Uh-oh.... Anybody following WWDC?

[Devin Asay]

On Jun 6, 2005, at 3:47 PM, Chipp Walters wrote:

> Here's more food for thought on this subject.
>
> 1. When Apple finally rolls out 'Leopard,' how many 'tested on  
> Intel' apps do you think there will be? Seeing how Leopard ONLY  
> RUNS ON APPLE HARDWARE (see bottom of page: http://tinyurl.com/ 
> 8vwvz ), how will develpers test their apps? I'm sure Apple will  
> seed a few developer boxes out there, but the majority of  
> developers will have to 'wait and see' how their newly cross- 
> compiled code runs. Not a pretty sight, IMO.

It all depends on the developers. Apple made it clear this morning  
that there will be Intel development systems available for any  
developer that wants one for a reasonable price (abt $1K for a tower).
>
> 2. Why would anyone want to buy a Mac computer today, knowing it  
> will be outdated/obsolete in a year or two? Also, I expect all  
> software MUST be upgraded when Leopard ships. IMO, this is a big of  
> an upgrade as the OS9 to BSD UNIX OSX.

I don't see it affecting the supported life span of current PPC  
boxes. Jobs made it clear that the transition will be gradual and  
that the PPC architecture will be fully supported for a few more  
years. The real question is how potential buyers will react. Will  
they just hold out for another year until the MacTels come out?
>
> 3. We already know Mac users hold onto their computers longer than  
> PC users. The current Mac marketshare is something around 4% while  
> the userbase is around 10%, which supports that fact. So, will  
> users be inclined to keep their existing Macs while waiting for the  
> new Intel ones? I am. I'm wondering how this will affect the  
> 'bottom line.'?

In a way Apple is well situated for this. Right now the iPod is  
driving Apple's profitability, giving them some breathing room on  
transitioning their big-box computers.
>
> 4. So, it looks like Apple will 'let' users install windows on  
> their machines. The question is, will MS make it impossible to run  
> Longhorn on a machine with Leopard installed? Interesting issue. If  
> I can run both on one machine, then I'll probably just buy the  
> Apple (all things being equal).

What do M$ care, as long as people are buying Windows? It'll be an  
interesting year.

After listening to the presentation this afternoon, I can report that  
Apple is serious about making this transition go smoothly for their  
developers. I think they realize what a risk they are taking, and are  
going to great lengths to smooth the transition for developers,  
providing tools and expertise.

It will be a non-issue for us as Rev developers (as it is for Java,  
JavaScript, Python and other high-level language developers.) RunRev  
have to do the work of prepping the OSX engine, but in the long run  
it may make things easier for them. For the rev developer compiling  
an OSX standalone, the process will be the same. The executable might  
be a tad bigger, but it should support any Mac, PPC or Intel based.

Devin



Devin Asay
Humanities Technology and Research Support Center
Brigham Young University