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February 6th, 2007

Should Apple be looking at Vista for ideas?

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 6:52 am

Categories: Software

Tags:

In Focus » See more posts on: Vista, polls

Microsoft GadgetsWhen Steve Jobs demo'd Mac OS 10.5 (a.k.a. "Leopard") at last year's Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) on August 7, 2006 he deliberately kept many of its major features "top secret." Jobs justified the secrecy by saying that he didn't want "our friends to have to start their photocopiers any sooner than they have to." Apple even went so far as hanging banners in Moscone West that taunted "Introducing Vista 2.0" and "Hasta la Vista. Vista."

Now that Vista has shipped I think that Apple should be the one starting the photocopiers.

I spent a little time recently checking out Microsoft's Vista operating system and it's impressive. A Windows friend of mine called it "the Mac times 2."

While I wouldn't quite go that far, it's definitely impressive and features a ton of eye candy that will quickly win over XP users tired of the same old Microsoft UI. It should be noted that my friend divulged that it took the better part of the weekend to install Vista. The update itself took 3.5 hours, but then he had to buy, return and buy another video card, fight with the video drivers and buy another gigabyte of RAM.

Like it or not, Vista's Aero theme and Aero Glass are impressive, the accordion view is cool, Microsoft's Gadgets are a huge step above Apple's dashboard and Vista features a killer launcher implementation that's like the best parts of Quicksilver and Spotlight put together. Now that Vista is shipping I hope that Apple is taking a long hard look at it.

Mac OS 10.5's Time Machine, Spaces and VoiceOver look amazing and the much-needed improvements to Mail, iCal, iChat, Dashboard and Spotlight should breathe new life into the OS, but is it enough? Where are all the "top secret" Leopard features that Apple promised in Leopard? I hope that they're good or Apple risks losing their position in the great OS race.

QuickTime demos of the key Leopard features (announced to date) are on Apple’s Sneak Peek page.

Should Apple be looking at Vista for ideas?

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Jason D. O'GradyJason D. O'Grady is the editor of PowerPage.org, which has been publishing daily mobile technology news since December 1995. For disclosures on Jason's industry affiliations, click here or to view Jason's full profile click here.

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  • Talkback
  • Most Recent of 97 Talkback(s)
Ignorance is bliss!!!!
No message (Read the rest)
Posted by: MacGeek2121 Posted on: 02/20/07 You are currently: a Guest | | Terms of Use
Vista working in one weekend?  pjpark | 02/06/07
If it makes you feel better....  JoeMama_z | 02/06/07
Having seen both  voska | 02/06/07
What, no 'Tilt Bits' in Mac OS X?  whisperycat | 02/06/07
Poor Vista media experience  gath | 02/06/07
re WiFi  JoeMama_z | 02/06/07
Linksys  UbiquitousGeek | 02/06/07
How many times do you need this  xuniL_z | 02/06/07
Get a grip  whisperycat | 02/07/07
ummm, i wasn't sure until now...  xuniL_z | 02/08/07
What's better, exactly?  notmart | 02/06/07
Don't Forget  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
You're the one apparently smoking the pipe  MacCanuck | 02/06/07
Think Again  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
I see you came from Tennessee.  Graham Fluet | 02/06/07
Sorry to disappoint you sonny  Moosehouse | 02/07/07
Vapour expert  therobotman | 02/07/07
No sense squabbling over who was first now...  xuniL_z | 02/07/07
Gadgets over Dashboard  Jason D. O'GradyZDNet Moderator | 02/06/07
Re: Gadgets over Dashboard  notmart | 02/06/07
re Spotlight  MacCanuck | 02/06/07
Priceless!  notmart | 02/06/07
Yeah, and they even ripped off the apple blue  hirez | 02/07/07
Speaking of ripping off  xuniL_z | 02/07/07
Nonsense  UbiquitousGeek | 02/06/07
Well, that's pretty much it  markdoc.geo | 02/07/07
Dashboard and Spotlight tips  Mr_Dave | 02/08/07
enuff  nickjacket | 02/06/07
Agreed about 'Eye Candy'  Jason D. O'GradyZDNet Moderator | 02/06/07
How so?  Laff | 02/06/07
really now??  xuniL_z | 02/07/07
Leopard  DannyO_0x98 | 02/06/07
Uh, okay... Again, copy what, exactly?  therobotman | 02/07/07
Yep  Moosehouse | 02/07/07
more- oh my gawd! If you were really interest in  hirez | 02/07/07
Aside from your "Windows" friend's comment...  Tigertank | 02/06/07
"Like the Mac times 2"  Jason D. O'GradyZDNet Moderator | 02/06/07
Hmmmmm....honesty never gave it a moments thought.  Laff | 02/06/07
If it ain't broke...  notmart | 02/06/07
Um. Lets not get confused  People | 02/06/07
Kalidescope  lantzn | 02/06/07
Well here's something Apple should never copy..  Tigertank | 02/06/07
Like the Mac...  UbiquitousGeek | 02/06/07
garbage journalism mate "a friend said....."  hirez | 02/07/07
Or as Mac users  xuniL_z | 02/07/07
As long as OS X remains married  xuniL_z | 02/07/07
Perhaps you should have stayed  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
Um, what?  Jason D. O'GradyZDNet Moderator | 02/06/07
February, 2007 (Redmond)  comp_indiana | 02/06/07
Sarcasm  Jason D. O'GradyZDNet Moderator | 02/06/07
Apologist  UbiquitousGeek | 02/06/07
Breath deep  klumper | 02/08/07
And games  paul@... | 02/06/07
I think I remember that question being asked when  Laff | 02/06/07
If I want a Computer  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
A computer traslates into "tool" after all that is what  Laff | 02/06/07
Still using that 3 in 1  xuniL_z | 02/07/07
See, there it is...  notmart | 02/06/07
Examples  dwsmith | 02/06/07
Agreed, but...  notmart | 02/06/07
Not true  dwsmith | 02/06/07
also  dwsmith | 02/06/07
reply to dwsmith (comments system is wack)  notmart | 02/06/07
Ignorance is bliss!!!!  MacGeek2121 | 02/20/07
Game Players should take a serious look  intrepi@... | 02/08/07
Apple outsource next O/S version to  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
Just out of curiosity how old are you?  Laff | 02/06/07
One day  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
Oh don't do that....  Laff | 02/06/07
Mmmm  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
Then why such well to be blunt lame comments?  Laff | 02/06/07
Ah, at last, complete nonsense  notmart | 02/06/07
Nomart  Moosehouse | 02/06/07
You prove my point better than I ever could  notmart | 02/06/07
I've got a "whiper"!?!  Laff | 02/06/07
Fisher Price Boy  therobotman | 02/07/07
Hey Mr Robotman  Moosehouse | 02/07/07
definition of vista  skeptic tank | 02/06/07
What happened to innovation?  jfp | 02/06/07
Why Vista won't be like Win95  lantzn | 02/06/07
Look below the surface my friend.....  xuniL_z | 02/08/07
"Killer" search and much better sidebar - are you crazy?  stevey_d | 02/06/07
c'mon Stevey  xuniL_z | 02/08/07
one other.....  xuniL_z | 02/08/07
This is too Funny  jpr75_z | 02/06/07
Um, okay. Copy what, exactly?  therobotman | 02/07/07
Ignore competition at your peril...  MleB | 02/07/07
Say what?  dreedee | 02/07/07
enuff  mjones@... | 02/07/07
Vista Impressive?? I don't think so...  Enorton42@... | 02/07/07
In Reply  Moosehouse | 02/07/07
I think the issue here is that your friend  xuniL_z | 02/08/07
Oh gawd! The bloody thing is a rip off of mac  hirez | 02/07/07
revealing hey. "start your photocopiers" he he  hirez | 02/07/07
Apples and oranges?  Mitch 74 | 02/08/07
That Explains It  Moosehouse | 02/08/07
Copy what? do you mean delete features?  Reverend MacFellow | 02/12/07

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