Glimmers of hope and hype from Jobs...

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Thought I'd pass this article on to all you miffed Apple loyalists...



<a href="http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,53952,00.html"; target="_blank">http://www.wired.com/news/mac/0,2125,53952,00.html</a>;



Couple of quips:



On .Mac...



Jobs said that Apple doesn't expect significant profits from the service, but had opted to charge for it so that the company could afford to invest in developing new tools that will eventually be offered through the service.



"Now that we're out of the 'everything is free' mode, we can invest in developing great new things," Jobs said. "It's a good deal."



Possibilities include extending .Mac's offerings to allow subscribers access to products ranging from discounted software to movie tickets.



"Maybe we can eventually work out a deal where you can get everything we do for a flat monthly fee," Jobs said. "I think that's possible."



On Jaguar...



Jobs also defended the $129 pricing of Jaguar, the newly announced upgrade to OS X, saying that the upgrade contained new features, not just simple bug fixes.



"You're paying about $1 per each new feature. That seems fair," Jobs said.



I guess all good things come to those who wait...or spend their money...
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 44
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    The thought of special discounts and deals is actually something that has me excited. Expanded .Mac services are going to be out sooner or later...



    You still have 73 days to decide.
  • Reply 2 of 44
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    So odd. I feel like I'm the only person who ISN'T upset about Jaguar or .mac. Maybe because I don't mind paying for things I consider useful and essential?



    Again, don't forget: no one here has to pay $100 this time out. I believe we're all eligible for the $49 fee, right? So take advantage of that and save your bitching about "$100" until next year.







    As far as Jaguar, yeah it was a little more than I expected ($99 would've been ideal), BUT I also do see it as more than bug fixes and tweaks. It seems to be as much of a difference/improvement to 10.1 as 10.1 was to the public beta or the initial OS X release from last March.



    I don't have a problem with it. Pretty significant enhancements, features and improvements. That's worth something, right?



    I think everyone's been "Napsterized" to the point of no return.



  • Reply 3 of 44
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    [quote]Originally posted by pscates:

    <strong>So odd. I feel like I'm the only person who ISN'T upset about Jaguar or .mac. Maybe because I don't mind paying for things I consider useful and essential?



    Again, don't forget: no one here has to pay $100 this time out. I believe we're all eligible for the $49 fee, right? So take advantage of that and save your bitching about "$100" until next year.







    As far as Jaguar, yeah it was a little more than I expected ($99 would've been ideal), BUT I also do see it as more than bug fixes and tweaks. It seems to be as much of a difference/improvement to 10.1 as 10.1 was to the public beta or the initial OS X release from last March.



    I don't have a problem with it. Pretty significant enhancements, features and improvements. That's worth something, right?



    I think everyone's been "Napsterized" to the point of no return.



    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Nah, scates, you're not the only one. Some of us can see the big picture (and some of us can get a great ed discount on jag ). I'm really excited about .Mac (see my thread about future .mac services). And it is only $49 for us this year. If it's not worth it, just don't renew.



    I guess some of us didn't grow up in the age where you could get any software you wanted for free. We're getting old
  • Reply 4 of 44
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    If you're a student, there's nothing better than getting a student ADC membership. You get all OS updates in the mail for $99/year in addition to other possibly useful things.



    People can bitch about Jaguar's pricing all they want, but that doesn't change the fact that they were naive to think it was going to be anything other than full retail. I was wrong too...I thought full retail was going to be bumped back down to $99. I was incorrect.
  • Reply 5 of 44
    buonrottobuonrotto Posts: 6,368member
    I'm pretty much in the same boat as Paul, but I do think that an intro period for new Mac users would be nice for .mac services (at least e-mail). Anyway, that can be discussed at the umpteen other threads about .mac. I also think the $100/year sounds steep since we're used to hearing these numbers broken down into monthly costs. Even multi-year magazine subscriptions promote themselves with per month or per issue rates. Apple could have made a better "spin" on the cost, but at the risk of sounding kind of underhanded. To me, they are being straightforward about all this, a recent development that is refreshing though at times frustrating since it means bad news in some sense. (Spending more money is still spending more money. )



    I'm curious about what other services would be next for .mac. I guess you'd have to as what would be most important and make up some priorities. I'm weary of having too much of my own data moving online, especially of this idea in some people's heads of moving all my critical data onto someone else's servers exclusively (I have no problems with using it as backup). But it sounds like Jobs is thinking of services as conveniences and in some custodial role, not in a way that is essential for computer use and productivity.



    Also, I'm too lazy to consider truly (or nearly truly free) alternatives. I'm willing to pay some dough to accommodate my lazy lifestyle and make my life a little easier. That's why I use a Mac -- the computer for lazy people.
  • Reply 6 of 44
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Hey, great to see that I'm not the only one who, after thinking about it for a little, has no trouble paying $49 for the service.



    It's very useful to me, and hence, I have no problem ponying up the dough.
  • Reply 7 of 44
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    Some of these people are just flat out crazy. Please if it bothers you that much go get on Zoloft or something.



    If you want to leave Apple fine..spare us from your constant pissin' and moaning.
  • Reply 8 of 44
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    I wonder what the average age of the people see that .Mac is not a bad thing is.... I'm thinking at least up in the 20's, maybe higher.



    Those who a bitching and moaning? I'd say at least 1/2 a decade younger, at least. Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure, but it sure seems that way...
  • Reply 9 of 44
    snoopysnoopy Posts: 1,901member
    Check the price of upgrading to Windows Professional XP. It is less than full price, but still more than the price of Jaguar. I think it's correct to compare Jaguar with the Pro version, not the Home version.
  • Reply 10 of 44
    hmurchisonhmurchison Posts: 12,419member
    [quote]Originally posted by torifile:

    <strong>I wonder what the average age of the people see that .Mac is not a bad thing is.... I'm thinking at least up in the 20's, maybe higher.



    Those who a bitching and moaning? I'd say at least 1/2 a decade younger, at least. Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure, but it sure seems that way...</strong><hr></blockquote>





    Probably. I was a broke youngster one day also. It isn't easy for some of them but at the same time that's life. You have to outlay the cash because experience is what you need
  • Reply 11 of 44
    blue2kdaveblue2kdave Posts: 652member
    [quote] So odd. I feel like I'm the only person who ISN'T upset about Jaguar or .mac. Maybe because I don't mind paying for things I consider useful and essential?

    <hr></blockquote>



    Right on.
  • Reply 12 of 44
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Well, I'm heartened by the fact you guys see it the way I do.



    I didn't even touch on this in my initial post: DO NOT FORGET (or sell short) all the incredible FREE things we do get from Apple. Hell, I'd pay $50-100 (shhh...don't tell anyone) for iTunes alone! And iPhoto also. iCal is going to be a free download as well.



    Apple could easily charge $50 or more for each of those incredible apps (and they'd be worth it, IMO), but they give them away for free.



    .mac and Jaguar STILL don't bother me in the least.



    I think 10.2 is going to be the dam-breaker. Now that most of the critical, essential apps are OS X native (well, a huge number of them, anyway), and if 10.2 is a nimble and quick as everyone says (plus all the cool new features and tweaks), I think by year's end, the OS X-using Mac community will increase DRAMATICALLY.



    Personally, there's no way I could (or would) EVER go back to OS 9. If I never see OS 9 or have to launch Classic, that would be fine with me.



    Thank goodness I'm in a position/profession where the stuff I need to do what I do, both for work AND play, is available for OS X.



    And you know what? I'm STILL on record as saying that I don't think this $129 is exactly carved-in-stone either.



    We'll see.
  • Reply 13 of 44
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Oh yeah, regarding the whole thing about the age of the people most upset about .mac and Jaguar:



    I tend to agree with the notion that the older people (not across the board, but in general) have less of a problem with these two things.



    Think about it: if you're under 25 and are a computer user, you grew up (and cut your teeth) in the era of online file-sharing, Napster, Hotline, etc. It's just a common, everyday fact and it's been around as long as you've been using a computer. It probably just feels "right" and expected.



    I'd like to see some sort of poll or hard numbers, but I would be willing to bet that most of the hand-wringing and screaming about .mac and Jaguar since Wednesday HAS indeed been mostly from the under-25 crowd.



    Not ENTIRELY (if you're 44 and pissed off, I don't really need to hear about it, okay? I get it...). But it seems the majority. The really stupid ones, trying to form half-ass boycotts and petitions and so forth, and you can tell from their writing and phrasing (and sucky spelling/sentence structure) that they're young and, no doubt, in the public school system.







    Just kidding. A little.



    In any case, I'm going to have a hard time signing ANY petition written by sOMeonE Who wriTEZ liK ThiS (and is a flaming dipshit on wheels, to boot).







    Put down the Nintendo and go mow a few yards, puddinghead. Learn what it's like to earn the money and actually PAY for something for once.



    &lt;steps off soapbox and sets megaphone down...&gt;
  • Reply 14 of 44
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Kids nowadays don't realize how good they have it.



    They can play Nintendo AND mow the lawn at the <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/streetteam/index.jsp"; target="_blank">same time</a> now.
  • Reply 15 of 44
    cobracobra Posts: 253member
    I think Jaguar is awesome and worth every penny, even if I have to pay full price.



    I am just a bit perturbed that I bought a new Mac on June 15 and have to pay in "full".



    They should have at least a 90 day grace period.
  • Reply 16 of 44
    icarusicarus Posts: 31member
    Im one of those dread youngins who grew up in the age of HL and carracho and KDX. I hate to say this because its so often said by people on every BBS that its like a clique but I like to try things and I dont mean demos. I have paid in full for every major release of OS X though.



    The little mac users that I go to school with all agree that it is well worth it to buy software you love. I buy all the games I like and I probably would pay for .Mac if they allowed you to send a check. :cool:



    As for Jaguar, I've got the dough put away. As for .Mac, ha. I have the money...I just need the means.
  • Reply 17 of 44
    I highly doubt that age has anything to do with the .Mac issue and the many upset Mac users. I'm willing to bet that most of the Mac users pissed off about .Mac are those who recently purchased their first Mac. I'm one of those, and it seemed to me that Apple promised iTools service "for life" just for buying a Mac. I doubt it's just "kids" who are complaining, as most "kids" have their parents buying their computers and paying for most of their expenses. Many posters here at AI are advanced Mac users, but iTools was targeted squarely at the novice, or consumer Mac users (hence the "i" in iTools), those who probably don't need all the .Mac services and are unwilling to pay for them, but are angry because their free "for life" iTools is gone. Remember that most Mac sales of late have been consumer Macs; iMacs and iBooks. The way that Apple announced .Mac and the way that Apple cancelled iTools, without any forewarning, just about guarantees a consumer backlash.
  • Reply 18 of 44
    mcqmcq Posts: 1,543member
    Aw, man... I must be one of those whiney 19 year old college kids you all are referring to. Darn. It's a good thing I can get Win XP and Visual Studio.NET for free through the CS department so I don't have to pay a dime for that junk. I don't have a problem paying for Jaguar, $69 education is perfectly fine. I would also pay the full $129 if I didn't have the education option. It looks like a great OS with some nice improvements.



    .Mac, well I don't see the use for it, so I won't purchase it. It's that simple. I already have enough free e-mail addresses, and I can get web space through my university stuff, so .Mac doesn't offer a lot for me. It is worth it though, and everything will be moving to web services very soon, so for those short-sighted enough not to see it, well too bad. In a couple years when Microsoft figures out just what .NET actually is (I still have yet to get a clear understanding of it), I won't want to see what they're charging for stuff.



    I should probably sign up for ADC, cause if I can get Jaguar that way, it'd be really nice. I was planning to get an ADC student membership soon anyway... yeah I'll probably get it when I go back to college in August.
  • Reply 19 of 44
    pushermanpusherman Posts: 410member
    I had no problem putting down $69 for Jaguar and $49 for .Mac yesterday. Hell, these days it's so easy to take whatever you want for free, it actually feels rewarding to spend your money on things that you feel are valuable. Especially when you know it's otherwise just a 90 minute download from Limewire. But maybe I'm insane.
  • Reply 20 of 44
    torifiletorifile Posts: 4,024member
    Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a discussion about the indiscretions of the youth or the wisdom of the aged. <img src="graemlins/embarrassed.gif" border="0" alt="[Embarrassed]" /> I guess it was a nice respite in here from the ".Mac sux!!! I'm not paying for it, damn it!!! I want it free!!!" and I noticed that all the posters were people who I knew to be amongst the elders.
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