3 ms·

I think there are two dynamics operating in tandem to create the oft-voice antipathy toward macOS in these parts. They are: 1. People perceive the past through

I think there are two dynamics operating in tandem to create the oft-voice antipathy toward macOS in these parts. They are: 1. People perceive the past through rose tinted glasses, so they remember past releases as being better than they actually were. 2. People notice the things which are going wrong more than they notice the things that are going right, so they think current releases are worse than they actually are.

fhood 8y ago
I just miss the days when they named the OS releases after kitty cats. Snow leopards are adorable, but I don't feel nearly as much passion for a beach I've never been to.
- lloydde 8y ago
  That reminds me: > the big cat in the OS's desktop pictures has some slight flecks of blood on its lower jaw, and its lower teeth are also slightly visible. https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/10-6-3-update-makes-snow-leopard-blood-free/ https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/10-6-3-update-makes-snow...
- kyle-rb 8y ago
  I agree, but I think they started running out of cats. Puma, Panther, and Mountain Lion are all distinct releases of MacOS, but they're the exact same species.
- peatmoss 8y ago
  Funny enough, biologists complain about the very same thing. Common wisdom is that biologists who study "charismatic mega-fauna" get traction with public opinion / may find easier funding streams than researchers who study small ugly things. And as an aside, Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle had a snow leopard kitten this year. Snow leopards are indeed adorable, and I did think to myself about Apple scoring a win in having such an illustrious association.
  - fhood 8y ago
    And they have those ridiculous tails. Snow leopard tails are a thing of beauty.
mbesto 8y ago
> 1. People perceive the past through rose tinted glasses, so they remember past releases as being better than they actually were. So what's the explanation for why Snow Leopard specifically is being touted as being better than both previous and future versions? It's one thing if people said "it's gotten worse every release since Jaguar" (e.g. rose tinted glasses), but since people are referring to a specific release, I think this likely less the case.
- toasterlovin 8y ago
  Snow Leopard was probably a local maximum, so it stands out in people's memory.
- soneil 8y ago
  I have a few theories. - Snow Leopard was the last $99 upgrade, and I think people like to convince themselves purchases were worth it. That effect is entirely lost with free OS upgrades, I'm free to disparage them without feeling like an idiot for buying it. - Many people in enterprise & education stuck with SL for longer than they usually would have on the server, because it was the last OSX with an actual server release. This ends up with a "people who know what they're talking about are sticking with SL" narrative that gets propagated sans the understanding of _why_ they kept it around. - SL was the last release on physical media, which upsets the "they're turning my mac into a phone" narrative. Interestingly, when Snow Leopard was current, everyone held 10.4 Tiger up as the canonical release in much the same way they later did SL. Snow Leopard wasn't cool until it was already dead. Part of me suspects later releases haven't been able to take this mantle simply because they don't stick around long enough to make a name for themselves. (Although Sierra is starting to get there, thanks to a crowd of people who are too scared of APFS to upgrade to High Sierra).

fhood 8y ago

I just miss the days when they named the OS releases after kitty cats. Snow leopards are adorable, but I don't feel nearly as much passion for a beach I've never been to.

lloydde 8y ago
That reminds me: > the big cat in the OS's desktop pictures has some slight flecks of blood on its lower jaw, and its lower teeth are also slightly visible. https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/10-6-3-update-makes-snow-leopard-blood-free/ https://www.engadget.com/2010/03/30/10-6-3-update-makes-snow...
kyle-rb 8y ago
I agree, but I think they started running out of cats. Puma, Panther, and Mountain Lion are all distinct releases of MacOS, but they're the exact same species.
peatmoss 8y ago
Funny enough, biologists complain about the very same thing. Common wisdom is that biologists who study "charismatic mega-fauna" get traction with public opinion / may find easier funding streams than researchers who study small ugly things. And as an aside, Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle had a snow leopard kitten this year. Snow leopards are indeed adorable, and I did think to myself about Apple scoring a win in having such an illustrious association.
- fhood 8y ago
  And they have those ridiculous tails. Snow leopard tails are a thing of beauty.

mbesto 8y ago

> 1. People perceive the past through rose tinted glasses, so they remember past releases as being better than they actually were. So what's the explanation for why Snow Leopard specifically is being touted as being better than both previous and future versions? It's one thing if people said "it's gotten worse every release since Jaguar" (e.g. rose tinted glasses), but since people are referring to a specific release, I think this likely less the case.

toasterlovin 8y ago
Snow Leopard was probably a local maximum, so it stands out in people's memory.
soneil 8y ago
I have a few theories. - Snow Leopard was the last $99 upgrade, and I think people like to convince themselves purchases were worth it. That effect is entirely lost with free OS upgrades, I'm free to disparage them without feeling like an idiot for buying it. - Many people in enterprise & education stuck with SL for longer than they usually would have on the server, because it was the last OSX with an actual server release. This ends up with a "people who know what they're talking about are sticking with SL" narrative that gets propagated sans the understanding of _why_ they kept it around. - SL was the last release on physical media, which upsets the "they're turning my mac into a phone" narrative. Interestingly, when Snow Leopard was current, everyone held 10.4 Tiger up as the canonical release in much the same way they later did SL. Snow Leopard wasn't cool until it was already dead. Part of me suspects later releases haven't been able to take this mantle simply because they don't stick around long enough to make a name for themselves. (Although Sierra is starting to get there, thanks to a crowd of people who are too scared of APFS to upgrade to High Sierra).