“Microsoft’s Windows Vista may be getting all the buzz, but it’s not the only operating system update that will hit store shelves this year,” Troy Wolverton reports for The San Jose Mercury News. “This spring, Apple plans to release Leopard, the fifth revision of its rival Mac OS X software. As with previous updates, Leopard will add a number of new features to the operating system… could prove important for Apple. In recent years, the company has made much of the differences between the Mac OS and Windows. Macs are more stable, more secure and easier to use, the company has repeatedly told potential customers.”
Wolverton reports, “Consumers appear to be listening. In recent quarters, Apple has repeatedly gained share in the PC market with its growth rates outpacing that of the broader industry. Meanwhile, more than half of all Macintosh computers sold in the United States are being bought by consumers who are new to the platform, either because they’ve switched from Windows or have never owned a computer before, CEO Steve Jobs said at Macworld.”
“‘Some people may say Vista is close enough (to the Mac OS), and that’ll be good enough for me,’ said Bob O’Donnell, an analyst who covers the PC industry for research firm IDC,” Wolverton reports.
“Apple has said little about Leopard since Jobs previewed the operating system update at the company’s developer conference in San Francisco last August. And even then, Apple gave little away about the new software. In fact, Jobs at the time said he was withholding some key new features of the operating system for fear Microsoft might try to put them into Vista before it launched,” Wolverton reports. “Still, some of the features he did show could help set it apart from Vista.”
Wolverton reports, “The analysts and developers who have played around with Leopard have been impressed by its new features, many of which represent a significant advance over what’s in Vista, said Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, a Campbell-based high-tech consulting firm. The problem right now is that consumers don’t know about Leopard or what it will offer, he said. ‘The marketing burden is on Apple’s shoulders,’ Bajarin said. ‘Apple needs to seize the moment and start drawing attention to OS X Leopard.'”
Wolverton reports, “Some analysts even think Vista’s launch could even be an opportunity for Apple. To run the full version of Vista, many consumers will need to buy new, more powerful computers. Since they’re already in the market for a computer, such consumers may be easier to convince to look at what Apple has to offer, said Bajarin.”
More in the full article here.
Mac OS X Leopard Sneak Peek: http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/index.html
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“In fact, Jobs at the time said he was withholding some key new features of the operating system for fear Microsoft might try to put them into Vista before it launched,” Wolverton reports.
Steve didn’t mention new features because he was afraid Micro$teal would take advantage of them… that would be impossible. There is something more to it than that lame excuse… Steve was either being nice to Gates and MonkeyBoy or condescending… He knew that M$ had been dropping so-called features in Vista like scabbed over polyps and there is no way they could’ve added stolen features in 4-5 months.
There is something in Leopard that’s probably bigger than we all realize… It bugs me that I can’t figure it out.
The main plus for Apple is that XP users will have to learn something new whether they go OS X or Vista. Users tend to stick with what they know even if it is much worse than the alternative they are used to. Now the playing field is more level and the advantages of OS X will convince many to switch from XP to Mac.
To The MacDaddy-Oh! — I agree. MS can’t even add features they’ve been working on for years, so how could they possibly add features on just a few months notice?!
It may be something huge that Steve didn’t want to mention — or it may be that certain features/functionality of Leopard just weren’t finalized at the time of the announcement. Either way — it’s going to be a GREAT version of the OS!
I vote for a new input method, SUI, Spoken User Interface.
It’s the only interface that works for true versatility on very small devices which are too small for fingers, enabling a wide variety of applications to be run. I’m surprised that it’s taken so long. Processing power on small devices is somewhat limited at the moment so the desktop is where to introduce it, but iPhone runs Mac OS X too.
I just envisioned a new Get a Mac commercial after Vista’s release. Mac guy introduces himself, with Hodgman walking on stage in a tight, shiny vinyl body suit. And I’m a PC. Then hi-jinx ensue. Oh, that shiny, shiny PC.
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I think Leopard is going to include a multi-touch interface. I wonder if that’s why it’s taking Adobe so long to recode for Intel. Is it that, or is there going to be a multi-touch version of photoshop? And iLife? and iWork?
“R. I just envisioned a new Get a Mac commercial after Vista’s release. Mac guy introduces himself, with Hodgman walking on stage in a tight, shiny vinyl body suit. And I’m a PC. Then hi-jinx ensue. Oh, that shiny, shiny PC. “
Hodgman should be dragging a large checkbook behind him. To pay for all the upgrading to himself.
Why do I want Vista?
“Apple has said little about Leopard since Jobs previewed the operating system update at the company’s developer conference…last August”
Better to say little, than to overpromise then underdeliver (as in the case of Vista).
Super Bowl Ad:
Mac guy will point out why Leopard is light years ahead of XP and Vista.
PC guy will collapse to the floor, curl into a fetal ball and start sobbing uncontrollably until his face turns blue.
The biggest surprise with Leopard… will be that it can be installed on a non-Apple standard PC.
Apple have to capitulate on this one.
No surprise here that Leopard was going to be significantly better than Vista. Especially when Vista is 5 years old!
Why, the world knows that anonymous posters on MDN who talk of what Apple “must” do are always right! Surely they know more than the folks running Apple! To be profitable and save itself from the annual predictions of Appledoom (TM), Apple “must” cater to the whimsical posters here, who want a virtual armada of conflicting desires and make a thorned tangle of conflicting demands!
Poppycock. Apple “must” do no such thing as make Leopard installable on a Windrools box. You good sir, however, “must” get a life.
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Gandalf,
I suppose you’re talking about something besides the spoken interface Macs already have…
For years I’ve been able to tell my computer to Open Safari, Open Mail, Select Text, Read Text, even Tell Me A Joke.
It freaked my wife out the first time she heard me talking to the Mac and it did what I wanted and talked back.
I was even able to fix voice commands for Exposé, eg. Tile My Windows, Clear My Desktop, when it first came out (and Dash Board, too).
I know it’s not a complete Spoken Interface, but the Mac has been close to this for a very long time. Maybe Steve will finally update it for wide use.
~M
“There is something in Leopard that’s probably bigger than we all realize… It bugs me that I can’t figure it out.”
I really think we’ve already seen it, on the iPhone. That, and the sneak peek of Core Animation.
Leopard with touch screen monitors available. The possibilities boggle. Maybe the delay on CS3 is to take advantage of these features?
BustingTheSkullsOfIdiots
Assuming that you were responding to me
That would have been a nice enough rhetort, my fellow, had I used the word “must” in my previous comment.
No, I used the words “have to”
It is my belief that they have to capitulate on allowing OSX to be installed on dull-beige-boxes.
In the same way they had to capitulate on Windows-on-Mac.
Once the masses can do it with a level of ease, it will become inevitable.
With virtualisation as it is.. it’s only a matter of time….
@Mozfan
Yeah, since OS 9 days but (for example) controlling the cursor by speech, left, right, scroll, sort (alphabetically, date etc) and many other things we do aren’t possible and obviously are much more difficult.
Leopard will be awesome, but come on, Steve didn’t mention other “secret” features because that’s not what Apple does. They make us wait until it comes out. We’re lucky we even got a top ten.
there’s not much of a difference between “must” and “have to”, in fact, the past tense for “must” is “had to”
Mr. Ash, if the OS and Leopard was all Apple was about, then you would be correct. Let’s not forget that Apple barely breaks even on their software, if you consider the time and manpower, and support involved. They make a little on their pro apps.
Apple makes money on Mac sales, iPod sales, and soon to be iPhone sales. Their hardware. They don’t really make alot on anything else. iTunes should see some good profits in the future, but not yet.
I dislike M$ as much as anyone because they have leverage with inferior products and inferior thought process. But M$ is an orange and Apple is an apple. They make their money different ways, and one is an inventor and the other is a businessman. OSX on Dell and HP is ridiculous and stupid longterm, regardless of the sales.
Mozfan
Do you have a link for some instructions. I didn’t realize you could do that.
Thanks
“The problem right now is that consumers don’t know about Leopard or what it will offer, he said. ‘The marketing burden is on Apple’s shoulders,’ Bajarin said. ‘Apple needs to seize the moment and start drawing attention to OS X Leopard.'”
Uncle Steve, are you reading this?!
Mozfan is right. Go into System Preferences > Speech. But I think you may need to turn on Assistive Devices under the Universal Access pane.
The most ridiculous notion is that Apple has “capitulated”. When they announced BootCamp what I saw was a paradigm shift, M$ software became a subset of what is offered on the Mac platform. The Mac can run it all, PCs cannot. And that is why Apple will not “capitulate” and allow OS X on PCs.
A lot more people would consider switching if they could run OSX on a PC. Think about it….$129 for OSX on my reasonably fast PC or $1,000 for a new Vista ready computer or the low end iMac and for those who want a real case, $2,000 plus.
The math is simple and all the arguments about TCO won’t even be noticed.
I’d consider switching tomorrow if all I had to do was fork out $129. I also like to build my own computers so Apple’s need to control everything stands as the real barrier to widespread acceptance of OSX.
Get over it and open up or simply accept that Apple will never probably grow beyond 10% of the market. Maybe it’s better that way.
As it stands, VMware looks like a viable option for running OSX on a PC so it may not be long before Apple loses its ability to control where OSX resides.