it seems to me that the launching of an OS whether it is OS X or Windows, etc... has seriously lost some power over the years.
first of all this does not include geeks like me and others here who await the next OS as soon as the last one is released but the general public who dont spend their time on computer forums
Windows 7 launched today and it has barely made a splash from what i have seen and heard or i should say haven't heard from friends. Snow Leopard again was nothing like when Leopard launched and in fact most people i work/live around haven't even upgraded yet and are in no hurry to do so. this was certainly not the case when Vista and Leopard launched and it seems to be getting less and less eventful to the general public.
the ability to go into a Best Buy or Fry's etc.. today and buy a laptop with Linux on it is just amazing and Google's Chrome will certainly be making its way to a store near you very soon. just a few years ago Linux to the mainstream was just a word they heard geeks use and today they are buying laptops with Linux on them and are able to figure out how to use it.
as a sideline i fix/build Mac's/PC's and generally sell about 15 to 20 computers a year that i either buy cheap and resell or fixup then sell etc... and what i have started to see is that people (not computer forum members) have stopped caring about brand loyalty but just want it to work, be simple to understand, and the famous "not get virus's" its the "not get virus's" that have allowed me to move a lot of people over to Mac in the past few years and it gets easier with every new clever Apple commercial.
the OS you are using is becoming less important and its size or abilities seems to be overtaking the OS battle. this again does not apply to people reading this but just the average check your email, manage your music, and print some pictures people which is by far the majority of computer users.
it was only a few years ago when the people who came to me for a computer or to upgrade/fix theirs would demand a certain OS and thought they knew why they wanted it when really it was because they heard it was the best or easier or whatever and that has completely changed. Apple has been a big part of people starting to get comfortable and even wanting to leave Windows for the first time in their lives but this has opened up the doors for Linux distro's and soon Google to be acceptable OS's for their home computers and they no longer feel like they wouldn't know how to use them.
it has been exciting to see this change as i was certainly tired of always fixing an XP machine or spending the time to find drivers to up/downgrade a Vista laptop back to XP.
i see a future where the OS will not be the #1 deciding factor on which computer someone buys but will be more about price and its features for the price. this isn't happening today as its clear that Apple has gained market share with a more expensive product but at the same time this has happened it has also opened up the average person's mind that you do not need Windows to do everything you want to do and it will open the door for Google and more Linux distro's becoming mainstream.
i am a big fan of Apple products as they are built with quality and have a strong OS for both their computers and their phone but i have always enjoyed the open source feel of Linux and now Android and soon the Google OS im sure and the fact that these new and advancing OS phone and computer options are starting to develop to be options for the average user.
everything changes with time and it looks like the days of the world stopping and 24 hour news coverage of a new OS by one of the big players is fading and it is becoming more about the brand new stuff and the new options out there.
first of all this does not include geeks like me and others here who await the next OS as soon as the last one is released but the general public who dont spend their time on computer forums
Windows 7 launched today and it has barely made a splash from what i have seen and heard or i should say haven't heard from friends. Snow Leopard again was nothing like when Leopard launched and in fact most people i work/live around haven't even upgraded yet and are in no hurry to do so. this was certainly not the case when Vista and Leopard launched and it seems to be getting less and less eventful to the general public.
the ability to go into a Best Buy or Fry's etc.. today and buy a laptop with Linux on it is just amazing and Google's Chrome will certainly be making its way to a store near you very soon. just a few years ago Linux to the mainstream was just a word they heard geeks use and today they are buying laptops with Linux on them and are able to figure out how to use it.
as a sideline i fix/build Mac's/PC's and generally sell about 15 to 20 computers a year that i either buy cheap and resell or fixup then sell etc... and what i have started to see is that people (not computer forum members) have stopped caring about brand loyalty but just want it to work, be simple to understand, and the famous "not get virus's" its the "not get virus's" that have allowed me to move a lot of people over to Mac in the past few years and it gets easier with every new clever Apple commercial.
the OS you are using is becoming less important and its size or abilities seems to be overtaking the OS battle. this again does not apply to people reading this but just the average check your email, manage your music, and print some pictures people which is by far the majority of computer users.
it was only a few years ago when the people who came to me for a computer or to upgrade/fix theirs would demand a certain OS and thought they knew why they wanted it when really it was because they heard it was the best or easier or whatever and that has completely changed. Apple has been a big part of people starting to get comfortable and even wanting to leave Windows for the first time in their lives but this has opened up the doors for Linux distro's and soon Google to be acceptable OS's for their home computers and they no longer feel like they wouldn't know how to use them.
it has been exciting to see this change as i was certainly tired of always fixing an XP machine or spending the time to find drivers to up/downgrade a Vista laptop back to XP.
i see a future where the OS will not be the #1 deciding factor on which computer someone buys but will be more about price and its features for the price. this isn't happening today as its clear that Apple has gained market share with a more expensive product but at the same time this has happened it has also opened up the average person's mind that you do not need Windows to do everything you want to do and it will open the door for Google and more Linux distro's becoming mainstream.
i am a big fan of Apple products as they are built with quality and have a strong OS for both their computers and their phone but i have always enjoyed the open source feel of Linux and now Android and soon the Google OS im sure and the fact that these new and advancing OS phone and computer options are starting to develop to be options for the average user.
everything changes with time and it looks like the days of the world stopping and 24 hour news coverage of a new OS by one of the big players is fading and it is becoming more about the brand new stuff and the new options out there.