Jobs: Leopard Will Anchor Product Schedule For A Decade

[Peace]

Here's a prediction for your consideration.

The way Leopard works it will necessitate the production of a better Apple mouse , New Backlit LED displays , 5MP built-in cameras etc.

With the demand for Apple products increasing big broadband companies will need to upgrade the broadband infrastructure to meet demand or go down in flames.

The transition to Intel will also require Apple to update it's O/S to keep up with technology which in turn creates said demand.

If Apple can keep it up it will be the benchmark for high technology.

This is what Leopard will do.

 

[lazyrighteye]

So, we will continue to see Mac OS X for 10 years?

Now I'm really curious what OS XI will bring us.

Teleportation.

 

[milo]

Uh.. what? That was the pace back in 2002-2005. The Tiger-Leopard transition took 30 months. What is he talking about?

He's talking about the *average* of one a year. Leopard was an exception, he's saying the pace will pick up again.

Annual upgrades are just too expensive, and they are a major shift that takes time to install and has the potential to introduce compatability issues. I'd much rather see them less often but with lots of things added via software update. Personally, I'm OK with 18-24 months for paid upgrades with frequent bugfixes in the meantime.

 

[whatever]

OSX is a Unix derived system. Even if apple want to dwell on its current incarnation for a decade. Linux will not stop, and if apple won't follow up (which apparently is true as of now), it won't be happy for apple.

I don't understand your comment/

Who said Apple plans to dwell on it's current incarnation? There is no Linux distribution that comes close to competing in the consumer market with OS X or even Windows Vista.

Is their a version of Linux available today that includes everything a consumer needs (including a DVD player).

I'm just so tired of the Linux argument. I don't see if ever making it in the mainstream.

 

[hadleydb]

Teleportation.

Sweet! Perhaps this is one of Leopards "Secret Features"

 

[Whiskerdreams]

Is there any info on when new Macs will come with Leopard pre-installed?

My understanding from an Apple Retail person this weekend was that Leopard would be included with every Mac sold after 6 pm on Friday. It may be a drop in box copy but it will be with the machine. For it to be loaded on the machine I think it needs to be manufactured after the announcement.

 

[teadams]

The next Windows is code-named Windows 7? I guess Microsoft is getting tired cow jokes...

I sort of wonder where they came up with Windows 7 as a code name. Does it show that people at MS can't count?
Windows 1, 2, 3 (and 3.11), 95, ME, 98, XP and Vista seem to be 8, and I didn't bother with the NT and 2000 flavors.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Linux?

OSX is a Unix derived system. Even if apple want to dwell on its current incarnation for a decade. Linux will not stop, and if apple won't follow up (which apparently is true as of now), it won't be happy for apple.

Linux is not a threat to OS X in any way whatsoever. Linux is still not and probably never will be a viable desktop operating system for non-geek users. Even the best efforts, like Ubuntu, are really just a few shaky catwalks built for average users to step on, but if they don't watch their steps they will be plunged into the Linux abyss and run screaming back to Microsoft.

BSD is a great foundation for OS X, but OS X has a bullet proof user interface layer on top of it. There is nothing the Linux world is doing that Apple hasn't already done far, far better when it comes to personal computing.

 

[milo]

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not. While I love the fact Apple is really investing in their future, a major release every year and a half means that I (as a music producer) potentially need to pay for new Protools software, plug-ins, (don't tell me waves isn't going to capitalize on this) potentially new hardware and have to fear that some of my programs will just stop working. And yes, I can of course just not upgrade, but what can I say, Apple makes great products.

Or you could find companies that don't bend you over like Waves and Digidesign do. That's one of the biggest reasons I dumped both of those companies years ago.

 

[HawaiiMacAddict]

Aloha everyone,

Sorry for being late to the party, but what with being six hours behind y'all East Coast guys and all .....

In January, ironically during "Vista Launch week", Steve Ballmer himself spoke of the next Microsoft OS, codenamed Vienna (in the fourth paragraph). I wonder where this Windows 7 thing came from? I'm confused, but that's my normal reaction when it comes to Microsoft.

HawaiiMacAddict

 

[lazyrighteye]

I just hope Apple spends more time on the Mac in 2008 than the iPod, iPhone and AppleTV. There wasn't enough focus on the Mac in 2007. Now with Leopard ready to be released, they will pay more attention to the Mac. I'd like to see some new hardware options and some great new (completely new) software from Apple.

There will be a refocus on hardware in '08.
And, curious, what completely new software would you like to see from Apple?

 

[compuguy1088]

The next Windows is code-named Windows 7? I guess Microsoft is getting tired cow jokes...

I think Vista's codename was based either on a ski resort or a restaurant, though I may be confused with Blackcomb....

 

[Steve Jobs=God]

Ok, as cool as new updates are, I don't like shelling out $120+ every year to year and a half. That's even with an education discount! WTF?
While I certainly agree that Microsoft's schedule kinda sucks, it's not like Apple's price scheme is much different. Windows = $400 every 5 years, Mac = $100 every 1-1.5 years. Not much of a difference, unfortunately.
Regular GOOD updates would be good, rather than new versions all the time...

If your not happy with shelling out $120+ every year on a OS update, then don't. Simple really

SJ isn't standing behind you with a magnum pointed into your back forcing you to go into a Apple store and pick up a copy is he?

 

[chr1s60]

I personally would rather have a new OS every 18-24 months instead of 12-18 months. I enjoy getting a new OS, but one every 12-18 months seems too close together. I think an extra 6 months or so in between would allow for a better product. I know his quote is just an estimate, but if he were to stick to it, I would prefer there to be a few more months in between releases.

 

[Whiskerdreams]

"...that the next Windows release, code-named Windows 7, may not come until 2010."

We can only imagine what Apple will have out by then...

Of course that date is a Microsoft date... Hmmm... Let's calcuate this... Longhorn was supposed to be out in 2003... That actually happened with a bunch less features in 2007... That's 4 years...

That makes Windows 7 out in 2014 or 2015...

 

[compuguy1088]

Aloha everyone,

Sorry for being late to the party, but what with being six hours behind y'all East Coast guys and all .....

In January, ironically during "Vista Launch week", Steve Ballmer himself spoke of the next Microsoft OS, codenamed Vienna (in the fourth paragraph). I wonder where this Windows 7 thing came from? I'm confused, but that's my normal reaction when it comes to Microsoft.

HawaiiMacAddict

Vienna could be the code name for the next windows, but windows 7 is referring to the version number, I.E. Xp is 5.1, and Vista is 6

 

[odedia]

I didn't go through all the posts, but Steve also hints that the next releases of Mac OS X would probably offer some sort of interface using the multi-touch technology.

Indeed, many of the new features in the Leopard operating system version are incremental improvements. But Mr. Jobs said he was struck by the success of the multitouch interface that is at the heart of the iPhone version of the OS X. This allows a user to touch the screen at more than one point to zoom in on a portion of a photo, for example.

“People don’t understand that we’ve invented a new class of interface,” he said.

He contrasted it with stylus interfaces, like the approach Microsoft took with its tablet computer. That interface is not so different from what most computers have been using since the mid-1980s.

In contrast, Mr. Jobs said that multitouch drastically simplified the process of controlling a computer.

 

[Project]

Let's just hope Leopard gets a better reception than Vista, which went down like a lead balloon (Shouldn't be difficult, if they haven't broken compatibility or gone OTT with security prompts)

The release schedule is fine. There were times I would've argued that yes Microsoft may have brought out fewer upgrades but that they're usually mammoth ones like XP and Vista, whilst Apple charge £85(!) every 12-18 months for what is basically a service pack (let's face it, Tiger wasn't much more than Panther+Spotlight). However Leopard seems like quite a big release, and probably worth it. If they keep up the kind of innovation they have been recently, they have a bright future ahead.

I had to pratt about with our chairman's PC this afternoon, trying to get a webcam working. First it took forever finding drivers, then it had all sorts of weird graphical problems relating to the motherboard's chipset, and everything you tried involved rebooting the thing and waiting ages for it to start up. In the end I had to downgrade the graphics performance (turn down the 3D acceleration). I said "you know, it's sad we can't use them here because we rely on Windows-only apps, but at home you'd love a Mac. There would've been none of this messing about - plug in a webcam and it just works... or nowadays has one built in". I think he's convinced

Anyway... it's highly reassuring that Macs are doing so well. I think the Vista debacle actually has a good chance of giving Macs a decent market share.

Yeah, I can't figure out those people who are saying that Tiger to Leopard is a 'service pack' and not a big OS update. Or those who are saying Apple is updating too quickly.

Leopard is 2.5 years since Tiger and much more than a service pack. Service Packs by and large bring no new functionality to an OS. The only one that sort of bucked the trend was XP SP2, which was brought on by Microsofts poor project management for Longhorn and a huge issue with security in XP which simply had to be fixed in order to keep some sort of a reputation. And even then it was security and wifi/bluetooth improvements. Certainly not the equivalent of Panther > Tiger or Tiger > Leopard for the end user.

And those people who are moaning about the upgrade cycle compared to Windows do not need to upgrade. A lot of people upgrade every other version for the $129. Myself personally, would rather update every 18-24 months and keep on the cutting edge, using the latest features as soon as possible. But you have the choice to stay with whatever version you are currently running. With Windows you had no choice but to stick with an antiquated XP for 5 1/2 years.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Personally, I would push 10.6 back to around 20-24 months and take the time to fix the few things that OSX does not well.

I agree with that. And second it. And etc.

OSX should be a 2 year thing, because most upgrades they gave so far haven't been staggeringly brilliant. This OS might be the first awesome upgrade since OSX came along. Dashboard- yawn; I think 99.9% of us could live without that. The rest of it was alright. I have lamented everything since 10.2 because it all became fluffy excuses to get cash from folks.

Apple should update features and add features in the ol' OS updates as much as possible. It isn't like we will go buy anything else when the pay upgrades come along.

If Apple doesn't have serious, new, hardware upgrades that change the function of the OS, a full new version is sad.

24 - 30 months. Unless the OS makes an amazingly super wonderous leap. 2010 sounds good for 10.6.

PS- Predicting 10 years with technology is kind of ridiculous, Jobs. You know that. 7 years and everything is different. Heck, 5 years and stuff is well progressed. Anyone remember cell phones 5 years ago? or Apples 5 years ago? CRTs? Or VHS? 5 years has changed the shape and technology drastically, though it was all technology that began coming into the market about 7 years ago. Now think back to 1997!... I purchased a Power Mac that year, and had a cell phone, and CRTs and VCRs and etc. It is totally different stuff these days. Put yourself in 2017 and everything will be quite different- DVDs dead, mega-super-home computers making head spin, cell phones will probably have everything we have now in the $10 models and the cell phone-organizer-home entertainment identity device will carry and manipulate everything you are and want to be, etc etc, and everything will begin to hook up together I suspect. How can Jobs predict the operating system? Some geek makes potatoes function as super computers and the current OS goes to hell.

 

[lazyrighteye]

So would I but I don't think so. The dropping of Computer from the Apple name was more telling than people imagine. Expect to see Apple branch out even further and continue to flesh out their non-computer products even more. I am sure the Macs will get a look-in but the days when they took centre stage are over.

For better, or worse (and I support the 'better' camp), AGREED.

For those that have yet to pick up on/accept this, the days of (say) the tower being the center of the Apple universe are long gone.
We, as consumers, have to start rethinking what a computer experience looks like, feels like - because Apple already is (thank goodness).
The concept of having one, designated desktop computing environment is not much different than having one, designated telephone environment - dead. Even after using an iPhone for 3 months, laptops even begin to seem near pointless. Not quite yet, but the end of life on that concept seems closer than not.

Fact is, iPhones, tablets and the like all represent where personal computing is headed. Lighter, more mobile, more personal devices will be Apple's focus the next decade. And it should be.

No sense fighting it. Adapt or die or go buy a Dell.

 

[milo]

OSX should be a 2 year thing, because most upgrades they gave so far haven't been staggeringly brilliant.

Which upgrade to any OS, ever, would you describe as "staggeringly brilliant"?

 

[miloblithe]

The pace of OSX updates has consistently slowed:

10.0 3/24/01
10.1 9/25/01 (6 months)
10.2 8/23/02 (11 months)
10.3 10/24/03 (14 months)
10.4 4/29/05 (18 months)
10.5 10/26/07 (30 months)

I'm with the people who don't think we'll see 10.6 until 2010, which is 26 months away. Although the end of 2009 seems possible. I also think we'll see 10.6 either well before the next Windows release, or soon afterwards (for marketing reasons).

 

[iPhil]

Dashboard- yawn; I think 99.9% of us could live without that.

if you don't want dashboard to be active then 'kill' it aka turn it off via Dashboard killer

 

[LoganT]

what does "P" stand for (Steven P Jobs)?

Penis.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Which upgrade to any OS, ever, would you describe as "staggeringly brilliant"?

OSX was STAGGERING brilliant, and 10.2 was totally awesome. Everything since was sort of fluff.

if you don't want dashboard to be active then 'kill' it aka turn it off via Dashboard killer

Thanks for that. But, it is here, and I will use it, but it isn't like it does stuff any faster or better than paths I chose before. It's a minor organizational tool that is good enough to stay.