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The Path to OS X Part One: From the Ashes... New!The Path to OS X Finale: OS X Spreads Its Wings (MacOS/hype)-D. Browell Part12: This Might Hurt A Little... Part 11: The App Game Part 10: Novice Shoes Part 9: It's the Hardware, Baby! Part 8: X Equals Ten Part 7: Good Karma Part 6: A New Breed Of Apple Part 5: Steve Jobs/Spurrier Part 4: Sideshow Skirmishes Part 3: Command Who? Part 2: Glances... Part 1: From the Ashes There is a gut reaction for most Mac users, mostly the longtime ones, where the announcement of a "new" Windows system makes our skin crawl, stomach turn and lips purse...It's the same feeling I received when it dawned on me that the Gin Blossom's had ripped off The Cars tune "Little Black Egg" (believe me that when I listen to my Cars anthology and that song comes on, I instinctually sing "Allison Road" and I want to vomit). The public lie that Windows is anything more than poorly copied concepts blown to enormous commercial proportion is a facile that frustrates Mac users as we comb through Babbages for our Macintosh section. Here's my attempt at explaining our feeling: You know those imitation all-in-one stereo systems, that fall apart after six months and copy the flashy looks of a reliable, major name brand? Usually they have names like STEREO-MAX or ULTRA-NEO-CD-REAPER or the ilk... Well, imagine if one of those rip-off companies got excruciatingly popular and in fact, began to dwarf the company that came up with the original design and concept...Not only that, after being at the top for years, they still cranked out the same unreliable crap, never flinching, and everyone just bought it. Welcome to our special Hell. But once again after the 96-yard touchdown pass that was the Apple iMac, and the beautiful Hail Mary play (that got called back due to an overpriced, power-button penalty) that was the Cube, Apple is back in the world's good graces. Once again the word "Mac" appears in the same sentence with "PC" in references to games and applications. We can give a bad review to a game, because we have better ones to compare it to. And our good games don't get lost in a sea of awful ones (a'la Majesty when it ran the PC gauntlet). Of course, to some Mac clanspeople, these things should have been happening all along...but they didn't. We need to "get" this. We need to appreciate the newbie-exposure Circuit City gives Apple (I mean HELLO, remember the time when there were no Mac computers visible in any store?). The iBook is the darling of TV exposure alongside the iMac, which is nice. Of course, we see the horrid knock-offs in major commercials, but I think the public is smart enough to ignore the insulting iPaq. Other arms of Apple have been staying tough if not booming...look at Earthlink, who recently wrestled their way into the proposed AOL/Time Warner merger. All in all we need to be happy that people actually talk about Mac for good reasons. It's no longer the atmosphere where quiet artists have to bite their tongue around the Windows-based co-workers, or the days when the Mac-Drones kicked and whined at every PC user as if they were all lost souls (not that they weren't, we just didn't need to yell). No, we can calm down on the bitterness and now switch the gears to innovation. Ride the waves of change. Be a real force. And be prepared to not like everything Apple or an affiliate does, but be prepared to support the effort. Some very deserving people and companies are getting second chances in this new age and it's time to let them impress us, and embrace them for trying. This goes quadruple for Apple itself. Which brings us to graduation day. The day OSX officially hits the market in full, post-preview form, we ought to cross our fingers and smile. Even in it's current toddler state, the reviews from Mac fans are encouraging. But more important than the Mac-initiated reaction, is the reaction of the world outside our Apple shaped bubble. And for those of you asleep at the wheel, the reaction is amazing. Startling. Arresting. Non-Mac users are discussing "when they first saw it." Financial wizards are cutting Apple slack on fourth quarter rough spots because "OS X is right around the corner." Tell me, when has this much good press ever been floated about a Mac OS? Did OS 7 really blow them out of the water? Did even the recent OS 9 get any press in Wired, or Salon.com? Sure, there is a hype...there is an expectation...but most of this non-Mac praise is sailing after the beta..which is impressive. Are there a host of other factors I'm leaving out? Certainly. Is OS X going to wow current Mac users as much as converts? Will the converts really totally convert? Will non-computer users feel they can jump into our new world feet first? Will Apple actually boom for once as a result of this radical but incredible change? I can't claim to have anything but my perspective...but there are some feelings rising to the top of this drink, and that's what I'll tackle in the next installments. There's an ember in the pile of ashes and it's getting pretty damn hot.... by Dean Browell ------------- "The Path to OS X" is a series of articles examining the casual user's view of OS X. Take with a grain of salt and dash of incense for full effect. Related Links:  @ AppleLust.com Apple.com AppleAddict.com Utterer.com MacSurfer.com AppleTurns.com The X Files: Mac Speedzone Macledge.com the new Macgaming.com X Bastille Freeverse AppleInsider.com MacOSRumors.com |
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