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Microsoft's Holding
Pattern
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Is it just me, or is Redmond in a holding pattern? It seems that
all the innovation is happening elsewhere in the computer industry
these days.
Apple is a prime example of this. It continues to update OS X
and other software packages at a good clip. Panther
contains a boatload of new features that will make the upgrade (even
paid) worthwhile for Mac users.
Hardware also seems to be coming along nicely. After a couple of
years of its own holding pattern with the G4, the new G5 is a welcome
relief. The iMac and PowerBooks are also on a reasonable refresh
cycle.
If you consider the amount of software that Apple is also
constantly updating, it would seem that the tech heads at Apple are
working double shifts.
While it would be a simple matter to point derisively at
Microsoft's slothful movements, I'm starting to feel a little bad for
my PC using counterparts. Take Internet Explorer, for example. While
friends and family wade through pop-ups and stacks of windows (no
tabs, you know), Mac users are enjoy the svelte and robust Safari.
Pop-ups are a thing of the past and tabs make browsing much much
easier.
Of course, PC users have access to more modern browsers, but the
fact that the vast majority of Web users use Internet Explorer
indicates that most are content with mediocrity.
The snail's pace of Microsoft's development has its negative
effects, though. Because Internet Explorer is tied to the OS, it
won't be updated until Longhorn ships in another two or three years.
[The latest
bet is late 2005 or sometime in 2006. ed] This leaves Web
designers in the relative coding dark ages, because the vast majority
of users are using an extremely out of date browser.
I've been wondering lately where Apple and other nimbler players
will be when Longhorn finally ships. What new features will we be
seeing? At the current rate, I'm pretty chuffed about what we may see
as the years roll by. We may see OS X 10.5 or 10.6 before
Longhorn ships.
I'm less confident that Windows users are as excited. Perusing a
few sites that have reviews of alpha versions of Longhorn leaves
little to be excited about. Now I understand that alpha versions will
look nothing like the final product, but new features in Longhorn
alpha seem like features that have been available for OS X for
at least a year or more.
To be absolutely fair, Apple has a bit of an advantage with
OS X. Because it's new, development is probably a bit quicker
than on the Windows side of things.
But it's nice to be on riding with Apple this time around. There's
still a feeling of possibility when I start my Mac.
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
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