Apple's Snow Leopard operating system hits Windows 7 in the wallet
SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple's upcoming Mac operating system, Snow Leopard, is an important release for the Cupertino company. Much of that has to do with Microsoft.
Software giant Microsoft is revving its engines in anticipation for its critical follow-up to Vista, called Windows 7, in October. But Apple stuck a branch through Microsoft's spokes at the Worldwide Developers Conference Monday with the announcement of a $29 upgrade price and a September release.
Microsoft, which doesn't have much of a hardware presence to recoup its costs compared with Apple, is unlikely to match that price.
As if that and all of the Windows Vista-bashing that Apple has done in its ad campaigns weren't enough, Bertrand Serlet, Apple senior vice president of OS X software development, took some direct jabs at Windows during his speech.
Serlet started by highlighting the low corporate adoption of Vista. Then, he pointed out how ...
... some of the biggest headaches for developers inherent in Windows will still be there in the upcoming version. Windows 7, Serlet argued, would be just another Vista.
"We come from another place," Serlet said. "We love Leopard."
So Apple went behind the scenes and focused much of its efforts on crafting a sturdier, faster version of its nearly 2-year-old operating system.
Snow Leopard adds some new features, such as an improved version of QuickTime and a feature that integrates the dock with Exposé to simplify switching between windows. It also integrates Microsoft Exchange across key applications, which is designed to sway business users away from Windows.
But there's not much in the way of new bright, flashy features.
Developers, however, get a ton of new kits and gizmos to play around with. And everything is supposed to be a lot more finely tuned. For example, when you install Snow Leopard on top of the current operating system, you actually save hard drive space -- about six gigabytes. Huh?
Retailing as a $29 upgrade for Leopard users, compared with Leopard's $129 price tag at launch in 2007, or $49 for a family pack that's good for five installs, it probably won't be a major revenue driver for Apple.
But the fact that Apple devoted a major chunk of its two-hour keynote to touting the features and technical capabilities of Snow Leopard is telling. True, this was Apple's developers conference, and it's in the company's best interest to get coders excited about the platform.
Still, Apple is doing everything in its power to make users want to upgrade -- and better yet, stay away from Windows.
-- Mark Milian
Interesting
Posted by: Con | June 09, 2009 at 07:45 AM
How do I get it to run on my Dell XPS M1330 laptop with 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7250 w/2 Gb RAM?
Posted by: Jeff Popplewell | June 09, 2009 at 07:47 AM
Jeff - keep an eye on sites devoted to hacking Mac OS X for other Intel hardware. Process varies by hardware instance. But buy a legit copy of the OS before you attempt an install. Keyword is 'hackintosh.'
Truthfully, though, you'd rather have a MacBook. The bundled iLife and the extra (but cheap) iWork are a startling value.
Posted by: Gurney | June 09, 2009 at 09:38 AM
Jeff, Go to this website and have fun:
http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page
Posted by: Karl | June 09, 2009 at 09:45 AM
Microsoft's central argument against Apple technology has hinged on price difference, completely overlooking the quality of user experience. Apple has responded forcefully by upgrading already superior hardware and reducing its price and then went a step further poking Microsoft in the eye with a major upgrade to OS X at a shockingly low price.
Significant numbers of Windows sufferers have resented having to endure Vista and have expressed the hope that Microsoft would release an improved version at a reduced price. As Bertrand Serlet has pointed out Windows is flawed to its core, hanging on to the Registry, DLLs and a tendency to fragment. He subtly pointed out Windows notorious code-bloat by mentioning that Snow Leopard's is 6 GB smaller than Leopard. Yesterday's announced hardware and operating system upgrades can only cause the more sophisticated users to give Apple products a closer look.
The major driver of Apple sales is not so much superior hardware and software and outstanding support but the underlying message that Apple cares about the individual user's experience.
Posted by: Michael Rosenthal | June 09, 2009 at 09:50 AM
Most of the new features are already in Windows. WWDC was a snore fest.
Posted by: Truth | June 09, 2009 at 12:57 PM
If I am a Windows user that would rather have Snow Leopard, then my price to run the OS just went up to $1199 .... The upgrade to Windows 7 will be much less than that. And please dont try the Apple scare tactics. I have been running the RC and it is amazing with performance NIGHT and DAY over Vista. Safari 4 runs very well on it to boot!
Posted by: Chris Haaker | June 09, 2009 at 01:14 PM
The only sad thing about Snow Leopard is that you can't install it on a G4 or G5. It's for Intel CPUs only. Good or bad. That's progress. There are two solutions to fix the Vista monster. Install XP x64 SP2. And, or Ubuntu 9.04. And, I must say that Ubuntu 9.04 kicks the $h^t of *any* version of Windows!
Posted by: Tim | June 09, 2009 at 01:31 PM
I started with Mac, moved onto WinTel, and now split my time b/t Win and Linux. Apple products are overpriced toys using old hardware and a Linux based OS. Seriously, look at their videocard offerings. They charge a premium for old equipment.
Posted by: Allen Pagent | June 09, 2009 at 04:13 PM
After comparing vista and window7 as well as Leopard with Snow Leopard, I realized that Windows 7 is really another version of Vista, not a upgrade. According my experice after using windows 7 a while, it make a bit or no improvements (why many people online say windows 7 is better bacause the Vista is really so bad and widows 7 just fix the problems on Vista, so the benchmark is very low.) While Apple rewrite more than 90% of the Leopard and Snow Leopard is more than 200% faster with additional more than 100 new features.
Otherwise, we,vista users,buy Vista with great expectations and finally downgrade the Vista to XP. Now, we have to pay extra for MS's failures about USD$100 (which I can buy a new version of Vista too, it is so funny!!!!) when upgrade Vista business to Windows 7 professional (according to the Bestbuy). So what about the Snow Leopard, it just cost only USD$29 upgrading from Leopard and USD$49 for family package. By the way, you don't have to worry about which version is fine. Snow Leopard as well as other Apple OS has only one version with all featuers. No Starter, No Professional, No Ultimate
Posted by: Jason | June 10, 2009 at 08:55 AM
Windows should take a clue from Apple and strip out all that legacy code, get rid of the registry, and start with a fresh version. Sure everyone that had old software would be mad but if you want to stay competitive and a leader in technology, sometimes you gotta bite the bullet. With all that money and talent in programming, you think they could do better. I guess that direction has to come from the top however. With Ballmer at the helm, it's not encouraging.
Posted by: Vlad | June 11, 2009 at 11:47 AM
Vlad - So true. It's been apparent to me for years that Microsoft's been digging a grave for Windows (as it exists) by refusing to take a clean-slate approach for the sake of innovation all-around. But when you have 90%+ marketshare of the desktop user experience for around two decades, why bother? The masses have no choice but to take what MS feeds them, right? :) Of course, not. Sooner than we think, Microsoft is going to have to face the music and get their stuff together. This is why competition is *beautiful*.
Posted by: estaples | June 25, 2009 at 09:20 AM
Vista has every feature touted by Snow Leopard. Glad to see Apple is finally catching up. 64-bit support, Vista had it already. Mail works with Exchange? About time Apple is finally interoperating with Microsoft's superior enterprise-class messaging solution. Apple's mail is still the playschool version of Microsoft Outlook. Improved accessibility tools for tards, I'm sure that appeals to most Apple owners.
Posted by: Garth Frankschoen | August 24, 2009 at 11:18 AM
I totally agree with Vlad.
And if I remember correctly, vista was supposed to be a new start with a fresh version... with most of xp's code rewritten. Turns out it was not much of a success, was it ?
I was one of the "lucky" guys who got an actual copy of a beta vista quite some time before its commercial release. Well, a week later I ended up by installing linux out of despair. I have then been working with Kubuntu / Mandriva on my computer until the middle of the month of may 2009 when I purchased my unibody MacBook pro.
Well, to make it short, I think leopard is the best OS to this day.
I don't miss windows, but I miss all the linux side in Mac OsX and of course the apt-get / urpmi commands, thought I have to acknowledge the brilliant work that has been done by the fink and macport teams.
I have great expectations about the snow version, and I am eager to try their new way of inputing Japanese characters. (among other things)
Posted by: Jean | August 26, 2009 at 01:49 PM
Snow Leopard adds in integrated Exchange support as a key feature, better than Windows 7, says Apple.
www.greatecs.com
Posted by: Wen | August 28, 2009 at 02:03 AM
Apple executives took potshots at Microsoft's Windows 7 on Monday as they trumpeted the September release of their company's own Snow Leopard operating system and its $29 upgrade price.....
Posted by: Computer Support | September 08, 2009 at 03:29 AM
What about 32-bit and 64 bit versions, are the differentiates? Or I can just install on any machine. Why I'm asking, - I wasn't able to install leopard OS X on VMware as a virtual machine on 64 bit version. I don't have 32 bit PC to try now.
Posted by: PC Tech | October 08, 2009 at 02:44 PM
Microsoft pushed Windows 7 strongly in the market. Apple should do the same way.
Posted by: Computer repair toronto | November 05, 2009 at 09:23 PM