Top Microsoft exec leaving for Amazon.com

[redrumloa]

Linkey

A top Microsoft executive who spearheaded development of the company's new Windows Vista operating system is leaving for Seattle online retailer Amazon.com Inc.

Vista has been plagued by multiple delays during its development. Microsoft last week released a test version of the operating system and on Monday announced suggested retail prices for home and business versions of Vista.

[Argo]

Alot of what I've read on the Vista RC1 is that most opinions are that it is more like a beta release.  :-o

[redrumloa]

I'm just waiting for the day Apple starts selling a retail version of OSX for white boxes, so I can build my own Mac :-)

[maffoo]

redrumloa wrote:
I'm just waiting for the day Apple starts selling a retail version of OSX for white boxes, so I can build my own Mac :-)

Does anyone know why they don't do this? Is it that they don't want to go head-to-head with Windows, or is it because they would then have to support infinite hardware combinations (with all the headaches that would bring)?

[motorollin]

Steve Jobs' Keynote Speech from WWDC 2006

The preview of MacOS X Leopard in that speech makes Vista look like a poor-man's MacOS.

--
moto

[redrumloa]

maffoo wrote:
Does anyone know why they don't do this? Is it that they don't want to go head-to-head with Windows, or is it because they would then have to support infinite hardware combinations (with all the headaches that would bring)?

Apple believes in providing a full experience and having quality control on hardware. There are rumors of them eventually selling a retail version of OSX though.. We will have to wait and see. :-)

[maffoo]

@motorollin

Vista doesn't look like a "poor" man's MacOS to me - look at Vista's pricing here.

Assuming Leopard costs around the same as Tiger ($129 on Apple's site) and is at least equivalent to the Home Premium edition of Vista, Leopard would be better for the "poor man"*  :-) (And IMHO for anyone who doesn't need Windows-specific software.)

* This only applies if the "poor man" already has a Mac, once the cost of buying Mac instead of an el-cheapo PC is taken into account the short-term costs are of course higher.

[motorollin]

@maffoo
I didn't mean poor as in for those who can't afford it. I meant it's a cheap knock-off of MacOS X. Watch Steve Jobs' keynote speech and you'll see why.

--
moto

[GreggBz]

I don't think that Apple is positioned as a software company. Their profit comes from the hardware. To be really successful in the desktop market, historically, you need to focus on one or the other.

If they had OSX for the PC, you'd incur huge driver development costs, some new code, more security exploits, a shinny new target for spyware, a bigger support network and most certainly, unhappy customers.

Plus, there are several (Linux, BSD, Solaris X86) *nix solutions for the PC with which Apple would have to compete, not to mention Windows.

[maffoo]

@motorollin

Yeah I know what you meant, I just felt like knocking Vista a bit more  :-D


It honestly bugs me that Windows is so dominant, it's a shame that more people won't give OS X a go. I bought my first Mac last year (a Mini, soon after it was released) just to try it.  Now I find myself getting annoyed at work (where we use XP) when I try to (for example) view all my open windows using Expose. And it feels so clunky compared to OS X!

[maffoo]

@GreggBz

I thought it might be driver issues, hadn't thought of the security issues though.

I can't see other *nix solutions competing with OS X. OS X "just works", it has a nice user interface (IMO) and Apple is associated with ease of use. Linux, OTOH, is perceived (rightly or wrongly) as complicated, and can seem confusing to newcomers. The same goes for other *nix systems.

OS X might stand a chance in the consumer market, especially if it was pre-installed on PCs through some licensing deal with a major PC company. Admittedly this would cut into their hardware sales, but some people would still want Apple hardware (I for one think the current iMac is gorgeous, Apple definitely makes some of the more stylish PCs!)