Adam Engst of TidBits on why Apple should make “Snow Leopard available for as little as is feasible.”
I generally agree with him, especially since it would keep the product in line with Apple’s promise that Snow Leopard would be “taking a break from adding new features.” But, if the rumors about a new, or at least updated interface are true, I imagine Apple has a lot more than under-the-hood improvements in store for Snow Leopard.
Will they sell it in retail boxes on a DVD? I think so, absolutely. Will they sell it for a much-reduced cost, “somewhere between $10 and $30”? I don’t know, but I certainly wouldn’t mind.
This is easily the best segment of the article, though:
The final reason I think it makes sense for Apple to move the Macintosh to a single coherent operating system platform is that it has already worked once. Just look at the iPhone and iPod touch, which have sold a combined 30 million units so far. With them, Apple has made major operating system upgrades either free or inexpensive (iPod touch users have had to pay small fees for upgrades). As a result, there’s a single target for developers, and a better experience for users. As far as I’m aware, almost no one has passed on the iPhone software updates.
The idea of a “single coherent” desktop platform seems a little pie in the sky to me, but what a lovely thing it is, and how wonderful it would be indeed for the Mac, developers, and Apple’s customers alike.
