They way Microsoft loses from people using XP is that they spend billions of dollars a year in R&D, and people would rather use a 8 year old product. So in the end, they're wasting their money because people's perception of their newer product is not favorable.
When you say "people would rather use a 8 year old product" you make it seem as if millions of consumers are revolting against Vista/7 and are demanding XP. This is simply not the case. A well-publicized minority of users are scared of Vista because of the avalanche of ignorant FUD regarding the OS (see: endless Mac fanboy ranting against versions of Windows they've never used).
I'm sure there is some angry little cabal of Mac users longing for the days of Rhapsody.
The overwhelming majority of new-PC builders and purchasers will have no desire to use XP over Vista/7.
... if millions of consumers are revolting against Vista/7 and are demanding XP. This is simply not the case.
You seem not to understand how business works. The reason that my local PC stores and thousands of others across this country advertise the availability of XP is precisely because their customers and potential customers are demanding it.
The majority of PC users will accept whatever ships with their computer. However, those who have work to do demand the most reliable system available. For them, that means XP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by groverat
...
I'm sure there is some angry little cabal of Mac users longing for the days of Rhapsody.
...
Again, you are mistaken. Rhapsody was a developmental OS. It was never available to the general public.
Again, you are mistaken. Rhapsody was a developmental OS. It was never available to the general public.
Not quite. It depends how you look at it, but many would say Rhapsody did briefly see the light of day as a commercial product, in the form of Mac OS X Server 1.0. It had the platinum appearance of Mac OS 8 and no carbon (only Yellow Box, the NeXTstep-derived API which went on to become Cocoa).
I'm curious - in Win7, it was my understanding that the Taskbar showed apps, not windows, and that you can pin them so they stay there even when they're not running.
How do you see that an app has windows open (or that a window instance of an app is running, take your pick of terminology), from just looking at the app icons? Or do you have to click on the app icon to see the selectable windows, much like the Dock?
There is really not much of a difference to how it was in previous versions. You are able to pin links to the taskbar like before inside the QuickStart toolbar.
But once the app is running, it will not display a second icon anymore but a "glass" border and gradient over the icon. If there are multiple windows of one app running, you will see a "stack" of glass borders. While you hover over an icon of an running app, you will get a nice color effect that is generated from the most prominent icon color. After milliseconds the thumbnail previews will appear. There you can see all open windows of that app with a title, you are able to "peek" at a specific window by hovering over the thumbnail and you can close a window from its thumbnail.
That's the default setting. You also can change to a more classic view where taskbar buttons are not grouped/stacked and running tasks do have a title in the taskbar.
Just because it may not clear: In Windows a running app always has a window. It is more task oriented, that means every task does have a button in the taskbar no matter if it's a document, a control panel, an app or a dialog box. Closing a window does end that "task". In Win7 these task buttons are just grouped by default with hiding the titles, it's a renaissance of the Windows 1.0 "taskbar":
There is really not much of a difference to how it was in previous versions. You are able to pin links to the taskbar like before inside the QuickStart toolbar.
Right, so it's a merging of the previous coalesced-windows-mode of Vista/XP Taskbar, and the pinnable apps of the QuickStart toolbar. Got that.
Quote:
But once the app is running, it will not display a second icon anymore but a "glass" border and gradient over the icon. If there are multiple windows of one app running, you will see a "stack" of glass borders.
Okay, so there's a running indicator, and a multiple-window indicator. Clever. Does the Dock one better... but does it get clumsy looking if you have, say a couple dozen windows open in that app? Or is it just the same sized stack regardless of how many windows, as long as it's more than one?
Quote:
While you hover over an icon of an running app, you will get a nice color effect that is generated from the most prominent icon color. After milliseconds the thumbnail previews will appear.
Hmm. Hover to get a primary functionality? Is there any other way to trigger it?
Quote:
There you can see all open windows of that app with a title, you are able to "peek" at a specific window by hovering over the thumbnail and you can close a window from its thumbnail.
Okay, so the window list is (at first) like the Dock's window list for an app, then adds more functionality.
Quote:
That's the default setting. You also can change to a more classic view where taskbar buttons are not grouped/stacked and running tasks do have a title in the taskbar.
But that's considered deprecated, or at least non-default.
Quote:
Just because it may not clear: In Windows a running app always has a window. It is more task oriented, that means every task does have a button in the taskbar no matter if it's a document, a control panel, an app or a dialog box. Closing a window does end that "task". In Win7 these task buttons are just grouped by default with hiding the titles, it's a renaissance of the Windows 1.0 "taskbar":
I hope this helps
Knew the last bit just fine.
It appears to me that this really is a shift from window-centric management to app-centric, with a classic mode for folks who prefer the old method. You have to go the app icon first, then get to the windows from that app icon. Apps can be pinned, so they're the first thing you work with. Seems familiar. Now maybe the Dock can take some window management cues from it.
You seem not to understand how business works. The reason that my local PC stores and thousands of others across this country advertise the availability of XP is precisely because their customers and potential customers are demanding it.
Well there's some unverifiable, anecdotal evidence.
Quote:
The majority of PC users will accept whatever ships with their computer. However, those who have work to do demand the most reliable system available. For them, that means XP.
Vista SP1 is just as stable as any release of XP and more secure.
Kickaha:
Quote:
How do you see that an app has windows open (or that a window instance of an app is running, take your pick of terminology), from just looking at the app icons? Or do you have to click on the app icon to see the selectable windows, much like the Dock?
- Running apps are shiny and outlined (like iTunes & Live Mail)
- Apps with multiple open window have a stacked appearance (like Word)
- Idle apps are just chillin' (like Explorer, Excel, and Outlook)
To see the selectable windows you just mouse over and you get a pretty preview. You click to select a window or to close it.
Quote:
Right, so it's a merging of the previous coalesced-windows-mode of Vista/XP Taskbar, and the pinnable apps of the QuickStart toolbar. Got that.
And the notification ability of the notification area. (Windows Live Mail is telling me I have new mail)
Quote:
Okay, so there's a running indicator, and a multiple-window indicator. Clever. Does the Dock one better... but does it get clumsy looking if you have, say a couple dozen windows open in that app? Or is it just the same sized stack regardless of how many windows, as long as it's more than one?
It'll go up to 3 stacked. So it's "one window", "two windows", "more than two windows".
It appears to me that this really is a shift from window-centric management to app-centric, with a classic mode for folks who prefer the old method.
It's an interesting development. Would make Windows much less annoying to work with for me. How does alt-tab work in Windows 7? Does it cycle open apps or open windows? Can you use it in combination with the mouse or is it keyboard-only? Basically, can you make it work like OS X's app switcher?
Okay, so there's a running indicator, and a multiple-window indicator. Clever. Does the Dock one better... but does it get clumsy looking if you have, say a couple dozen windows open in that app? Or is it just the same sized stack regardless of how many windows, as long as it's more than one?
It does show one, two or three borders. Not more. So 3+ windows will give you a stack of three glass borders. But I thinks that's just fine.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kickaha
Hmm. Hover to get a primary functionality? Is there any other way to trigger it?
You can always click on the app icon. If there is only one window open, you will go right to it. If multiple windows (or IE tabs!) are open you get the thumbnail previews. Because of the need to hover or the second click some people may want to switch off the grouping. They will not lose any new functionality. There is also a setting for "only group when taskbar is full".
It's also interesting that taskbar icons now can display a little state icon e.g. to show the status of an IM session or new items in the mailbox. A very cool thing is, that the taskbar buttons display a green progress bar in the background. So you get feedback while you download/install or copy things in the background.
It's an interesting development. Would make Windows much less annoying to work with for me. How does alt-tab work in Windows 7? Does it cycle open apps or open windows? Can you use it in combination with the mouse or is it keyboard-only? Basically, can you make it work like OS X's app switcher?
It does work the same way since Windows 3.1: It shows all windows but since Vista you have thumbnails, you can switch to the desktop and you are able to use mouse and arrow keys. So nothing new in 7 here (until now).
Edit: Only thing I miss from the OSX app switching is the ability to close windows inside ALT+TAB (aka Flip 2D).
Well there's some unverifiable, anecdotal evidence.
...
Do you also categorize as unverifiable, anecdotal evidence the fact that Microsoft reversed itself several times on its plans to stop offering XP? Assuming that this can be verified, is it your honest belief that Microsoft did so for reasons other than customer demand?
It does show one, two or three borders. Not more. So 3+ windows will give you a stack of three glass borders. But I thinks that's just fine.
Seems reasonable.
(OTOH, the UI designer in me says "Then why have anything other than a yes/no indicator? How does knowing you have 3 windows there help? How does not knowing if you have 3 or 10 help? In which case, a yes/no indicator is equivalent to the 'app is running' indicator, since the app must have a window, so..." Any use cases you can think of for why the 1, 2, 3 indicator?)
Quote:
You can always click on the app icon. If there is only one window open, you will go right to it.
Ah, like the Dock. Nice, clean, and direct.
Quote:
If multiple windows (or IE tabs!) are open you get the thumbnail previews. Because of the need to hover or the second click some people may want to switch off the grouping. They will not lose any new functionality. There is also a setting for "only group when taskbar is full".
Got it. Good for the legacy folks.
Quote:
It's also interesting that taskbar icons now can display a little state icon e.g. to show the status of an IM session or new items in the mailbox. A very cool thing is, that the taskbar buttons display a green progress bar in the background. So you get feedback while you download/install or copy things in the background.
Cool, I like the icon badges in the Dock icons. Very useful. Glad to see it migrating Redmond-ward.
Both very good articles. It sounds like the Win7 Taskbar pulled in the best bits of the three former UI widgets into one. I wonder where they got that idea? I keed.
The entire tone of your analysis continues this insipid implication that Microsoft is taking cues from Apple. There is simply no reason to believe this.
I'll quote the ArsTechnica article posted above…
"With an understanding of how each operating system treats windows and of how the Taskbar has evolved, it becomes clear that the Windows 7 Taskbar is very much a descendant of its predecessors, and not a Dock clone."
The taskbar's behavior is not like the Dock's behavior in anything except their mutual merging toward a common understanding of user experience. To say that things are "migrating Redmond-ward" is downright trolling.
I think Snow Leopard and Windows 7 represent different stages of OS X and Windows life cycle. Windows 7 is a wrap up of the work done on Vista, more like what 10.1 was to 10.0.
There were significant architectural changes introduced with Vista. The main reason for compatibility complains was because of those changes, combined with the bad coding practices more common on the Windows side than on the Mac. A couple of migrations on the mac - new OS, processor change, more frequent updates overall, made the mac programmers more respectful to the official API and more conservative towards exploring undocumented APIs. The majority of those third-party problems were perceived as Vista flows. Now the things are ironed up a bit and Windows 7 will bring the new perception, along with the actual performance improvements.
Snow Leopard is a strategic shift for OS X. Tiger completed the first stage of OS X development. Leopard brought more UI and middle-level changes, leaving the kernel largely unchanged. With Snow Leopard Apple will introduce new low-level features which will mark the beginning of the next development stage. Apple stated that they are not building a new kernel, but my understanding is that this refers to the general kernel architecture approach. Otherwise the 64 bit kernel is not just a recompile of the 32-bit code. The difference in tactics between Apple and Microsoft is that MS intended to bring Longhorn as a complete, one-step overhaul of their OS. This did not work out as expected: remember the number of features which were dropped along the way. Apple takes more incremental approach, making the OS change one step at a time.
Despite the difference in intended goals, both Apple and Microsoft are aware that their next offering will be compared side-by-side by the media and the users. Since most of the new features in Snow Leopard will not have immediate impact (new Finder not withstanding), I see Microsoft taking an advantage this time around. It is very likely that Snow Leopard will suffer more compatibility problems compared to Windows 7 - the 64 bit kernel will require new drivers. This will not be as painful as it was with Vista because of the more limited hardware configurations but will be a problem anyway.
Microsoft already provided a very stable beta release, and Apple's Snow Leopard is still stuck in what Apple calls developer preview stage. I think Apple is still hesitating on the final features to be targeted with the release. In addition, Apple may decide to leave more bang for better economic environment. So, mac fanboys, get ready for disappointment! This battle might be lost by Apple.
OS X has the long-term advantage, however. It is evolving much faster than Windows, and that's not something Microsoft can address overnight. With the next OS versions, Apple will take advantage of, and further improve on the numerous low-level changes. More importantly, while Microsoft is torn apart between netbooks and high-end workstations, Apple will use its software/hardware package approach to win the war.
Apple's advantage truly is their complete control of the product from the hardware and software perspective. It's a philosophy that serves them very very well when they're doing it right and it leads to some pretty remarkable consumer products.
So far, I heard good things about Windows 7 from Apple users but I really don't see myself using it in future. Snow Leopard on the other hand, I really can't wait. There won't be any major changes from Leopard but nonetheless, as a Apple fan, I am looking forward to it.
So far, I heard good things about Windows 7 from Apple users but I really don't see myself using it in future. Snow Leopard on the other hand, I really can't wait. There won't be any major changes from Leopard but nonetheless, as a Apple fan, I am looking forward to it.
There ARE major changes. For many users the next cat (10.7) may be a better value, but that remains to be seen. One of the most important things to look at is the new Finder. If Apple gets it right, the Finder alone could be worth the update. If you get:
much better Finder
improved Mail.app
much faster Safari
improved QuickTime
At later point, but before 10.7:
better iTunes
improved iLife (SL features utilized)
improved iWork (SL features utilized)
This makes a very good package. In addition, I expect UI improvements across the board as well.
Comments
They way Microsoft loses from people using XP is that they spend billions of dollars a year in R&D, and people would rather use a 8 year old product. So in the end, they're wasting their money because people's perception of their newer product is not favorable.
When you say "people would rather use a 8 year old product" you make it seem as if millions of consumers are revolting against Vista/7 and are demanding XP. This is simply not the case. A well-publicized minority of users are scared of Vista because of the avalanche of ignorant FUD regarding the OS (see: endless Mac fanboy ranting against versions of Windows they've never used).
I'm sure there is some angry little cabal of Mac users longing for the days of Rhapsody.
The overwhelming majority of new-PC builders and purchasers will have no desire to use XP over Vista/7.
... if millions of consumers are revolting against Vista/7 and are demanding XP. This is simply not the case.
You seem not to understand how business works. The reason that my local PC stores and thousands of others across this country advertise the availability of XP is precisely because their customers and potential customers are demanding it.
The majority of PC users will accept whatever ships with their computer. However, those who have work to do demand the most reliable system available. For them, that means XP.
...
I'm sure there is some angry little cabal of Mac users longing for the days of Rhapsody.
...
Again, you are mistaken. Rhapsody was a developmental OS. It was never available to the general public.
Again, you are mistaken. Rhapsody was a developmental OS. It was never available to the general public.
Not quite. It depends how you look at it, but many would say Rhapsody did briefly see the light of day as a commercial product, in the form of Mac OS X Server 1.0. It had the platinum appearance of Mac OS 8 and no carbon (only Yellow Box, the NeXTstep-derived API which went on to become Cocoa).
I'm curious - in Win7, it was my understanding that the Taskbar showed apps, not windows, and that you can pin them so they stay there even when they're not running.
How do you see that an app has windows open (or that a window instance of an app is running, take your pick of terminology), from just looking at the app icons? Or do you have to click on the app icon to see the selectable windows, much like the Dock?
There is really not much of a difference to how it was in previous versions. You are able to pin links to the taskbar like before inside the QuickStart toolbar.
But once the app is running, it will not display a second icon anymore but a "glass" border and gradient over the icon. If there are multiple windows of one app running, you will see a "stack" of glass borders. While you hover over an icon of an running app, you will get a nice color effect that is generated from the most prominent icon color. After milliseconds the thumbnail previews will appear. There you can see all open windows of that app with a title, you are able to "peek" at a specific window by hovering over the thumbnail and you can close a window from its thumbnail.
That's the default setting. You also can change to a more classic view where taskbar buttons are not grouped/stacked and running tasks do have a title in the taskbar.
Just because it may not clear: In Windows a running app always has a window. It is more task oriented, that means every task does have a button in the taskbar no matter if it's a document, a control panel, an app or a dialog box. Closing a window does end that "task". In Win7 these task buttons are just grouped by default with hiding the titles, it's a renaissance of the Windows 1.0 "taskbar":
I hope this helps
There is really not much of a difference to how it was in previous versions. You are able to pin links to the taskbar like before inside the QuickStart toolbar.
Right, so it's a merging of the previous coalesced-windows-mode of Vista/XP Taskbar, and the pinnable apps of the QuickStart toolbar. Got that.
But once the app is running, it will not display a second icon anymore but a "glass" border and gradient over the icon. If there are multiple windows of one app running, you will see a "stack" of glass borders.
Okay, so there's a running indicator, and a multiple-window indicator. Clever. Does the Dock one better... but does it get clumsy looking if you have, say a couple dozen windows open in that app? Or is it just the same sized stack regardless of how many windows, as long as it's more than one?
While you hover over an icon of an running app, you will get a nice color effect that is generated from the most prominent icon color. After milliseconds the thumbnail previews will appear.
Hmm. Hover to get a primary functionality? Is there any other way to trigger it?
There you can see all open windows of that app with a title, you are able to "peek" at a specific window by hovering over the thumbnail and you can close a window from its thumbnail.
Okay, so the window list is (at first) like the Dock's window list for an app, then adds more functionality.
That's the default setting. You also can change to a more classic view where taskbar buttons are not grouped/stacked and running tasks do have a title in the taskbar.
But that's considered deprecated, or at least non-default.
Just because it may not clear: In Windows a running app always has a window. It is more task oriented, that means every task does have a button in the taskbar no matter if it's a document, a control panel, an app or a dialog box. Closing a window does end that "task". In Win7 these task buttons are just grouped by default with hiding the titles, it's a renaissance of the Windows 1.0 "taskbar":
I hope this helps
Knew the last bit just fine.
It appears to me that this really is a shift from window-centric management to app-centric, with a classic mode for folks who prefer the old method. You have to go the app icon first, then get to the windows from that app icon. Apps can be pinned, so they're the first thing you work with. Seems familiar.
You seem not to understand how business works. The reason that my local PC stores and thousands of others across this country advertise the availability of XP is precisely because their customers and potential customers are demanding it.
Well there's some unverifiable, anecdotal evidence.
The majority of PC users will accept whatever ships with their computer. However, those who have work to do demand the most reliable system available. For them, that means XP.
Vista SP1 is just as stable as any release of XP and more secure.
Kickaha:
How do you see that an app has windows open (or that a window instance of an app is running, take your pick of terminology), from just looking at the app icons? Or do you have to click on the app icon to see the selectable windows, much like the Dock?
- Running apps are shiny and outlined (like iTunes & Live Mail)
- Apps with multiple open window have a stacked appearance (like Word)
- Idle apps are just chillin' (like Explorer, Excel, and Outlook)
To see the selectable windows you just mouse over and you get a pretty preview. You click to select a window or to close it.
Right, so it's a merging of the previous coalesced-windows-mode of Vista/XP Taskbar, and the pinnable apps of the QuickStart toolbar. Got that.
And the notification ability of the notification area. (Windows Live Mail is telling me I have new mail)
Okay, so there's a running indicator, and a multiple-window indicator. Clever. Does the Dock one better... but does it get clumsy looking if you have, say a couple dozen windows open in that app? Or is it just the same sized stack regardless of how many windows, as long as it's more than one?
It'll go up to 3 stacked. So it's "one window", "two windows", "more than two windows".
It appears to me that this really is a shift from window-centric management to app-centric, with a classic mode for folks who prefer the old method.
It's an interesting development. Would make Windows much less annoying to work with for me. How does alt-tab work in Windows 7? Does it cycle open apps or open windows? Can you use it in combination with the mouse or is it keyboard-only? Basically, can you make it work like OS X's app switcher?
Okay, so there's a running indicator, and a multiple-window indicator. Clever. Does the Dock one better... but does it get clumsy looking if you have, say a couple dozen windows open in that app? Or is it just the same sized stack regardless of how many windows, as long as it's more than one?
It does show one, two or three borders. Not more. So 3+ windows will give you a stack of three glass borders. But I thinks that's just fine.
Hmm. Hover to get a primary functionality? Is there any other way to trigger it?
You can always click on the app icon. If there is only one window open, you will go right to it. If multiple windows (or IE tabs!) are open you get the thumbnail previews. Because of the need to hover or the second click some people may want to switch off the grouping. They will not lose any new functionality. There is also a setting for "only group when taskbar is full".
It's also interesting that taskbar icons now can display a little state icon e.g. to show the status of an IM session or new items in the mailbox. A very cool thing is, that the taskbar buttons display a green progress bar in the background. So you get feedback while you download/install or copy things in the background.
Best article about all this is without surprise: http://arstechnica.com/business/news...ows-7-beta.ars
And there is also an objective (and very detailed) article about the Dock vs. the Windows 7 Taskbar: http://arstechnica.com/software/news...-7-taskbar.ars
It's an interesting development. Would make Windows much less annoying to work with for me. How does alt-tab work in Windows 7? Does it cycle open apps or open windows? Can you use it in combination with the mouse or is it keyboard-only? Basically, can you make it work like OS X's app switcher?
It does work the same way since Windows 3.1: It shows all windows but since Vista you have thumbnails, you can switch to the desktop and you are able to use mouse and arrow keys. So nothing new in 7 here (until now).
Edit: Only thing I miss from the OSX app switching is the ability to close windows inside ALT+TAB (aka Flip 2D).
...
Well there's some unverifiable, anecdotal evidence.
...
Do you also categorize as unverifiable, anecdotal evidence the fact that Microsoft reversed itself several times on its plans to stop offering XP? Assuming that this can be verified, is it your honest belief that Microsoft did so for reasons other than customer demand?
It does show one, two or three borders. Not more. So 3+ windows will give you a stack of three glass borders. But I thinks that's just fine.
Seems reasonable.
(OTOH, the UI designer in me says "Then why have anything other than a yes/no indicator? How does knowing you have 3 windows there help? How does not knowing if you have 3 or 10 help? In which case, a yes/no indicator is equivalent to the 'app is running' indicator, since the app must have a window, so..." Any use cases you can think of for why the 1, 2, 3 indicator?)
You can always click on the app icon. If there is only one window open, you will go right to it.
Ah, like the Dock. Nice, clean, and direct.
If multiple windows (or IE tabs!) are open you get the thumbnail previews. Because of the need to hover or the second click some people may want to switch off the grouping. They will not lose any new functionality. There is also a setting for "only group when taskbar is full".
Got it. Good for the legacy folks.
It's also interesting that taskbar icons now can display a little state icon e.g. to show the status of an IM session or new items in the mailbox. A very cool thing is, that the taskbar buttons display a green progress bar in the background. So you get feedback while you download/install or copy things in the background.
Cool, I like the icon badges in the Dock icons. Very useful. Glad to see it migrating Redmond-ward.
Best article about all this is without surprise: http://arstechnica.com/business/news...ows-7-beta.ars
And there is also an objective (and very detailed) article about the Dock vs. the Windows 7 Taskbar: http://arstechnica.com/software/news...-7-taskbar.ars
Both very good articles. It sounds like the Win7 Taskbar pulled in the best bits of the three former UI widgets into one. I wonder where they got that idea?
Any use cases you can think of for why the 1, 2, 3 indicator?)
Yes. Two+ windows will trigger the thumbnail preview by left clicking the icon. So there is a difference in behavior.
The entire tone of your analysis continues this insipid implication that Microsoft is taking cues from Apple. There is simply no reason to believe this.
I'll quote the ArsTechnica article posted above…
"With an understanding of how each operating system treats windows and of how the Taskbar has evolved, it becomes clear that the Windows 7 Taskbar is very much a descendant of its predecessors, and not a Dock clone."
The taskbar's behavior is not like the Dock's behavior in anything except their mutual merging toward a common understanding of user experience. To say that things are "migrating Redmond-ward" is downright trolling.
Yes. Two+ windows will trigger the thumbnail preview by left clicking the icon. So there is a difference in behavior.
Eh, fair enough.
There were significant architectural changes introduced with Vista. The main reason for compatibility complains was because of those changes, combined with the bad coding practices more common on the Windows side than on the Mac. A couple of migrations on the mac - new OS, processor change, more frequent updates overall, made the mac programmers more respectful to the official API and more conservative towards exploring undocumented APIs. The majority of those third-party problems were perceived as Vista flows. Now the things are ironed up a bit and Windows 7 will bring the new perception, along with the actual performance improvements.
Snow Leopard is a strategic shift for OS X. Tiger completed the first stage of OS X development. Leopard brought more UI and middle-level changes, leaving the kernel largely unchanged. With Snow Leopard Apple will introduce new low-level features which will mark the beginning of the next development stage. Apple stated that they are not building a new kernel, but my understanding is that this refers to the general kernel architecture approach. Otherwise the 64 bit kernel is not just a recompile of the 32-bit code. The difference in tactics between Apple and Microsoft is that MS intended to bring Longhorn as a complete, one-step overhaul of their OS. This did not work out as expected: remember the number of features which were dropped along the way. Apple takes more incremental approach, making the OS change one step at a time.
Despite the difference in intended goals, both Apple and Microsoft are aware that their next offering will be compared side-by-side by the media and the users. Since most of the new features in Snow Leopard will not have immediate impact (new Finder not withstanding), I see Microsoft taking an advantage this time around. It is very likely that Snow Leopard will suffer more compatibility problems compared to Windows 7 - the 64 bit kernel will require new drivers. This will not be as painful as it was with Vista because of the more limited hardware configurations but will be a problem anyway.
Microsoft already provided a very stable beta release, and Apple's Snow Leopard is still stuck in what Apple calls developer preview stage. I think Apple is still hesitating on the final features to be targeted with the release. In addition, Apple may decide to leave more bang for better economic environment. So, mac fanboys, get ready for disappointment! This battle might be lost by Apple.
OS X has the long-term advantage, however. It is evolving much faster than Windows, and that's not something Microsoft can address overnight. With the next OS versions, Apple will take advantage of, and further improve on the numerous low-level changes. More importantly, while Microsoft is torn apart between netbooks and high-end workstations, Apple will use its software/hardware package approach to win the war.
Great post, Shadow.
So far, I heard good things about Windows 7 from Apple users but I really don't see myself using it in future. Snow Leopard on the other hand, I really can't wait. There won't be any major changes from Leopard but nonetheless, as a Apple fan, I am looking forward to it.
There ARE major changes. For many users the next cat (10.7) may be a better value, but that remains to be seen. One of the most important things to look at is the new Finder. If Apple gets it right, the Finder alone could be worth the update. If you get:
- much better Finder
- improved Mail.app
- much faster Safari
- improved QuickTime
At later point, but before 10.7:- better iTunes
- improved iLife (SL features utilized)
- improved iWork (SL features utilized)
This makes a very good package. In addition, I expect UI improvements across the board as well.