Comments on: A Look At the Upcoming OS Family Packs From Apple and Microsoft

By: omron blood monitor

omron blood monitor — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:26:28 +0000

A grueling technological brawl between Steve Jobs Apple Computer, Inc. and Bill Gates Microsoft Corporation has been steadily evolving for around 30 years. And with an almost constant tech-like arms race that showed no breaks or stops, one would think exhaustion would set in. Instead, the already brewing tension recently prompted hot business waters to boil over with the introduction of Apples clever and hip “PC vs. Mac” television adverts that specifically focus on demonizing and poking fun at Microsofts products.

When you opt for a Mac rather than a PC, youre buying a computer with a better design on the inside as well as out.

By: James

James — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:54:14 +0000

According to my calculations, the equivalent to the Mac box set for Windows costs about $2,100.

Breakdown:
5x Windows 7 Ultimate full at $320 = $1600
5x Microsoft Office Home and Student at $99 = $495

Total = $2,095… Ouch!

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:58:56 +0000

I don’t get what your problem is. Apple are charging more to upgrade from Tiger than to upgrade from Leopard. Is this fair? Yes! It would be grossly unfair to those that did upgrade to see Tiger users get the Snow Leopard upgrade at the same price point. If you didn’t upgrade to Leopard, why should you get the benefit?

By: James Dempsey

James Dempsey — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 13:38:25 +0000

Something I **think** should be noted. That $149 price for the Windows 7 Family Pack is an UPGRADE price, not a full license price. So you’ve already got to have XP or Vista installed in order to use it.

I realize that it wasn’t implied in this article that the $149 was for a full license, but I’ve actually seen several Windows users virtual-vomitting in forums about how much cheaper Windows 7 was than Mac OS X. Maybe they failed their math classes – most likely due to lack of paying attention in class because they were too busy fixing BSODs on their computer.

By: jagdterrier

jagdterrier — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:01:56 +0000

Why would “families” need Professional or Enterprise features that are available in Ultimate. Home Premium is aimed at the demo. Continuously asking why MS doesn’t slash prices doesn’t make sense seeing that they’re a $60 billion company based primarily on selling software to different markets at difference price points. They mint money no matter what.

By: A Look At the Upcoming OS Family Packs From Apple and Microsoft | All about windows 7

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:14:45 +0000

[...] original here: A Look At the Upcoming OS Family Packs From Apple and Microsoft This entry was posted by admin and posted on August 3, 2009 at 2:00 pm and filed under Windows 7, [...]

By: What to read on the GigaOM network

What to read on the GigaOM network — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:12:15 +0000

[...] ABC shows (NewTeeVee) Open-source device aims to help diabetics monitor blood sugar (OStatic) A look at the upcoming OS family packs from Apple and Microsoft (TheAppleBlog) A visit to the fire house: laptops in the fire trucks (jkOnTheRun) 5 tips for taming [...]

By: FiZ

FiZ — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:57:48 +0000

The typical upgrade situation is that you pay to upgrade from the previous version of the software, not two versions behind. I honestly wouldn’t expect a company to offer such an upgrade plan in most cases. (I’d make an exception for XP -> 7 as Vista was The Beast that Should Have Never Been)

By: theD

theD — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:41:43 +0000

Sey Hee Park
“GRANTED, the box sets do include iLife and iWork, a great deal in the end. But nonetheless, I don’t think Apple’s entirely immune or should be exaltingly vaulted in their “cheap upgrade” campaign, as you guys would like to put it.”

You just said it yourself! There are 3 products: Tiger, iLife, and iWork for the upgrade. Tiger being the bridge. So you don’t think they have a right to charge for the other products!? How is this still not worth the price?

By: Dave Bissett

Dave Bissett — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:40:25 +0000

Amazon has the 5 pack snow leopard for $49, if you want a single license its a mere $29, so I dont know what “Sey He Park” listed above is complaining about.

Sure if you want to buy the equivalent of windows 7 and office in macs offerings you could get both for $169 or a 5 pack for $229, again thats cheap and the mac offering blows away what Microsoft offers by way of garageband imovie, iweb, iwork and pages.

With windows I was always more vulnerable to attacks, the office apps always had swiss cheese holes that left my data vulnerable. If you have a mac and cant afford or dont want to update the office component, ie spreadsheet word processor etc, simply put in neo office or open office, two fairly good free offerings.

But as for value Apple has clearly got Microsloth beat.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/18/windows7_security_hole/

http://apcmag.com/windows-7-flaws-start-to-show.htm

yup was spending thousands of dollars trying to keep my XP connected to the web and not getting hacked, bought the best of firewalls etc and the problems still persisted, till I bought a cheap mac mini which blew the doors off my more expensive PC and I have never looked back.

By: Mike Perry

Mike Perry — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:36:08 +0000

Note that Microsoft said that the family pack would be available “until supplies last.”

What does that mean? I assume they meant either “as long as supplies last” or “until supplies run out.” But taken literally what they seem to be saying is that the offer will be valid only when there are no family packs available. When they become available, the offer will end.

By: Murphy Mac

Murphy Mac — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:27:28 +0000

My only hesitation in buying the MS Family Pack is the painful process of Product Activation. Microsoft continues to punish those of us who pay for the software we use. Figure out a different way Redmond.

Then – undoubtedly at some future date – I’ll be rushing to get something done in Windows before I run out the door. Whatever that thing is will require MS to verify my copy is Genuine. And at that moment I will scream.

By: Tom Reestman

Tom Reestman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:24:19 +0000

Since Leopard is the most successful software product at Apple, ever, it’s safe to say the $49 pricing will apply to most Intel Mac users. Certainly most of the users interested in upgrading.

Yes, there’s a sizable Tiger contingent as well, but the $229 provides FIVE OS licenses, FIVE iLife licenses, and FIVE iWork licenses, as you pointed out. And those are “Ultimate” OS licenses, not some limited “Home” edition.

That $229 price is almost certainly less than a Professional family pack for Windows 7 would cost, if Microsoft would even offer one (which they don’t). And let’s not even discuss Ultimate pricing.

I think the biggest point I made is that there’s no family pack for Professional or Ultimate.

By: Tom Reestman

Tom Reestman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:19:16 +0000

WIndows 7 is nowhere near a completely new OS. Steve Ballmer himself says it’s merely Vista done right.

By: Wes

Wes — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:18:41 +0000

As a computer techie I have used both OSs over the years and like both. But I am currently a Mac user by choice at Home and a Windows user by neccessity at work.

Any one want to consider the cost of upgrades over the life of a system? How often does Windows and Apple release a new version/upgrades that need to be purchased? Let’s go back to the 2001 with the birth of the new OS platforms of XP and OS X. Details can be read at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Timeline_of_releases and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X#Versions.

It would be an interesting exercise for someone to add up the cost of owning a Mac verse a PC to see who comes out ahead if they continually upgrade their system without buying a new one. Of course that is assuming the computer could handle the new OS. Macs seem to do a better job of that than PCs.

WINDOWS
* 2001 XP was released
* 2006 Vista was released
* 2009 Windows 7 to be release

APPLE
* 10.0 Cheetah 2001
* 10.1 Puma 2001 (free upgrade)
* 10.2 Jaguar 2002
* 10.3 Panther 2003
* 10.4 Tiger 2005
* 10.5 Leopard 2007
* 10.6 Snow Leopard 2009

By: Sam

Sam — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:11:58 +0000

You’re comparing apples to oranges.

While Leopard is an exciting upgrade (which I’ve already preordered from Amazon), it’s no where near the upgrade that Vista -> Win 7 is…

Leopard is a neat UPDATE to an operating system. Windows 7 is a completely new operating system.

The two cannot be fairly compared from a person without bias.