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What it means to have no new features in OS X
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Apple plans to update Mac users to a new version of OS X Leopard. The upcoming ‘Snow Leopard’ will be Intel only, putting pressure on PowerPC Mac users to upgrade, yet not providing much incentive other than being left in the past forever. What does it mean to have a new Mac with no new features?
Reader Comments
Kate MacKenzie said:
Yep, I’m still at Mac360; recently the only one as everyone else gets a vacation. I got blasted for a ‘ghoulsh’ headline on my recent article at PixoBebo today.
Dan Derrico said:
Another thing—and excuse me for being naive (or did I miss the point?)—but I have three Apple computers and I use .Mac. My Mail, Calendar, Bookmarks, etc., are all synched already. Why is MobileMe such a big deal? Because it adds this feature to your iPhone? Did I miss the fine print?
By the way, Kate, I always have enjoyed your work at Mac360. Are you still with them?
Dan said:
But how will Apple coax users to pay for an upgrade with few visible prominent features? Will it be a discounted upgrade?
billy_flipper said:
It’s probable that we won’t see any major features in the future, not ‘no features’ but that’s not the point. OS X becomes kind of a glue which cements my iPhone to my Mac or PC, which allows easy access to my information wherever it may be. You are correct in assuming that no one is doing what Apple is about to do on such a grand scale with tens, maybe hundreds of millions of customers. Goodbye .Mac, we hardly knew yet. Hello MobileMe, Apple’s new secret weapon.
Well, that and OS X.
Stan Johns said:
You have absolutely, positively nailed this. It’s not fully accurate to say ‘no new features’ but they won’t be of the Spaces, Time Machine, eye candy category, but more of how applications and utilities work together.
Connectivity, interconnectivity, integration is the key to the future and Apple is pulling together all the pieces in ways Microsoft probably never dreamed of doing.
What’s next? AppleTV.