• PCWorld/Infoweek Calls Snow Leopard a Copy Cat

    by
    Cody Overcash
    Published on 2009-08-27 12:57 AM
    This isn't even remotely news, but it is an example of one of the most pathetic flame pieces ever published on a "professional" site. If you thought Apple fanboys were bad and you need a good laugh, jump on over to PCWorld and check out the full article by the now infamous Randall C. Kennedy. It's possibly one of the most bitter and ignorant articles I have read in recent memory; on any subject including politics.

    Kennedy's article examined:
    64-bitness: Yippee,! Apple finally goes 64-bit -- BFD! As a Windows user, I've been livin' la vida 64-bit for more than three years. Vista was the first mainstream desktop OS to deliver a viable 64-bit experience, and Windows 7 has taken this migration further by making it the preferred flavor for business users.

    Meanwhile, Apple can't even deliver a fully 64-bit implementation. Snow Leopard boots into a 32-bit kernel by default -- something about a lack of 64-bit device drivers, which is ironic when you consider how small a hardware ecosystem Apple must govern when compared to Microsoft and its burden of having to run on just about anything with an Intel-compatible CPU.
    Almost, Apple had the first usage of 64 bit back in 2003 with OS X Jaguar. Apple has been silently making more and more things 64 bit since then through updates. Leopard for example has been able to support 64 bit gfx apps since its release.

    Also the whole driver thing. So? It boots a 32 bit kernal and then runs 64 bit apps. No driver issues to worry about whatsoever, good performance, not stuck on a 64 bit kernel trying to unsuccessfully run some 32 bit apps (which haunted all Windows OS releases till midway through the Vista Development cycle), etc.
    QuickTime Pro: Can you believe the Apple folks used to charge for this thing? I guess they saw the writing on the wall, what with Microsoft releasing yet another excellent iteration of its free Movie Maker application. Way to play that reactionary card, Apple!
    Well, Windows Movie Maker was a reaction to Apple's Quicktime Pro in the first place . . . oh wait, no one cares, you suck at writing.
    Exposé Dock Integration: This one's a joke, right? Am I to understand that Apple is just getting around to adding this? Microsoft has been offering this type of functionality (aka thumbnail preview) for years, and Windows 7 has taken the concept further with Aero Peek, Shake, and Snap.
    They switch through apps. After that the similarity ends. OMG something besides Windows 7 can switch through apps in a nifty fashion!?!?!??! Your point is a joke sir.
    Expanded PDF Preview: If this constitutes a "feature," then Apple must really be grasping! I mean, Windows has supported PDF file preview -- via an installable ifilter module -- ever since Desktop Search debuted pre-Vista.
    . . . . seriously? This almost non-feature of Snow Leopard has knocked you off your rocker? I thought everyone knew that Snow Leopard's upgrades are mostly under the hood.
    I could go on, but I think I've made my point. Mac OS X Snow Leopard is truly an underwhelming release, one that borrows most of its "new" ideas from Windows Vista.
    Oh please don't go on, most the world is already laughing at you or puking in their shoes out of embarrassment. It fairly evident that you don't have a clue what the Snow Leopard release is intended to be -- under the hood stability and performance upgrades. Oh and it costs $29.
    I've often referred to Windows 7 as "Vista R2," an incremental follow-up release that was mostly about righting the wrongs of its predecessor. Viewed in these terms, Mac OS X Snow Leopard is more like a service pack: a collection of bug fixes and minor functional enhancements that, quite frankly, should have been in the original release.
    Oh no, he went on. WTF @ "Vista R2" is this guy high? He is right that Vista contained a lot of fail in it hence the new OS so quickly which many parts have been redone from the ground up. Even if you called Snow Leopard a "service pack" the $29 price point kills any new Windows OS in the category of value for the money.

    Conclusion
    There are plenty of things to debate in the continual Mac vs. PC battles, with plenty of valid arguments and points on both sides of the divide. If you choose to debate one or the other, don't be like Randall C. Kennedy

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