Apple blows its load

[Wiglaf]

One of the new features in Snow Leopard:

"Signal strength indicators in the Airport menu (so you can choose the Wi-Fi network with the best signal)."

This shouldn't be included. The computer can pick the best one by itself.

[Vanguard]

Snow Leopard is going to cost 29 bucks. One fifth the cost of Windows 7. And Windows 7 is not exactly going to expand the horizons of computing either. It will do roughly the same thing for Windows as Snow Leopard does for OS X--- add a few features, fix a few problems and reduce the footprint.

At the price I don't see how Snow Leopard can really be faulted.

[Asher]

Why is no one talking about the new feature where your iPhone can connect to your computer box and provide it with internet access anywhere? Along with the copy/paste and the GPS features that is pretty groundbreaking.

Actually, while it is cool the iPhone got these basic features...AT&T will charge extra for it, whenever it is actually available (for tethering, I mean).

It's available June 16th, and for no extra charge in Canada on Rogers...

[Asher]

Snow Leopard is going to cost 29 bucks. One fifth the cost of Windows 7. And Windows 7 is not exactly going to expand the horizons of computing either. It will do roughly the same thing for Windows as Snow Leopard does for OS X--- add a few features, fix a few problems and reduce the footprint.

At the price I don't see how Snow Leopard can really be faulted.

Windows 7's price has not been announced. Don't perpetuate lies, even if it is in service of fellating Apple.

Snow Leopard is not Windows 7. Snow Leopard is, quite literally, no different from a service pack for Windows. There's virtually nothing different to the user, no new real features. It adds a bunch of developer tools, but it's still far from adding the amount of features MS does for free with the combination of Windows Service Packs and .NET runtime downloads.

Charging $29 is "generous" of them, comparatively, but nothing to morally harp about.

FWIW, it's only $29 for people who paid $129 for Leopard...which was released under two years ago. If you're on OS X 10.4 or lower, it's $129 still.

And another addendum: Assuming Windows 7 costs as much as Vista (which won't be the case -- MS has strongly hinted in recent weeks that people upgrading from Vista to Windows 7 will save a lot of money), the upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista costs $95. One fifth of that is $19...so your comment of it being one fifth the cost of Windows 7 is extremely improbable.

Edit: Apparently Amazon.com even sells Vista Home Premium upgrades for $65 new: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Wind...4594751&sr=8-2

[Drake Tungsten]

Rogers sucks...

[Asher]

Every telecom company does.

[Drake Tungsten]

Canadian ones are much worse than American ones, on average. I can't believe you guys pay the rates that you do.

[Asher]

That's what happens when you've an oligopoly with no competition or regulation. That'll change soon with more players entering the market.

[Drake Tungsten]

I hope so.

[Asher]

For how much I hate Rogers, techwise they've got their **** together. They'll support MMS and tethering as soon as the iPhone launches, which AT&T can't do yet.

They also launched their 7.2Mbps 3.5G network in 2008, which AT&T is still rolling out now.

[Drake Tungsten]

AT&T sucks, as well.

[Asher]

Apple's iPhone strategy was to pinpoint the worst telecoms in each country, then offer them exclusivity.

[Drake Tungsten]

If only Verizon was GSM...

[Asher]

I just saw "Phonebooth". Verizon engineers saved the day!