Leopard VS. Vista – Part Three – Secrets and Photocopiers

August 9, 2006

Leopard VS. VistaAfter following the MacRumorsLive.com live coverage and watching the Quicktime keynote stream, I had some mixed feelings about Apple’s decision to hide some of the new Leopard features. The Leopard Sneak Peek showed off only a few features that will be found in Leopard and there was no ‘One More Thing’ product at the end of the keynote. I understand why Apple hid some of the new major features, but I was expecting a few more features to be demoed at WWDC.

However, I was very impressed with the new Time Machine backup solution and the new version of iChat. Finally Apple is creating a backup solution for Mac users who don’t own .Mac. I love Time Machine’s transparent UI and its intelligent backup system that looks like the perfect backup solution for every Mac user. The new iChat seems to deliver some of my most-wanted features for iChat, including tabbed-chatting, remote-client control, presentation tools (iChat Theater), and iSight effects. These two are so far my favorite new features for Leopard, and I cannot wait to see what’s next for the next version of Mac OS X.

After thinking about the keynote, I finally understood Apple’s game-plan for Leopard when it comes to a release date and new features. Apple originally had the release date for Leopard around late 2006 to early 2007. But thanks to “our friends up North”, Apple was forced to push the release date back behind Vista’s already delayed release day. Its obvious that Apple has to unleash Leopard after Vista hits the shelves to prevent Micorosft from copying some of the major features to be found in Leopard. Apple’s decision to keep some of the features unannounced is very smart, and it is another example of how important it is for Apple to keep these features from being leaked too soon.

Steve and his friends made several jabs at both Microsoft and Vista the other day, criticizing their lack of innovation, pointing out the obvious similarities between Vista and Tiger, and also the hilarious intro video featuring the PC explaining to all of the Mac OS X developers to take a break so Vista can catch up. Bertrand Serlet (the one who you could hardly understand, yet you felt compelled to laugh at every one of his jokes and jabs at Vista) explained Apple’s thoughts on Vista during the keynote and compared screenshots of Vista and Tiger. At the end of his explanation, he showed the new Windows Vista logo and related the logo to the fact that even though Vista has a new appearance, it is still a Windows OS.

Top Secret Leopard featuresOn the flip side, its seems as if Microsoft is still struggling with Vista to make it ready for its upcoming release in early 2007. I have not given Vista beta 2 a spin, but I have heard from many that Vista still feels like like beta software, and the new Aero GUI really kills the performance when activated. As I cruised the Windows Vista feature list, I understood why Steve and Bertrand were pointing their fingers at Microsoft for copying all of Tiger’s features. It seems like every new feature that was introduced in Panther and Tiger are also being introduced into Vista. Bertrand and Steve were 100 percent right, Vista is just an impersonation of Mac OS X, and some of the “new” features for Vista have been included in OS X since the 10.0 Public Beta in 2000. I think the poster in the WWDC hall that said “Leopard: Vista 2.0” pretty much explains both Apple’s and my feelings towards Microsoft’s progress with Vista.

I’m on the edge of my seat to see how this competition unravels into 2007. I have a feeling Leopard will certainly “Blow away Vista”, but lets hope the “Top Secret” features that Steve mentioned will really be good enough to have been “Top Secret”. My guess is a new Finder, Safari, refined UI, and some new apps will be some of the Top Secret features in Leopard.

16 Responses

  1. webmacster87 says:

    I completely agree with Apple’s choice to keep some features TOP SECRET, but it still leaves sort of an unsatisfied feeling because you still don’t know for sure whether that big feature you wanted will actually show up or not.

    August 9th, 2006 at 11:11 pm

  2. Kuro RAi says:

    yea that is true…. but if u r a true mac zealot (YEA APPLE ALL THE WAY PPL!!!!) then this should be sumthing u should be raving because it just proves that in the end Apple is oging 2 have features that Microsoft hasnt released….oh yea, Vista really did copy OS X and Leopard… apple knew that… microsofts been stealing ideas from them 4 a LONG TIME… from the very beginning actully…and by hiding these and revealing them at a leater time, all icrosoft can do is either do nothing and let ppl see they copied all this stuff but Apple kept things that just show how much better Leopard is OR it can make an update with those features…. after of cource they figure how to make those feature run ‘as stable as they think is needed’ aka 1 day….and if they do so ppl will hopefully see its a petetic attempt 2 try and make up for how much better Leopard is…. I’m waiting till Leopard comes out to buy my new iMac….rather then rite now…. but at least i kow as soon as it hits the shelves i can get it and not have 2 wry bout the 6 hour downloding for the updates id have gotten wit Vista’s 1st weeek out…

    August 18th, 2006 at 2:38 pm

  3. Ted says:

    Apple should keep their secrets. Vista has copied and ripped-off every aspect of OS X and if they learn of any of Leopard’s secrets you bet they will rip that off as well. At least Apple will have it’s suprises when Leopard and Vista go public.

    August 24th, 2006 at 4:35 pm

  4. TechnologySlice says:

    Hopefully Apple will come out with something good. Looking at the beta versions of Vista it’s nothing special.

    August 27th, 2006 at 9:49 pm

  5. Mandy says:

    When Vista finally is releaded, Apple should take it appart, putting the very best lawers on thecase, and SUE the CopyCats up North!

    Make ’em pay!

    September 10th, 2006 at 8:31 am

  6. Kuro Rai says:

    u kow… itz wonderful to know that it took microoft 6 years to copy Apple’s OS… i mean how backwards can u be!?!?!? and in the last 2 or 3 years of that Apple was able to introduce a new OS (Leopard) which goes above and beyond the next OS that microsoft will come out wit… im erpsonally am still a pc/windows user (yes i kow i kow) but the thing is that be4 Macs were really expensive, and i needed a gaming comp….but now wit the intel core and the nividia graphics…ALL THE GAMES R COMING OUT 4 MAC!! im just waiting for Leopard to come out (and hopefully the G6 iMacs) so i can get my 1st mac… i just love how the iMac has everything built in!!! if u get the wireless keyboard/mighty mouse (another thing which i stared at for 10 min wondering how far bak not only microsoft, but other comp. manufacturers are) you’d only have 1 wire coming outta ur mac!! the power wire!!!… hopefully i can get a job at the new Apple store they are opening, i would LOVE a job like that, heck i’d do it for free… the employe discount!!!,…however all in all i’d say this whole bunch of articales are fucking retarded, like wtf do u need 2 compare them, every1 kows Leopards gonna cream vista’s ass…and for those who dont…well tehn they’ll just need 2 sit bak and wait while their comp. crashes on them over and over, just cuz they ran windows, “Windows…WARNING: windows is good only for crashing, waiting and staring at the blue screen of death. People who are impatient, Petient, like getting things done and/or things working should not use windows. people who wish to waste their money are requested to buy windows. We ahve won 1 AWARD!! yay…”Best way to waste your money on somehitng usless that you can’t use, because even iof u did what more then a little picture of 4colours would u get?!!?!?”….

    and as Apple says

    “HASTA LA VISTA, VISTA!!!”

    btw, sry for my horrid spelling, typing this fast…

    October 14th, 2006 at 12:37 am

  7. Kuro Rai says:

    also, i dont understand y u could say that the Apple GUI is hard to use, the 1st time i used a Mac i didn’t kow anything about computers, but i knew that hthe big red button probably closes the window, and what did it do?!?! so if u could figure that out by urself (and if u cant then ur whacked in the head) hten u’ve basiclly become and advanced user to OS X, because EVERYTHING IS THAT SIMPLE!!!

    October 14th, 2006 at 12:43 am

  8. Kuro Rai says:

    WAT KIND OF FUCKING BULLSHIT IS THIS?
    “You may have experienced sluggish behavior after booting your machine, after performing a fast user switch, or even after lunch.”
    THEY DO MEAN ALL THE TIME RITE?
    In previous versions of Windows, system responsiveness could be uneven.
    U MEAN IN ALL VERSIONS
    It can take some time to reload your data into memory, slowing down performance.
    IT CAN? VISTA IS A FUCKING RIP OFF OF OS X
    “Windows Aero”
    THEY MEAN THE INTERFACE THAT OS X : TIGER WAS RUNNING ON U KOW
    COPYCATS!!!
    Windows Flip and Windows Flip 3D
    THAT’S ALLWAYS BEEN IN OS X
    “Use Instant Search to quickly find the information you need.”
    THATZ SPOTLIGHT!!! … BEEN TEHRE SINCE OS X
    Windows Vista contains a number of new security features that, taken together, are designed to make Windows Vista-based PCs more secure and your online experiences safer. The improvements are designed to help you have:
    1. A PC protected from viruses, worms, spyware, and other potentially unwanted software
    2. A safer online experience for you and your family
    3. An understanding of when your PC is unsafe, and the control and guidance to help improve your security
    MY ASS
    BET THEY ALRDY HAVE 1000 VIRUSES OUT FOR IT
    “Desktop Search”
    THATZ SPOTLIGHT—AGAIN!!!
    “Search Folders”
    SMAE AS SMART FOLDERS!!!
    “New Internet Explorer 7 features, like tabbed browsing and live previews, make it easier for you to get to the websites you want to visit.”
    TAKES THEM 7 VERSIONS?!?!!?
    SAFARI’S HAD IT SINCE DAY 1
    “Gadgets”
    IT’S CALLED A DASHBOARD
    BEEN THERE SINCE OS X
    “Windows Sidebar”
    THATZ A FUCKING UGLY ASS COPY OF THE APPLE DOCK!!
    “Windows Vista provides a single destination where you can access all of the related Backup and Restore features.”
    THIS WAS APART OF VISTA 1 WEEK AFTER APPLE TALKED ABOUT TIME MACHINE
    “System Restore”
    LIKE THAT’S ANY DIFFERENT
    “Windows Backup”
    THEY’VE GIVEN THE SSAME THING 3 NAMES!!!
    AND ITME MACHINE HAS A BETTER GUI
    “Network Center”
    SO IT WAS IMOSSIBLE TO CONNECT 2 THE INTERNET BE4?!!?!??
    “Network Setup”
    “Network Explorer”
    “Network Map”
    “Wireless Networking”
    “Network Awareness”
    “Network Diagnostics”
    “Networking Optimized for Speed”
    THEY ARE JUST FUCKING TRYING TO LIST A WHOLE LOTTA CRAP THAT U COULD SUM UP IN 1 WRD
    CRAP
    “Windows Vista SideShow”
    FRONT ROW…BEEN THERE…OS X
    AND WITH WIRELESS APPLE REMOTE CONTROL
    “Speech Recognition in Windows Vista”
    BEEN THERE IN OS X…WITH iSight
    PLUS IT DOESNT SOUND LI-KE T-HI-S !!!EVEN THE “LISTENING” TOOLBAR LOOKS LIKE OS X’S!!!

    November 14th, 2006 at 7:27 pm

  9. Appleologist says:

    Kuro, you are pretty much the biggest Microsoft hater I’ve seen, besides myself. But don’t worry, Microsoft is just going down the tubes in the direction they are heading.

    November 14th, 2006 at 9:11 pm

  10. Kuro Rai says:

    YES THEY ARE!!!

    Have u seen teh “Zune”..

    ???

    its so damn fucking ugly!! and in brown!!!

    they aren’t gonna beat iPod/Apple with that crap./….

    SAD THING IS…

    IT’S THE ONLY MP3 PLATER UNCOMPATIBLE WITH VISTA…

    HOW SAD IS THAT!!?!?!? UR OWN MP3 PLAYER DOESN’T WRK ON UR OS… AND ITS OCMING OUT IN 2 WEEKS!!!

    November 17th, 2006 at 10:51 pm

  11. Kuro Rai says:

    i mean the OS*

    November 17th, 2006 at 10:57 pm

  12. Chris says:

    I think Apple should focus on making OSX faster.
    My MacMini runs XP faster than it does OSX, and my Multi-Boot PC runs Vista a billion times faster than it does OSX… heh.

    November 22nd, 2006 at 12:04 am

  13. Shaf says:

    Chris, you say Vista runs faster on your PC than OSX… Gee I wonder why… Maybe you have all the right drivers running, plus Vista was ment for the PC and OSX wasn’t . Even though you have a close setup to what a mac is doesn’t mean it is the samething. The OSX crack isn’t anywhere close to being 100% and I don’t think ever will but it can come close. As to your Mini running XP faster how much RAM are you running? If it is 512mb then of course XP is going to run faster cause it’s happy with that amount while OSX is more happy with 1Gb of memory, and what do you use your mini for?

    Running OSX on my MacBook Pro is very fast, but you never say in what way it is slower… slower doing what? what tasks are you doing? But being so general it means absolutly nothing.

    I would like to say is that Vista does have a feeling of OSX maybe not the same look. The thing is if you want a nice looking laptop, desktop and is easy to use and understand once you figure it out get a Mac.

    The thing is it’s like buying a car you have to test drive the real thing instead of forming an opinion based off of someone elses opinion since Vista isn’t out for pubic release and Leopard isn’t out yet so no one can really make a good comparison of either. But from the Beta of Vista and OSX…. Vista just feels so OSX like but chunky like most PCs that need to go on a diet because they carry so much extra coding that aren’t used or to keep there code a secret.

    November 23rd, 2006 at 2:38 pm

  14. Kuro Rai says:

    OMFG
    THIS IS SOOOO STUPID
    ALL THOSE FEATURES VISTA’S SUPPOSE TO HAVE
    THE ONES THEY COPIED OFF OF OS X: Puma – Leopard?
    YOU ONLY GET EM IF YOU BUY THE FUCKING ULTIMATE FOR 500$
    (300$ if you were stupid enough to have XP)

    Like ” Flip 3d”(copy of Expose) comes only if you buy the ‘premium’ which is 50$ more,

    And BitLocker (copy of FileVault); only with teh ultimate which is 300$ with XP; 500$ otherwise…

    Microsucks is making 500$ outta copying OS X Puma – Leopard.

    they are even copying Apple way of naming things (sticking bit locker into 1 word and capitalizing them, i.e MacBook, FileVault, AirPort, et cetera)

    this is stupid.

    iLove Apple.

    January 26th, 2007 at 8:40 pm

  15. yardigan says:

    Ok, so I’m not macologist, or a pc fanboy. I must say I’ve been using windows for a long time, since 3.1, but that doesn’t make me a fan boy in any sense. I do tech support for a living, so trust, I have an undying hatred for windows.

    I’ve never owned a mac, believe me If I could afford it, i probably would have it. Ok, so u know me as a mac noob and a pc pro right? Good. Now here is my lil assesment.

    I follow up on the features of every mac release, and my stand on the os is once apple decides to grow up and play real ball with the big boys, I probably will have to make that switch. Don’t take that statement the wrong way, I just mean that they are exclusive to their own hardware, a luxury microsoft doesn’t have. I don’t believe there is anything superior about the mac hardware, and if i’m wrong pls educate me there.

    Microsoft does a good job of trying to manage a very complex problem. Hardware/Device Compatibility, backward compatibility (software). These are not simple feats, and most people here on the mac end don’t seem to appreciate that. Most xp apps will run on vista no problems.

    Also, vista is a sweet OS, and I do agree that MS did some peeking over Apples shoulders, but does that make them evil, no, if the mac is doing something superior or different, pls, intruduce it into windows. I feel the same way about apple, if windows did it, its cool, its usable, go for it. Aero is not a straight copy of Tiger, I don’t buy that argument. Tiger is beautiful, I always take a walk into the local apple store in my area and lust at its sexyness. Vista is both sexier now and more usable than xp in some respects, but Tiger give me the impression that the design is more mature. I mean they have been tweaking it for 4 generations now.

    Apple has also done some copying on its own. My only gripe with apple is that they seem to think adding lil features, like “spaces’ is a big feature update, microsoft added that years ago and a small power toy util, but on that note, they could’ve done a better job.

    On a usability and support end, microsoft has made some strong strides in making the OS more userfriendly. I get users on the phone everyday that purchased a new Vista machine and they are kinda thrown off by the new features, but in the end, vista has made my job easier. The diagnose and repair option in network and sharing alone does a great job of identifying and correcting network issues. Of course, its not perfect, but it is better.

    The clown that said Aero is transparent windows, has no idea what he/she is talking about and needs to be silent. Microsoft did an overhaul on the GUI to make it run completely on the 3d hardware, apple did that first, so what, microsoft did it in my humble opinion, better.

    Microsoft nor apple has every given me any money so I’m no fan of either, I use windows because I built my pc and have a copy of xp that came with my other machine (shhhhh-didn’t hear it from me : ) If i had a copy of OSX that could run on my existing hardware, it would jump on it. Don’t compare apples to Lettuce, it ain’t the same.

    I will bet my car, that the day apple decides to go for it and sell the OS, not the hardware, they will have many many issues to overcome, and I’m sure the annoyed user who just spent 300 bucks for a copy of OSX to run on his PC, will be making the switch back to windows.

    After all this I must still say, I like OSX, I like Vista, and honestly I love xp, issues and all, it does the job and is a very productive environment to work in. I bet if Jobs said we’re adding Ctrl X support I’d see some mac idiot posting how great a man he is…lol, spaces, c’mon I wanna see something truely revolutionary, not the natural evolution that they seem to hype all the time.

    Both good OS’s for their purpose, OSX is not in the same league as Windows in my opinion though, just because its not playing same kind of ball, osx is highschool football, windows is NFL.

    Let the flames begin : )

    September 12th, 2007 at 11:27 pm

  16. how do i remote control my windows vista home premium os says:

    how do i remote control my windows vista home premium os…

    January 29th, 2008 at 9:48 pm

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