Vista talk is starting to ramp up again, this time with a different tone. Articles in 2006 that covered Vista were not exactly positive, lampooning Microsoft for not meeting stated deadlines, jabbing at them for their goofy licensing scheme, and giving it to them for various other gaffes. But Vista is coming, like it or not. So the next round of reports will take on a "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" approach.
I'm a little reluctant to join the Vista "Love-In".
What I'm hoping for is that Apple does not take a page out of Microsoft's book and move at the speed of an legless tortoise in getting Leopard out. There's been so much iPhone talk, did Steve Job's forget about Mac users?
Has Apple consumed so much of its resources on the iPhone that the next OS X release, Leopard, will be delayed? IPhone this, iPhone that, what will it look like? What will it do? Whatever.
Apple's market share increased again in 2006, so, in my little fantasy world, what Apple could do is release Leopard in early February just as the Vista release hype gathers momentum. And have those hilarious "Mac and PC" ads dig at Microsoft for their draconian licensing, their over-the-top DRM measures, and their monster system requirements. GO FOR THE THROAT.
Not to mention, update the hardware line a bit. Even if it's just a speed bump. Throw us a bone.
But I like cheering for the little guy, especially when the little guy has better stuff than the buy guy. So I'll cut the little guy a lot more slack. But this is not charity. If Vista is out, and reviews are lukewarm, and Leopard is still toiling in its efforts to get out the door, and there's no Mac hardware upgrades worth noting, than back to Windows it shall be.
I think this line was in GoodFellas: "Nothing personal. I'ts just business."
3 comments:
I agree—something was missing from Steve Jobs' Macworld Keynote—I think it might have been any mention of Macs?
Back in the 80s when the Apple II was still ruling, Steve and the Mac Group split off from the others, hung pirate flags from their campus buildings and pretty much said "screw Wozniak and the Apple II" pretty much biting the hand that feeds you. Is that what the iPhone/iPod group is doing now?
I admit that I'm not an avid cell phone user. I have so far resisted the crackberry movement here where I work, where its only a filled-out-form away (I'm all about saving the taxpayers money, remember that when I run for office).
I guess if I were one of these people who are emotionally attached to their phones, I'd be in a lather over the iPhone. But I just like to do stuff: home movies, make tunes, collect snapshots, all that "normal" stuff.
Why don't they change their name to 'Apple Gadgets' or 'Apple Toys'? Mind you I give them credit for trying other avenues for stealing market share from M$. It's nice to see Bill trying to play ctachup. But I can't help but to get a little annoyed at their price for these new toys...
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