Ted » The future of computing, PC and Mac

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28 Oct 2005Technology

The future of computing, PC and Mac

I think we’re reaching the end of the line - Microsoft has so lost control over its own platform that it cannot regain it. Steve Jobs and the Mac have essentially won. And they have won in a way that the Mac is showing itself to be superior. Not “beta vs. vhs” superior, where the differences aren’t clear. But massively superior in a “it is obvious that this is better” sort of way.

Boot up an infected Windows XP computer today. You may get a pop-up warning telling you that the computer is infected with viruses, spyware, adware, etc. There is no way you can trust such a warning - did it come from Microsoft, or a malicious piece of code? Recognition has been completely lost as to who the “good guys” are. When your computer is infected, what do you do? Most people don’t know what to do. Their IE browser is basically incapable of resisting attack, or being functional anymore. It is just a matter of time before the computer is compromised. Does anyone want to compute that way?

Look at the Mac. You plug it in, you turn it on. And it takes a blind eye to any sort of attack that you throw at it. Apple is so aggressive with security updates, you can’t help but install all of them. The Mac sits happily on the network as the PC-intended attacks fly right by it. If a warning does come from an Apple piece of software, you can trust it. Apple has so well engineered the user experience that you know what is core to the OS and what is third party.

Think about Mac software. Even the software designed by Microsoft for Mac works better than that designed for the PC. Entourage, the mail client, happily tunnels into exchange mail servers and pulls out your mail, securely and without a hassle. It integrates well with your outside POP mail and makes for a great computing experience. How is Outlook for PC? Can you say “mess”? Over-engineered and bloated, with features that hardly make sense. What’s up with the “Tools…” and “Options…” menus?

I have never been happier to own a Mac. And the thing is, at least since 1999, I have been happy to own a Mac because I enjoy using a Mac, not because I don’t like Microsoft or want an alternative to Microsoft. The only thing that I didn’t like about Microsoft is that at one time it looked like it was going to take away my choice in terms of computing platform. Once that wasn’t going to happen, that was fine. I say more power to them - they could really redefine computing if they wanted to. But can they at this point?

When Gil Amelio was CEO of Apple, apparently one of the items on the table to rescue Apple was to rebuild the OS with a Windows NT kernel. In Amelio’s book, it said that Bill Gates said this could be done successfully. Now it’s 2005, would the rescue strategy to build the next version of Windows on a Mach (OS X) kernel?

One thing I did not predict, and which still amazes me, is that it would be security that would take down the Wintel platform. I honestly believed that another company would come out from nowhere and out-innovate Microsoft the way Microsoft out-innovated IBM. It’s a shame for Microsoft. With good leadership I think they have the resources and ability to take computing to the next level, monopoly or not.

Popularity: 6%

Moctod - 28 Oct - 9:20 am,

Great piece, other than this bit, ‘the way Microsoft out-innovated IBM’ which should read ‘the way Microsoft outmaneuvered IBM.

None-the-less, it is sad that MS is completely entrenched in its quest to be all things - no matter how terrible.

Every bit of software has featuritis, yet none inspire confidence. It’s all junk. Pretty, dazzling, junk.

Then there’s the lock-in.

Matt - 28 Oct - 10:03 am,

I think you’re being too kind when you say Microsoft out-innovated IBM. Microsoft is good at one thing, dominating markets through business practices that are immoral. If they have an opportunity to do that, they will. They will do thing things other even other corporations would find immoral. If it weren’t for the anti-trust case, Microsoft would be forcing all sorts of its “partners” to lock out its competitors so that only Microsoft would be left. Look at the recent issue with Microsoft trying to force music stores to only distribute its media software. Without this ability, Microsoft has to stand on its products, and those products have _never_ been quality products. Windows 3.1? Windows 95? Blah. Microsoft has only been and will only ever be successful when it is allowed to use unfair business practices.

Ted - 28 Oct - 11:16 am,

I don’t know, Matt. I really don’t have an axe to grind against Microsoft - are they any more immoral than capitalism is immoral? They took a terrific opportunity - to actually “license” software, and create synergy with other products. And it did pretty good things - establish a PC on everyone’s desk as a standard.

I think a company like this, which ultimately is and can be a great company, can turn this around. Who will help them, if not themselves, see the possibilities for the future of computing?

Computing is so much fun and provides endless hours of enjoyment for adults, at least for this one. I would hate to see that taken away from the world.

Matt - 28 Oct - 12:06 pm,

I agree with you that computing can be so much fun. When I opened my new iBook I remembered “Oh yeah, this is really fun!!!” But you have to understand that fun is not what Bill Gates is interested in. You don’t get to be the richest man in the world by having fun.

Microsoft won’t turn it around (at least with Bill Gates around) because they’re loosing because of their achilles heel, which is… fun! Also, they don’t even realize yet that they have anything to turn around.

If Microsoft were a fashion designer, it would make a shirt with zippers, buttons, velcro, laces, long, short, and medium sleeves all on the same shirt (choose your arm holes!!) Then the public would say “Um, I’m not wearing that!” To which Microsoft would say “Why not, it’s got everything you could ever want?”

The point is Microsoft just doesn’t get it. The only reason they’ve made it so far is until now the public hasn’t really gotten it either. And also because Microsoft has purchased or crushed any other creative company they could. We haven’t been able to see all the other creative ideas out there.

Ted - 28 Oct - 12:09 pm,

Well, I am buoyed by the fact that there are people in this world, like you, who do get it.

A Margaret Mead quote comes to mind.

I am optimistic about the future because more and more people are thinking about this because they do love computing. It’s a simple and pure love.

tom bartlett - 28 Oct - 12:46 pm,

“Even the software designed by Microsoft for Mac works better than that designed for the PC”

Yea, and as a PC-at-work (NOT by choice); Mac-at-home guy, that really kills me.

Ron Evry - 28 Oct - 6:31 pm,

>>>>I really don’t have an axe to grind against Microsoft - are they any more immoral than capitalism is immoral?

Ron Evry - 28 Oct - 6:33 pm,

>>>>I really don’t have an axe to grind against Microsoft - are they any more immoral than capitalism is immoral? >>>>>
Yep. By using illegal predatory licensing pricing to keep other OSes off of manufacturers’ machines (”You want MS-DOS? It’s $x per machine, but if you sell other machines with GEM OS on it, then it’s $$$$$xxxxxxx per machine”), they squashed the competition during the earliest days of rising computer awareness and achieved their near-monopoly.

John - 28 Oct - 10:35 pm,

Hours and hours of fun??? Chacking for and deleting malware is fun? Running registry checks? Doing the Ctrl-alt del shuffle? Re-installing the OS? Wouldn’t it be nice of the OS took care of itself, so you could surf the net, download (legal) and enjoy entertainment and cunduct your private and public lives with impunity? Sounds like OS X to me. Apple isn’t taking the fun of computing away from the world. MS did that. Aplle is giving it back, in spades. I hope MS does go the way of the dinosaurs, so everyone can get back to having fun.

Leonardo - 29 Oct - 2:01 am,

Yes, well I don’t see ms as being particularly innovative, but rather that they will follow Apple. Surely in the ‘pictures’ to be seen of vista you see the Apple interface, it is copying again.

There is one thing that it seems like they have done that has some sense to it, and that is to ask Canon to help them with colour management.

As to the matter of capitalism, if it means trampling the small, there will always be a resistance to such things. I view ms and walmart as being on the same kind of page, and I have virtually nothing to do with either.

Gary - 29 Oct - 6:30 am,

Wow, so basically the whole argument boils down to viruses and mail clients. Guess it’s time to get a Mac. So essentially, if I don’t have any viruses or spyware (which I don’t), and I don’t use Outlook (which I don’t), then there’s not a single reason to use a Mac. I’ve noticed the whole ease of use argument isn’t even used anymore. Same with the faster processor argument. Same with the plug and play argument. All I see is reasons for owning a Mac eroding away. =P

Ted - 29 Oct - 7:00 am,

Gary, if you love a PC, absolutely stick with it.

As I said, I am not anti-PC or wishing the world used a Mac.

I am wishing that everyone gets to choose what they want to use.

Since 2000, it’s been made clear that I’m allowed to choose to use a Mac. As long as my freedom is preserved I’m happy.

I hope all PC users are as fortunate as you to enjoy the platform they’ve chosen!

John Davis - 29 Oct - 5:28 pm,

I see two reasons for why MS doesn’t innovate.

1. (From the MS point of view) Why should they? It works, doesn’t it? They are about making money and they are making money.
2. Microsoft isn’t Bill Gates. Microsoft is a bunch of committees. Committees don’t innovate. Individuals do.

John Davis

Ted - 03 Dec - 9:32 am,

[...] In a previous post on this topic I talked about the overall degradation of the computing experience as a result of loss of control of the Windows platform by Microsoft. It’s okay, these things happen sometimes. You can’t please 3 billion people at once. [...]

Alex - 04 Dec - 10:10 am,

I find helping out people with Macs is a lot less work than helping out people with PCs - the latter, especially if they have teenagers using their computers, are full of spyware and viruses…

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