Early Release Won`t Help Apple`s Snow Leopard Win Corporate Converts (
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Reports are swirling, claiming Snow Leopard, Apple's follow-up to its
current operating system, Leopard, will be hitting store shelves much
sooner than originally expected. In fact, the rumors suggest that it
will actually be made available Aug. 28. It's an ambitious goal. But
if it is true, it still won't help Apple's chances in the enterprise.
The reality is, no matter how much lead time Snow Leopard has, it can't match Windows 7.
Snow Leopard promises to be an iterative update. It won't be
earth-shattering. It won't feature upgrades that will revolutionize the
market. It won't even boast a new, unique design. This time around,
Snow Leopard is designed to be faster and slightly more robust.
When Apple first announced Snow Leopard,
the company spent considerable time talking about the software's use of
64-bit architecture. According to Apple, Snow Leopard's native apps,
including Finder, will run much faster than they currently do on
Leopard. Apple also updated Expose and Stacks to make them more useful
for those that are trying to negotiate multiple windows at the same
time. But perhaps one of the most important updates made to Snow
Leopard is Microsoft Exchange support. Exchange will now work with
Address Book, iCal and Mail.
For the enterprise, Exchange support is a must-have. Some companies
that were looking to switch to Mac OS X after trying desperately to get
out from under Windows Vista were unable to do so without Exchange
support. Now that Mac OS X will have it, the switch to Apple's
operating system won't be as bad—or so Apple claims.
The reality is, even with Snow Leopard's improved features and the
possibility of a two-month head start, it won't match Windows 7 in the
enterprise. It doesn't have the features, nor the support, nor the
appeal that Windows does. Admittedly, Windows Vista was a mistake that
Microsoft needs to make up for. But it wasn't such a huge mistake that
it would make too many companies switch to a Mac. Whether Apple likes
it or not, the enterprise is still suspect of Mac OS X.
Compatibility, anyone?
One of the biggest problems facing Mac OS X is compatibility. With
Snow Leopard, Apple didn't make any effort to open its platform to
third-party developers that want to bring their corporate software to
the OS. That follows a long line of Apple products that have also
neglected third-party software.
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