skyhawkrider's Profile

"Dude, ever heard of 7.5, 7.6? And OS 8 is actually 7.7… and it’s not called Mac OS 7 its System 7… it’s hard to take you seriously if you are so ill-informed…" My point is that it took Apple 7 years to make a very large update to their OS, and Microsoft is taking the same amount of time as well. And you're right- System 7.5 and Mac OS 7.6 (that's what it was called in the last update) were probably two of the biggest improvements to 7, but then again, Microsoft also released two service packs to XP, so it's not like it hasn't been updated at all since its release. ...as for Mac OS 8, Apple changed it to "Mac OS" so they could slip out of the cloning contract they were tied into, because the contract stated that the clones could ship their computers with OSs that have "System" in the name; had you watched the 1997 Macworld Keynote, you would have known this, but I guess you're just ill-informed, aren't you? Look, I'm not saying Windows is a great operating system, nor am I saying Microsoft is not at fault for their delays- I would love it if the world used OS X, but it's just not going to happen, no matter what kind of data you back it up with, and I don't understand why people think it will.

OK, let's take a look at this article one controversial sentence at a time: "I don’t think Microsoft will ship another Operating System after Vista launches." Whoa, whoa whoa- what? Are you kidding? Microsoft controls 90% of the OS market. Almost all of the world's software runs on it. Millions and millions of websites are managed using their server software. And you just expect them to DROP IT? The only way software is going to get better and better is through a better OS that can run it, and I don't think millions and millions of developers are just going to port their software for Mac OS X; Windows is here to stay, and as much as you may hate it, that's the reality of it. "I believe that a combination of technical difficulties and changing markets will prevent it from creating a product that is relevant in the market" Here's something for you to think about: If you remember, back in 1996, Apple was having tremendous problems with the Mac OS and their newest project, Copland. It was only when Steve Jobs took over, two years later, that they started to get back on track. So by that logic, wouldn't Apple be dead by now? "Consider this, if the latest shipping dates are to be believed, it will have taken Microsoft over six years to get Windows Vista out the door and to its consumers." 1991: Mac OS 7. 1997: Mac OS 8. "And based on past events, it is safe to assume that Vista will require at least one service pack before it is truly ready for use. Of course, factoring in the normal Microsoft delays for producing patches, such a comprehensive service pack will probably take another year before it can be released to users. That would mean that it will have taken Microsoft 7+ years to make a usable operating system." I can't find any concrete evidence that supports your opinion, at least, not from a site that doesn't obsessively support Apple. "What will prevent Microsoft from releasing another OS is the changing market. For Vista’s successor to have a hope of selling, the company has to assume that no fundamental shifts in technology will occur for almost a decade!" "Changing market"? What, are we switching over to PowerPC or something? And Vista doesn't have to have a hope of selling, nor does the market get to change- when Vista is being distributed on practically every PC in the world. "With Google threatening to release a web-based OS, and Apple potentially using virtualization to run all Windows applications, Microsoft might find that by the time it can cobble something together, it no longer has a market interested in its product." How much market share did Mac OS X gain in the past 5 years? Enough to kill Windows? No. Chances are Google isn't going to have much luck killing Windows either. And for Apple to implement virtualization to run Windows applications, they would still need help from Microsoft so they could keep it updated. And it doesn't make much sense for Microsoft just to update Windows for Apple, would it? "The amount of code that makes up Windows has simply become too large to work with." That's what Microsoft's engineers are paid to do, James. And when you have an OS that has to be backwards-compatible, you really don't have a choice but to write lots of code. Also, most of that code comes from having to keep consistent security updates going, and when almost all of the world's viruses are targeted at your OS, you can't just let it sit there, can you? "A drastic rewrite is the only way to solve this problem. The only real question Microsoft needs to ask is how much should we rewrite?" You can't seriously expect the hundreds of millions of software developers to just completely rewrite their software, can you? C'mon. That's ridiculous. "Key people have left (most noticably for Google) and even loyal employees who still believe the hype have begun to criticize management and air their grievances on personal blogs." I can recall ONE person who left for Google, and if I'm wrong please correct me, and although Microsoft is having problems (to say the least), they aren't just going to give up. And like I said before, if you were to apply that logic to other businesses, there would be no Apple. In my opinion, if you want to post topics like this, make them at least somewhat realistic, so Mac users like me don't have to invoke feelings of sympathy for Microsoft.

You know, it's this kind of thing that makes me laugh... all of you zealots out there think you're so clever, thinking if you take some stupid pledge from some Apple evangelist site, you'll be screwing Microsoft. But you're not. The truth is, people need Windows. Contrary to what you believe, not every application in the world is Mac-compatible. And by creating Boot Camp, Apple has not only attracted potential buyers but has also opened up a huge opportunity to increase marketshare. So what's really going on is business smart, and as far as I'm concerned, that's great for Apple. So to you people who think that you're really hurting Microsoft: stop. PC users don't care. Mac users don't care, and anybody who actually takes a second to look at sites like this think you look like morons. And Scott is right: It's this kind of cult-like mentality that makes Mac users look bad. So stop it with all of these idiotic posts and stop worshipping Apple like it's your whole life; they may make great products, but it's just a company, for god sake. ...oh, and by the way: "What a stupid moronic idea this pledge is…" He's right.