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April 29, 2005 7:32 PM PDT
Apple's Tiger unleashed in San Francisco
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At Apple's downtown store here, where Tiger went on sale at 6 p.m. PDT, 200 or so people lined up for more than a block. Among them was Austin Liu, a freelance Web designer and student. Liu, who admits to being "caught up in the whole 'Cult of Mac'," said there is something undeniably cool about all things Apple.
"Microsoft could never get a crowd like this," he said. Liu took a swipe at Microsoft, joking that far fewer will show up "when Microsoft finally releases Longhorn or Longtime or whatever it is," referring to the next version of Windows, due out next year.
Library supervisor A.J. Real turned out with two friends to snag a family pack of Tiger, a $199 version of Tiger that can be used on up to five computers in a household. Single copies of the OS, which features improved searching and other features, sell for $129. Real and friends found themselves about 35 people back in the line, which began forming around 4 p.m.--two hours before Tiger went on sale.
"We got here at 3," Real said. "Then we got hungry."
By the time the doors opened, the line stretched for a block down Stockton Street, past storefronts for Benetton, Fossil, Armani Exchange, and Crate and Barrel.
At the front of that line was Mario Ortiz, a graphic designer for the Gap.
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Related story In Apple, Microsoft OSes, search is on  The companies' new operating systems, Tiger and Longhorn, bear a resemblance. But just who copied whom? |
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"I hope I win something," said Ortiz, who was trying to win a PowerBook or iPod, one of several prizes Apple was handing out to mark the big event. Ortiz had ordered a copy of the new OS on Amazon.com, which was offering a $30 rebate, but canceled the order to get his hands on a copy sooner.
James Rice, a freelance educator and part-time Starbucks employee, said he already ordered his copy of Tiger, but turned out, 12-inch PowerBook in tow, just for "the spectacle of it all."
Not everyone was impressed.
"What is a tiger?" asked one woman as she passed by the crowd. When someone informed her it was computer software, she shook her head and scurried past.
In addition to those lined up to buy the OS, a fair throng of gawkers gathered to see what all the fuss was about. Pizza maker Ivan Ochoa said he likes his Windows-based computer, but probably wouldn't line up to get a new version of the OS.
"It's like they are waiting for their favorite singer," he said, looking at the long line of Mac faithfuls.
The Apple stores were not the only place to grab hold of Tiger. A block away, amid some balloons but far less fanfare, CompUSA also put the new OS on sale, offering a $30 discount if buyers spent $400 on other purchases.
51 comments
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about their machine. When (if) it finally ships, we will have had 1
1/2 to 2 years of appreciating a modern OS.
Tiger kinda makes XPee seem like '95. Snappy, secure, loaded
with nice things that take eye candy to a new level. For someone
(like me) that spends 12 or more hours a day in front of one of
these machines, it makes life so much better.
I just don't understand why a company like MS that has so many
resources can't produce a secure and intuitive OS. I guess they
just don't want/need to. Windows is just "good enough".
It (Mac OS X) won't cure cancer, but it will make work a bit more
enjoyable.
Dude
Seems to me if you are so excited by Tigers release then you feel that your OS is lacking. I have XP but I use it for testing only. I have no need for "eye candy" as I find it distracting. You may have been appreciating a modern OS for 2 years, but I have been for 5.
I agree Apple maybe better but its not worth it for 1.5x or 2x the cost.
Microsoft will NEVER have this kind of appeal to people.
"Apple Tiger queues disrupt London traffic. THE APPLE STORE in
Regent Street, London saw a mammoth queue of people lined up
to pick up the Tiger OS, this evening..."
In NYC...
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-" target="_newWindow">http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-</a>
bzappl0430,0,1815219.story?coll=ny-business-leadheadlines
"Apple aficionados lined up Friday evening for the newest
version of Apple's operating system, dubbed Tiger. While the
release by some accounts is little more than a routine upgrade,
the queue at the company's two-story SoHo store stretched
down the block and around the corner."
I could go on and post more but you can look it yourself :P
If you are rich, $2000 may seem ok to you. If you are an enthusiast, like the people who stand in line for play station or Xbox, then go ahead.. but if you just need a computer to documents/email, watch/edit movies, play games, there is no question about going with a PC.
It maybe more stable, it may have fewer crashes, but a PC is stil cheaper and MOST people cant shell out $2000 for a good computer.
I recently bought a Dell, 3.2Ghz P4, 1GB 533mhz RAM, 250GB HD, 19" LCD, DVDRW....for roughly around $1100. Try getting a mac for that with those features!
Apple may have quality but it is full of hype so you can pay them twice as much for the same thing.
your Dell. I went to the Dell web site and tried to configure a
number of machines to get it for around $1,100. I could not find
anything even close unless I spent about 1340.00 to get a a
system that was close in specs to the mac Products. Like Firewire
ports and so on.... I
You need to watch out with this kind of statement because you
have to realize the stuff you are getting on your Dell is stripped
down in some area's when compared to the MAc. First off the
Ilife suite that comes with a MAc will cost you about 300 to 500
dollars more to even come close to what it does, how it
integrates and functions. Your Dell does not come with that and
you need to add that on to the price. Second, your dell does not
have firewire 800 and 400, Optical audio in and out ports and
OS X... You do have XP but you need to upgrade to get XP Pro as
most systems in your price range are coming with XP Home
which is light years behind Mac OS X. YOu need to really
research what comes with the mac more than just hardware the
software you get is going to push the cost of you PC up big
time. Again You need to research this with out bias! Better yet
try using the iLIfe products, Sherlock, dashboard, spotlight, and
tell me how close your dell box you bought is.
I own One very nice dell machine and It works just Dandy but I
think your price comparison is off base and you are just
regurgitating stuff you have heard and are not really researching
everything that comes with a mac. (look beyond hardware) Ohh
remember you will not need to be spending time fighting
viruses, spyware and maleware on your MAc so this is value to
me to.
Do your homework.... Because dollar for dollar macs are about
the same price... DO NOT FORGET SOFTWARE AND how the
software inegrates on the MAc That will cost you money on the
PC! Which pushes up the price of your system...
The model number I got was a Dimension 8400. It came with a free 19" lcd. And the basic configuration was priced at 799. Once I upgraded the CPU to 3.2, memory to 1GB, DVDRW, it came out to 1100. Also from time to time, Dell comes out with special coupons that will take additional off. For instance this comming week, 5/2/05, they have a coupon that will take 300 off 999. So if you configure your computer to 1400, it will bring it down to 1100 at Dell Home systems.
Your point about Windows XP Home is probably true. I havent really compared them side by side to say which one is superior but You are probably right that Os X is superior to Home.
In fact If I could buy a mac with OS X and a computer with 1Gb memory and DVD RW for roughly around 1000. I would do it anyday over a dell. But when I look at apple prices that go upto $2000. Thats really pinching the the wallet. Thats a whole months paycheck for alottt of people not counting rent, CC paymnets, etc.
If you are rich and afford that, you can get that and feel cool and happy. If you are not, then you are stuck.
AS far as the software is concerned, they may or may not be worth it. In fact software is a whole different domain. If it is for an IT company or educational institution, they usualy invest heavily in software. If it is for personel Use, then software is really a mute point. Most people if they NEED the software will get it at a reasonable price or get shareware.
And the software you mentioned maybe some really mighty stuff, but becuase they are so exclusively apple, I havent even tested half the stuff. I dont even know what they are about.
My dell comes with Music juke box, some photo software, & some other junk. Nothing really worth mentioning.
If it is truely the software that gives apple the value it deserves, then I would love apple to Unbundle the software and sell some cheap computers so people like me can afford them without having to buy their software.
Here is my thoughts. It's all good. Even the crap is good. Why? Because someone out their likes it.
The PC world could learn something from Apple. Apple could learn something from PC's. Windows could learn something from Linux and vice versa. Everyone could learn something from someone else.
Although I don't always agree with my own statements I still think they all serve a purpose. Most of the time that is hard to see from where we all stand. Even more it's hard to swallow just like pride. No amount of complaining ever got anything done, but it sure has turned a lot of people away.
There is no excuse for crap, ever.
You can keep that fire under a snails (windows) rear-end, it can only putter along so fast.
So if your a Microsoft user.... admire from a distance please... I don't want any of your drool on me.