Mac OS XI

Alright, don't kill me for asking but...for a while now some friends and I have been wondering when the next REAL update of the OS will come. I know its been a short time since OS X but with Longhorn coming...and looking at some videos and screenshots of it, its starting to look **** good. I know Tiger will come out next year, but its not real a whole upgrade, its just little things and tweaks Apple makes to make some $$ and i'm getting tired of a new upgrade every year, 125$ and just little upgrades. So my question is, does anyone have any idea when OS XI might come? Like a whole new OS with new interface and such.

Mac OS X came on 1999 and Windows XP came out on October 25, 2001 and Microsoft already is planning Longhorn to come out on 2006. So I wish Apple a next generation OS like Microsoft is, I hope.

So, anyone have any ideas?

What do you want new? They've got large new features in Tiger such as Dashboard, Automator, the new iChat, and Spotlight.

You should really look at the wwdc video

The wwdc video is like an hour and40-50 minutes long it describes all of the new things in Tiger, and all i can say is wow, did i say wow yet? Its amazing looking spotlight and safari rss and core audio and video blows the competition away and i would imagine longhorn too, the way Jobs was demoing it, it was a moment to say "it just works"

Mac OS X is Longhorn - this is the point. Apple don't need to bring out a new version at the same time as Microsoft because they already did 6 years before. Once Tiger comes out, OS X has another load of features that Microsoft haven't even thought of at all.

I've seen the pictures and ideas of Longhorn and I'm not impressed. They've put some big stupid bar down the side of the screen, made the colour scheme even more horrible, mess about with Explorer a bit and that's all I've seen so far.

Infact, what new features does Longhorn have?

I agree with iSheep...Trust me....By the time Longhorn gets out the door without tripping, the Mac Os will be light years ahead....We already are...

ApplejustWorks said:

I agree with iSheep...Trust me....By the time Longhorn gets out the door without tripping, the Mac Os will be light years ahead....We already are...

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I guess thats true, I just don't want Mac to fall behind again.

iSheep said:

Infact, what new features does Longhorn have?

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http://www.winsupersite.com/longhorn/http://www.winsupersite.com/longhorn/

Blade Runner said:

I guess thats true, I just don't want Mac to fall behind again.

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You don't have to worry about that...Os X could leave its OS alone for 5 years and still be ahead.

Blade Runner said:

Mac OS X came on 1999 and Windows XP came out on October 25, 2001

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actually, you're wrong about that. mac os x first came out in march of 2001. so it really wasn't that much earlier than xp.

And since it came out, OS X got constantly better, faster and more features...Windows XP is just simply stuck where it was when it came out, except security updates supposed to close security holes.
The first really "big" improvement of WinXP is SP2...and yet it's not adding much features, except on the security level (which, BTW, is still far from optimal).

Umm...Longhorn is definenlty not on it's way. It's not suppose to come out til like 2006-2008...which means it will probably be later, cause microsoft has never released their os right when they say....and it's basically a direct copy of OS X.....so there are no worries...especially with tiger...which is once agian going to have over 150 new features.

Uh, I don't know, I'm probably the only one who thinks Blade Runner might have a point, and I've been thinking this for awhile, long before Blade Runner said anything about it. I don't know much about Longhorn's features, but I do know that because of how late it'll be released, many features will get added on in time. Already, XP has certain features that OS X does not. Fast user switching (although, even though XP does it faster, OS X is more secure on the issue, so each has its advantages and disadvantages), Hibernation feature, the ability to see EVERY piece of hardware related to the computer (to every detail, including the company and model!) and make adjustments. XP is also more customizable, in most terms. Plus, everything's arranged neater.

Anyway, let's look at the improvements in Longhorn:

--The Longhorn Start Menu and task bar will be enhanced with a new Sidebar component that can optionally appear locked to one side of the desktop. The Sidebar is an XML-based panel that includes links to local and remote resources.
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--Longhorn will require 3D video hardware to render special effects that will make the screen more photorealistic and deep. This doesn't mean that the basic windows and mouse interface is being replaced, just that it will look a lot better. For more information, check out my exhaustive Road to Longhorn, Part Two showcase and my PDC 2003 coverage.
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--Longhorn will optionally include the Palladium security technology Microsoft is developing with Intel and AMD (see the next question for details).
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--Longhorn will include new anti-virus (AV) APIs that will help developers more easily integrate their wares into the base OS. Microsoft will also offer Longhorn customers a subscription-based AV feature that use AutoUpdate to keep your system up-to-date with new virus signatures.
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--Longhorn will include integrated recordable DVD capabilities and will work with every type of recordable DVD format. Digital media enthusiasts will be able to copy video from a digital camcorder directly to recordable DVD, bypassing the system's hard drive entirely, if desired.
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--Longhorn will include an advanced version of the successful Error Reporting Tool (ERT) that shipped in Windows XP; the goal is that only a small number of customers should have to report a bug to Microsoft before the company fixes it and ships the fix electronically and automatically to users.
*

--Longhorn will include a new Setup routine that installs the OS in about 15 minutes.
*

--Longhorn will feature hundreds of new APIs that will let provide access to the new system's features. The Win32 API from previous Windows versions is being replaced by a new .NET-based API called WinFX, for example. It will also feature a new communications and collaboration subsystem, dubbed Indigo.


Personally, I don't think any of these updates are INCREDIBLE, but more updates will arise before it'll be officially released (like a new name, probably, like XP II or something like that). Right now, the updates are minor, but who knows...Longhorn's getting a huge buzz, so we probably shouldn't underestimate it (it's way too early). I'm a little nervous myself.

Nah, Apple will always be ahead. Microsoft promised it would release Longhorn by something like 2004, and then it delayed it to 2005, and now I think it's saying 2006. And they're going to have to drop 2-3 main features to release it by then.

So Mac will probably always be ahead, unless Jobs really screws up somehow in the next version of OS X...

Well, seeing how long it takes MS to make Longhorn, it's the least people can expect that it will be a huge step ahead from WinXP. If it wouldn't have all those new features (with more to come surely), it wouldn't make any sense.
But on the other hand, compare the evolution of OS X. I mean, it's more or less the same age than XP. Take Win XP with SP2 and compare it with the original WinXP...it has some improvements, sure, but the differences are mostly marginal (except security). Now compare Mac OS 10.0 with Mac OS 10.3. I mean, the base is still the same, but the improvements are huge! It comes close to a nearly new OS.
Until Longhorn's release, OS Xs development is not standing still, it's going on (see Tiger). And, honestly, I don't really think there's a need for a completely new OS again for Macs.
The step from OS9 to OS X was very huge and risky, a risk Microsoft never took...WinXP still has some features (and flaws) that came with Win95, it's just an evolution of the same base.
OS X compared to OS9 is more like a revolution, having a completely different base.

I have seen some screenshots of longhorn, it looks plain STUPID! it looks like a plastic toy with terible colour scheme. wihdows classic skin of XP is the best layout microsoft has ever created. now this longhord looks even worse then already stupid XP skin.

1)The Longhorn Start Menu and task bar will be enhanced with a new Sidebar component that can optionally appear locked to one side of the desktop. The Sidebar is an XML-based panel that includes links to local and remote resources.
*

2)Longhorn will require 3D video hardware to render special effects that will make the screen more photorealistic and deep. This doesn't mean that the basic windows and mouse interface is being replaced, just that it will look a lot better. For more information, check out my exhaustive Road to Longhorn, Part Two showcase and my PDC 2003 coverage.
*

3)Longhorn will optionally include the Palladium security technology Microsoft is developing with Intel and AMD (see the next question for details).
*

4)Longhorn will include new anti-virus (AV) APIs that will help developers more easily integrate their wares into the base OS. Microsoft will also offer Longhorn customers a subscription-based AV feature that use AutoUpdate to keep your system up-to-date with new virus signatures.
*

5)Longhorn will include integrated recordable DVD capabilities and will work with every type of recordable DVD format. Digital media enthusiasts will be able to copy video from a digital camcorder directly to recordable DVD, bypassing the system's hard drive entirely, if desired.
*

6)Longhorn will include an advanced version of the successful Error Reporting Tool (ERT) that shipped in Windows XP; the goal is that only a small number of customers should have to report a bug to Microsoft before the company fixes it and ships the fix electronically and automatically to users.
*

7)Longhorn will include a new Setup routine that installs the OS in about 15 minutes.
*

8)Longhorn will feature hundreds of new APIs that will let provide access to the new system's features. The Win32 API from previous Windows versions is being replaced by a new .NET-based API called WinFX, for example. It will also feature a new communications and collaboration subsystem, dubbed Indigo.

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1) Firstly, the sidebar is HUGE. It takes up mass amount of screen real-estate. I would assume most power users would turn it off almost immediately. It achieves nothing that a docklet in panther can not do (except its XML based) or a gadget in tiger will not be able to do.

2) Quartz Extreme in Panther already does this to an extent. By the time Longhorn comes out something to the extent of Quartz II will be right around the corner if not already out that will have the same function.

3 and 4) Unnecessary in the mac world at this point. In the future if security becomes and issue then apple can add something.

5) iDVD comes with X...so you could say that it has that to some extent. It would be nice to be able to bypass the harddrive, but since I edit most everything in Final Cut before hand, it would be a rare occasion to use it.

6) So they are saying that their will be lots of bugs to report? I dont understand why this is a "feature" at all.

7) That is the only good thing I have heard thus far.

8) WinFX will NOT ship with Longhorn. It will be a year-2 years late. Microsoft has said this. Same with avalon I think.

Temporary said:

6) So they are saying that their will be lots of bugs to report? I dont understand why this is a "feature" at all.

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They're operating system is 95% of the market, if OS X had that much marketshare then OS X would be riddled with spyware and viruses as well.

Actually, Avalon, I definitely see what you're saying. Excellent points.

You too, Temporary.

Absolute Zero said:

They're operating system is 95% of the market, if OS X had that much marketshare then OS X would be riddled with spyware and viruses as well.

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Abs, point 6 was about errors and bugs being reported, not spyware or virus related.

But you're right, if OS X would have a 95% of the market, there would be more people trying to exploit its security holes...nevertheless, it's UNIX-base really makes it, by default, less vulnerable...

Anyway, doesn't WinXP, as well as Mac OS X, already have this error reporting feature? When a program crashes decently (means without crashing or freezing the system) you get an error report that you can send to Microsoft, respectively Apple...so that's not really new...