Linux is Hot, Vista is Not, But What About Leopard?: Page 2

Stern’s message is clear – Apple has lost momentum when it comes to innovation. That could be for a number of reasons. Perhaps the iPhone has something to do with it, or maybe Apple is making OS X more beginner friendly (not a bad idea since more newbies than ever are turning to Apple), or could it be because OS X is at the point where it’s about as good as it’s going to get? (I’m not sure where that leaves Apple when it comes to the next version … it’s possible that it’s an indication the OS X line has come to the end.)

But, no matter what the reason, I’m noticing parallels between the early reviews of Leopard and Vista. Of course, it’s too early to condemn Leopard just yet, but Steve Jobs’ recent fumble over iPhone pricing does demonstrate that Apple can stumble (and also that Apple customers are perfectly willing to stage a revolt).

So it will be interesting to see how things pan out over the next few months, in particular Apple sales over the crucial Holiday period and how Vista SP1 is received by businesses. I’m not expecting that Ubuntu’s deal with Dell will boost user numbers a great deal, but more such deals could follow, and if that happens, the pressure will be on both Apple and Microsoft to once again start being pioneering, because the easy availability of a free operating system will make people who are still willing to pay for an operating system expect a lot more for their money.