I wasn't a Mac user for most of them, so it's possible that people complained this much back then also.
You have no idea. It wasn't until 8.1/8.5 that Apple _ever_ charged for an update to the OS. Up to that point there wasn't really the notion that the OS was a separate product. It was something you bought with the computer and then had the right to freely update from there. It wasn't until the Internet really made it easy for anyone to download and install software that they started to charge for it, and rightly so. And there wasn't ever really an upgrade price. You paid for the upgrade. Apple doesn't release upgrades for the OS anymore, they release full versions. And the reason for this is how the software is done up, it's easier for them to release a full version, with all the files on the disc, than an updater. They can't update the OS itself unless booting off a CD, and at that point, you have to include an OS on the CD to boot from, might as well make it the full OS, and update from that, rather than a compressed set of updated files. Particularly when the OS is now hundreds of tiny files instead of dozens of files. They found this out the hard way. If you remember, they did release a 10.1 update CD, which people quickly figured out you could burn a copy of less one text file and it would be a full install CD.
That said, I agree that too many people are thinking of 10.3 as a minor upgrade over 10.2. People also thought the same of 10.2 despite it having major new functionality in the form of Quartz Extreme (which was never hyped enough, mostly because it left those with older hardware behind). I will gladly pony up the money for 10.3. Of course, I'll be getting it at the educational discount....
And in the end, I agree with your comments about the G5: drool inducing, but perhaps overkill for the average person. Nonetheless, this was all about being able to say they have the fastest computers, because there are always people who think that bigger is better, or faster is better. They're the same ones buying SUVs and sports cars.
*sigh* Now if they'd only update the 15" powerbook, _that_ I can see needs an update, and will likely make me open my wallet.
no subject
You have no idea. It wasn't until 8.1/8.5 that Apple _ever_ charged for an update to the OS. Up to that point there wasn't really the notion that the OS was a separate product. It was something you bought with the computer and then had the right to freely update from there. It wasn't until the Internet really made it easy for anyone to download and install software that they started to charge for it, and rightly so. And there wasn't ever really an upgrade price. You paid for the upgrade. Apple doesn't release upgrades for the OS anymore, they release full versions. And the reason for this is how the software is done up, it's easier for them to release a full version, with all the files on the disc, than an updater. They can't update the OS itself unless booting off a CD, and at that point, you have to include an OS on the CD to boot from, might as well make it the full OS, and update from that, rather than a compressed set of updated files. Particularly when the OS is now hundreds of tiny files instead of dozens of files. They found this out the hard way. If you remember, they did release a 10.1 update CD, which people quickly figured out you could burn a copy of less one text file and it would be a full install CD.
That said, I agree that too many people are thinking of 10.3 as a minor upgrade over 10.2. People also thought the same of 10.2 despite it having major new functionality in the form of Quartz Extreme (which was never hyped enough, mostly because it left those with older hardware behind). I will gladly pony up the money for 10.3. Of course, I'll be getting it at the educational discount....
And in the end, I agree with your comments about the G5: drool inducing, but perhaps overkill for the average person. Nonetheless, this was all about being able to say they have the fastest computers, because there are always people who think that bigger is better, or faster is better. They're the same ones buying SUVs and sports cars.
*sigh* Now if they'd only update the 15" powerbook, _that_ I can see needs an update, and will likely make me open my wallet.