Apple Previews Mac OS X “Tiger”

[Kent Pribbernow]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/' target='_blank'>http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/</a><br /><br /></div>"Apple today previewed Mac OS X version 10.4 “Tiger,” the fifth major version of Mac OS X that will ship in the first half of 2005, extending Apple’s leadership in software innovation. Tiger continues Apple’s blazing pace of innovation with more than 150 breakthrough new features including Spotlight, a revolutionary way to instantly find any file, document or information created by any application on the Mac®; Safari™ RSS, a new version of Apple’s acclaimed web browser that incorporates instant access to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) data feeds on the web; Dashboard, a dazzling new way to instantly access a new collection of accessory “Widgets;” and a new version of Apple’s iChat instant messaging client with the industry’s first multi-person audio and video conferencing in a stunning 3D interface."<br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/tiger.jpg" /><br /><br /> <!> <br />Tiger boasts over 150 new features, or so Steve Jobs claims. Among them is a new search tool called "Spotlight" which functions as a system-wide query that works very similar to iTunes's built-in music library search. The most controversial feature is a new tool called "Dashboard", which Apple clearly copied from a popular third party tool called "Konfabulator". The irony is that just before the keynote Apple had <a href="http://macminute.com/2004/06/27/tigerbanners">Tiger banners</a> in the Moscone Center lobby that jibed Microsoft: <i>"Redmond, start your photocopiers"</i>. In retaliation, the <a href="http://www.konfabulator.com/">Konfabulator website</a> posted a graphic mocking Apple; <i>"Cupertino, start your photocopiers"</i>. This isn't the first time Apple copied a third party tool. Panther sports a new version of the Sherlock search tool that copies many aspects to a well known Mac search tool called Watson. Smart move, Apple. Piss off more developers like this and we'll see how eager they are to write apps for OSX. :roll: <br /><br />You can read the full list of features on Apple's <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/">Tiger Preview site</a>, I'm not going to list them all here. What I find most disturbing is that Apple seems to be upgrading Safari and iChatAV...and making those updates available <i>only</i> in Tiger, rather than simply offering them to existing Panther users. Apple is certainly well within its rights to do so, after all, they are in the business of making money like any company. But if Microsoft pulled something like this, critics would scream bloody murder. <br /><br />All in all I find Tiger decidedly underwhelming. Not nearly as dramatic as the move from Jaguar to Panther. The Mac news media is boasting headlines like <b>"Tiger roars"</b>. In my opinion, Tiger doesn't roar...It just purrs and rolls around on the floor, beckoning you to scratch its belly. But we'll just have to wait and see. The final release of Tiger will become publicly available in the first half of 2005, which probably means a year from today.

[klinux]

"What I find most disturbing is that Apple seems to be upgrading Safari and iChatAV...and making those updates available only in Tiger, rather than simply offering them to existing Panther users. Apple is certainly well within its rights to do so, after all, they are in the business of making money like any company. But if Microsoft pulled something like this, critics would scream bloody murder.

Of course, when you point out to Mac users that paying $130 a year to upgrade one's OS seem kind of steep and even Microsoft does not do that, watch them foam at the mouth!

Nevertheless I think it is amazing how Apple's come late into the game and makes exciting progress on top of existing genre (like Safari, iChat, etc).

[Mojo Jojo]

I have to agree, not much of a revolution... just evolution. There isn't much in this release that I can get excited about. However the wife picked up the 3 year upgrade package through the university when they offered it at Jaguar. So for the next three years I will get the upgrades for free through the program. (Shrugs)

As for Konfabulator... bit of a resource hog, but an interesting idea.

I wish Apple and Microsoft would just stick to the OS. This bundling stuff is just horrible for everyone in the long run.

[Jason Dunn]

Konfabulator looks very cool - looks/works a lot like Object Desktop (http://www.stardock.com/products/odnt/). I always wanted Object Desktop to work for me, but it never seemed to pull it off very well. :-( Too confusing/unstable/complicated...

[rzanology]

OOOOH GOOODIE!!!! another $150 service pack. GO APPLE GO!!!!


Hey jason have a look see http://www.tgtsoft.com/. Its ALOT more stable than most of stardock's products. I'm still using it till this day.

[Jason Dunn]

Hey jason have a look see http://www.tgtsoft.com/. Its ALOT more stable than most of stardock's products. I'm still using it till this day.

Yup, I own their style changer, but they don't have anything close to DesktopX:

http://www.stardock.com/products/desktopx/

(I should have been more specific with WHICH Object Desktop component I was talking about)

[Mojo Jojo]

OOOOH GOOODIE!!!! another $150 service pack. GO APPLE GO!!!!

I see this alot every time Apple rolls out something and I am on the fence. Usually its because I am unsure of where the person is coming from.

If it is indeed a service pack then yes, it is shameful for them to charge to fix bugs. However I see this as an enhancement. They are adding things in this release. In most instances Apple has rolled back support for bugs fixes that are included in the new product to previous releases. The did this for Jaguar and I imagine they will do so again.

If past history shows a future course of action and they roll bug fixes back to Jaguar then they have every right to ask for more money for more enhancements.

Its not like all of a sudden your OS doesn't work. So if the value of their enhancements don't merit the cost in your opinion, you don't have to buy it.

[dean_shan]

Dashboard, a dazzling new way to instantly access a new collection of accessory “Widgets;”
Dazzling OLD way to instantly access a new collection of accessory “Widgets;” I looked at this the other day and thought that they had bundled Konfabulator with Tiger. Upon closer inspection I found they they just ripped it off. I think that's pretty cheap.

[dean_shan]

"Redmond, start your photocopiers"
Oh you mean how Apple 'invented' fast user switching? :roll: This what I hate about Apple, they act like Windows always copies from them when in reality it goes both ways.

[rzanology]

well mojo....i say to you this! :)

imagine paying $80 for windows media player 9. Ors $60 for movie maker 2. Ors even $40 for a direct x upgrade. Are those not enhancements? i know i know...lets patch ie6 and include it in sp2 and charce $102.75.

No hard feelings, im just saying this from the point of view of someone who is not looking for an excuse for ignorance.

[Mojo Jojo]

imagine paying $80 for windows media player 9. Ors $60 for movie maker 2. Ors even $40 for a direct x upgrade. Are those not enhancements? i know i know...lets patch ie6 and include it in sp2 and charce $102.75.

No hard feelings at all. :)

Though you really haven't made a point yet of how your computer will suddenly stop working the second this is released and your *forced* to upgrade.

However what I have gotten from your statement is that you believe new functionality should be free regardless of design, coding and testing costs. That Apple should somehow become a non-profit organization and provide to you free of charge new items even though they have completed their part of the intial transaction and provided a working computer for you (which appears to be in good working order if your posting from said Apple computer now).

[klinux]

Oh you mean how Apple 'invented' fast user switching?

That just so happens to be a bad example as when announcing that feature, Steve Job explicitly stated that Windows invented this feature first. Had you mentioned how the Finder enhancement are similar to "My Computer", that would have been a better example.

But yes, I agree with you overall that many Mac users (zealots, IMHO), tend to be slightly paranoid and think all Windows features are copied from Apple.


imagine paying $80 for windows media player 9. Ors $60 for movie maker 2. Ors even $40 for a direct x upgrade. Are those not enhancements? i know i know...lets patch ie6 and include it in sp2 and charce $102.75.

I get also what you are trying to say here as well but trust me, I hate the annual $130 upgrade as much as anyone. However, as many people will tell you that the .x upgrades are more than just service packs or enhancements to one single package.

[dean_shan]

That just so happens to be a bad example as when announcing that feature, Steve Job explicitly stated that Windows invented this feature first. Had you mentioned how the Finder enhancement are similar to "My Computer", that would have been a better example.

True. the Mac Side bar looks a lot like XPs. Here's a feature that I want Windows to steal. A key-command to make a new explorer (finder) window. That is what I miss when I move from my Mac to my Windows.

[Mr. MacinTiger]

This whole Apple is ripping off Konfabulator drama is all hype. If anything, the Konfab guys should be paying Apple $$$.

Check it out:
http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&story=Desk_Ornaments.txt&topic=Software%20Design&sortOrder=Sort%20by%20Date&detail=medium

[bdegroodt]

I, for one, am pretty excited about the update. I'm especially happy to see one of the major OS vendors incorporating RSS into their system out of the box (in my mind, the most glaring feature missing from MS Office 2003). I think for RSS to gain some sort of critical mass beyond geekdom, it has to be included in the packaged OS shipment, or it'll remain where it is today. I'll admit bias on this front, as I have a business waiting for this crtical mass to take shape.

Also, love the indexing of the entire contents of the drive. This is kind of like LaunchBar, which is a product I use almost more than any other app on my Mac. And the Konfabulator thing...I use 'em now, but I think getting Apple into the game (even if it MAY be a ripoff--and I don't really care if it is, that's the free enterprise system) will actually make for a better market for both companies. I think Konfabulator may being a little opportunistic right now (and I can't blame them), in capturing some David v Goliath media attention. They may as well, they can make some sales between now and middle of 2005.

On the cost front, I'll gladly fork over for revision releases of this type. Apple doesn't charge for normal updates, so there's a crossroads here. I'm not sure how one expects a company to continue to fund the R&D department, if their end-users aren't ready to pay for that work...and at the end of the day, taking advantage of that R&D is my choice. There's no expiration on the current OS installed on my machine.

[Jason Dunn]

This whole Apple is ripping off Konfabulator drama is all hype. If anything, the Konfab guys should be paying Apple $$$.

Hrm. Give this a read:

http://www.internet-nexus.com/2004_06_27_archive.htm#108870097877122500

I think Apple did a rip-off job here, plain and simple. Very uncool - they could have bought out Konfabulator and made it a part of the OS.

[rzanology]

apples rips every one and everything off. They coem out with a mp3 player for $23439,0890934,0890.....and charge you a quater of price for a battery that only lasts a year. THEN!!!! THEEEEEEN!!!!! They have the nerve to release a smaller one and charge damn near more because its smaller and gayer looking. All this after the fact that they pride themselves in over charging their "cult memebers" My thing is....why buy an apple i book when ibm think pads are sooo much more better. Why get an ipod when the dell mp3 player does the saaaame sh*t. Why kill yourself to get a mac to do web developement on when the apps are the same for pc. I've always been a person that like the flashy part of technology, but theres a diffrence between cutting edge and wearing an apple skirt. I've yet to see apple offer something that the PC world doesnt have. And dont tell me about show you something the pc has that apple doesnt....cause apple talk is a joke! Lets take a survey and ask how many fortune 500 companys trust their background systems to a apple foundation. LET THE FIGHT BEGIN PEOPLE!!!!!!

[mrkablooey]

much more better.

exactly what i was thinking. :wink:

like others have said, if the new feature-set warrants the extra cash, i'll fork it over. otherwise i'll be happy using panther until the next upgrade, whether it be hardware or software.