Newsletter #385 Preview: The Mac Becomes a Low-Key Survivor
April 16th, 2007I still recall the questioning looks and comments after the last Macworld keynote, as we all wondered why the Mac got short shrift. If you had never heard of Apple Inc. before, you might think they make iPods, AirPort routers, the Apple TV and, of course, the iPhone.
Macs? What are they? Oh yes, those silly personal computers that are the subject of sly humor in the ubiquitous Mac versus PC spots. Oh yes, that computer. So whatever happened to the Mac?
Didn’t Steve Jobs once say, before he returned to Apple, that he thought they should market the Mac for all its worth, and then move on to the next great thing?
Well, maybe Apple has taken those words to heart at long last, because it would seem, at first glance at least, that not a lot has happened on the Mac front of late. Most of us have spent time talking about what’s already happened, what might happen, and what might not happen.
It’s clear, for example, that Leopard isn’t happening, at least not yet. Aside from that public demonstration at last year’s WWDC, we don’t know much more about it than we knew before. There’s still Time Machine, Spaces, a revitalized iChat and Mail, some developer-oriented enhancements, and “top secret” features that have never been revealed.
And it is far too late for Microsoft to unpack its copying machines, since Windows Vista has been out for a while, and heaven knows when the next major Windows upgrade will be out. You don’t believe Microsoft’s promises, or do you?
Story continued in this week’s Tech Night Owl Newsletter.
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Don’t kid yourself! Just because an OS release “slips” 4 months and iPhone takes center stage because it’s getting released before Leopard doesn’t mean for a second that Apple is slacking on the Mac.. Look at the evidence.. new Get a Mac commercials on a monthly basis for how long… and now Final Cut Studio.. (that doesn’t work on PCs by the way). You will see.. When Leopard dawns, there will be more heads rolling at Microsoft. My best guess.. based on all evidence at hand looks like Leopard was delayed for a significant reason.. a much better one than “low on resources”.. Apple is putting finishing touches on a new 3D interface for Leopard accompanied by multi-touch screen Macs with blue ray drives which will blow the competition out of the water.. once again! Innovation that major can’t be tested anywhere but in house until the last possible moment. If not that, something else.. but Apple has never let the Mac community down and not come out with a rabbit from the hat every year! 2007’s rabbits will involve Leaopard, 4-core multi-touch iMacs, iLife ’07 and iWork ’07 (finally complete with a database program).
Read you musings today and time will tell about the delay in Leopard. Another question to ask though was SJ was using the iPhone at MacWorld. It worked…but how much could remain to be done at this point nearly 3 months later? What could take so much of Apple’s programming resources at this point in the development cycle, unless of course something grander is planned for the iPhone and it’s lite version of OS X.
On the Mac though, Apple quietly brought out the 8 core beast and it will be of tremendous value to the digital media world, photographers, video etc,. and we complain that Apple is marginalizing the Mac? Some are to be sure, but lets look at another aspect. Other than putting more processor’s in the box what is Apple going to add? With processor speeds what they are, Apple would have to magically find, by perhaps Immaculate Intel Conception and chip at 6 GHZ to make a worthwhile increase in productivity where one could realize a payback in a years time. Same can be said for other things like FSB, RAM capacity, USB and so on.
Hardware upgrades will be incremental these days and for the future since the speeds we’re at are far more than enough for the average users. The bleeding edge will always be another matter. I don’t think it’s as much Apple moving the Mac back in terms of corporate importance, but more a maturing of the hardware marketplace where the Mac is in reality the HUB through which all this works together in Apple’s often *understated” manner.
Comments?
“Didn’t Steve Jobs once say, before he returned to Apple, that he thought they should market the Mac for all its worth, and then move on to the next great thing?”
Actually, the exact quote is, “If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it’s worth — and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago.”
That’s the exact phrase, but one that is very apt in light of what’s been happening.
Peace,
Gene