“Given Apple’s never-ending marketshare losses, [slowing down new Mac OS X releases] is probably a bad idea. OS X is even with, or behind, Windows XP in many areas, but you have to start thinking about the next generation. With Microsoft getting ready to ship Longhorn in two years, now is the time that Apple should be churning out the upgrades and getting a lead on XP for a change. You know, maybe actually innovate for a change and make the OS as easy to use as it is beautiful to look at,” Paul Thurrott writes for Paul Thurrott’s Internet Nexus.
“One (unrealistic) thing I’d like to see Apple do is stop charging its loyal customers for every single minor OS X upgrade. For three of the last four years, OS X customers have had to pay dearly for Apple’s development process, at a rate of $130 a pop. That’s unfair to customers, but it’s also the only way Apple can afford to keep developing OS X, so it’s sort of a Catch-22. Meanwhile, Microsoft, with its mountains of cash and steady corporate licensing fees, has been improving XP over the years, and not charging customers for the privilege (or charging them very little, such as the $20 fee one would pay for Plus! Digital Media Edition). Apple doesn’t benefit from Microsoft’s economics, but I find it odd that the company would soak its most loyal customers so readily: Only the true diehards have been using and upgrading OS X every year.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The comedy stylings of Paul Thurrott keep on coming, even as they grow less dependent upon reality with each installment. We don’t think that even Steve Ballmer believes Mac OS X is behind Windows XP or he wouldn’t be trying so hard to copy it and taking so long to do so. Thurrott is one man alone on his own bizarro island. The never-ending and oft-extended wait for Longhorn is obviously driving him delusional.
If Longhorn keeps on slipping, Microsoft will have to change their address to 1 Infinite Wait.
Moo.
Related MacDailyNews article:
Apple to slow pace of new Mac OS X versions ‘a little bit’ – May 18, 2004
halooo
Mr Thurott obviously needs to put the crack pipe down… and walk away
“1 Infinite Wait”
Oh, now MDN’s done it, I just hurt myself and spilled Coke all over my keyboard laughing my ass off!
Reason 4,652 why I love MacDailyNews:
“If Longhorn keeps on slipping, Microsoft will have to change their address to 1 Infinite Wait.”
Feld, just be glad you didn’t shoot it through your nose.
MAN….Thurroughlyrotten has really outdone himself this time! I didn’t think even he could stray THAT far from reality! Please don’t visit his site. He’s obviously desperate for hits this week.
That fellow is one sick puppy. I’ll bet he has at least 3 ‘roos loose in the upper paddock
[I]Meanwhile, Microsoft, with its mountains of cash and steady corporate licensing fees, has been improving XP over the years[/I]
He means they have been patching security flaws. Even MS admitted that they will never patch ALL the security flaws in XP since it was never meant for networking in the first place. What a complete and absolute moron.
I did not know Paul had such a soft spot in his heart for us downtrodden Mac users. What a nice guy. I better send a card at Christmas time.
Perhaps Mr. Thurrott is really the former Iraqi Information Minister in exile.
“Windows bugs? There are none! Those who say they exist will burn in hell!”
“Mr. Gates is a courageous man and he is not afraid of any worms or viruses, and neither should you be!”
“Our superior XP security system has the hackers on the run… we have them surrounded and will soon roast them over a fire!”
Nice to see some fellow Aussies in these forums.
Had a Capt’n Cook at the article & he certainly is a sandwich short of a picnic.
Is this for real?
And a vegemite sandwich at that …
If you put “Thurrott” instead of “tech writer” in the title a lot of people would have been spared the bother of reading it. He’s in a class by himself. Enderle and Charles Cooper at least are trying to maintain some objectivity for a mainstream IT crowd. His website “Paul Thurrott’s Thanks to Microsoft I Drive a Lexus” is purely a site devoted to attacks on the competitors of his MS benefactors – he ineptly tries to disguise this by occassional positive comments about Apple, which he then completely contradicts in subsequent postings. Somebody really out to whip up a cool web site satirizing this clown.
MOO
Longhorn BBQ at my place
g’day Sara, nice to see a few sheilas on these forums as well
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Boring, P. Thurrot.
yeah, right OS X even or behind XP!!!!
Apple would have to do something so stupid to fall behind Windows before a statement like that would be remotely correct. How could someone be so dumb.
This fellow has a Barry Crocker of a track record. I reckon he’s as crazy as a cut snake
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The last article of Thurrot’s on here seemed to be a little less full of sh*t… He must have had writers block, guess he’s back on form now.
Please sign.
http://www.petitiononline.com/muapt1/petition.html
Let’s just slag the hell out of this guy, he obviously gets off on the good Karma we generate.
Sheesh, how can he love Mediocresoft so much? On the payroll maybe? Funny how his website looks like ye olde Micro-soft style. Why update imperfection?
Hey XP isn’t bad compared to previous versions of Windows, but as good or better than OS X? C’mon, is he for real? Dickhead.
Now, which users is it who have the reality distortion field??
“My Windows Properties:Too many clicks.”
If it were a footy match, Apple could leave at the end of the 3rd quarter and still win the game. Bit like a Collingwood match really (flame away)
Carn the Tiges.
Thurrott is a tool. Seriously, has he got a life?
“The company has not announced when Tiger will ship.”
No doubt Tiger will be available before Bloathorn. Paul, how many erroneous shipment dates have been announced for Bloathorn? How many times have has Microsoft �regretfully� announced a further wait in Bloathorn delivery?
�A couple of obvious comments here.�
This nonobjective statement is typically a prelude to unsubstantiated and biased Thurrott comment.
�Given Apple’s never-ending marketshare losses��
It is not uncommon to see advertisements for Macs that are still functional and useful years after their PC counterparts have been declared dead or dieing. Yes, PC manufacturers sell more PC�s because most PC�s are �disposable�. Mac functionality is legendary compared to the PC. This gives persons on fixed incomes the assurance that their Macs will still be useful while the PC must be regularly replaced.
�OS X is even with, or behind, Windows XP in many areas��
This begs the question, why then is Microsoft unashamedly �cloning� the look of OS X for Bloathorn � the much heralded improvement to XP?
�With Microsoft getting ready to ship Longhorn in two years��
The great seer has spoken and has made yet another unequivocal statement of his amazing prophetic abilities.
��Apple should be churning out the upgrades and getting a lead on XP for a change.�
10.0, 10.2, 10.3 plus numerous upgrades. Do the math, idiot.
�You know, maybe actually innovate for a change��
OK, Paul, why don�t you list and the things different in each any every issue and upgrade to OS X and give a final enumeration. You may be surprise what a fool you are, but then again, this would quantitate your stupidity.
��.and make the OS as easy to use as it is beautiful to look at.�
Thurrott admits that while elementary school children are quite capable of using OS X he, unfortunately, lacks the basic skills to appropriate OS X technology. And he calls himself an expert?
�One (unrealistic) thing I’d like to see Apple do is stop charging its loyal customers for every single minor OS X upgrade.�
Thurrott apparently considers that computer programmers should give away for free all work that they have done to improve the system. But wait, software patches for inherent OS vulnerabilities don�t count right?
�For three of the last four years, OS X customers have had to pay dearly for Apple’s development process, at a rate of $130 a pop. That’s unfair to customers��
The �cost� of an OS is much more than just their purchase prices, but then, you since you are an idiot it seems that this simple concept is too difficult for your narrow mind to comprehend.
��but it’s also the only way Apple can afford to keep developing OS X, so it’s sort of a
Catch-22.�
It takes money to make money, idiot. This is what is meant by investment. (How can someone be so ignorant?)
�Meanwhile, Microsoft, with its mountains of cash and steady corporate licensing fees, has been improving XP over the years, and not charging customers for the privilege (or charging them very little��
If I had a nickel for every PC suffering a worm or virus I would also have a �mountain of cash�, too. Improving the Microsoft OS means much more than patching the security breaches.
��such as the $20 fee one would pay for Plus! Digital Media Edition).�
You often get what you pay for.
�Apple doesn’t benefit from Microsoft’s economics��
The first cogent statement. Unfortunately, this is hardly revealing news.
��but I find it odd that the company would soak its most loyal customers so readily��
People who purchase OS X upgrades do so because they WANT to add some measure of form and function to their machines. Even the most basic and elementary courses in economics have explained the concepts of consumer spending. Perhaps Thurrott needs to consider some remedial courses in economics.
�Only the true diehards have been using and upgrading OS X every year.�
Updates and upgrades every year. Yes, this is much different from Microsoft that seems only capable of providing security patches on a regular basis and false promises for release dates of a �new and improved� OS.