On the API's: I'm not a developer, but programmers I know hold Apple's development tools, based on NeXTSTEP in deep reverence. They say it's years and years ahead of anything else, being fully "object-oriented" and saving them a lot of work. This is a stealth factor, not widely appreciated, that could further boost Apple going forward. To my knowledge, MSFT's C# and other efforts are not in the same ballpark.
Maybe roughlydrafted or someone could find a C jockey who could further elucidate us on the implications.
Carl,
Don't forget about the rumored new 13" tablet/MacBook Pro. I think this is legit. Then we will finally see the touch-based device you spoke of many months ago.
You need go no further than Kevin Hoffman's blog, .NET Addict at http://dotnetaddict.dotnetdevelo...ersjournal.com/
He is an accomplished Windows programmer and author of programming books who has been engaged in evaluating the Objective-C language since last year. He's quite jazzed about Leopard, as well as the announced native iPhone SDK.
Very interesting to read his opinions on the differences between programming approaches from Microsoft and Apple. Quite decidedly, he prefers Apples frameworks-based approch.
"Apple's U.S. Mac market share rises to 8.1 percent"
So 8.1 out of 100 people, in the US, chose to buy an OSX-based Apple computer. So everyone else use Windows or maybe Linux.
I think that the numbers are based on retail sales, which excludes almost all of Dell and a large part of Apple, which sales most computers on the web [again I think, but correct me if I am wrong]. So who knows what the real meaning is. But, this shows an increasing trend toward Apple, at least in the retail business, which almost certainly crosses over to web business.
The more I think about it, SJ might have liked sending out a little misdirection. What I half hoped for half expected is happening. We are going to have a family of hand held devices that are an OSX platform. Apple is going to be THE handheld consumer device leader. Developers will complete the solution just like they do for MS in business.
It's so clear, so obvious. Apple has all the technologies in place. It is only blocking and tackling away. Hard work, but no revolutions required.
Journalists are looking for drama not strategy, but the people at MS aren't so stupid. It's why they felt they had to respond (even if badly) with Zune.
Worse for MS, Apple is gaining share, significantly, in computers.
If you love Objective C and Cocoa, you just died and went to heaven. I don't, but I'll be learning them anyway...
The more I think about it, of course SJ engaged in a little misdirection. He didn't lie, but he was willing to let people believe iPhone/iPod WOULDN'T be a platform.
Because as a plaform it threatens EVERY handheld and small device (that's some sort of computer) maker.
OSX will be the Windows of consumer devices. Developers will finish the solution. Every specialized device is threatened. By comparison, Apple TV really is just a hobby. =)
Let it settle in everyone... of course SJ wasn't going to settle to make beautiful easy to use specialized devices. He's flanking Microsoft.
"By comparison, Apple TV really is just a hobby. =)"
So's Steve Jobs' position at Apple-- just a hobby. Don't they pay him about a buck a year?
Commenting by HaloScan
