“For the first time in Mac OS X’s history, Apple has presented journalists with a product briefing and prerelease copy of the operating system one week before making it available to developers,” Daniel Eran Dilger reports for AppleInsider. “The company has historically reserved access to its prerelease software exclusively for developers who have signed a Non Disclosure Agreement.”
“For years, Apple remained a minority alternative to Windows, forcing the company to operate under shrouds of secrecy in order to pull off dramatic product unveilings that its competitors couldn’t immediately copy,” Dilger reports. “However, with the five year head start in mobile devices afforded by iOS, as well as its commanding lead in PC sales growth, Apple is now in a clear leadership position for unveiling product strategies.”
“Apple’s NDA policies for Mac OS X Lion were largely just preventing journalists from commenting on the product while allowing the public (often led by Apple’s detractors) to critically examine it, without a full understanding of what the changes meant. Apple’s NDA also prevented developers from commenting on the new software until it was released,” Dilger reports. “For Mountain Lion, Apple has turned down its legendary secrecy a notch and has instead started promoting its software the same way it has promoted hardware since the iPhone, offering journalists an early and curated demonstration of its features.”
Much more in the full article – recommended – here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lava_Head_UK” for the heads up.]