You can probably get a off-brand for less, but a Dell, Sony, IBM or other major brand is going to be pretty close for the same features.
But PC people always forget that Mac users don't make decisions by building a matrix of dollars versus features. They're attracted by the design and elegance of the platform, in addition to how well the hardware and software work together. They're willing to pay a bit more for that.
But, I've never yet been able to make a PC user understand that.
But anyways, if Windows floats your boat, then by all means, save a few hundred bucks and stick with Windows.
For the Windows and Linux bigots, relax. You don't have to get so tense. If you don't think OS X is worth your time, then just ignore it.
On the otherhand, if you have a bit of an open mind, you owe it to yourself to check it out. (Make sure you're checking out 10.1 and not 10.0.x)
It really is cool to have a mainstream commercial app like MS Word and say GIMP running rootless right next to it.
It really is cool to program with the Cocoa dev tools. (Yes, it requires you learn Obj C, but if you're a true geek, you love trying another language)
It really is cool to have a BSD-based system that even your grandmother could install and use.
It really is cool that the BSD-subsystem is available for anyone to hack on (Darwin).
It really is cool that there's a commercial company (Apple) guiding the OS and putting in all the most sophisticated plumbing (Aqua, IOKit, etc) that probably would never have gotten done or would have gotten done poorly otherwise.
It really is cool that all the major commercial app manufacturers have already pledged their support (many have already delivered) and that many apps which have never been on the Mac before are now coming over.
It really is cool that there's going to be a decent selection of games for this platform. Not Windows numbers by any stretch, but all the major titles and certainly more than Linux.
In short, if you take the time to look, it really is a very cool OS. Now, maybe you don't want to spend the extra money to buy a Mac. No problem. But that doesn't make it any less of a product.
If you're an ADC Select or Premier member, you can download the latest seed, which is presumably, the GM version.
If you're not, you can get it for free from your local Apple dealer.
If you want an actual CD mailed to you, it's $20.
If you're so damn cheap that you'll throw away a $2K G4 so you don't have to spend $20, then I'll gladly pay for the shipping for you to send your G4 to me.
I would imagine they're not posting it for download because their servers would be crushed by hundreds of thousands of people going after it.
98% of the things you listed were supported by Apple either because there was no standard, or because the standard in place was brain-dead.
For example, NuBus was chosen because ISA was a *terrible* architecture and still is. Until PCI came along, the PC world lived with that *crap*. However, the PC won the marketshare war and users had to live with ISA until something better came along. (And when a widely supported, better standard came along, Apple switched)
The author is upset that Apple has released neither Sorenson nor TrueType to open source.
Great examples:
1) Sorenson is not owned by Apple. It's owned by Sorenson. I'm sure they would not be real thrilled about Apple releasing their codec open source.
2) TrueType is patented by both Apple and Microsoft.
Apple has given back. They may not be the "release everything you have as open source" that many people want them to be, but name another major OS vendor that's doing more.
Wade
So let me see if I have this straight: Apple attempts to offer us a modern Unix-based OS, that for the first time in any Unix-varient's history, will have a large library of commercial applications avialable. Apple attempts to do something that has never been done in the history of any of the major personal computer OS's: give us access to the source code. John Carmack, who certainly could ignore Apple and Linux and just do stuff for Windows, decides to be *extremely* gracious and donate some of his time to the project. He also asks some people to help. And the reactions are: 1) Apple did me wrong in the past. Screw them. 2) I don't like how the open source license is worded. What am I missing here? Yes, Apple has made many extremely stupid moves in the past. Yes, we've all been burned by some of them. But good Lord people! There has *never* been an opportunity like this in the history of personal computing. If the community were to get behind Darwin, it could become the first real competitor to MS. People whine and whine how what they really want is Linux with great apps. Well, here's your chance. So far it sounds like we're going to let this opportunity pass because a bunch of hackers have their nose out of joint. If John Carmack can see the potential good that can come out of this, can't some of you do the same? (And yes, I'm going to do my part. I can't write drivers, but I'm certainly going to write as many apps as I can and port as many tools as I can.) Wade
Slashdot Mirror
Let me know when MS Word for Linux comes out.
Yes, Linux has penetrated the corporate server market. But it has not penetrated the corporate desktop market.
OS X has the potential to do so. Time will tell - it may not, but at least it's got a chance.
Wade
You can probably get a off-brand for less, but a Dell, Sony, IBM or other major brand is going to be pretty close for the same features.
But PC people always forget that Mac users don't make decisions by building a matrix of dollars versus features. They're attracted by the design and elegance of the platform, in addition to how well the hardware and software work together. They're willing to pay a bit more for that.
But, I've never yet been able to make a PC user understand that.
But anyways, if Windows floats your boat, then by all means, save a few hundred bucks and stick with Windows.
Wade
For the Windows and Linux bigots, relax. You don't have to get so tense. If you don't think OS X is worth your time, then just ignore it.
On the otherhand, if you have a bit of an open mind, you owe it to yourself to check it out. (Make sure you're checking out 10.1 and not 10.0.x)
It really is cool to have a mainstream commercial app like MS Word and say GIMP running rootless right next to it.
It really is cool to program with the Cocoa dev tools. (Yes, it requires you learn Obj C, but if you're a true geek, you love trying another language)
It really is cool to have a BSD-based system that even your grandmother could install and use.
It really is cool that the BSD-subsystem is available for anyone to hack on (Darwin).
It really is cool that there's a commercial company (Apple) guiding the OS and putting in all the most sophisticated plumbing (Aqua, IOKit, etc) that probably would never have gotten done or would have gotten done poorly otherwise.
It really is cool that all the major commercial app manufacturers have already pledged their support (many have already delivered) and that many apps which have never been on the Mac before are now coming over.
It really is cool that there's going to be a decent selection of games for this platform. Not Windows numbers by any stretch, but all the major titles and certainly more than Linux.
In short, if you take the time to look, it really is a very cool OS. Now, maybe you don't want to spend the extra money to buy a Mac. No problem. But that doesn't make it any less of a product.
Wade
If you're an ADC Select or Premier member, you can download the latest seed, which is presumably, the GM version.
If you're not, you can get it for free from your local Apple dealer.
If you want an actual CD mailed to you, it's $20.
If you're so damn cheap that you'll throw away a $2K G4 so you don't have to spend $20, then I'll gladly pay for the shipping for you to send your G4 to me.
I would imagine they're not posting it for download because their servers would be crushed by hundreds of thousands of people going after it.
Wade
98% of the things you listed were supported by Apple either because there was no standard, or because the standard in place was brain-dead.
For example, NuBus was chosen because ISA was a *terrible* architecture and still is. Until PCI came along, the PC world lived with that *crap*. However, the PC won the marketshare war and users had to live with ISA until something better came along. (And when a widely supported, better standard came along, Apple switched)
The author is upset that Apple has released neither Sorenson nor TrueType to open source. Great examples: 1) Sorenson is not owned by Apple. It's owned by Sorenson. I'm sure they would not be real thrilled about Apple releasing their codec open source. 2) TrueType is patented by both Apple and Microsoft. Apple has given back. They may not be the "release everything you have as open source" that many people want them to be, but name another major OS vendor that's doing more. Wade
So let me see if I have this straight: Apple attempts to offer us a modern Unix-based OS, that for the first time in any Unix-varient's history, will have a large library of commercial applications avialable. Apple attempts to do something that has never been done in the history of any of the major personal computer OS's: give us access to the source code. John Carmack, who certainly could ignore Apple and Linux and just do stuff for Windows, decides to be *extremely* gracious and donate some of his time to the project. He also asks some people to help. And the reactions are: 1) Apple did me wrong in the past. Screw them. 2) I don't like how the open source license is worded. What am I missing here? Yes, Apple has made many extremely stupid moves in the past. Yes, we've all been burned by some of them. But good Lord people! There has *never* been an opportunity like this in the history of personal computing. If the community were to get behind Darwin, it could become the first real competitor to MS. People whine and whine how what they really want is Linux with great apps. Well, here's your chance. So far it sounds like we're going to let this opportunity pass because a bunch of hackers have their nose out of joint. If John Carmack can see the potential good that can come out of this, can't some of you do the same? (And yes, I'm going to do my part. I can't write drivers, but I'm certainly going to write as many apps as I can and port as many tools as I can.) Wade