“As Craig Federighi, Apple’s SVP of software engineering, said during Apple’s Tuesday media event, ‘What’s most important to us is seeing Mavericks in as many hands as possible,'” John Paczkowski reports for AllThingsD. “CEO Tim Cook echoed this remark later, and refined it: ‘We want everyone to have access to all our best features.'”
“So, Apple wants its Mac customers — all of them — to have its latest desktop operating system. And it wants this not so much because it’s good for consumers — though obviously it is — but because it’s good for Apple,” Paczkowski reports. “Ultimately what the company is doing here is using software as a means to sell premium hardware. ‘The era of charging separately for hardware and software and expecting the user to assemble and install them is coming to an end,’ said Yankee Group VP Carl Howe. ‘As of today, Microsoft now remains the last and only company that explicitly sells its operating system separately from a hardware product. I believe that users will increasingly see buying hardware and software from different vendors making as much sense as buying your car engine and transmission from different companies.””
Much more in the full article here.
Related articles:
PC Magazine reviews Apple’s OS X 10.9 Mavericks: ‘Apple got it right’ – Editors’ Choice – October 23, 2013
Been awful knowin’ ya, Microsoft: Revolutionary Apple ends the era of paid operating systems, office suites – October 23, 2013
Apple makes the world’s most advanced operating system freeware – October 23, 2013
Apple’s new free OS X for Mac hurts Microsoft and the Windows PC industry in myriad ways – October 22, 2013
Apple exploits Microsoft’s confused hesitation on Office for iPad – October 22, 2013
Apple’s OS X Mavericks available today free from the Mac App Store – October 22, 2013
Apple releases next-gen 64-bit iWork and iLife apps for OS X and iOS; free with new Macs and iOS devices – October 22, 2013
“Have a beer – don’t cost nothin'”
– Bluto Blutarsky
With Apple you are buying a complete solution, not components.
The AllThingsD story is technically misleading. For the typical home user buying a PC desktop or laptop, the unit already comes with Windows pre-loaded. They don’t have to assemble the pieces. That’s already been done by the seller. What he likely meant is that the perception exists for PC users that the software and the hardware come from two different sources; And of course, most PC sufferers know that the two don’t always play nicely together. What Apple has done is re-emphasized that both hardware and software comes from the same place, and that they work seamlessly. This is a great marketing strategy. The additional bonus of free OS upgrades (down from $69, then $29, then $19), may very well be a major catalyst.
@Abrey,
purportedly a WinTel box comes ready to wear at purchase. The troubles begin with upgrades to system software, and the long time horizon when it comes to maintenance of system software / hardware integration. If you have ever called tech support for a wonky behavior of WinTel software, they are quick to blame Windows or hardware and disavow any responsiblity after preliminary entry level trouble shooting. Likewise calling Dell or HP is pointless, and Windows tech support is useless.
In contrast, the tight hardware / system software of Apple products limits variability, and increases the unified database of troubleshooting for Geniuses. So far, my parents, kids, or my own machines have never had an insolvable software / hardware problem with Apple products. I am not a rabid fanboy! I just get exasperated when WinTel products fail to get out of the way and allow me to just use them productively.
Just called Apple support with a question about my 5S. Took about three minutes to get to someone. Very helpful. Very professional. Very knowledgeable. And that was just the first line. When you need help that they can’t answer there’s generally someone at higher levels who can help you. And if they can’t get to you immediately they will call you back. I know because I have experienced that. AppleCare plus is expensive but you get what you pay for. Can’t say that about most things in life.
Must admit my first experience Apple help line after 20 years actually wasn’t good. I couldn’t update Pages that came pre loaded right from the start back in April They showed willing was passed from pillar to post and got a ring back but nothing worked so I gave up and prepared to use Word if I had to sadly. Funny thing is a month or so ago when it as usual reminded me there was an upgrade available it actually went on to do so. I’m guessing it was a problem at Apples end that knowingly or unknowingly was sorted through an update there. But certainly made me realise the regular grind of the PC world.
Just saw John Scully on CNBC. Had some very positive things to say about Apple. As he always does. He might not have been the right man to have run Apple, and he has said as much, but he sure supports Apple every chance he gets. He made the point just now that Apple will be able to monetize all those credit card accounts in the future. Hopefully. I’ve said for a long time that that’s where Apple’s future is, not in hardware alone. I’m waiting for the next big thing to be a hire of someone who can put all those pieces together. That will be the next big thing. That will be innovation.
Monetize: Apple is so HUGE, it ought to become like GE and establish its own credit arm and credit cards as the Apple Bank.
What makes you think Apple is not up to this task without hire?
What makes you think that they are? Is there proof that they have done anything yet? Is that a question or a rabid fanboy attack?
GM
You sure like to call people “fanboys”.
Dick
Sculley has been demonized in a very unfair way. Let’s state some facts.
He really admired Steve Jobs. He did not hold any grudges agains him, despite of the fact that Steve really ended up disliking him. He acknowledges he made big mistakes.
But, on the other hand, the hard fact is, back then, Steve’s strategy was poised to failure.
The Mac was overpriced, sure, but other than that, it was a radical departure from typical computing. That was great for the new users, not too great for the owners, which back then, were the ones buying computers. It took the Mac 3 years to get to the sales levels of the Apple II.
Steve wanted to kill the Apple II and push only the Mac. He was right on the objective. he was wrong on the timing. He wanted to do it right away. Sculley wanted to do it step by step. Because, killing the Apple II was suicidal and Apple did not have the backing to sustain the loss.
I’m not saying the Mac was not great. it was awesome. The team was awesome. The technology was awesome. But once again, Steve Jobs could have been wrong about the way to market it.
I know all this from someone inside Apple, who was present during all those events. I learned about this just last week. It gave a new perspective on what happened back then, and even so, every bit of respect and admiration for Steve Jobs remains on me.
This is an area where Apple dropped the ball: even after Lion and Mountain Lion where released, there’s still a large percentage of users on Snow Leopard.
I attribute this mostly to how outstanding Leopard and Snow Leopard were. While the Lions were very good updates, they were not outstanding enough to compel Snow Leopard users with an “if it ain’t broke” attitude to update. This is especially true for businesses running Macs.
I think Mavericks is the outstanding enough to fix this, and the $0 price tag virtually guarantees it.
How about attributing the continued usage of Snow Leopard it to the lack of old software compatibility with the newer systems?
Definitely true. I stayed with Snow Leopard in part because Mountain Lion broke many of the applications (Little Snitch) and startup items I was used to using. In many cases, I don’t need the latest and greatest if I’m totally comfortable with what I currently have. It’s not that the older apps were irreplaceable, it was also a matter of laziness. If there was a reason great enough for me to upgrade I’d do it in an instant.
Yeah, if it ain’t broke… that’s my attitude completely. However, I really like how Mavericks runs on my 2012 i7 Mac Mini, so I’m looking forward to getting a new iMac with Mavericks already installed and I’ll just start from scratch. I won’t be happy having to rebuild my 1400+ movie PLEX database. There’s no migration tool for that database that I know of.
I’d argue old software compatibility is not a very large factor. Sure, there’s some people who really need old software that has no update or better alternative, but I think that’s the exception and not the rule.
Good software tends to be updated periodically, and apps that no longer get updated tend to die by the wayside as new software gets released. If you are using software so old that it depends on Carbon or other outdated Mac technology, there’s probably newer software you could use instead that works better. An OS update is just the kick some people need to reevaluate the oldest software they use and find updated or alternative software that ends up working better for them.
From an IT perspective, it is the sheer convenience that is mind boggling. No going to the client or the boss and saying I need $199 per machine to upgrade to the newest version of the OS. No trying to figure out arcane licensing issues like what is a seat vs. a user on the server. I can just install OS X, bump it up to server for a mere $20 and have unlimited seats! Or is that users? Or accounts? They’re all different with Microsoft.
I’ve been having the devil’s problems with OS X Calendar server and OS X Calendar for the past few months and they seem to have magically gone away with Mavericks Server and client!
They are refining the server side of things as well it seems, which means I have much crow to eat in the Apple forums. Works for me! I got plenty of tobacco on hand and will happily swallow crows whole when things get better!
For one client I’d been testing a strategy of having them move to Google calendar, but so far Mavericks server is working so well, I’m going to have to rethink.
Consider the price of an Exchange server for a small business then look at the much more elegant OS X server suite, File Sharing, Email, Calendaring, Contacts, Web Services, Profile Management, Wiki Server, FTP even all for $20. AH HA HA HA HA HA! Everyone should have a server!
I feel as though people were looking at IT issues as well as shiny new iThings for a change!
Dear Thelonius:
What machine are you using for your OS X Server? Can you convince Management to buy the new Cray-shaped Mac Pro as a Server upgrade?
For small business it might work like that but at my work we don’t need to ask anyone for the upgrade money – whatever version of windows we need is included in our enterprise license, along with office, exchange, SharePoint, SQL etc etc.
The real costs come in the testing phase and actual deployment. Some people experience a world collapse when a button is moved on a UI and there are real costs incurred when things change but the licensing side is the easiest part for us since it is a known variable.
Have to laugh but I for many years used the car industry analogy similar to the one used in this article yet could not seem to get anyone to comprehend it. All we got was that the Microsoft way was the future when in all reality it was purely an exception to the rule that people believed because hey Microsoft could do no wrong could it. Now the blinkers are off the fallacy is clear to all even analysts.