Snow Leopard, Windows 7, the good ol days and the fastest way to my cloud
I remember watching QVC back in August of 95 when they were showing computers running Windows 95 for the first time. I bought my first copy at the local Target (an upgrade from Windows 3.1). I remember how exciting it was to install something so new and different. Back then, the mac was in sort of a dead zone. Microsoft had the excitement up. I had read about it in some computer magazines, but prior to main stream internet usage, there wasn't much beta testing going on like there is today. I am writing this post from my Windows 7 RC1 machine in my home office.
I say this as I was thinking about the upcoming release of Snow Leopard this Friday. I woke up Monday morning and checked all of my common news sites from my iPhone as I do every morning. When I discovered Apple announced the Friday ship date and opened pre-orders, I immediately placed my order. I also got in on the Windows 7 pre-order for $49 and will be expecting the promised October delivery.
As I await both operating systems, I can't help but think about the similarities between the two and the historical importance both companies have had. I remember what a big leap it was going to Windows 95. Looking back, its often criticized for its many stability issues, but it was no doubt the OS that changed everything for me. Apple's OSX was also a game changer. To completely redesign an entire platform was a bold move, but something the struggling company had to do. What I'm getting at, however, is the profound impact these changes have had.
Every so often something comes along like the Internet and changes everything. We now live in a world where the browser is becoming more important than the operating system. As I look forward to both Windows 7 and Snow Leopard, they seem to be rather minor updates compared to the big sweeping changes we saw years ago. Not that we aren't seeing fantastic progress today, I just think that most of this progress is coming from other areas, such as web applications and mobile apps. The iPhone was a game changer. Snow Leopard is a welcome addition for $29, but I think the OS is starting to become transparent. While both OS's are very attractive with glassy looks and subtle transitions, the changes are very much cosmetic. While some "under the hood" changes are nothing to scoff at either (video decoding on the hardware for OSX) we aren't really seeing "new features" anymore as much as improvements and further transparency. I think the price reflects that both companies see a day where the OS is really just the way for our online applications to access our hardware. Perhaps we will in some way come full circle to the days of thin clients.
Cloud computing is clearly taking over. I happen to believe Microsoft may be in a better position to embrace this than Apple. Making Office a cross-browser compatible web app? I never would have expected that from Microsoft. I am already finding it easier by the month to move between my Mac and Windows machines because more and more of my information is being stored in the cloud. My e-mail is all routed through Gmail, my data is synchronized on multiple machines, and the rest of my life resides on my web server, on Evernote and I remember it all using Remember the Milk. Do any of these things change by upgrading to the newest operating system? No. So why was I so anxious to do so? I'm going to Windows 7 because it seems to be a little faster and prettier on my multi-monitor setup and it lets me add lots of gadgets to my desktop for all of the web services I use and news I consume. Did I get it for the e-mail client, movie making capabilities or bundled software? No. In fact I have used Firefox for so long, I wouldn't notice if IE wasn't even included (No pun intended for Europeans). In short, its more transparent than its fat bloated predecessor. Do you think its just a coincidence that Snow Leopard is touting speed and reliability over new features? I don't think so. They know that users want the OS to get the hell out of the way and just work. If we could embed it into a chip, that would be great. Just get me instantly to my browser and give me some heads up display info for what I want to see the most and I'm happy. Transparency equals beauty. Just tell me the fastest way to my cloud and I'll run whatever. Perhaps I don't really think we are at this stage quite yet, but I do believe we will get there.
That said, I'm still excited. I'm a tech fan. I spend way too much time listening to TWIT and reading the tech blogs. I have an extensive gadget profile over at GDGT and I'm always hopeful to witness the next game changer. Until then, I'll be happily switching gears awaiting the announcement of the next big cat (what comes after snow leopard anyway?) and the Windows 8 beta.
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