John McAleenan believes recent innovations could see the iPod makers challenge Redmond
Apple must feel like its time has finally come. Long considered the preserve of “arty-types” and children, Apple’s current line-up of Mac desktop and laptop computers finally looks capable of puncturing the old myths and emerging as a serious contender for both home and professional use. Certainly, the company currently squaring up against the massive 90 per cent market share of Microsoft, in the battle of the “next generation” operating systems, is a far cry from the Apple of the early 1990s – left gasping for breath by creative inertia and an overly proprietary approach.
With its ubiquitous iPod opening doors and minds, businesses and consumers are increasingly willing to look under the hood of the Mac. Many like what they find.
Apple now uses the same fundamental hardware platform as other PC-makers. The switch to Intel processors earlier this year means users can run Windows on their Mac, if they wish. Using Apple’s Boot Camp software, users can set up a “dual-boot” environment, allowing them to choose either Windows XP or Apple’s own operating system, OSX, when they switch the computer on.
By eliminating the hardware gap between Macs and Windows PCs, Apple has effectively brought the battle for market share to Microsoft’s door. For the first time, habitual Windows-users considering the switch to Mac can take advantage of the superior features and performance of OSX, while still retaining their familiar working environment.
Boot Camp also allows direct comparison between the two operating systems, running on the same hardware. Based on a tried-and-tested software kernel, OSX is fast, stable, attractive and, above all, user-friendly. Favouring incremental improvements over the “big bang” approach adopted by Microsoft in the development of its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system, Apple has been able to offer a superior solution for the past five years.
The move to the new Intel architecture also represented a considerable speed-bump for the entire product line, bringing Mac hardware performance into line with the latest Windows PCs. Finally, the persistent myth that consumers pay a hefty premium for buying Apple is also slowly dissolving.
There is every possibility Microsoft's next generation operating system, Windows Vista, will be an excellent product when it is launched next spring. However, with other competitive threats circling, does Microsoft still have what it takes to meet the innovative momentum of a resurgent Apple?
John McAleenan is managing director of IT solutions and services company Scotsys, part of the Adventi Group
