More of my sites

WinInfo Daily News
SuperSite for Windows
Windows IT Pro Magazine
Connected Home
Thurrott Dot Com
Windows Weekly at TWIT

About this site

For six years, the Internet Nexus served as my technology blog, but I've since started blogging at the SuperSite Blog instead. If you're looking for the blog, please head there. --Paul

Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Apple to slow OS X development

MacWorld UK: "Apple has announced that it is going to slow the pace of Mac OS X developments. Apple chief software technology officer Avie Tevanian said: 'We're slowing that pace down a little bit because it's not a sustainable rate. But you'll still see us go really fast.' Since the launch of Mac OS X in 2001 Apple has released three major updates, and plans to show Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger at its worldwide developers conference (WWDC) in July. The company has not announced when Tiger will ship."

A couple of obvious comments here. Given Apple's never-ending marketshare losses, this is probably a bad idea. OS X is even with, or behind, Windows XP in many areas, but you have to start thinking about the next generation. With Microsoft getting ready to ship Longhorn in two years, now is the time that Apple should be churning out the upgrades and getting a lead on XP for a change. You know, maybe actually innovate for a change and make the OS as easy to use as it is beautiful to look at.

One (unrealistic) thing I'd like to see Apple do is stop charging its loyal customers for every single minor OS X upgrade. For three of the last four years, OS X customers have had to pay dearly for Apple's development process, at a rate of $130 a pop. That's unfair to customers, but it's also the only way Apple can afford to keep developing OS X, so it's sort of a Catch-22. Meanwhile, Microsoft, with its mountains of cash and steady corporate licensing fees, has been improving XP over the years, and not charging customers for the privilege (or charging them very little, such as the $20 fee one would pay for Plus! Digital Media Edition). Apple doesn't benefit from Microsoft's economics, but I find it odd that the company would soak its most loyal customers so readily: Only the true diehards have been using and upgrading OS X every year.

[ Posted at 10:16 AM | Permalink ]