Tech Blog

[#1]

As announced earlier this week, Apple's latest version of the Macintosh operating system (Snow Leopard) will be released August 28th, this Friday. Which means, if I get my butt in gear and order it today, I'll likely have it in my hot little hands by the weekend. Future Shop promises (as I write this) that Snow Leopard upgrades will be available in-store and online on Friday. Which in turn means I know what I'll be doing this weekend -- upgrading my Mac Mini

But why am I excited about this upgrade? Well, for two reasons, one from a technical perspective (I like working on gear) the other from a business perspective.

First let me address the technical by quoting a bit from Apple's news release (emphasis mine):

Apple engineers refined 90 percent of the more than 1,000 projects that make up Mac OS X. Users will notice refinements including a more responsive Finder; Mail that loads messages up to twice as fast; Time Machine with an up to 80 percent faster initial backup; a Dock with Exposé integration; QuickTime X with a redesigned player that allows users to easily view, record, trim and share video; and a 64-bit version of Safari® 4 that is up to 50 percent faster and resistant to crashes caused by plug-ins. Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version and frees up to 7GB of drive space once installed.

Ok, I realize that a lot of that paragraph is marketing speak, and I understand that 'My Mileage May Vary', but still, if Apple engineers were able to do half of what's outlined in that one paragraph, the OS upgrade is a no brainer.

I'll touch on more of the features at the end of this post, but I need to get on to the reason why this OS release is exciting to me from a business perspective.

Apple beats Microsoft out of the gate
Even though they are two different operating systems, ostensibly running on different hardware platforms (less so these days, it seems), by Apple getting OSX out and in front of consumers now, prior to Windows 7's launch, they get the advantage of being first to market...which means:

• Competition-free window until Microsoft launches Windows 7
• More 'buzz' as Mac advocates blog, review and promote their spanky-new OS in this window
• Potential increase in hardware sales as buyers unwilling to wait for Win7 convert to Mac
• More time to promote upgrade price differential vs Win7

It's that last bullet point that really is an issue that got my attention. By offering the upgrade at this pricepoint, Apple effectively removes price from the equation when existing Mac owners considering an upgrade. And if you bought a new Mac since June 8th , you qualify for a significantly reduced price upgrade to Snow Leopard.

So, lets talk pricing then.
OSX is available in three cool price packages here in Canada:

• Single License - $34.99
• Family Pack licenses (single household 5 licenses) $59.99
• Apple's Up-To-Date pricing if you bought a new Mac since June 6h $9.99 (Via Apple)

Microsoft's announced pricing and packages matrix is significantly more complex...the OS wars may just heat up again!

Ok, when the news broke I took a look at the whole list of enhancements in this upgraded version of OSX, and to be frank, it's too long to list here -- so I've linked to it. But a few points in the update did catch my eye:

• Dock upgrades - increasing usability of the interface
• Faster shutdown and wakeup times
• Safari 4 - significant update to Apple's browser
• Smaller HD footprint - could free up as much as 7GB!
• Systems apps rewritten and compiled for 64bit CPUs

There are many, many improvements and new features in this OS. As you can see, they're not all that obvious at a user level, but this OS release really does position Apple nicely.

Message Edited by bgrier on 08-28-2009 09:40 AM

Message Edited by ElizabethS on 09-10-2009 07:12 PM

[#2]

So.....

Convince me that this "Snow Leopard" isn't just "Leopard Service Pack 1."

[#3]

Credible_Chris... that comment really hurts your credibility. Look at the list of new features and rewrites listed above and it's clear this is much more than just an SP. Even the 64 bit upgrade makes this more than an SP. 

[#4]

@Credible_Chris: You pose a good quesiton; what is the difference between a Service Pack and an Upgrade. I can't speak for Apple, but based on my experience I think the main difference between a SP and upgrade version relates to the number of new features and technology milestones achieved in the upgrade. Upgrades usually also have all SP issues rolled up into them. As @gbishop mentioned, the 64b re-code and re-compile alone is a significant upgrade.

[#5]

From the CNET.com review:

"Apple is careful to point out that Snow Leopard isn't a complete system overhaul, but rather a collection of hundreds of smaller refinements to make Leopard run more gracefully"

Pointing to Snow Leopard as a Service Pack appears to be a logical conclusion.