Why Apple Delayed Leopard for the iPhone 453
Ernest DeFarge writes "Apple recently announced that they've pulled several key programmers from the OS X 10.5 "Leopard" and assigned them to the iPhone in order to get it done on time. In doing so, they delayed Leopard for 4 months. Does that mean that the iPhone is more important to Apple than Mac OS? Or is it just capitalizing on the current state of Apple's fanbase?"
iPhone, OS X, what's the difference? (Score:2, Interesting)
On a related note, I can't wait until OS X and apps begin expecting high-res displays and multitouch input, making the marriage of OS to hardware ever more obvious even to the squarest of squares. Finally that ought to silence the clueless pundits who still try to peg Apple as either a hardware or a software company.
Re:So Ignorant. (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:2, Interesting)
What do you mean? There are probably at least 10 times as many new computers sold with Vista, as with OS X. If Apple had sold operating systems instead of mp3-players, they would have been bankrupt by now. On the other hand, Bill Gates is in no danger of being bankrupt soon.
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:2, Interesting)
Why is it so hard for you linear thinkers to imagine that there exist different ways to value one's work?
I can see why they would delay it (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:5, Interesting)
Paul Graham's article "Microsoft is Dead" [paulgraham.com] may be applicable here. For me, I'm no longer worried about buying another Windows machine (yes, I'm on XP right now) because I no longer use apps that are tied to Windows. In fact, as things go, I use fewer and fewer apps that aren't web based. I just don't need them any more. Beyond that, most of the apps I use have free alternatives and I use them.
The one proprietary application I still use is iTunes with my iPod. So a Mac machine might work for me next time around. I want one because they are so well designed, unlike this HP piece of junk whose battery doesn't make it an hour, and because friends and family have all had very good experiences.
Then again, I might just throw the whole lot out and buy something cheap and put Ubuntu on it.
Whatever the case, there's more to the equation than Bill Gates's relative worth.
Re:They're playing the hype (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:3, Interesting)
There are 18 times as many PCs as Macs
Sales of Vista rank only 10 times as much as sales of OS X
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:3, Interesting)
XP is a good (enough) OS and there's no rush to upgrade
I believe MS failed its costumers by delaying Vista not because of the delay itself (it would be acceptable if they did ship all the new technology that was promised, not just the eye candy), but because the lateness seems due to incompetence and the inclusion of all sort of technology worthless to the end-user (read anti-consumer drm.)
Now let's look at Apple: if 10.5 does ship with new features that really benefit the end-user, all is well and they are forgiven. But if it is late because of the iPhone, and the iPhone turns out not to be a truly revolutionary product for the consumer, then they are no better than MS.
Watch out for the iphone (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Occam's razor (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:2, Interesting)
I know I will probably get modded down for saying this, but I have kharma to burn. Steve Jobs is not god and he seriously botched the announcement of the iPhone in several different and innovative ways.
1) He announced a new product well in advance of actually shipping it.
2) Apple is entering a market place that is extremely competitive with a product which is a multiple of the cost of the competition. Which isn't even technologically competitive.
3) Nearly all of the technology is focused on being cute and pretty. The phone as announced lacks a good number of the features that the majority of phone users use. Contrast that to the iPod.
4) With the price tag the way it is and Apple not already being a major player in the Cellphone market, the likelihood of them actually selling enough phones to make this more than an extravagant affront to their shareholders is practically nill.
Contrast that to Leopard which is pretty much guaranteed to make Apple a significant amount of money. Seems to me like this has so far been pretty much a mistake. Even MS has had the sense to just try and get their OS into the phones. Maybe if they get a significant number of phones with the OS on it they will try to do a phone, but not likely.
Re:Captive market (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Not locked in, locked OUT (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:3, Interesting)
I live in a small and rather undeveloped country (but it's getting better); last week was the first time I have ever (!) seen a Mac. It was an iMac running Windows; the guy, an English person, bought it solely for the WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). Also, none of the people I know own any Apple products whatsoever. I've never seen somebody with an iPod -- hell, I've never *seen* an iPod. Not even a Shuffle.
What you are observing is probably very specific to your country. I might be wrong, but I will reserve my doubts about Apple products gaining popularity in the world in general. There is still a vast European and Asian market. It's likely that Apple is doing well in some western-European countries, but that's _still_ a small market when the whole world is taken into account.
That said, what *I* am seeing where I live is a trend of switching to Linux, and judging by a whole lot of reports from all around the world, *that* is the real revolution that is happening. I am still on XP, but there is no doubt whatsoever in my mind that my next OS is going to be Linux-based, no matter what it takes.
Re:Who is being held captive? (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Apple's Current Priorities (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Unfair comparison (Score:1, Interesting)
I think you might be confused.
relevancy (Score:4, Interesting)
ignore the hype (Score:3, Interesting)
My bet is that the big OS X secret is going to have something to do with new ways of interacting with the computer, using technologies developed expressly for the iPhone initially. All Apple products are high-touch/interactive; the iPhone is *especially* so. The computer and TV platforms can only benefit by that.
These are very exciting times in the OS world. We are *finally* beginning to get an OS that really lives up to everything an OS should be: stable, secure, great UI, intuitive, pleasant.
Wrong Assumption (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:ignore the hype (Score:3, Interesting)
If you have ever seen Apple Logic it is crying out for a touch screen. Acres of on screen knobs, sliders, buttons, switches. It is not the same UI as 1984. A multi-touch Mac would be very hip with DJ's and it is something that other PC makers can't match because Windows development is going nowhere.
> These are very exciting times in the OS world. We are *finally* beginning to get an OS that really lives up to everything
> an OS should be: stable, secure, great UI, intuitive, pleasant.
And ships working and tested inside hardware instead of on a $400 optical disc.
I think it's a cover. (Score:3, Interesting)
Keep in mind that Apple claims the iPhone is delayed until June because of the need for FCC approval... so which story are we supposed to believe?
Also, if you actually break down the time that Leopard has had for development... it's *much* longer than previous releases, and that doesn't have anything to do with the Intel work because Apple's been keeping things in sync for 5 years...
I'm skeptical of the announcement... Either Apple's dates have slipped, or they've got something big. It surprised me that Jobs stood up and said there were "Top Secret" features coming, so I hope he makes good on that promise... I expect the unexpected at WWDC in June.