Could Apple move to a free OS upgrade model like iOS?

[monkeybongo]

Given that Apple is pushing Mountain Lion out so soon after Lion, I'm wondering if Apple will eventually move to a free iOS style upgrade model, especially since they exclusively sell the hardware anyway? Updates every 1.5 years and total life span of support would be 4-5 years before they no longer support the hardware?

Given that Lion was pushed out through the App store this wouldn't be difficult to do, a nice competitive selling feature over PCs and squeeze the money out of Microsoft licensing Windows for $100+.

 

[hafr]

Given that Apple is pushing Mountain Lion out so soon after Lion, I'm wondering if Apple will eventually move to a free iOS style upgrade model, especially since they exclusively sell the hardware anyway? Updates every 1.5 years and total life span of support would be 4-5 years before they no longer support the hardware?

Given that Lion was pushed out through the App store this wouldn't be difficult to do, a nice competitive selling feature over PCs and squeeze the money out of Microsoft licensing Windows for $100+.

I find it more likely that they will start charging for iOS in that case.

 

[Moonjumper]

They did drop the price a lot compared to the boxed updates (Snow Leopard was a cheap update because it was more about modernising the OS than new features), but doubt they will make it free. But I can see a case for it.

It would bring benefits to Apple. Quicker adoption of the latest version, which would probably bring other positive changes such as more users able to purchase the latest software from the Mac App Store, including those who got an account just to update the OS.

 

[heisenberg123]

I find it unlikely it will be free, the $29 price tag is pretty cheap, that already is an "advantage" over the $300 price tag of Windows. But anything is possible I guess.

 

[matrix07]

It could be free. Free means major adoption, less fragmentation. It gives Apple control over which features they want to push. We'll see soon I guess.

 

[hafr]

It could be free. Free means major adoption, less fragmentation. It gives Apple control over which features they want to push. We'll see soon I guess.

Is the Apple computer market fragmented? Do you have any numbers to share with us?

 

[Bear]

Is the Apple computer market fragmented? Do you have any numbers to share with us?

Fragmentation in this case means people on different versions of OS X.

And you know not everybody upgrades the OS on their computer. Even the people here are using all different versions of OS X.

 

[hafr]

Fragmentation in this case means people on different versions of OS X.

Hehe, thank you for the explanation, but it wasn't necessary

And you know not everybody upgrades the OS on their computer. Even the people here are using all different versions of OS X.

I didn't even think about fragmentation within the different versions, I just focused on OS X vs. other alternatives.

 

[monkeybongo]

It could be free. Free means major adoption, less fragmentation. It gives Apple control over which features they want to push. We'll see soon I guess.

True, it would help out with adoption but the question would be if there are any major features that are coming out on the desktop computing model.

For Lion at $30, I'll upgrade for fun but there wasn't a lot of must-have features and some of the bugs and incompatibilities outweighed having it where a few people went back to Snow Leopard.

 

[heisenberg123]

True, it would help out with adoption but the question would be if there are any major features that are coming out on the desktop computing model.

For Lion at $30, I'll upgrade for fun but there wasn't a lot of must-have features and some of the bugs and incompatibilities outweighed having it where a few people went back to Snow Leopard.

no but there was a few new features that where probably the motive for many to buy Lion (full screen apps, mission control, iCloud, new trackpad gestures) NOW im to here to say alls the features kick butt but they were new and im sure 1 of those were the reason people upgraded.

With Mountain Lion there will be again 3-4 new features that many will pay the 29.99 for even if they are only curious about 1 or 2 of them.

 

[matrix07]

For Lion at $30, I'll upgrade for fun but there wasn't a lot of must-have features and some of the bugs and incompatibilities outweighed having it where a few people went back to Snow Leopard.

That's why I think giving it for free is a good idea. You don't have to think twice and you likely more tolerate some flaws. You can buy $30 software upgrade for fun but yearly is a bit much. And personally I think Lion is awesome. I'm new to Mac though so..

 

[heisenberg123]

That's why I think giving it for free is a good idea. You don't have to think twice and you likely more tolerate some flaws. You can buy $30 software upgrade for fun but yearly is a bit much. And personally I think Lion is awesome. I'm new to Mac though so..

$30 a year is a bit much?

you know windows cost over $300, I know a new windows doenst come out annually but it also is update more often than every 10 years ($30 per year)

 

[Bear]

no but there was a few new features that where probably the motive for many to buy Lion (full screen apps, mission control, iCloud, new trackpad gestures) NOW im to here to say alls the features kick butt but they were new and im sure 1 of those were the reason people upgraded.

With Mountain Lion there will be again 3-4 new features that many will pay the 29.99 for even if they are only curious about 1 or 2 of them.

The best new feature for me in Lion was FileVault 2/full disk encryption. But Lion also broke several things. (Documented by many elsewhere.)

I will have to see if Mountain Lion adds anything I want/need and what it breaks for me.