How does everyone feel about the Macless Macworld?

[fryke]

The fact that Apple did not release new Macs and Mac software at the keynote does not mean there aren't announcements very near. We all know Leopard should come out in "Spring '07", so that's probably _not_ going to be the first week of February, and no it _doesn't_ depend on when the first flowers bloom.

Whether or not the _iMac_ is getting a quick update in the near future: Who knows. But I'd mainly think about the software here - and from what you write, it seems like you already do. Personally, I _would_ wait for Leopard and iLife and iWork versions to appear now.

The important thing to discern here is: Is it, right now, a definite *need* for a new computer or rather a *wish*. If it's more on the wish-side, the wait will be worth it.

[rubaiyat]

My son is definitely going to do the right thing. He worked very hard for over a year and has invested his money so it is getting him a good return.

But despite all that maturity he is still just a kid and he had his heart set on getting the iMac by Easter at the latest. Now he just doesn't know where he stands. His school has gone back to Macs after fooling around with Dells for 3 years, so there maybe some possibility of getting a special deal along with the school, when he starts in February.

That "cheap" Leopard and iWorks is not cheap when you are paying hundreds of dollars just because the release date slips and you may have to pay for upgrades.

Apple I feel is sitting on its laurels again when it really can't afford to. People aren't necessarily going to reject Vista out of hand. In fact they probably will grumble a bit then get to like it, because they have no choice. Leopard was supposed to beat Vista out of the gate but is still not even visible.

The iMacs and Mac mini really are due for upgrades as well, particularly with better graphics and room for extra ports and drives in the 24" model. We planned on this being the time we could make definite plans, instead we just feel let down.

I know this feeling very well having been with the Mac for 23 years now!

[fryke]

Well: Leopard ain't finished. You don't want an unfinished beta version on your machine, really, when it's new. They've announced that it'd ship in Spring '07 some time ago. "Leopard was supposed to beat Vista out of the gate"...? Nope. Steve addressed the developers and called it "Vista 2.0". Nothing about beating release dates. I'm sorry, but you feel let down not by Apple, but by heightened expectations that come from _some_ source maybe - but not Apple.
That said, I _did_ expect them to release iWork and iLife '07 at MWSF.

[rubaiyat]

I'm not going by Apple's recent statements. Leopard's release date has slipped steadily in the last couple of years. Apple covered this by going on the offensive re Vista's delays.

No I wouldn't enjoy a buggy Leopard, anymore than I enjoyed the bugs that were in Panther and those that remain in Tiger after 8 revisions.

Shall we refer back to this conversation after Leopard is finally released and we get something like the Firewire bug in Panther?

I hope not, but suspect something will still show up. It generally does and the delays don't prevent them, just delay the inevitable.

btw The use of seasons to indicate time is very sloppy. The whole world does not share the same seasons, nor season starts, and having to presume the frame of reference is an American one is to diminish the value of everyone else's perspectives.

[Lt Major Burns]

apple only ever said that leopard would be released 'to compete with vista'. that's what they said when they first even mentioned it. vista's being released Feb 07 (well, jan 30th), Leopard, around march/april time. rleasing it the same time would be a bit silly. never market or release something at the same time as a direct competitor. everybody loses in the confusion.

[rubaiyat]

Apple drifted from a regular annual update of OSX (which Steve used to deride Microsoft) to saying Leopard might take 18 months to release, to now taking over 2 years.

If Apple's effort is as superior to Vista as claimed I would think a well timed near same time release of Leopard would steal Vista's show.

Personally I am still waiting on an OS to match the Classic's smooth fast and consistent GUI and the elimination of the bugs and gotchas that still riddle OSX.

[Lt Major Burns]

i think the analogy i heard was that the first releases of OSX were 'picking the low-hanging fruit'. as the areas needed for upgrade get less obvious, and changes become more fundamental as the 'fully modern OS' gets older, the scale of the updates increases. Panther -> Tiger was 18 months, and a lot of the underlying core of the OS changed, without the top layer looking much different. i also to remember people objecting to forking out $120 every 12 months for a point release.

i think if Leopard turns out to be the Vista killer they want it to be, the wait will be worth it. also, i think Tiger was released too soon, but apple prefer to ship than wait. i think you may be a very small minority of people displeased with the release schedule.

Apple should wait to see people deflated reaction to Vista, before sailing in and stealing all disappointed soon-to-be-ex microsoft customers in the hangover.

[Natobasso]

You're never stuck; just get a computer you can easily upgrade like a G5 Tower.

I'm also, personally, getting very annoyed with upgrade fever that seems to permeate the apple realm. Though it is getting better since OS X updates are coming out every year and a half now instead of every six months. Wait till all the diehard razor's edge mac fanatics suffer though the bugs and THEN buy Leopard, maybe 6 months later, after the update/fix comes out.

This will sound old fashioned, but why not actually be satisfied for a few years with a machine that you've bought?! Obsolesence happens daily but it's like trying to 'Keep Up With the Joneses'--it's just not worth it. Unless you're chewing through hi res video files or running ten in-line plug-ins in Cakewalk while recording live, you're not going to see a huge speed increase over 12 months.