MacShrine

I’ve been commenting on Apple and Mac OS X for a few years now. I switched to Apple back in… ah, well… a few years ago now. Back when Apple were putting out public betas of the first version of OS X (little aside: if you or anyone you know ever comments about the sluggishness of OS X, please go and check out the original public beta of OS X and compare it to the loveliness that is 10.4 Tiger. You won’t complain again). So I’ve written a fair amount covering Apple’s chequered past in the last four years and one thing that I seemed to have noticed more than anything else is the unnerving sense that- hold on a minute- Apple are actually doing quite well now, aren’t they? Disconcerting, I know, but it might actually be true. I can’t believe there might actually be a time when I don’t have to look at the system requirement for absolutely every piece of software or hardware I buy just in case someone decided to support OS X… but it might actually be starting to happen.

A while back, I wrote:

“A lot of people believe this is where devices such as the iPod are going in the future: The iPod is arguably the best designed (both aesthetically and from a usability point of view) portable music player in the world. It uses an industry-standard way of storing and playing music (the format is called ‘AAC’ and was designed primarily by Dolby Labs) and works on both Windows and the Mac. However, we are soon going to be seeing a wave of copycat devices proliferate the market - all using Window’s proprietary WMA music format. It is widely accepted that WMA is a lesser format that both MP3 and AAC, and therefore a second-class technology to that used in the iPod. However, these devices will be made cheaply and will integrate with the predominant platform: Windows. Apple will have a tough job competing against these cheaper devices in a market where the average consumer values price over quality. And so, under this scenario, the better technology will die.”

…and I was wrong. Well, certainly on that last point. WMA-based, really cheap, portable audio devices were released - and from some of the market’s traditionally heavy-lifters. Creative Labs, Philips, Samsung, and even Sony all tried (and are still trying, really), along with a flurry of ultra-cheap-feature-packed tat from random Asian companies. All sold fewer than a chocolate fireguard. Creative even went a stage further and attacked Apple and Jobs directly - claiming that they had patented the user interface used in their original MP3 players, and that Apple then proceeded to use a similar design a year later with the iPod. Last year, Creative’s Chief Executive went on to declare “the MP3 war has started and I am the one who has declared war”, backing it up with a $100 million marketing campaign throughout 2005 in an attempt to unseat the iPod. It would appear these attempts have failed - the iPod is as ubiquitous as a Windows computer, and recently several market analysts have lowered their opinions and suggested share price of Creative, showing even harder times to come for them.

Of course, this is just the hardware. Start considering the iTunes Music Store and the fact that Apple were the first people to bring legal music downloads to the Internet, and are now experiencing almost complete market dominance in the legal digital music download market place, and its hard not to feel just a little like Apple’s fortunes may be on the up and up. Even in light of Amazon’s rumoured entrance into the music download business - Apple’s fortunes have to be favoured. Many have tried, all have so far failed.

Indeed, Microsoft are so frustrated that their WMA format is losing ground to Apple, they are rumoured to be working on their own ‘iPod killer’ device to attack Apple directly. Further recent reports have suggested that the three main media protagonists - Windows Media, Real Media and Quicktime - could be seeing a shift in usage shares too - in Apple’s favour.

For whatever reason, Apple seem to be winning out in with the iPod and the iTunes Music Store - but the real winners have to be the consumers. For once, the most popular device is the easiest to use and has great cross-platform support (providing you’re not on Linux - sorry guys!), which means the whole ecosystem that surrounds the most popular item is just as accessible to us Mac users as it is to anyone in the mainstream. This is a weird feeling.

But from my point of view, the really great thing about Apple succeeding in anything is the way they do it - their style. iTunes and the iPod is all based on standard-based technologies - AAC was not designed by Apple and is a defined standard - meaning it is accessible on any platform. So when people buy an iPod or use iTunes for their music, they are supporting the use of open data standards - which can only be a good thing. In contrast, if the flurry of non-iPod devices had won out, and WMA became the popular format, non-Windows users could kiss good-bye to any kind of support. And before you say it, I’m not talking about the iPod and the iTunes Music Store here (that is a closed system, and any closed system should be considered detrimental to consumers).

Music doesn’t seem to be the only area in which Apple are making headway. Recent reports have suggested that, here in the UK at least, their Mac market share has significantly grown both in the retain and education markets. Again, this can only be good news, as Apple tend to back open standards and cross-platform ways of doing things out of the box. Apple are rumoured to be announcing a significant number of new Apple Stores in the UK too - with the number in the US continually growing - again showing a marked sign of increased (or renewed) interest in both the iPod and Mac computers.

And it only takes a few more people to be asking for Mac peripherals in PC World, or wanting Mac versions of certain pieces of software, before companies start considering supporting the Mac by default as well as Windows when they release their stuff.

Maybe there will be a day when I don’t have to diligently peruse the back of the box to check the system requirements of something I want to buy. Maybe there will be a day when I can go into a computer shop and pick something up with the same confidence as a Windows user that it will be supported when I get home. To be honest, its not that big a deal - most peripherals seem to just work with the Mac anyway (sometimes regardless and even contrary to the system specs on the box). But when I see ‘works with Windows and OS X’ on most of the boxes in PC World, I’ll know the tide has turned and will stop feeling like such a second-class citizen in a world seemingly overrun by bland beige boxes.

Of course, a more proliferate Apple platform is great for everyone for a whole raft of reasons. The quality of Apple’s software and the features they provide tend to be higher than on other platforms. If more people use this higher-quality software, their expectations increase for the computer generally. The sooner the public’s misconception that its ok for computers to crash, get viruses, need constant patching, and only lasting a few years before needing replacing, the better.

In fact, a very recent study has shown that if Apple can overcome some relatively small technical issues and make it possible to run Windows applications on Intel-based OS X Mac computers, the possibility of significantly increased market share in something that should be realistically considered. If the only thing stopping people from buying or switching to a Mac is that they’ve a few applications that are Windows-only, and Intel Macs are able to run Windows-based apps, why wouldn’t they choose a Mac over Windows?

These are some exciting times for Mac users. Finally (and due in part to the iPod, it must be said), public conception of the Apple platform is moving away from seeing it as an expensive, under-supported, luxury for musicians and video artists. There is (and has been since OS X) a solid foundation of application across the board for people in any walk of life and at home that make the platform absolutely realistic for all of today’s computing needs. Market share will snowball too - once people see more Macs around them, they’ll switch themselves.

I’m not hoping for complete domination of the computer market by Apple. I just want to see the market share the platform deserves.

And, just recently, I can’t help the feeling all the signs seem to be pointing that way…

© Copyright Craig Pugsley 2006
Published by MacShrine with permission

Craig Pugsley is a new addition to the team. He will be providing a new article every Wednesday for you folks!