4 ms·

I think this guy completely misses the most important point. Apple sees how much fragmentation hurts Windows and Android and they want to avoid it. Imagine if

by xutopia 13y ago

I think this guy completely misses the most important point. Apple sees how much fragmentation hurts Windows and Android and they want to avoid it. Imagine if as a developer you only have to worry about a single platform? Imagine if as a distributor you only have to worry about releasing a single package? It makes things much easier for everyone and allows efforts to be on quality rather than compatibility.

danieldk 13y ago
Imagine if as a developer you only have to worry about a single platform? Actually, this was one of my first reaction as a developer. I developed and maintain a scientific software package (treebank search) that I maintain for Windows (>= XP), OS X (>= 10.7), and Linux (latest Ubuntu LTS). My first reaction after hearing that Mavericks is free was: great, if most people will upgrade, I am freed of supporting the legacy OS X versions. Hopefully they can bring things to the point where, like iOS, practically everyone will run the latest version. Of course, this would require smooth transitions.
- felixr 13y ago
  > My first reaction after hearing that Mavericks is free was: great, if most people will upgrade, I am freed of supporting the legacy OS X versions. And if software developers cease to support older OS versions, those people with old computers that cannot upgrade have a stronger incentive for buying new hardware.
  - JTon 13y ago
    That's a lot of wins rolled up into one. Better for the consumer, developer and Apple. Better for Apple by not only selling more hardware, but by spending less resources supporting older software releases.
  - cwp 13y ago
    Nah, that's a very minor consideration at best. "Cease to support older OS versions" means that new versions of applications won't run on older operating systems. It doesn't mean that older versions of applications suddenly stop working. If you're running an old OS on old hardware, running an old application is fine. In fact, it's preferable, because it was written with the capabilities of that hardware in mind.
    - KC8ZKF 13y ago
      But the software doesn't exist in a vacuum. Older versions of calendar software stop working because Google or Apple change and the software is no longer updated, for example.
    - adolph 13y ago
      Yes and no and less so when applications work by using backing services that aren't backwards compatible. Sure my old Mac Mini will run my old copy of CS3, but I hope that Adobe is still running activation servers if I ever have need to reinstall.
    - Samuel_Michon 13y ago
      Also, Apple is going to keep offering older versions of apps in the App Store, for machines that can’t run Mavericks. http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/22/previous-versions-coming-to-mac-app-store-for-users-of-older-macs/ http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/22/previous-versions-coming...
  - Samuel_Michon 13y ago
    > people with old computers that cannot upgrade have a stronger incentive for buying new hardware. Sure, but if that were Apple’s main objective, they would’ve made Mavericks’ system requirements a lot higher. Mavericks runs on 6 year old iMacs. Today, I installed Mavericks on my mom’s 2008 MacBook. It is noticeably faster. Before, my mom was considering buying a new notebook. Now, she’s going to hold off.
- Symbol 13y ago
  I won't be surprised if we get to the point where OS updates can be done seamlessly in the background without user prompting. I also won't be surprised if Apple will be the first vendor to sell us on it.
  - massysett 13y ago
    This has already happened and Google has sold millions on it, and the buyers don't even know it. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-slow-oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-sl...
  - Samuel_Michon 13y ago
    Doesn’t ChromeOS already automatically apply OS updates on restart? https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en
anuraj 13y ago
Yes it definitely makes sense as iOS is free and apple's future is in integrating all devices to work seamlessly. This requires simultaneous updates on all different devices.
roc 13y ago
That's part of it, but it doesn't speak to why they also made iWork and iLife free.
- xutopia 13y ago
  Admittedly the reasoning behind iWork and iLife is different. The competition (Google Docs/Drive) is doing it for free. No point in selling software if a high quality competitor will offer theirs up for free. The point here is to keep people using their hardware and the tight integration into iCloud for those products ensures a longer term lock in.

by xutopia 13y ago

danieldk 13y ago

Imagine if as a developer you only have to worry about a single platform? Actually, this was one of my first reaction as a developer. I developed and maintain a scientific software package (treebank search) that I maintain for Windows (>= XP), OS X (>= 10.7), and Linux (latest Ubuntu LTS). My first reaction after hearing that Mavericks is free was: great, if most people will upgrade, I am freed of supporting the legacy OS X versions. Hopefully they can bring things to the point where, like iOS, practically everyone will run the latest version. Of course, this would require smooth transitions.

felixr 13y ago
> My first reaction after hearing that Mavericks is free was: great, if most people will upgrade, I am freed of supporting the legacy OS X versions. And if software developers cease to support older OS versions, those people with old computers that cannot upgrade have a stronger incentive for buying new hardware.
- JTon 13y ago
  That's a lot of wins rolled up into one. Better for the consumer, developer and Apple. Better for Apple by not only selling more hardware, but by spending less resources supporting older software releases.
- cwp 13y ago
  Nah, that's a very minor consideration at best. "Cease to support older OS versions" means that new versions of applications won't run on older operating systems. It doesn't mean that older versions of applications suddenly stop working. If you're running an old OS on old hardware, running an old application is fine. In fact, it's preferable, because it was written with the capabilities of that hardware in mind.
  - KC8ZKF 13y ago
    But the software doesn't exist in a vacuum. Older versions of calendar software stop working because Google or Apple change and the software is no longer updated, for example.
  - adolph 13y ago
    Yes and no and less so when applications work by using backing services that aren't backwards compatible. Sure my old Mac Mini will run my old copy of CS3, but I hope that Adobe is still running activation servers if I ever have need to reinstall.
  - Samuel_Michon 13y ago
    Also, Apple is going to keep offering older versions of apps in the App Store, for machines that can’t run Mavericks. http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/22/previous-versions-coming-to-mac-app-store-for-users-of-older-macs/ http://www.macrumors.com/2013/10/22/previous-versions-coming...
- Samuel_Michon 13y ago
  > people with old computers that cannot upgrade have a stronger incentive for buying new hardware. Sure, but if that were Apple’s main objective, they would’ve made Mavericks’ system requirements a lot higher. Mavericks runs on 6 year old iMacs. Today, I installed Mavericks on my mom’s 2008 MacBook. It is noticeably faster. Before, my mom was considering buying a new notebook. Now, she’s going to hold off.
Symbol 13y ago
I won't be surprised if we get to the point where OS updates can be done seamlessly in the background without user prompting. I also won't be surprised if Apple will be the first vendor to sell us on it.
- massysett 13y ago
  This has already happened and Google has sold millions on it, and the buyers don't even know it. http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-slow-oems-step-aside-google-is-defragging-android/ http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013/09/balky-carriers-and-sl...
- Samuel_Michon 13y ago
  Doesn’t ChromeOS already automatically apply OS updates on restart? https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en https://support.google.com/chromebook/answer/177889?hl=en

anuraj 13y ago

Yes it definitely makes sense as iOS is free and apple's future is in integrating all devices to work seamlessly. This requires simultaneous updates on all different devices.

roc 13y ago

That's part of it, but it doesn't speak to why they also made iWork and iLife free.

xutopia 13y ago
Admittedly the reasoning behind iWork and iLife is different. The competition (Google Docs/Drive) is doing it for free. No point in selling software if a high quality competitor will offer theirs up for free. The point here is to keep people using their hardware and the tight integration into iCloud for those products ensures a longer term lock in.