What Microsoft Can Learn From Mac OS X Lion

Good piece by Paul Thurrott on Lion. Here, he praises Apple for having a single version:

One version is not just enough, it’s optimal from the customer point of view. Just ask Apple: It offers just one version of Mac OS X. It’s called Mac OS X. Not Mac OS X Media Center Edition or Mac OS X Arbitrarily Limited Edition. Just Mac OS X.

Now, Apple really makes two versions of Mac OS X, one for Mac desktops and laptops (Mac OS X) and one for servers (Mac OS X Server). But I see something in the Lion developer preview that just makes my heart weep: It includes both the client and server versions in a single install, and the server code is actually installed as if it were a feature or add-on for client. Oh my. Now, as unlikely as it is that Apple would ever ship the final version of Lion in this same configuration, you have to dream.

Actually, I’m pretty sure this is Apple’s plan: the separate version of Mac OS X Server is going away, and the consumer release of Lion will be just like the developer preview, with the server version available as an installation-time option.

Also, and I mean this sincerely, I think Thurrott makes some good points about the convolution of modes like Dashboard, Mission Control, Launchpad, Spaces, etc.

★ Monday, 28 February 2011