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Tuesday, August 8, 2006
So Apple is having its fun calling Vista a copycat and Vista 2.0 Leopard. Kinda reminds me of the Windows95 campaign of the duck thing. But you know what? Leopard ain’t that big of a deal. I mean, let’s look at what’s new.
Spaces: Ya, it’s nice and all but truth is virtual desktops have been around a long time. There are some great third-party applications for both Windows and Macs that do this quite well right now. Granted, it’ll come with the OS now, but still, nothing ground breaking here. Also, why limit it to just four “spaces”? Available memory should be the key to how many spaces you have if we’re talking “cool” here.
Mail 3.0: Really, Steve, copycat? Dude, have you looked at Outlook Express? Stationery templates have been there for a good while, buddy. I don’t know, man, but someone copied someone here and it wasn’t Microsoft running with something new up north to Redmond!
Dashboard Dashcode: Hey, I appreciate the ability to make my own Dashboard now, but if this is one the main highlights Apple is pushing for reasoning of the $129 price tag Leopard will be sure to claw from your pocket book, then I’m not scratchin’.
Spotlight: Being able to search network-mounted folders is nice but really is just the next logical step in Spotlight. Nothing cutting edge here.
Parental Controls: Copycat? Again, not a new thing and something that has been a well known feature of Vista. I saw it myself at CES in January, eight months ago, and apparently so did someone at Apple.
Time Machine: Okay, this is cool. Not only will this help bust more white collar criminals as they’ll have no way to erase their criminal past, but it’ll also remedy bonehead mistakes from costing many lost hair and hours of anguish trying to recreate a perished file from scratch (if it’s even possible.) Without a doubt, watching Scott Forstall demonstrate how to bring back an accidentally erased contact in your Address Book was the coolest.
So out of this entire list, only one item grasped the audience enough to bring resounding applause. Remember, these are the highlights, the really BIG stuff! If this is all Leopard has to offer, I’d say this is more a meow than a growl of the name in which this OS shares with. Definitely not worth the common $129 Apple asks for and absolutely not a reason to have to wait until Spring ’07 for it.
So what of this? A lesser upgrade than we all expected and to be released after Vista. Wouldn’t it seem one should release its copied product before the copycat?
I think Apple is treading on thin ice with this campaign and should really just drop it. There’s enough Microsoft fanboys about that will have a field day with this lackluster release that comes well after the fanboys are doing Windows XP SP3 on their tired PCs.
August 8th, 2006 at 9:44
I read this article over to see if it was really trying to be subtly tongue-in-cheek, but sure didn’t see it. What an incredible set of comments! Why in the world do you think that the items you listed are what Leopard is all about? This was a ‘sneak peak’ at some features that Apple wanted to highlight to the public. It was not a ‘preview’ or public review, just a taste of some items to come.
Lighten up!
August 8th, 2006 at 9:53
I suspect that Steve Jobs was expecting to go head to head with Microsoft’s Vista; all the banners seem to expect this. Vista’s continuing delays seem to have spoiled Steve’s surprises. I suspect that there were a different list of features and a different shipping date. Everything makes me believe that Steve wanted for Leopard and Vista to go toe-to-toe. Too bad that Vista was delayed.
But, will Vista be delayed again? The last I heard from Microsoft was that there is only an 80% chance that Vista will be released in January; it might be delayed as late as summer 2007. Will Steven say “to hell with it” and release Leopard in January? Who knows?
August 8th, 2006 at 10:37
I will enjoy “spaces” — much like the Next Doc. Having it in the OS allows people with complex setups to take advantage — rather than risk a haxie when doing video editing and jumping to web design.
Is this phenomenon of yours contagious? You compare features you say Apple borrows from Windows when you compare an OS that is shipping in months, and Vista, which has claimed to offer the moon and the sun in vaporware. So a beta has items stolen by the shipping OS? Anyway, most of this stuff is obvious and has been out there.
Network searching is obvious — but useful, and the boolean arguments are great.
I like all the improvements — especially the dashboard widget tools and the ability to make portals to actual web sites — I’ll be making money with this right away in interactive kiosks. Just using the OS as the Multimedia environment allows me to use widgets, flash and web and look like I sweated a lot. Widgets are turning into really useful tools.
Anyway, I know this isn’t the complete list — otherwise MS would announce the same features (at some time in the future). I would buy Leopard based on these evolutionary changes because they actually would make a difference in my day-to-day.
Of course, running Windows apps without re-booting (the killer app), is so close I can taste it. I’m at a die-hard windows office, and because of Keynote, they are poised to switch — go figure. I’ll be serving an internal web page to access a back office database, set up a kiosk with widgets and a flash-based desktop, and a HD Video Studio — probably using Infini-band which I believe is the next hard drive + networking standard.
August 8th, 2006 at 12:42
I think what is going to come out of WWDC 2006 is for the developers: what changes to the APIs, etc.? How do we hook into some of these new tools like Core Animation? After all, Apple only advertised a preview of Leopard, not a feature complete list or gold-master. (Or would people rather have a feature list five years early that keeps getting cut, **cough WinFS on Vista cough**). The only thing I was surprised Apple didn’t release yet is what improvements are going to happen to the Finder (network access freezes, speed, etc.)
Macworld 2007 will probably show all the other consumer level things that I think you are looking for: improvements to iLife, GUI changes, etc. There should probably be another 140 improvements before release.
Personally, my wife is looking forward to making here own e-mail templates with her pictures. And having just recovered from a massive, system-wide directory corruption, I think TimeMachine is going to be worth the cost of 250-500 GB of storage. Making back-ups transparent to the end user is going to be fantastic.
August 8th, 2006 at 13:21
As Gary noted, Jobs was very careful to say that this was a “sneak peek” at Leopard. At previous WWDCs, he specifically used the term “preview.”
It’s not Apple’s or Jobs fault that people are projecting their own insecurities and desires and twisting Jobs’ words around and going into a hysterical tizzy.
Gawd…it’s like people are just looking for a reason to get on the pulpit to say, “Apple’s lost its touch, and I said it first!” when Apple is clearly not paying any attention to the rumor sites any more and doing things its own way, on its own schedule.
Get a grip, people! The real Leopard preview will no doubt rears its head in January at Macworld 2007! New Macbook Pros will be here sooner or later, as will new iPods and other new fangled devices, according to Apple’s schedule and not some rumor site’s wishful thinking.
And people say Mac fans are idiots for buying Apple’s party line hook, line and sinker. It seems the bigger fools are the ones that are buying unsupported rumors hook, line, and sinker and then blaming Apple for underwhelming them.
August 8th, 2006 at 15:42
Spaces — no virtual screen software does what Spaces does. Just look at how clicking an app switches you to the relevant “space”, and how the spatial relationships are preserved. Spaces is — or looks like — virtual screens done right, after so many others have done it wrong.
Mail 3. Anyone can copy someone’s ideas and do them worse. I don’t think Outlook’s templates are even ballpark comparable to Mails, any more than PowerPoint’s are to KeyNote’s. Apple does this stuff so much better it isn’t even funny: (1) they have TASTE, (2) they actually know how to do drag and drop, (3) everything is integrated (compare this to navigating your picture library in an open dialog in Windows).
Dashcode. Haven’t used it, but if its JavaScript debugger doesn’t suck it’s news just on that basis. Microsoft has two JavaScript Debuggers that don’t work and Mozilla has one.
Time Machine — as I said on another of your rants — is a killer feature. It’s more useful than everything else put together and probably than everything that shipped in Tiger put together for good measure. Note that it supports everything at file level for starters and then offers an API so that an app can support it internally (e.g. the way iPhoto does). Very cool, and something only an OS vendor can do properly.
August 8th, 2006 at 15:49
Spaces is not limited to four virtual desktops. The control panel allows you to add more.
August 8th, 2006 at 16:24
It just goes to show how little so-called prognosticators are jumping the gun. Spaces allowing more than 4 virtual desktops? Time Machin has an API? These are things that are of great interest to developers and will make dramatic improvements in productivity and workflow, but it seems like sites like Sven on Tech are more interested in eye candy.
It’s interesting that despite the bitching that Apple is being “not nice” to Microsoft (as if Microsoft can be accused of being nice, convicted monopoly abuser that it is in both the U.S. and Europe), things like 64-bit support top-to-bottom are being dismissed as “old news” or “non-news.” Please explain exactly how Vista is going to bring 64-bit goodness to the masses, in a way that will actually work with all those thousands of precious Windows applications out there.
Frankly, I think real users will see the difference when they will be able to run Photoshop, Final Cut Pro, or Maya on a system with 16 GB of RAM. Given Microsoft crude attempt at 64-bit Windows, I find it highly unlikely Adobe is going to release a 64-bit version of Photoshop for Windows anytime soon, while Apple approach would seem to make 64-bit apps quite common. With the hardware being equal now that Apple is all Intel, it seems pretty clear that a pro graphic artist will be far more productive working on a 64-bit Mac Pro maxed out with 16 GB of RAM than any 32-bit Windows system imaginable. Same goes for any high-end user.
But it’s too bad things like 64-bitness doesn’t glow and spin on screen because it seems now all the whining these days, ironically, seems to be about how Apple didn’t show enough eye candy.
Frankly, I can’t wait to see what the real Leopard preview (not “sneak peek”) will look like at January’s Macworld, but it seems that Apple revealed just enough to show there are a lot of substantial and deep changes coming Mac users’ way.
August 8th, 2006 at 18:53
I think what you people are failing to realize is that at the start of the WWDC Steve Jobs (my boss – I work for Apple) explained how he was not going to reveal the new upcoming key core technologies during this “sneak preview” because he did not want “Redmond to get it’s photocopiers” started up. These features are making up just a miniscule fraction of what is to come. Believe me people – the best is yet to come!
August 8th, 2006 at 22:29
People, did you read the same post I wrote? I gave my kudos to Time Machine but reading your comments, you make it sound like I’m a silly blinded Microsoft Bob user. Read it again.
As to the “sneak peak” defense: don’t come out disputative with banners that hang all over Moscone Center picking a fight with Microsoft. Back up your claims or don’t make them.
Mail 3. I don’t care if Apple does it better (which I fully agree, they usually do most things *way* better,) the point was that Apple and Jobs made lots of references to Redmond being a copycat and here they fully ripped off something Microsoft has been doing for years! Stick the point, folks, we have a kettle calling the pot black!
Spaces. Read the above comment.
Eye candy is not what I’m looking for nor do I believe most Mac fans are either. If we were, we’d be running Windows with it’s plethora of “skinable” programs out there. I avoid these applications like the plague.
I love my Macs because the work and the work well. Apple hardware is second to none and that’s what many Mac-heads have come to expect. If yesterday was a “tease” of more to come, fine. But again, it’s not just SvenOnTech or other “eye candy kiddies” that feel Apple let us down; Wall Street made a very loud and clear statement, too. If needed be, may I remind you that these suits are important to the company as all one has to do is remember early 1997 and the near death of Apple.
Anon, I appreciate your comment and hope to hear more from you soon. Maybe you can tell your boss that while SvenOnTech loves the company he brought back to life and only loves Microsoft for the job security it gives for fixing other peoples madness, he needs to clam down on the fightin’ words next time if he doesn’t intend to put up the gloves.
August 8th, 2006 at 22:42
Spotlight improvements were presented as just improvements and parental control is implemented in Tiger but will also only be an upgrade. Many of the features in the OS are advancements and a way of revenue for Apple. If Apple was to release everything they have at the same time, they would be hard pressed to have enough capital to contienue development. Hell, many of the feature in Tiger where implemented in NEXT 15 years ago. Apple is doing things in a way that benefits them, and that is the American way. If you don’t like it, then there is always China.
August 8th, 2006 at 23:01
Hey, isn’t China where Apple makes all its stuff? Be careful who you bad mouth.
August 8th, 2006 at 23:02
I hear you loud and clear Sven. Keep in mind a few things.
This was not a press event.
Had this been a press event there would have been more to see.
This event was for our developers, who, all received a copy of Leopard after the keynote.
What’s worth noting is the reaction of the online community as to our increasing expectations for surprise.
Also worth noting, we released the long awaited (well, not really – under 200+ days) Mac Pro. We completed our transition well ahead of schedule, sales are up, market share is growing, profits/earnings per share are growing, and those, in my opinion, are more important to the “suits” on Wall street than how surprised the few anaylsts were that paid attention.
How surprised they are yes has some bearing in the market yes, but it does not mean everything. If you want to talk let downs, wait until Vista gets released. The market is waiting and has been waiting for years, and when they finally get what they have been waiting for (Vista) no matter how good they will still not be satisfied. Take what some of you feel they have experienced by the WWDC and multiply it by a thousand. In regards to challenging or insulting Vista, this was not done publicly – on tv or in print. It was done at adhere to the culture of our developing community which embraced the message.
This keynote was intended for our small community (comparitively speaking) of developers, all of who received a copy of Leopard at WWDC after the keynote Steve gave. The underlying technologies this community will see are binded under confidentiality agreements. On top of that, developers will get access only to the features which pertain to their business – development.
Ultimately, when Leopard is released, this keynote, and what some may describe as “dissappointment” will no longer be relevant. What will be is a product which continues to deliver what our user community and a wise(r) market demands. This “event” came and went, and won’t matter once you are writing about how satisfied you are with our final product!
August 8th, 2006 at 23:06
Hey, not trying to bad mouth any Country, but this is Capitalisma and China is Communism.
It’s a fact and that’s all…
No hard feelings…
August 8th, 2006 at 23:10
Also, I actually think that Apple believes that if they release all the feature to the public at this point, and then have to wait till Vista is released, it might turn people off by making ALL the features seem old. By keeping some of them unreleased, they keep the OS fresh. While Vista keeps getting older and older and…..
P.S. Sorry for the misspell… Capitalism
August 9th, 2006 at 6:11
I wasn’t blown away by the “new features”, either, but look at the big picture: Vista will still be a security nightmare. Vista STILL ain’t UNIX. Leopard will have 64 bit support; another area of weakness for Windows.
August 9th, 2006 at 7:46
I really think that Svenontech has not taken the time to assimilate the significance of what WAS revealed, let alone allowing for the probability that for various obvious reasons many of the really whizzbang features have been saved for a big impact at launch. I suggest you look at this excellent article http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9002267&pageNumber=1
which has looked at the major implications of what was announced, and see if you still think Leopard will be underwhelming!
August 9th, 2006 at 8:19
That Time Machine has an API isn’t guesswork — it’s explicitly stated in the WWDC KeyNote (by the guy who reminds me of Steve Buscemi
— great presenter by the way).
Time Machine is interesting in that it’s both meaty goodness and eye candy. It shows that Apple has finally gotten back its sense of style (the kind of thing we used to see with, for example, the QuickTime launch — amazingly deep and cool technology presented with panache).
In general, note that most SteveNotes are considered (at least by fans and journalists) to be disappointing “the day after”. Look at what folks said about the iPod launch… The presentations tend to be great fun at the time, and remembered fondly, but there’s always a crash just afterwards. This one is slightly worse in that the stock price dropped too… but then investors are unusually prone to sizzle over steak.