“This is probably the worst time in the history of desktop computing for Microsoft to deliver too little, too late,” Andy Ihnatko writes for The Chicago Sun-Times. “Just look at what Vista will be competing against: If Windows Vista is as advanced, as cool and as profoundly satisfying in the fall of 2006 as Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) was in the spring of 2005, then Microsoft will have plenty of cause for celebration. But that’s not what the new Windows will be competing against: Apple will almost certainly ship 10.5 slightly before Vista, and Microsoft will be in the position of hopefully trying to regain a little bit of the technological ground it has lost amid all of the project’s many delays and restarts.”
MacDailyNews Note: See Apple to unleash Leopard on Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn; Mac OS X 10.5 due late 2006 – early 2007.
Ihnatko writes, “At this point, catching up seems impossible … and by winter, Apple will also have begun selling faster, cheaper Macs based on Intel processors. It’s a dead-cert that just as with Linux, a Windows emulator will allow Macs to run XP and Vista apps as well as a PC can.”
“Windows XP (a terrific upgrade) has been out for years, and yet Microsoft is having so much trouble getting users to upgrade from Windows 2000 that recently, Microsoft had to publicly and ominously end all official support for it,” Ihnatko writes. “How hard is it going to be for Microsoft to convince users and administrators to move up from XP? Particularly in light of the fact that in order to convince software developers to support Vista’s new technologies, Microsoft had to promise to update XP with many of Vista’s coolest features sometime in the future? If Windows has only a third of U.S. desktops 10 years from now, historians will point to 2005-2006 as the period when Microsoft fumbled the ball for good.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “If Windows has only a third of U.S. desktops 10 years from now, historians will point to 2005-2006 as the period when Microsoft fumbled the ball for good.” One can dream. Do you think the world is finally ready for a personal computer that tries to be the best it can be instead of just trying to be good enough?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Dvorak: Mac OS X is already better than Windows, Vista may be end of line for Microsoft’s dominance – July 26, 2005
Microsoft’s Windows ‘Vista’ promises similar features to Apple’s already-shipping Mac OS X – July 23, 2005
Michael Dell say’s he’d be happy to sell Apple’s Mac OS X if Steve Jobs decides to license – June 16, 2005
If Intel-based Macs can run Mac OS X and Windows, buying a Mac will be a no-brainer – June 15, 2005
Dvorak predicts Mac OS X for generic x86, Apple ‘Office’ suite, dawn of Mac viruses and spyware – June 13, 2005
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
Why buy a Dell when Apple ‘Macintel’ computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows? – June 08, 2005
Apple to unleash Leopard on Microsoft’s Windows Longhorn; Mac OS X 10.5 due late 2006 – early 2007 – June 07, 2005
Apple to use Intel microprocessors beginning in 2006, all Macs to be Intel-based by end of 2007 – June 06, 2005
PC World names Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘Best Operating System’ – June 01, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘is the most advanced operating system on the planet’ – May 31, 2005
TrustedReviews: After using Mac OS X Tiger ‘going back to Windows XP is something of a joke at best’ – May 18, 2005
The Butler Group: ‘Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger the best desktop operating system in the world to date’ – May 13, 2005
BBC News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘the most stable and reliable OS, well ahead of Windows XP’ – May 10, 2005
Apple about to resurrect its Switch campaign? Are the ‘OS wars’ really over? – May 09, 2005
Windows users show strong curiosity about Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger – May 09, 2005
Windows tech writer Thurrott: ‘In many ways, Mac OS X Tiger is simply better than Windows’ – May 07, 2005
EarthWeb: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is a ‘serious enterprise operating system, a pivotal release’ – May 06, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system’ – May 06, 2005
The Guardian: Mac OS X Tiger a powerful solution while Microsoft’s Longhorn remains on drawing board – May 06, 2005
Chicago Sun-Times: Mac OS X Tiger shows ‘there’s never been a more compelling time to switch to Mac’ – May 05, 2005
Dan Gillmor: ‘With Mac OS X Tiger, Apple is plainly in the lead today’ – May 05, 2005
Jupiter Research VP: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘runs rings around Microsoft Windows’ – May 04, 2005
The Independent: Apple’s ‘faster, smarter, simpler’ Mac OS X Tiger ‘a must-have’ – May 04, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger review for a Windows PC audience finds Tiger’s ‘far, far better than Windows XP’ – May 03, 2005
Longhorn mentioned in nearly every Apple Mac OS X Tiger review to assuage Windows masses – May 02, 2005
Boston Herald: Mac OS X Tiger should compel Windows PC users to think about switching to Apple Mac – May 02, 2005
Mac OS X Tiger will likely improve performance of your Macintosh – April 30, 2005
PC World review gives Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger 4.5 stars out of 5 – April 30, 2005
Ars Technica: Mac OS X Tiger ‘at least twice as significant as any single past update’ – April 28, 2005
BusinessWeek: ‘Tiger bolsters Mac OS X’s edge as the best personal-computer operating system around’ – April 28, 2005
Associated Press: Mac OS X Tiger ‘provides another excellent incentive to switch from Windows’ – April 28, 2005
Mossberg: Apple’s Tiger ‘the best, most advanced personal computer operating system on the market’ – April 28, 2005
InformationWeek columnist: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘a compelling upgrade’ – April 28, 2005
NY Times: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger is the most secure, stable and satisfying OS on earth – April 28, 2005
Windows is weak, Longhorn will be cosmetic upgrade; Apple can deliver killer blow to Microsoft – April 27, 2005
Thurrott: ‘Longhorn is in complete disarray and in danger of collapsing under its own weight’ – April 27, 2005
Wired News: Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger ‘full of welcome surprises’ – April 27, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn ‘has the makings of a train wreck’ – April 26, 2005
Thurrott: Longhorn demos ‘unimpressive, fall short of graphical excellence found today in Mac OS X’ – April 26, 2005
Apple posts QuickTime movies of Mac OS X Tiger features in action – April 13, 2005
Bloor Research: Apple may be about to become ‘industry giant’ – March 07, 2005
Bloor Research on Microsoft: ‘There are definitely some dents in the Death Star’ – October 20, 2004
Bloor Research: ‘Apple is out-innovating the competition in a remorseless way’ – September 10, 2004
To answer MDN’s question at the end of this story:
YES!
The only problem is that Apple seems to want to keep Tiger, and probably Leopard, hidden away from the masses. Just ask the next ten people you meet about OSX, and see if they’ve even heard of it.
It’s a well kept Apple secret, except in these Mac sites.
Hidden Tiger, crouching Leopard.
The world is waking up and finally realizing that Windows isn’t as great as they thought it was. It takes time, and pain to realize this sometimes, and that sometime is now.
Andy is one of the most prolific Mac journalists out there.. Been reading him for years…
He’s also got one helluva wit …
I have to agree with him here… Even when the day when Short- uhhh Vista… (or whatever they are gonna end up calling it) rolls out … I think the world wid impact will be akin to a phart in a space-suit !
Rock on, Andy !
I would be shocked if Apple doesn’t have a massive advertising campaign for OS X, but at this point they are going to wait for the new Intel machines before they launch it. It would be foolish to do otherwise really. But it’ll definitely happen before Vista ever sees the light of day.
Right now they’ll just continue to let the iPod do the talking for them. And quite honestly, that strategy hasn’t hurt them too much seeing as how the Mac’s market share has doubled now in the past year.
Shouldn’t Vista be actually called Shortsight?
Isn’t it time then that software vendors start releasing their software for the Mac FIRST and get out of the stupid habit of releasing it for Windows, letting the Mac folks to wait, e.g., like Google’s new Earth Search. Mac version coming soon. “We’re working on it, honest.” Puhleeeeeeeeease. Go screw yourself instead, I say to them. I just bought a Samsung 21 inch flat panel display for one of our graphic designers. I plugged it into her G4 and, gee, “it just worked”. Of course, none of the freakin’ software that came with it (allowing it to pivot) was written for a Mac. At this point, I feel that kind of treatment is crap and should change. I think the Mac community may have the clout to demand that it change.
Yet even if people buy Mactels in record number Microsoft will sell huge volumes of Vista. To whom you may ask. To Mac users of course. Microsofts market penetration may actually go up with the next round. Since they’ll sell to all their customers plus a new installed base mac users who are using Vista to play games and run other Vista apps. And dollars to donuts Microsoft puts in some copy protection scheme that verifies that Vista is legal. Hell thy’ll probably make money on mac guys that have to buy a seperate version of Office for OSX and Vista that will run on the same machine.
Never underestimate Microsoft. They are not dumb. Ever.
bamboozled:
you know that Tiger has built in support, for pivot monitors? You knew that, right?
I have a Samsung 19″ monitor with pivot action, and it works without problems in Tiger.
I can’t tell you how excited I am at the thought of being able to run Windows like you can in Linux– not because I actually care to use Windows, but because it just seems to me that instead of directly competing with Windows, OS X is swallowing it.
I love that image.
Vista. Please. Isn’t Washington State largely known for its almost constant cloud cover and annoying drizzle?
Hey ron, watch who’s name you’re taking in vain!!!
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gzero:
thanks. no, i didn’t know that about Tiger. but i’m not surprised. this designer is still using Panther on her G4 but will soon be using Tiger when her new G5 arrives. I’ll keep the monitor issue in mind when we switch her over.
now, do you think Samsung new that about Tiger’s support for pivot monitors when they shipped this monitor – with Windows software only?
On a slightly related note, it seems to me that Apple is quite happy with its niche status – I don’t think they’ll market OS X any more in the future than they do now (which is basically not at all). They are profitable, and comfortable, in the number 2 spot, and it saves them from all the negative attention that Microsoft gets. They can innovate, cater to their loyal following, and feel superior without having to support the kind of infrastructures, inefficiencies, and hassles that Microsoft has had to deal with. If I were them, I’d avoid that kind of success like it was the plague (which it pretty much would be, as it has been for Microsoft).
MDN MW “after” – How well will you all like Apple AFTER it becomes the new Microsoft?
I don’t think Hasta la Vista Windows is too little too late. When it comes out, when ever, million of Windows Zombies will still adopt to Hasta la Vista because those people STILL have the same mind-set. They don’t think and they are too lazy,too cheap and too afraid to change. What ever every body else uses, they use, that’s it!!! It is sad but true!
Andy Ihnatko writes “How hard is it going to be for Microsoft to convince users and administrators to move up from XP?”
This is the pivotal sentence in the article.
The corollary is “How hard is it going to be for Apple to convince users and administrators to move up from XP?”
The evidence since 1981, when the IBM PC was introduced, is that the answer is “Damn Hard”. In the face of a consistently superior operating system, users have stayed away from Apple in droves.
I hope Steve is pondering this.
well, I for one think the new Vista interface looks pretty nice. Certianly a HUGE improvement over XP. If they can make the whole thing A LOT more secure then Apple will have a much harder time gaining switchers. MS could in fact hit a home run in the bottom of the ninth here. Apples OS may still be the winner, but the margin may be small enough that it doesn’t matter. I think Apples marketshare will gain some people who will switch rather than upgrade, but shortly after could flatten out if Vista is solid.
To have VISTA more secure than XP with SP3, and I mean MORE secure, VISTA would need to cut loose ties with Windows previous flavors. Totally rewritten, not backward compatible.
How free do you think MS is to make VISTA truly a new OS with no relation to previous history?
Viruses hit hard MS Windows all flavors because all flavors do share the very same design flaws and code statements. The VERY SAME.
What makes you think it will be different with VISTA? How MS will ever be able to convince its customers that to move to VISTA they would have to go to the same porting effort of everything as if they were moving their business over to Linux or OS X?
Microsoft has very little to do with whether people will switch to the Mac or not. What’s stopping people from buying Macs is the same old misinfo that’s been plaguing Apple for years, combined with the fact that most users simply don’t understand their computers and are scared to learn something new.
We had a big birthday party for my dad last night and two aunts and an uncle all complained bitterly about their computer problems but when told that these problems could be eliminated by getting a Mac, they all balked at the idea. Basically they were afraid to learn something new, and my uncle still used the argument, “there’s no software available for the Mac”. When asked what software he used on his computer he listed an e-mail client, a browser, a word processor, and a financial program. Four programs, but what’s stopping him from switching is the idea that there is no software available for the Mac. This is the mentality Apple is up against.
The poster Grrrilla, above, has an excellent point. I agree that Apple is happy as number 2. I don’t think that their goal is to take Microsoft’s place. There are a lot of headaches that come with having that large a customer base. I remember reading somewhere that it was very important to them when they set up their deal for the Apple iPod by HP that HP be responsible for support and warranty of those models, even though they were identical to the ones Apple was selling. Customer support is very expensive. I think they’re much more comfortable where they are. I’m sure they’d like to take some of Microsoft’s customers, just not all of them.
AND, Vista is just the new name to the nurtured Longhorn. Just so that short-sighted short-memory people would think that MS will have released a new OS – Vista – in just 2 years.
“Wow, they just announced it and there is the Beta already. This is FAST”
LOL, Windows, run by MORONS for MORONS.
Windows is like a train going at sixty miles an hour. Even if the engine dies, there is a lot of momentum carrying it forward. The smart passengers will of course jump off and find other means of transportation though.
If there were truth in advertising, the next version of windows would be called:
“Windows Mirage”
Almost there! Right over that sand dune of yet another feature pulled!
God I hope so.
Why does everyone think Macs will be cheaper when they use Intel processors????!!!!
It’s not the processor that makes Macs cost more, it’s the profit margins!
Is Apple going to suddenly compete on a hardware price-basis with Dell? That’s a trick question! They already do! Apple computers are very close to equal in cost to similarly configured Wintel systems.
Why is this so hard to understand??? AARRGGG!!!!
ok I’m done now.
A system that uses Windows Vista will need the same display hardware as a Mac. No more $300 boxes for Vista. Good luck on undercutting Apple’s prices for new hardware after Vista is shipping on new equipment.