Apple releases Intel-based Macs early. Can Microsoft Follow?

I know that Vista's release date hasn't been officially announced, but we've seen unofficially the target being August.

Regardless, wouldn't it be wonderful if Bill Gates or Steve Balmer announced hey, we worked extra hard and have Vista ready 6 months earlier than we thought we did?

Not saying its possible. I'd bet it's not possible. I also know the Microsoft folks are working as hard as they can. Not trying to poo-poo their hard work.

I'm just saying, I wish us PC users got presents like that from time to time. Not just a surprise Office 12 announcement at PDC, or a Vista CTP pushback.

I don't want Microsoft to rush Vista.  I want to be able to go out and buy Vista the day it releases and have it just work on my laptop (not that I expect it to, or that I would be daring enough to buy it on the first day).  If Microsoft isn't ready to release Vista yet, I'm fine with that.

Agreed.

My point is when I see people getting excited about computers being released early, and being pleasantly surprised, I think, "I wish I had some of that."

Well what I like with Apple, they announce the stuff and 30 Min later it's on the front of their webpage ready for order. Most other vendors are still playing the "have a look at this, really cool thing" but then you have to wait months till it comes out. Microsoft then again has a very old history to delay and delay release dates.

Since these Apple notebooks are again a world apart from the PC crap laptops in design and material I was wondering if it will be possible to run OS X and Windows side by side on these machines ? I'm really tired of the brick and cheap plastic design of the common laptops. Ready to move into Apple World

Should be.  They appear to be using standard PC stuff (ATI video, pentium processor, disk drives, etc.) so, with the exception of power management features (which are chipset dependent), there should be drivers for everything.  Only concern is the bootloader, and the dev macs had no trouble booting through GRUB or even the NT loader.  If I were Apple, I'd make it easy to dual-boot (build in a simple way to repartition and a good easy to configure bootloader), but they won't do that (most likely).

I burn for a triple-boot system...  Win/OSX/Linux, I don't even care if it's on Apple's hardware.

nojetlag wrote:

Well what I like with Apple, they announce the stuff and 30 Min later it's on the front of their webpage ready for order.

And then wait for 4, 6, 8 weeks for it to be actually released.

nojetlag wrote:

Since these Apple notebooks are again a world apart from the PC crap laptops in design and material I was wondering if it will be possible to run OS X and Windows side by side on these machines ? I'm really tired of the brick and cheap plastic design of the common laptops. Ready to move into Apple World

At $2,000 for the entry level?

I was looking forward to this, but the barrier to entry is a bit steep...

MisterDonut wrote:

I know that Vista's release date hasn't been officially announced, but we've seen unofficially the target being August.

Regardless, wouldn't it be wonderful if Bill Gates or Steve Balmer announced hey, we worked extra hard and have Vista ready 6 months earlier than we thought we did?

I'm just saying, I wish us PC users got presents like that from time to time. Not just a surprise Office 12 announcement at PDC, or a Vista CTP pushback.

What present?  Everyone bored enough to care in IT knew this was going to happen.  There was no shock and surprise.  Actually, I was kinda - by the fact that they updated the iMac line and not the high end desktops.

The thing is, Microsoft could well announce that Vista would be released next month or so.  There is no such thing as finished software, because no software will ever be perfect in every way.  I've used the Vista beta and its really quite stable.  It could be released tomorrow.  I don't think its anywhere near release state, but that hasn't stopped developers releasing stuff in the past in that state.  Hell, if you want to keep on an Apple tack, the original OS X when released was horribly buggy and nowhere near releasable in my opinion.  And that's nowhere near the worst.  I bought Championship Manager 4 and Football Manager 2005, Sports Interactive's football management games.  I have never seen as many bugs in a game as in them two.

And then, we all know about Microsoft and 1.0 releases...

rjdohnert wrote:

Here is what I think

ew Products?

Cider wrote:

Actually, I was kinda - by the fact that they updated the iMac line and not the high end desktops.

I presume the hit from emulating PowerPC instructions limits their use in high end scenarios (and benchmarks!) so they're holding off till more native Intel code is available.

 

Cider wrote:

 I bought Championship Manager 4 and Football Manager 2005, Sports Interactive's football management games.  I have never seen as many bugs in a game as in them two.
 

Didn't buy the last Tomb Raider then?

CannotResolveSymbol wrote:

I don't want Microsoft to rush Vista.  I want to be able to go out and buy Vista the day it releases and have it just work on my laptop (not that I expect it to, or that I would be daring enough to buy it on the first day).  If Microsoft isn't ready to release Vista yet, I'm fine with that.

Be prepared to pay for Vista.  i went kind of on the cheap on my Blog entry but I wouldnt put it past M$ to charge $1,000.00 for Windows Vista.

rjdohnert wrote:

I wouldnt put it past M$ to charge $1,000.00 for Windows Vista.

I want some of whatever you're smoking.

They charge $1000 for Vista, I'm going out and buying a Mac.  Immediately.  Along with iWork and StarOffice.  In fact, I would dump all microsoft products altogether.  Even my nice little blue optical mouse.

Charging $1000 for Vista would be suicide for Microsoft.  Home users wouldn't buy it because a new mac would be cheaper (Mac Mini for $500 or a faster iMac for $1200). Business users wouldn't buy it for the same reason.

Don't they have like 7-8 editions to choose from?

Yeah, and none of them (except Server) are worth paying a thousand bucks for.  Even ultimate edition (what I would probably buy).

someone tell me what the benefit is?

isn't it just being done for the cost factor?

there is no new functionality?

doesn't send me reeling with jealousy personally...

I don't know how you make this stuff up, but it's amusing!

scobleizer wrote:

I don't know how you make this stuff up, but it's amusing!

Actually since beer28 has left I figured Id fill in for him for a quick minute.  Didnt ya notice the M$ .