There's more to Tiger than just code - reading beyond the media hype

Home > Technology > There's more to Tiger than just code - reading beyond the media hype

There's more to Tiger than just code - reading beyond the media hype

Date Created: 23 Apr, 2005, 09:11 AM

Tiger is but a week away from "official" release.

MacSurfer is carrying reports of early shipment so pre-orders will be in hungry hands in the days leading up to the release at 6pm. Apple stores as well as privately held shops (Australia has yet to open a bricks-and-mortar Apple-owned store, nor an iTunes Music Store, but that's another story) are readying for an evening of entertainment, information and Mac comaraderie. If you have a switcher in your midst, it's a good time to bring them into a Apple store.

Already it's possible to see the how reactions to Tiger are clustering.

Polls seems to suggest many Panther and Jaguar users will pay for the upgrade, even if they may be quite happy with the performance of their current systems. They've learnt that each feline upgrade has led to better performance, not just more features. In other words, the upgrading Mac OS experience has not been one of increased bloat, but of refinement and fine tuning - as well as new features.

For Windows switchers, that will come as an enlightening experience. Old heads will remember the huge hype Windows 95 brought with it, and indeed it was a monumental breakthrough compared to Windows 3.1, even if Mac users had experienced many of Windows "features" for over ten years! If they've come to the Mac in the past eighteen months, they will be experiencing a Mac OS upgrade hype for the first time. But not for the last! My guess is we may well be at 10.4.8 or so before Longhorn is released commercially. I do see Microsoft apologists claiming to be using Longhorn developers' kits and raving about what will be, but hey - Jo and Joanne Blow out in the 'burbs are using OS X Tiger now!

The other cluster are the nay-sayers, those who see Apple extracting "yet another" USD129 from its brain-dead cultist users who know no better than adhere to the Apple line.

They command further attention in their writing by focussing on only one or two features of Tiger (e.g., Spotlight and Dashboard) and ignoring the "under the hood" improvements. Of course, comparisons are then made to what Longhorn will do in two years, which must raise faith in vapourware to new vacuous heights. "Here and now" must surely trump "it's coming and it will be better (if you wait two years)".

But there is a third group who are responding to Tiger. And these are those like me who see the impact Tiger will have on the general IT industry. I don't mean large enterprises locked into Microsoft's business model, nor large-scale Linux roll outs.

I mean the millions of personal computer users - individuals, small businesses, home offices, schools, research and educational institutions and the creative arts industries.

If I'm not mistaken, Tiger is carrying on the excitement factor Apple has successfully returned to with the iPod/iTunes phenomenon, such that many eyes are looking to Apple for ideas and inspiration.

Tiger won't just bring to its users new features and a faster OS - it will create new interest in Apple for a start from those still dismissive of its endeavours. For me, Tiger will help capitalise on the disenchantment many have with the Windows platform for all the reasons now familiar - viruses and pop-ups, spyware and malware, etc.

Blue Screen of Death and random crashes are pretty much a thing of the past with Windows Xp, granted, but the interminable fixes and updates must surely be suggestive by now that the vigilant care and feeding of Windows is a drain on time and resources.

The answer to "why do you have a Mac?" asked by curious and potential switchers is no longer to be a mini-treatise on user interface issues, or Powerbook build quality, but something that goes to the heart of the matter: "It just works".

The implication is that as easy on the eye as the Mac OS is, as friendly as it is (but room for improvement too), when I need it to, it gets out of my way and lets me get on with the task at hand.

Simple, no?

But Tiger will create bucketloads of column inches and minutes of audio-based reviews, and the buzz will spur on developers and hardware designers to come up with the goods to be part of the buzz and coolness of Apple's products.

Apple users are excited about their hardware and software - in the Windows domain that emotionality principally belongs to gamers is my guess: tinkerers of videocards and overclocking to get a few extra frames. The rest just want Windows to get out of their faces, yet are prepared to put up with so much that is anathema to Mac users because, well, that's as good as it gets, isn't it?

Tiger's publicity will drive some of those believers into the arms of Apple stores just to see what's the big deal. Once there, the Apple magic elixir of design, innovation, fun, cool software and dare I say users' evangelism in the company of sales staff's laidback selling attitude, will interest enough to make the investment in the Mac - even if it is with a MacMini or iBook to start with.

I've been researching Apple's history for a very special project I can't reveal at the moment, and it's put me in touch once more with Apple's achievements in bringing personal computing to the masses. Tiger is another iteration of that enduring philosophy that there is a better way always, and we don't stand still.

As long as Apple continues to excite - and its users continue to evangelise rather than apologise - its market share will slowly grow. I'm in it for the long claw back.