“Apple is already gearing up for a major marketing campaign for the holidays, and if they’re able to ramp up demand, and then deliver the system when they say it will be delivered, it could trump Microsoft in a way that Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs would crow about for years,” Elizabeth Millard reports for NewsFactor.
Millard reports, “Before Apple’s recent announcement that it would be releasing OS X 10.5, called Leopard, it appeared that Apple would be drawing mainly on its streamlined OS interface to try and best Microsoft, along with emphasis on its switch to Intel. But the recent news that it would be building robust features into Leopard puts the fresh system directly in competition with Vista, changing the rules of engagement.”
“As Microsoft began its campaign to ease users into thinking about Vista, it seemed that Apple’s only answer would be to point out that it now runs on Intel chip, and emphasize the ability to toggle between Windows and Mac systems thanks to new software,” Millard reports. “But beyond Boot Camp, it turns out, Apple intends to intensify its chances of winning Windows users, and wasn’t about to rest on the laurels of Boot Camp. With the new OS X 10.5 version, planned for shipping in spring 2007, users will be able to tap into new backup and recovery technology, introduce virtual desktops, and have more powerful iChat functions.”
“Another potential advantage for Apple has nothing to do with Leopard’s features, and actually doesn’t depend on anything the company can do internally with development: it’s the ability of Microsoft to release Vista on time and address potential bugs in its beta versions,” Millard reports. “In other words, Apple seems to be fighting Redmond on two fronts, countering Microsoft with its OS features as well as slamming the company through marketing efforts and general commentary.”
“Jobs also noted that some of the features of Leopard would be kept under wraps, not just because Apple is notoriously secretive with its upcoming releases, but because the company didn’t want Microsoft to ‘start their photocopiers,'” Millard reports.
“Although Leopard might present a challenge to Microsoft — and likely inspire some zesty new Mac v. Windows ads — some analysts note that it won’t exactly become an Apple-driven world anytime soon,” Millard reports. “Windows still commands a sizeable chunk of the OS market, with most estimates putting it around 95 percent. Since it’s used in so much of the corporate world, it’s not likely that IT departments will skip Vista and turn instead to replacing desktops and servers with Apple’s lineup. Where companies go, consumers do tend to follow, since many people find it useful to have the same type of system at home as they do at the office, making for easy file transfers and telecommuting.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple Mac can run Windows, so what’s the problem? Answer: there is none. People, especially those who shop based mainly on sticker price, can quickly understand that only Apple’s Mac offers a “twofer” – run Windows if you need it and also get the superior Mac OS X, iLife, etc. for the price of one computer.
Millard continues, “In other words, most of the world will still buy Windows, no matter what bugs the first version of Vista might have, and although there could be some converts, it’s still more cult than religion.”
MacDailyNews Take: Illogical. Apple Macs can run Windows and Mac OS X. Nobody else can do so. Apple’s strategy is to first embrace then extinguish. Enough people will do so to create a marked change. And nobody makes a better Mac advocate than a recent Windows to Mac switcher. These people will tell their friends. Apple’s Mac platform has the capacity to grow faster and take more share from Windows than most people think. Some people are going to be very surprised.
Millard continues, “Some might counter with the fact that Boot Camp will make that issue irrelevant, but others believe that the limitations with running Windows on a Mac — most notably, in having to buy a full Windows license — will create limitations.”
MacDailyNews Take: Buy an Apple Mac and, for the price of a boxed copy of Windows, get two computers or buy a Dell, HP or anything else and be stuck with just Windows. That’s the proposition. We think even Joe and Jane Wal-Mart Shopper will be able to easily grasp that one – if Apple can get the message out effectively.
Millard continues, “But just because it won’t become standard equipment in the corporate world in the near future doesn’t mean that Apple can’t increase its popularity — after all, to belabor the analogy, some groups once called cults really did become full-blown religions… If Vista continues to be delayed, and can’t meet its January target, it could greatly benefit Leopard, especially if Apple is able to get the OS shipping earlier than expected.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: From everything we’ve seen, Apple’s Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger – released April 2005 – is itself quite superior to Microsoft’s Windows Vista. Apple’s Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard will only increase the superiority gap over Windows Vista which looks like nothing more than a warmed over Windows XP. Another Microsoft pig adorned with lipstick is not much to which Windows sufferers can look forward or get excited about. Change is coming.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Gartner: Microsoft’s Vista will be the last of its kind – August 26, 2006
Microsoft develops new consumer product: selling vaporware for the holidays – August 22, 2006
Development approaches of Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista yield very different results – August 15, 2006
Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is 64-bit done right, unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista kludge – August 14, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
InfoWorld: With Mac OS X Leopard, Apple aims to ruin Vista’s chance of gaining early traction – August 09, 2006
Big race? Which will ship first, Microsoft’s Windows Vista or Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard? – August 09, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Gartner analyst: It’s a ‘distinct possibility’ that Mac OS X Leopard will ship before Windows Vista – August 07, 2006
Apple WWDC banner: ‘Mac OS X Leopard. Introducing Vista 2.0’ – August 07, 2006
Ballmer analyzes Microsoft’s One Big Mistake, Vista… er, ‘One Big’ Vista Mistake – August 02, 2006
Leopard attack on Vista: Apple taunts Microsoft with much faster operating system launches – July 05, 2006
What Microsoft has chopped from Windows Vista, and when – June 27, 2006
Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Windows Vista rips-off Mac OS X at great hardware cost (and Apple gains in the end) – June 13, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Windows Vista to be Microsoft’s last operating system? – April 21, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft collapsing under its own weight, Gates has driven Windows Vista into the ground – April 20, 2006
Thurrott: Microsoft going to get eaten alive over Windows Vista’s resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – March 09, 2006
NY Times’ Pogue on Gates’ CES demo: Most of Vista features unadulterated ripoffs from Apple Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Analyst: Windows Vista may still impress many consumers because they have not seen Apple’s Mac OS X – January 05, 2006
Gartner: Ignore Microsoft Windows Vista until 2008 (why not just get Apple Mac OS X Tiger today?) – November 12, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Vista strives to deliver what Apple’s Mac OS X already offers – October 10, 2005
Thurrott: many of Windows Vista’s upcoming features appeared first in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Ballmer: It’s true, some of Windows Vista’s features are ‘kissing cousins’ to Mac OS X – September 18, 2005
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn demos ‘unimpressive, fall short of graphical excellence found today in Mac OS X’ – April 26, 2005
eWEEK Editor Coursey: Longhorn so far ‘looks shockingly like a Macintosh’ – April 25, 2005
Due in late 2006, many of Windows Longhorn’s features have been in Mac OS X since 2001 – April 25, 2005
Microsoft’s new mantra: ‘It Just Works’ ripped straight from Apple’s ‘Switch’ campaign – April 22, 2005
Apple CEO Steve Jobs on Microsoft’s Longhorn: ‘They are shamelessly copying us’ – April 21, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn will bear more than just a passing resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – April 15, 2005
Steve Jobs: Microsoft copied original Apple Mac with Windows 95, now they’re copying us again – February 08, 2005
The Age: ‘Apple’s Mac OS X at least a generation ahead of Windows XP, iMac G5 clearly the best’ – December 15, 2004
Silicon Valley: Apple CEO Steve Jobs previews ‘Longhorn’ – June 29, 2004
Apple CEO Steve Jobs: Mac OS X Tiger ‘is going to drive the copycats crazy – June 28, 2004
PC Magazine: Microsoft ‘Longhorn’ preview shows ‘an Apple look’ – May 06, 2004
Windows ‘Longhorn’ to add translucent windows that ripple and shrink by 2005 – May 19, 2003
Apple leads; Wintel follows as usual – November 11, 2002
Vista, as said by many others is not ready for prime time. No antivirus software runs on it yet. Blue screens all the time. Do you really want this on your system. Only an idiot would want this operating system as it stands now.
Leopard was and is still far ahead of Vista even before. This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Vista is about 5 years behind and when Jobs shows the world the rest of the Top Secret stuff of Leopard Vista will look like Windows 3.1 in comparison. But will let this guy have his little fantasy for now. He may not be so happy or confident about Vista after MacWorld 2007.
re: Sputnik
Apple OS X is only used by about 1.5% of the global PC’s. The idea that Apple has any influence on the PC market is just silly.
Nobody in the “real IT world” is switching to Apple. Apple PC’s are not capable of meeting the rigorous standards need to exist in an enterprise environment.
“building robust features into Leopard puts the fresh system directly in competition with Vista”
Like html base email authoring and enhanced iChat… Please, don’t make me laugh. These are features that are be used everyday by millions of happy XP users. Furthermore, iChat is such a useless piece of software; who can you video chat with? Answer, only a hand full of Apple users.
Face it folks the real world is very happy with XP and looking forward to the soon to be released Vista…
Vista has so many new features and security enhancements it will take years for Apple to catch up. Remember XP already has all of the features and more then the Leopard-vaporware being marketed by Jobs and company.
—-
ABSOLUTE BOLLOCKS!
I know companies from laywers, to estate agents, advertising agencies and others including schools THAT ONLY USE MACS!
Windows OS isnt as important as you think!
I will tell you what the ‘real world’ is:
WEB BASED APPS!
The future is apps you use via the browser and not that you install on your pc/mac. This will mean you can use them under ANY OS – whether it’s windows, Mac, Unix or whatever.
As long as you computer has any browser that is compliant to web standards then you will be able to use the apps.
Google has seen the future and already has an office suite out there that you use in a web browser – Microsoft hasn’t.
Microsoft better get into the web apps market fast or they are gonna be dead in 10 years!
“In Government, we care about what works, is affordable, and can get the job done. “
to quote Ronald Regan:
The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
How many government agents does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Two. One to say, “I’m from the government and I’m here to help you.” Another to insert the lightbulb into the water faucet.
Okay. I don’t usually comment, but after looking at this BS, I will. I dislike mac users. I am okay with macs (they are like a cousin to bsd/linux), but really. In the powerpc days, you would claim hardware superiority. Then they switch to intel. Now you’re saying that’s better. Most of you bashing windows vista (not all) have never tried it and are spouting off random “key words” and stale comments such as “blue screen” “virus” and “bug”.
To tell you the truth, there has not been one valid point from either side of the argument, and still people keep arguing. There is no reasoning or evidence. A proper comment, instead of “mac sucks and nobody uses it” would be: While I don’t know about leopard’s other features, the current ones are quite outdated. Spaces has been in windows xp as a powertoy, and default in 99%+ of linux for quite some time. Time Machine is basically a backup tool with makeup on, which can be found anywhere. Besides, Time Machine and IChat are not “features” of an operating system but applications on it. Bundled software does not count as features.
As for operating system superiority, on WHAT are you basing it? Oh right, not much. For stability/security, BSD is better (Mac took some of that code), for features the king is linux. From a technical perspective, niether mac or windows win. Mac users should be arguing about usability, of which mac reigns king.
there’s my rant.
Ampar
Are you speaking of Stephen Hawking? LOL. Wouldn’t it be cool if Apple would add that voice to SPEECH?
As far as Sputnik, didn’t it just “bleep” and then burn up?
And speaking of Vista, I think when it is released, it will have huge sales, because all of the retailers will buy it to stock it, and that will make it appear to have huge sales, even if it just sets on the shelves.
And the “Ferrous Wheel”? That was elemental, my dear Watson.
Not everyone is as schooled in the world of computers as you, Attica. I know practically nothing about them, yet with my Mac, I look like an expert. You forget who the Mac is targeted at– regular folks. But, if you want to be advanced, you can. My brother the engineer has the same attitude– as if everyone should just obviously be as capable as he is with mechanics and mathematics. He forgets that he’s part of a small club. Same with linux users, even if their numbers are growing.
It is the Mac’s usability that I trumpet. I get your rant, but why take all the blustering so seriously? Half of the idiotic statements are intentionally inflammatory and the other half come from teenagers in between zit popping sessions. Forgettable.
“Where companies go, consumers do tend to follow, since many people find it useful to have the same type of system at home as they do at the office, making for easy file transfers and telecommuting.”
I’ve always been bothered by this statement’s like this one, are 90% of computer users so brain dead they want to use the same crusty OS essentially 24/7?!? UNBELIEVABLE.
easy file transfers? If microsoft would stop punishing its users with proprietary formats there would be no such need to worry about “difficult” file transfers.
Sputnik
In order to be a good troll of Mac users you have to say inflaming comments like “Vista will be your master!” and
“Bill Gates created the personal computer” and “Steve Jobs had to borrow 2 billion dollars from Microsoft to rescue Apple from bankruptcy”
You know things like that, of course don’t bring attention to the fact that nearly every Apple Store in the world seems to be packed to the gills with millions of customers who never come here to MDN to hear your tripe.
People who make comments like you and MacDude do are SCARED, scared of change and desperate for attention, need a good laugh at the expense of trying to piss people off. But the fact remains nobody buys it, but they are buying plenty of Mac’s.
Towertone: The OS X voice Victoria is actually Stephen Hawking in drag.
Really, Windows fanboys are utterly useless. Who could fail to be convinced by their erudite arguments? A good example is this one from “Mac Sucks” who says: “The main problem i see here is that apple logo. face it, apple sucks, windows rocks. done and done.”
It really makes me believe that the world deserves two OS’s: Mac for normal people and Windows for the sub-normal retards like “Mac Sucks” and his illiterate ilk…
What a stupid article. Steve jobs won’t “crow” about anything — it’s waaaay beneath his dignity. Besides, the target is Dell et al, not Microsoft per se.
MW: ill, as in “it makes me ill.”
This may seem a little off-topic from the general discussion here but actually I think it fits in quite nicely. If you get to the barebones of the topic, it’s basically the whole PC vs. Mac thing that has existed ever since there was a choice. If you dig even deeper, it comes down to who controls the majority – Windows or Mac OS, Microsoft or Apple and that’s where my two cents comes in. For well over a decade, Microsoft has been the major player but I believe that is about to change dramatically.
What you’re about to read is what I believe to be somewhat of a revelation and something I’ve been wanting to “get off my chest” for some time now. I hope this stirs up discussion in not only the Mac community but Windows as well but in the end it all comes down to people and not just which operating system you prefer.
To those who don’t believe in the Christian faith this will most likely sound like a bunch of nonsense and that’s fine because everyone’s entitled to believe what they want. Even if you don’t believe please continue to read you may, if nothing else, find it entertaining.
I believe that Apple’s continual rise to popularity and prosperity again is not just mere coincidence but just the way things should be in the whole scheme of things. If you look at the story of creation in the bible, the downfall of man was caused by the first disobedience to God – a single bite of an apple taken from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now look at the Apple logo – an apple with a single bite taken from it. I believe that as Apple introduces more wildly popular products like the iPod to control every aspect of our digital lives, they will become the dominant player while Microsoft fades into the background. The bible speaks of a time after the anitChrist comes to power in which there will be no money as we know it. Instead people will need the “mark of the beast” either in their wrist or their forehead to buy things. We’re already seeing a transition away from traditional paper money with the replacement of checkcards and credit cards and there is talk now of putting people’s medical history onto a chip and embedding it below the person’s skin. The next logical step would be to put everything else that identifies that person, including banking account information, onto the chip and now guess what, no more paper money. Who knows, if Apple is the major player at the time the antiChrist comes to power they may be involved in producing this technology, create a supercomputer to control it all (nicknamed “the beast” of course) and so if you have this chip implanted into your forehead or wrist you now have the mark of the beast. If you are one of the many left behind after the rapture takes place, whatever you do, do not allow this chip to be implanted. You would be better off to starve yourself because once you’ve taken the “mark of the beast” you have doomed yourself to an eternity in hell.
I know to a lot of you that don’t believe that all sounds pretty crazy but I had to get it out there if for no other reason but to get people talking about the possibilty. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to say that Apple is evil or that Steve Jobs is the anitChrist because I’m about as big of a Mac fan as they come. All I’m saying is that I believe they will be in the right place at the right time when all this comes about. Now that I’ve got that out in the open I feel much better now. Please talk among yourselves.
—> Haw Haw Haw
You really are a moron. Unless of course you are not from the United States and didn’t study U.S. Government.
In case you are not from the U.S. you can disregard this. But if you are another uneducated American moron spouting off Anti-Government rhetoric- STFU.
The United States has (had) the BEST government in the world. Until people like you and Ronald Reagan (and followers) began want to dismantle it and hand it to who? Corporations and churches.
You can take your Fascist anti-U.S. Gov. BS and shove it up your Ass.
Read the Constitution. The United States IS about the Government – By the People and For the people. Unless that’s to Socialist for you.
Well, Kev, your attempt to Christianize this forum is way off base and inappropriate. In fact, my main complaint about christians is that they try to twist and tie every facet of life to revolve around their religion. There is a place to rant on and on about your insane ideas of how technology is an instrument of the devil, and I suggest you try Fark.com.
But here at MDN, we like our kooks (e.g. Sputnik) to be bent out of shape defending Microsoft. It’s quite fun to laugh at them because they are so patently pathetic. You on the other hand, are patently tiresome. Please take your Doomsday Death-cult rantings someplace where they will be properly, and most impolitely, ridiculed.
Real IT World?
That would be the uncreative masses who wasted copius amounts of time and resources becoming MS certified.
To do What?
Install software, slap on patches, reinstall software, install drivers, run anti virus software and replace ethernet cables?
montex,
I am in no way trying to “Christianize” this forum as you say I am. I’m simply throwing some thoughts out there and to possibly push a few buttons which apparently has worked after reading your reply. Like I said before, if you choose not to believe that’s your decision.
Kev, where to start…?
First, a bit of advice: be careful who you listen to with regard to religion. Study it carefully for yourself, using a number of sources. Even the history channel is a good start.
Second, rev up your paranoia meter and read this from wikipedia:
Apple was founded on April 1, 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne[4] (and later incorporated January 3, 1977[5] without Wayne, who sold his share of the company back to Jobs and Wozniak) to sell the Apple I personal computer kit at US$666.66.
Uh oh! Maybe the mark of the beast is a floppy disk?
More seriously, though, you may want to challenge yourself about the notion of being whisked off to heaven or hell right after death (an Egyptian idea)– if this is a “Christian” idea, why then would there be a resurrection– are we supposed to be resurrected into a lesser paradise? Wasn’t the earth created for man to live on eternally in the first place– Eden? And why does the bible often refer to death as sleep, and that we know nothing while we sleep (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6,10 tells it very clearly: “the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything”)? Interesting how scripture and science actually match– not what most tell you, though, is it?
If you want to ponder anything, ponder why so many “Christians” have no idea what scripture says. Your homework assignment: study demagoguery.
I’ll quit now. But you should get started. Go read.
To the music of “War of the Worlds”:
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…”It’s a million to one they said but still they came… Hmmm”
…”there’s a Ford in you future…Hmmm”
…”what’s good for GM is good for the country…”Hmmm…
…”But still they came…”
Buh bye micro, you will have a place in the business school textbooks, a very prominent place. And, well deserved!
the kevinator…
you said… “If you want to ponder anything, ponder why so many “Christians” have no idea what scripture says. Your homework assignment: study demagoguery.”
“Demagogy (from Greek demos, “people”, and agogos, “leading”) refers to a political strategy for obtaining and gaining political power by appealing to the popular prejudices, fears, and expectations of the public — typically via impassioned rhetoric and propaganda, and often using nationalistic or populist themes.” – wikipedia
Were you actually meaning to be an example of demagoguery in rant against Kevin or have you unintentionally impaled yourself on your own petard?
Hm, Jim… now how could religion be demagoguery? Absorbing pagan traditions. Establishing a nation-state. Having a political platform. Gee, let me stretch my brain….
I meant what I said.
Drunk Cheney,
I find it amazing how people can mention the constitution in one breath, and attack people supporting ‘limited government’ in the next. If you knew anything about the original ‘americans’ you would know that they were seeking limited government. They were running from the oppressive government of Britain and every damn sentence of the constitution was written with this in mind.
Get your facts straight. Liberals are not seeking the same thing as the constitution authors. Liberals are searching for the expansion of government because they think that government is the ANSWER. More government is often times the cause of the problem… not the answer.
One thing that government in the U.S. has done right, is its positive outlook on capitalism and the free market. Our capitalist economy, in conjunction with a government that can protect our values is what has created this great country. Not socialism and the expanse of government into our personal lives.
Eat granola, you fucking Hippie.
Kev,
Every generation on Earth thinks that they are ‘special’ and living during the “2nd coming of Christ”, unfortunately this is simple human error. You have a story and are trying to find how your particular time and place in history fits this story.
During the 2nd world war, the NAZI symbol was thought to be the ‘mark of the devil’, after every major natural disaster, people think the end of the world is coming, people think that every new president of the united states is the ‘anti-christ’.
It is bullshit, and you need to just relax. Everybody thinks that their time on Earth is ‘special’, but it is FAR more likely that it will not happen in your lifetime. If it does, however, you will KNOW IT. Stop spending your time thinking about it, and concentrate on being a good Christian.
Why is everyone so negative? I would like to try Mac OS X but buying mac is too expensive compared to building my own PC (mac hardware isn’t that special). Even better though, I would like it if Apple let me install OS X on my PC. Apple knows it could… but it would mean battling robustness and choice. I’m not knocking OS X (I really like Unix machines) but Apple seems somewhat like my snobby cousin. You might have some merits but PLEASE stop galavanting around proclaming your prowes and shitting on everything else. No one has the right to do that.
BTW some of you are switchers and a lot of you complain of XP, but hating Vista before its release is childish. We all have a horrible image of MS because of past practices. Like the borg I guess. But by being so close minded makes you no better than Sputnik.
Have an open mind with MS (like you did with OS X). Look past the veal and at the tech! I really think the people working in MS are dedicated… it shows with Vista (news of latest releases are promising). And Apple: let me use your OS on my PC! I’m a poor CS student and like to build my own PCs! Not to mention, stop the smear propaganda!
For my money I am currrently going thru apple network certifications. The old skool IT is in fact crumbling away from the windoze world. Ask anyone who handles enterprise server stuff, they are either looking into Linux, or mac osx as a solutions for the woes they have. The ones who are not are all worried about job security, or are blinded by mafiasoft or worse muscled into using server 2003.
The big buzzwords at that level are virtualization, and security. Linux and OSX can provide both. Whoever can handle that will win. Windows is dying, and I have no sympathies for something that is so filled with holes and duct tape, it still amazes me that there are people who still think it is the only solution for enterprise level servers.
Yes I use winblows to play a few games, but my last winblows machine is NOT on the network, and never will be. My linux, Irix, and mac machines are, and have been for at least a few years and all humming along nicely.