrl(link))
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ def restoreGeom(widget, key, offset=None):
     key += "Geom"
     if aqt.mw.config.get(key):
         widget.restoreGeometry(aqt.mw.config[key])
-        if sys.platform.startswith("darwin") and offset:
+        if isMac and offset:
             from aqt.main import QtConfig as q
             minor = (q.qt_version & 0x00ff00) >> 8
             if minor > 6:
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ def getBase(deck):
     return '<base href="%s">' % base
 
 def openFolder(path):
-    if sys.platform == "win32":
+    if isWin:
         if isinstance(path, unicode):
             path = path.encode(sys.getfilesystemencoding())
         call(["explorer", path], wait=False)
@@ -330,7 +330,7 @@ def openFolder(path):
         QDesktopServices.openUrl(QUrl("file://" + path))
 
 def shortcut(key):
-    if sys.platform == "darwin":
+    if Mac:
         return re.sub("(?i)ctrl", "Command", key)
     return key
 
@@ -344,6 +344,3 @@ def limitedCount(count):
     if count >= 1000:
         return "1000+"
     return str(count)
-
-isMac = sys.platform.startswith("darwin")
-isWin = sys.platform.startswith("win32")