“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
Related MacDailyNews articles:
CNET Reviews Windows Vista: Is that all? Clunky and not very intuitive vs. Mac OS X; warmed-over XP – January 24, 2007
Security firm: 38-percent of malware already Windows Vista-compatible – January 22, 2007
Mossberg: Microsoft’s Windows Vista offers lesser imitations of Apple’s Mac OS X features – January 18, 2007
Windows Vista disappointment drives longtime ‘Microsoft apologist’ to Apple’s Mac OS X – January 17, 2007
InformationWeek Review: Apple’s Mac OS X shines in comparison with Microsoft’s Windows Vista – January 06, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue reviews Microsoft’s Windows Vista: ‘Looks, Locks, Lacks’ – December 14, 2006
Forbes: Microsoft Windows Vista boss suffers from Mac envy – December 12, 2006
Windows chief Allchin 2004 email: I’d buy a Mac if I didn’t work for Microsoft – December 11, 2006
Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard will create no new jobs – December 12, 2006
15-year Windows vet tries Apple Mac: ‘My God! This is amazing!’ – December 04, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: obsolete on arrival? – December 04, 2006
InformationWeek: Now that Vista is the past, let’s look at the future: Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard – December 02, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Office 2007 releases generate yawns – December 02, 2006
Dave Winer: ‘Microsoft isn’t an innovator, and never was – they are always playing catch-up’ – December 01, 2006
Harvard Medical School CIO picks Mac OS X over Linux and Windows – November 30, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista vulnerable to malware from 2004 – November 30, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista developers used Apple Macs for inspiration – November 27, 2006
A Windows expert opts for a Mac life – November 06, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista is basically Microsoft’s version of Mac OS 9.3 – October 11, 2006
Embrace and Extinguish in action: TechIQ’s ‘The VAR Guy’ dumps Windows, switches to Mac OS X – September 25, 2006
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 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
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Thurrott: Microsoft going to get eaten alive over Windows Vista’s resemblance to Apple’s Mac OS X – March 09, 2006
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I think things will get worse for Microsoft if news comes out that Vista is still suspectible to malware. Which, BTW, I heard is true.
Get a Mac Ad: PC walks in wearing a suit of armor, and extols the virtues of eVistas new security. Mac says that’s great, and then tickles him through one of the gaps in his armor and says “sorry, I couldn’t resist”.
My other Get A Mac Ad: PC walks in wearing clothes similar to Mac. Mac says “Why the new look”. PC says “Well, you know, I can look cool too”. Mac says “Nice, but PC, it’s still the same you on the inside, isn’t it?” PC puts his head down and says “Yeah, I know”.
My third Get A Mac Ad: PC walks in wearing a suit of armor with clothes like Mac OVER his armor, and says “See? Now I’m as secure and cool as you.” Mac tries not to laugh.
The hidden factor is the Zune. The Zune is drawing people to Vista and away from OS X.
Welcome to my social.
Tell all your friends. I’ll be here all week.
Zune Tang: Must be lonely under that bridge.
Once Leopard is released into the wild, it’s time to start showing Leopard in action in a new series of television commercials. The Mac guy/PC guy commercials have run their course and people are going to start becoming annoyed at them rather than amused. Show the OS and what it can do. Real world sutff. Please! Impress them. Give them something concrete, rather than just the Mac guy making sport of the PC guy. It’s one thing to say, “Macs are better”. It’s an entirely different thing to show *why* they are better.
All the features in the iPhone will make their way into Leopard, that’s my prediction, I’m sticking wth it.
Oops: We’ve been over this one a bzillion times. There’s no way to showcase OS funcionality in a 15 or 30-second add. There’s nothing that you can show that they’ll think they can’t already do (or don’t need) on Windows. They have to go to an Apple store (or a friend) and get ‘hands-on’ if they are ever to be impressed.
Billy Ash, toonie, let’s review:
Jobs at NeXT: Innovative software and hardware solution, couldn’t break through to mainstream users. Offered NeXT advanced software solutions to other hardware companies, little traction. Went into hibernation until Apple buys it up/NeXT buys Apple.
Apple Clones: Cannibalized Apple hardware sales with cheaper boxes, Apple heading towards bankruptcy. Jobs cancels the bloodletting.
What makes you think Jobs would want to repeat all this by releasing OS X to the masses? Particularly while Mac sales are increasing and Apple sales are setting records.
You’re advocating Apple adopt MS’s business plan by becoming a software company (necessitating 6 versions of OS X with MS scale price gauging). Not likely at all.
Superbowl is CORRECT: A perfect time to unleash the reality of Leopard to the masses. Of course it’s a great venue to promote iPhone as well.
Get a Mac ad:
PC comes in dripping with sweat and pointing a fan at himself.
PC: Hoo-boy is it hot in here!
Mac: What’s wrong? I feel quite comfortable.
PC: It must be me. I had to increase my clock speed and add all kinds of RAM and a hot new video card so I can run Vista. Gotta stay with the latest and greatest operating system, y’know!
Mac: Really? Gee, I just upgraded to Leopard and I didn’t have to change anything. I got everything – Time Machine, (lists other features…)
PC: (scoffing) Yeah, right. I bet you just popped a CD in and it worked.
Mac: (smiling) Yeah, that was about it.
PC turns and wanders off stage, mumbling something about finding a shady iceberg to lie down on.
Hey Apple, here’s a lure to grab some of those looking for new computers:
Get $100 off the purchase of any new Mac if you bring in an original Windows XP disk (OEM or consumer).
He lost me at “”Microsoft’s Windows Vista may be getting all the buzz”
WTF?
There is ZERO buzz for Vista- outside of Redmond anyway. Those who’ve reviewed it are engulfed in a wave of underwhelmitude.
Except from those M$ buttmonkeys Thurrott, Enderle, et al.- of course.
Huge campaign for Leopard is in order. Just quickly show eye candy stuff. simple as that
Hehe, others have begun thinking along my multi-touch train of thinking. But to those who think Apple will release Mac OS X for any old PC, you’re nuts. Because unfortunately, the whole world will have to inevitably upgrade to Vista, so saying $129 vs. $1000 doesn’t work, because you’re still running the same old box that can’t run Vista. Finally, where he said that Apple needed to start drawing attention to Leopard, that’s just like when I said that the SuperBowl announcement would be for Leopard, not iPod, because iPod gets automatic exposure, while OS X does not. (If you wanna read my original comment, it was on the story about the SuperBowl add.) I’m not saying that I will be right in all of these things, or any of these things (multi-touch, no to OS X on any PC, SuperBowl commercial for Leopard) but it just feels right…
Apple needs to work out the lawsuit with Cisco first, the iPhone cannot be branded by Apple unless they have the license, they may re-name it, but my personal opinion is that they may just re-name the phone.