“Apple Computer is set to release a new version of its Mac OS X operating system, code-named Tiger, later this month. Apple executives say Tiger will bring some of the same types of features that won’t be available on Windows until the Longhorn release or later, such as an advanced tool for searching a hard drive’s contents,” Todd Bishop reports for The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “At one of its conferences last year, Apple displayed a banner showing a Tiger installation CD next to the words, ‘Introducing Longhorn.'”
Bishop reports, “As it happened, Apple executives were in Microsoft’s backyard Friday, demonstrating Tiger to reporters in downtown Seattle on the same day that Microsoft was previewing its new Windows XP advertising campaign. Tiger is the fourth Mac OS X version since the original was released in March 2001. ‘We focused on things that we think will resonate extremely well with anybody who uses a computer — Mac users, people who are considering a Mac,’ said Ken Bereskin, senior director of Mac OS X product marketing, citing advances in features including hard-drive search, e-mail, Web browsing and video chat.”
Elsewhere in town, Microsoft was previewing its massive new advertising campaign for its aging three-and-a-half-year old Windows XP operating system.
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple’s Mac OS X reality vs. Microsoft’s Longhorn fantasy – April 19, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
Analyst: ‘Microsoft’s Longhorn is going to have hard time upstaging Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger’ – April 13, 2005
Analyst: Apple in ‘position to exploit Microsoft missteps, claim leadership’ with Mac OS X Tiger – April 13, 2005
Apple’s Schiller: Mac OS X Tiger ‘has created even more distance between us and Microsoft’ – April 13, 2005
Will Mac OS X Tiger add fuel to Apple’s recent momentum in the computer business? – April 13, 2005
Why doesn’t Apple advertise Mac OS X on TV? – April 12, 2005
Analyst: Tiger proves ‘Apple is light years ahead of Microsoft in developing PC operating systems’ – April 12, 2005
Apple to ship Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ on Friday, April 29; pre-orders start today – April 12, 2005
Apple Announces Mac OS X Server ‘Tiger’ to ship Friday, April 29 with 64-bit application support – April 12, 2005
Analysts: Apple’s new Tiger operating system could really impact Mac sales – April 12, 2005
Piper Jaffray raises Apple estimates on Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ release news – April 12, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X ‘Tiger’ vs. Microsoft’s Windows ‘Longhorn’ – March 31, 2005
New Microsoft Longhorn chief was former Pepto-Bismol brand manager – March 18, 2005
Microsoft’s Longhorn fantasy vs. Apple’s Mac OS X reality – September 14, 2004
Is Microsoft’s stripped-down ‘Longhorn’ worth waiting for? – September 10, 2004
Silicon Valley: Apple CEO Steve Jobs previews ‘Longhorn’ – June 29, 2004
PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
Microsoft concerned that Longhorn’s look and feel will be copied if revealed too soon – August 25, 2003
Windows ‘Longhorn’ to add translucent windows that ripple and shrink by 2005 – May 19, 2003
I repost from an earlier thread:
“Hmm. It seems to me that this is the perfect opportunity for Apple. I think that most (all) Mac fans out here believe that Apple has to do more to blow its own horn about OS X.
The more realistic among us ask nagging questions like “How do you advertise an operating system?”
Well, the obvious answer is that you respond to Microsoft ads for operating systems.
Microsoft ads have been just as useless as Apple’s ads recently, mostly causing me to scream at the TV that “I have been doing that on my Mac for years!” The difference is that at least Microsoft is telling folks that they can do things. Apple doesn’t admit to any such capability.
However, by cleverly aping Microsoft commercials — injecting a good dose of humour — Apple can make Microsoft ads advertise Macs as well. And the 15 month long end tag says “Available now … on the Mac!” Fade to white Apple logo.
Please don’t phone me. I’m expecting a call from Chiat Day any second now.”
“Elsewhere in town, Microsoft was previewing its massive new advertising campaign for its aging three-and-a-half-year old Windows XP operating system.”
Has anyone stumbled across any links so we can take a look?
Apple needs to finally GRAB THE BULL BY THE BALLS, take off the gloves and show that Tiger indeed has TEETH in the OS space and finally do some DOGONE advertising!!!!!
******
Hmmm, you realize MS makes Office, right?
He was too busy saying the word “dogone”
I’d still be using Windows 98 on my old audio server tower if I didn’t need to upgrade to Windows 2000 to run iTunes.
I don’t think Apple should waste money advertising. It’s difficult enough to get people to switch to Apple, by honest word of mouth.
When you’re family members ask you whats the secret to your youthful appearance. Tell them it’s my stress free lifestyle. I use a Mac
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I’m happy to “Think Different”
Bill
Wait for the media Mac to show up, then Apple will start advertising. To most people, the computer is not the end, it is a means to an end. And a complicated one. It is hard to create a compelling emotional bond with a complex and inorganic means. (When you do appeal to such it’s for specialty, or niche, or vertical markets, not the mass market.)
When they get to a mass-appealing end Apple will have something to tout. The iPod is an end with mass appeal, thus you get ads. The Mac is a means with limited appeal. The ends are quite ambiguous, it is a personal computer, after all, and they were designed to be broadly applicable.
When the media Mac arrives, they will have an end that they can pitch convincingly in 20 to 30 seconds. Everybody wants a personal video recorder. Everybody wants a centralized and wireless digital media server. These are messages they can get across right away. They don’t have to explain what these things are.
Nobody cares about Expose. Nobody cares about Dashboard. Or Spotlight. These are awesome features, for sure, but what you get out of them is much more abstract. Easy window navigation. Quick compartmentalized access to small convenience tools. And a fast system-wide portal to search your system (not just your files). Great, but it’s still geekspeak to most. Remember, this is a culture where we joke about how much difficulty people have programming their VCR, even just to get the clock to stop blinking.