Apple however has changed from providing decent support, to being greedy and telling its customers if you want to upgrade the OS you need a new system. Prior to this we upgraded out PC's when they became slow after many years which is understandable. Now a perfectly solid mac pro cannot get its OS upgraded. Funny that Windows 8 can be loaded on 8 year old computers but Apple decided it wont bother.
Apple is clearly telling its customers your 3yr system is on its last legs even though its running like a dream. SO time to throw some money at us and get a new model because thats what we want.
You will get OS 10.6 updates. You need to change your comment to "run the latest and greatest operating system."
That's never been guaranteed. You can run 'a' 64 bit OS, just not the most current. Granted, you can't get latest features, but you'll get bug fixes and security patches.
Are you saying that Microsoft's OS is better because it supports all HW/Drivers perfectly? (oh, maybe not perfectly, but they do support it... until it doesn't work, then they'll tell you to 'oh, go buy a new graphics card, or your BIOS isn't right, or, your Disk Drive doesn't work well with our new SATA-1 driver'... Microsoft tells you what you want to hear... until you actually want it supported).
And More importantly, how is that working out for Microsoft?
Apple is clearly controlling the market through updates, and these updates whether ios or osx clearly work on previous generations however Apple can play the cheeky side and add some code so that the device wont accept it or make it run slow to purposely force people to upgrade.
Damned if you do, damned if you don't. in iOS, having a 'forked' OS that supports some things in older devices, and different things in newer devices is a bad thing... but with a Mac... it's a requirement.
In Apple it's more of... If we add a new XXX piece of hardware, and fully exploit it, how many can we add before the OS build kit becomes unwieldly in terms of size, complexity, stability, and variances in User Experience. (Oh, this combo of OS and HW, won't support this app, or this function). Better to keep it to 'all' or 'nothing' If you support this OS, all this is available to you (coder).
You've got to limit the comet's tail.
Once again, a computer has always been known to accept an upgrade to a newer OS application, sometimes with a simple RAM upgrade, a car has always been limited to about 3years warranty service. Its Apple thats going backwards especially with the non upgradeable retina macbook.
x11bty
OS is not 'Application' Kernel mode stuff has never been an 'always' thing. User Mode code, yes. at best binary compatible, maybe a recompile to get new optimizations, but sometimes you have to recode, because a library is deprecated.
There is warranty service, and there is 'unlimited upgrades' Apple still supports the box, gives the box you bought service, and will fix critical bugs through the prior release for 'just off SW upgrade path list' older hardware. I can't get the latest Engine in my 3 year old BMW from the dealer, nor can I get the latest firmware for that engine installed either.
You forget apple makes the HW and the SW 'together.' The failing of Windows was that the SW had to support the largest swath of HW. Apple tunes its SW for the HW on the market. Eventually, to take advantage of 'new stuff' it has to make a decisions to not support 'old stuff' in the HW.
I mean, if 10.7 is supporting 3 generations (old, current, newest) gives me better stability, security, performance effectiveness of those platforms, and I have an OS that gives me the same for the older, really old, and very old (10.6.9), Are you really 'not supported?'
I do think that Apple is 'leaning' its Mac OS for 'missing link' Mac/Pad transition device, and removing all 32bit support (design compromises made in 2007 for 2008/9 shipments), so it can do OTA upgrades (do I want a 130GB download, 90% of which is for platforms I don't run, and 60% of the Mac Community doesn't run), and be supportable for $19.99 for a household license?
Yes, Apple is looking at the bottom line, but they are looking at the 'experience' as well. I want a good experience... at a great price. If you want infinite upgradeability, then well, I guess you should write your own OS. Nothing is stopping you... You own the HW.
