Stealing the momentum from MS Longhorn

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
There will come a day, probably in 2006, when Microsoft will release Longhorn.



This release, which will be just as important ( for Microsoft ) as the release of Windows95 was, will be the center of a media-blitz. Hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on tv-commercials and magazine ads, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer will be on covers of newspapers and magazines, touting their great code.



What should be Apple´s reaction to this coming juggernaut ?



My own .02 $ on this is that Apple will release 10.4 late this year ( which will probably be a technology upgrade and go for a solid, and very exciting, 10.5 release in april 2006.



10.4 -> More 64 bit. updates on filesystem. Enhanced Linux compatibility ? Minor tweaks and changes to the gui.

I don´t think 10.4 will be as exciting as panther was. I doubt we will see anything close to exposé or fast-user-switching.



10.5 -> This one will be compared to Longhorn. This release is very, very important for Apple. I believe this version, if released close to Longhorn, will define Apple for a long time forward. So for 10.5, we should expect great things.



I remember when OS/2 Warp was released back in 1994. I watch one of the commercials about some people standing in front of a monitor, in awe of something that happened on the screen. "cool!, yeah, this is how it is when you are warping !!! " stupid stupid stupid.



When Windows95 were released, to the tunes of Rolling Stones, the commercials were showing the new desktop and different animations with file-copying and stuff. Everyone knew what it was about, and Windows95 looked new and exciting.



So many upgraded to Windows95 and another operating system ( far superior OS/2 ) went down the drain.



This most not happen to Mac OSX. Millions of people have no clue about what a mac is, or what Mac OSX is. In 2006, they all should know.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 57
    kraig911kraig911 Posts: 912member
    I dont know about then but the problem right now is supposedly (I haven't confirmed this) but there is an unspoken agreement between steve jobs and bill gates, that mac will never advertise its OS and only its hardware, in exchange for Office and what not for mac. Hopefully that won't be around then.
  • Reply 2 of 57
    hyperb0lehyperb0le Posts: 142member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kraig911

    I dont know about then but the problem right now is supposedly (I haven't confirmed this) but there is an unspoken agreement between steve jobs and bill gates, that mac will never advertise its OS and only its hardware, in exchange for Office and what not for mac. Hopefully that won't be around then.



    If that agreement actually exists, then chalk one more onto the list of why Microsoft is abusing its monopoly. That kind of agreement is definitely illegal.
  • Reply 3 of 57
    a_greera_greer Posts: 4,594member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by kraig911

    I dont know about then but the problem right now is supposedly (I haven't confirmed this) but there is an unspoken agreement between steve jobs and bill gates, that mac will never advertise its OS and only its hardware, in exchange for Office and what not for mac. Hopefully that won't be around then.



    If the agreement is unwritten or unspoken, then Apple could break it and if M$ pulls office at the same time, can you say ANTI_TRUST II
  • Reply 4 of 57
    hypoluxahypoluxa Posts: 694member
    Didn't MS Win 95 rip off the Mac GUI in the beginning and Apple sued them but never won for whatever reason (insert conspiracy theory here)....so Apple should just FU to MS and advertise a far superior OS. right?
  • Reply 5 of 57
    scottscott Posts: 7,431member
    It was windows 1.0 that ripped off the Mac OS and Apple sued and "won" in an out of court settlement. Hit an Apple history site for the full details.
  • Reply 6 of 57
    bdonnbdonn Posts: 28member
    That is certainly a catch 22 for Apple, they need Office. I recently switched to MAC and the fact that I could continue to use Office was a huge motivating factor.



    For sure, Apple needs to pump a new OS when MS comes out with Longhorn. Apple is the innovator, they have to stay a few steps ahead of everyone else.
  • Reply 7 of 57
    gh0zttgh0ztt Posts: 42member
    Apple actually licensed the look of it's OS to Microsoft back in 1985. Unfortunately Apple didn't realize that the agreement covered all future versions of the OS, not just 1.0. They fought back and forth in court for years. The legal battle is actually what delayed the release of Windows 95 from the 1st quarter until late August. The court ended up ruling that the 1985 agreement pretty much covered everything and Apple was screwed, so Windows 95 was released.
  • Reply 8 of 57
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    actually, MS is doing a great job of stealing their own thunder. they keep dropping features, by the time it's released there won't be that much to contend with.
  • Reply 9 of 57
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by alcimedes

    actually, MS is doing a great job of stealing their own thunder. they keep dropping features, by the time it's released there won't be that much to contend with.



    True...





    Quote:

    Microsoft promises way more than they deliver with every OS release. Windows 95 was going to make Windows a modern OS. It didn't. Windows 2000 was going to be modern AND fully compatible. It wasn't. Windows XP was going to have a totally new interface based around new concepts (ie, task based computing). It didn't. Longhorn was going to include X, Y and Z. It won't.



    Now Microsoft is saying "Blackcomb will include yada yada yada." It won't.



    That quote is from our very own Barto in this thread.

    He's so right. MS just doesn't get it, never has, never will.
  • Reply 10 of 57
    aquaticaquatic Posts: 5,602member
    Quote:

    If the agreement is unwritten or unspoken, then Apple could break it and if M$ pulls office at the same time, can you say ANTI_TRUST II



    Sure I can but the DOJ can't because they are being bribed illegally. Don't like it? Vote for Kerry, it's about all you can do and even then it's already too late and probably wouldn't make a difference much anyway, as M$ gives to all politicos.



    I had always wondered why there weren't OS X ads. I guess we know now.
  • Reply 11 of 57
    So we need IBm to use their Open campaign to unseat MS and push Open Office such that it doesn't matter if MS Office exists, even in the eyes of the public.
  • Reply 12 of 57
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Code Master

    So we need IBm to use their Open campaign to unseat MS and push Open Office such that it doesn't matter if MS Office exists, even in the eyes of the public.



    I would love to see the day when M$ gets pushed aside, but I cant see it happening right now. People just dont change their minds about these types of things overnight.
  • Reply 13 of 57
    cygsidcygsid Posts: 210member
    man i am sorry to say this but... what a bunch of morons! I am sorry guys, but it's HILARIOUS how somebody just pulls a random claim out of their a** and it's taken as gospel's truth from then onward. Unbelievable.
  • Reply 14 of 57
    moogsmoogs Posts: 4,296member
    I suspect there may not be a 10.5, but rather an OS XI. I think a major overhaul and marketing change every 4-5 years is likely going forward. I also don't think Apple will play up comparisons to Longhorn that much, even if the comparisons favor OS XI (or whatever they call it).



    History shows us that having the superior system has never meant having the superior ad campaign. What's more, OS X is not to the point yet where Apple is going to start trying to win back the OS war. It's already over. Until we get back up around maybe 10 or 12%, it's not even worth trying to fight with that mindset.



    Better to just keep adding enough marketshare to make Apple more and more profitable, so they can continue to innovate and make better products "for the rest of us". I liken it to good music. I know what's good and what's crap. I don't buy my music based on what's most popular, just like I have never bought my computer based on what's popular.



    Let the sheep have their Windows. I couldn't care less.
  • Reply 15 of 57
    Quote:

    Originally posted by zenarcade



    I remember when OS/2 Warp was released back in 1994. I watch one of the commercials about some people standing in front of a monitor, in awe of something that happened on the screen. "cool!, yeah, this is how it is when you are warping !!! " stupid stupid stupid.





    Yep, but the programmers at IBM weren't happy either, it was called OS/2 Warp because it was supposed to run at Warp speed(IE star trek) the marketers didnt get it, and just 'warped' things.
  • Reply 16 of 57
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gh0ztt

    Apple actually licensed the look of it's OS to Microsoft back in 1985. Unfortunately Apple didn't realize that the agreement covered all future versions of the OS, not just 1.0. They fought back and forth in court for years. The legal battle is actually what delayed the release of Windows 95 from the 1st quarter until late August. The court ended up ruling that the 1985 agreement pretty much covered everything and Apple was screwed, so Windows 95 was released.



    I was a beta tester for win95, that is not what delayed it. win95 was buggy, originally it was supposed to be out almost 2 years earlier, and was to be called Windows 4.0(even though the version at the time was like 3.95 or something).

    I even tested msn for free too(had a cool t-shirt that had an anvil falling on a bug).
  • Reply 17 of 57
    dobbydobby Posts: 797member
    Apple wont steal MS thunder as MS has the $ to make thunder.

    XP was everywhere with commercials in most countrys, global release blah blah.

    All I got from the OS X release was a lousy t-shirt!



    The only area Apple cannot compete with Microsoft is in Marketing. Marketing is the domain of MS as its marketing that built what it is today.

    Does anyone really think MS is now big because its OS or apps were good? Yeah Right!



    Dobby.
  • Reply 18 of 57
    hypoluxahypoluxa Posts: 694member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Moogs

    ....



    Better to just keep adding enough marketshare to make Apple more and more profitable, so they can continue to innovate and make better products "for the rest of us". I liken it to good music. I know what's good and what's crap. I don't buy my music based on what's most popular, just like I have never bought my computer based on what's popular.



    Let the sheep have their Windows. I couldn't care less.




    I couldn't agree more
  • Reply 19 of 57
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by DMBand0026

    True...

    That quote is from our very own Barto in this thread.

    He's so right. MS just doesn't get it, never has, never will.




    BTW do you know? the day microsoft produces something, that doesn't suck is probably the day they launch a vacuumcleaner.







    AHHH, i couldn't resist, don't hit me that hard
  • Reply 20 of 57
    vox barbaravox barbara Posts: 2,021member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Aquatic

    ...



    I had always wondered why there weren't OS X ads. I guess we know now.




    I don't believe that "either offive or plain nothin'" story anyway. But, just stretching, if that story contains any sort of truth in it, THAN indeed it is simply called "blackmailing", isn't it?
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