….Mac Geeks Are Excited about Leopard
1. It’s been more than two years - 30 months to be exact - since the last major release of OS X so you can understand why all those fanatic, die-hard, ultra-loyal, dyed-in-the-wool Mac users are so anxious to get their hands on Leopard. This is the fifth major release since OS X was released upon the world in September 2001. Here’s a timeline for the releases.
2. Apple can do no wrong these days judging the by success of the iPod, iPhone, MacBook and iMac - along with Apple’s soaring stock price. As a result, expectations for Leopard are sky-high. Of course, Apple has only fueled the hype-o-metre by promoting how Leopard includes 300 new features. The Wall St. Journal’s Walt Mossberg has it right when it suggests Leopard is an “evolution not a revolution” but don’t tell that to any avid Mac user unless you want to get into a heated discussion.
3. The upgrade is pretty inexpensive - $129 as an upgrade and $199 for a five-license family pack. As well, students get deep discounts. And there’s only one version and it can apparently run on machines going back to 2001. Meanwhile, Microsoft’s Vista starts at $99 for the Home Basic version (upgrade), and tops out at $399 for the UItimate version at Best Buy. Despite Leopard’s low cost, BitTorrent sites are apparently extremely busy with people trying to download free version of the operating system, according to Wired’s ThreatLevel.
4. Apple has taken its time getting Leopard ready - even delaying the launch by four months - while Vista was launched before it was really ready for prime-time. As a result, Vista has struggled, which has only made the Mac look that much better.
5. Steve Jobs as the golden touch. When you’re a computing visionary, design god and strategic mastermind, how can a simple operating system upgrade be anything but excellent?
For some in-depth reviews on Leopard, check out Computer World and the New York Times’ David Pogue.
October 26th, 2007 at 6:22 am
[...] As a relatively new Apple user, I wasn’t really as cognizant of the marketing bonanza surrounding about Tiger or Panther, although I’m sure they it was a big deal for Mac users. But with Mac being used by people and Apple the belle of the ball, it’s easy to see why Leopard is such a big deal. (Note: For a different look at why people are so excited about Leopard, check out Four Reasons Why). [...]