All Good Things Must Come to an End
Within the last decade, the possibility to boot into Mac OS 9
ended with the introduction of the FireWire 800 Power Mac G4
(January 2003), followed by the first Aluminum PowerBooks (Sept.
2003). Mac OS X 0.5 Leopard
axed Classic Mode altogether and eliminated all G3s (and technically
all G4s under 867 MHz) from upgrading, although workarounds would quickly be
discovered for AGP G4 desktops and 'Books under 867 MHz.
OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard
ended operating system upgrades for all PowerPC machines, although it
retained Rosetta for running legacy PowerPC applications. OS X 10.7 Lion continues the trend
of putting slightly older Macs and Mac software on the shelf by
shedding support for Rosetta, along with eliminating upgrades to a
machine with anything less than a Core 2 Duo Intel processor.
Closing Arguments for Yay!
It's not personal; it's just evolution. It's obvious that technology
changes rapidly, but the most important things for a company to
understand is when and why something becomes obsolete.
The answer to when something is deemed obsolete is easy. It
simply boils down to the time when overcoming the shortfalls of
existing software and hardware is possible, while delivering them at a
cost comparable (with inflation) to the previous products when they
launched.
Motorola DynaTAC 800X cell phone.
As for why technology become obsolete so fast, you can thank
the manufacturer who is in business as a result of selling the software
and hardware we purchase. When sales growth is projected to slow or
flatline at market equilibrium, it's "out with the old, in with the
new", which prompts an R&D development cycle for new technology to
replace the existing technology in an effort to create future sales. In
the end, it's truly a win-win for the consumer and manufacturer in most
cases, since the new technology is usually designed to be an attractive
purchase that will provide a significantly better experience with much
more utility. It's a vicious cycle that we have always put up with, but
if we didn't, we would still be playing Atari 2600 and mobile
phones would be the size of cinder blocks.
What does this have to do with OS X Lion and the Post-PC Era?
Everything, of course! Technology has evolved to the point where
mobile devices are becoming the dominant force behind the heavy
consumption of mass media (video, gaming, music, etc.), social
networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and communication in general
(email, Skype, text, standard phone usage, etc.). With additional
development, we may eventually see mobile devices replace our desktops
and portables entirely.
That's what Steve Jobs is betting on, and this is probably an
accurate vision for the future when the power of those devices can meet
or exceed the power of traditional desktop and portable computers.
The iPad and iOS have proven that it is
almost possible to replace your desktop and laptop.
We should thank Apple for having the vision to not just embrace
these changes, but also for being the front-runner and innovator in
these concepts. The iPad and iOS have proven that it is almost
possible to replace your desktop and laptop. Pretty soon, that
almost will disappear, becoming a reality. Lion is just a middle
step towards a bright new future!
Yay for Lion and Post-PC!
Closing Arguments for No Way!
There's no fighting it, nor will the opinions of an outspoken
minority change anything in this inevitable progression towards post-PC
computing and heavy consumption versus heavy creation. It's just the
way things are headed, regardless what your opinion may be.
As I type this article on my 12" 1.5 GHz PowerBook G4 -
defying simple logic and refusing to move forward in the post-PC era
(let alone Apple's Intel Era, which began 5-1/2 years ago) - I can say
with great certainty that this is not a broken machine. It works just
fine and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. As a
low-end user myself, this PowerBook was a fraction of the cost of a new
MacBook Pro, yet it can still do the heavy production work I need,
along with light consumption.
As a gamer, I have come to the realization that modern gaming
consoles are best suited for heavy consumption, while my Macs are best
suited for creation. On my backwards-compatible PlayStation 3, I can
watch YouTube, view Netflix, play games (PS1, PS2, PS3, PSN content),
rent or purchase video, surf the Web, add on a media server (along with
other components like a DVD player and my cable TV), and can control
(and view) almost everything remotely via WiFi and a Sony LocationFree
base station with my PSP. The upcoming PlayStation Vita will surely
enhance the way the devices interact even more!
Most of that can also be done with an iOS device and the Mac, but is
that a reason to change the Mac?
I get that Apple wants to have it all and obtain every one of their
iOS consumers that don't even own a Mac right now, by releasing a
"light and fluffy" version of OS X.
Apple, leave well enough alone. There are plenty of consumption
devices out there. Don't turn the Mac into another one (let the current
iOS devices continue to serve that purpose). Macs have always been
about creation, and if I can't create the way I always have on a new
Mac, I suppose I will be forced to use a Mac that predates Lion for the
rest of my days and never purchase another new Mac again.
When those machines become too obsolete, I will have to find an
alternative, because I can't stomach it! Just say No Way to Lion
- two thumbs down to that abomination, the Post-PC Era!
Summary
All internal monologue aside from both pro-Lion and anti-Lion
arguments, one thing is clear: Lion is not for everyone. It won't make
a lot of sense to traditionalists like myself, who have used a Mac for
a very long time as a heavy creation tool with a strong dependence on
open-source development potential, but it will surely be a winner to
recent iOS adopters.
I understand how much sense the changes initiated with Lion will
make from a business perspective for Apple, which is a good thing for
the company, but again, it's not for everyone. I can't help but feel
alienated a bit after being a Mac user for so long and for appreciating
how Apple has always focused on creativity with an edgy attitude. A Mac
was always the "stick it to the man" computer, balking every Windows PC
standard, while being different (and better) just because it could.
Apple always trusted us to use their applications and operating systems
responsibly and didn't put the kind of controls on it that it is now
doing with the App Store.
I have no desire (or the capability) to utilize Lion and its
integrated App Store. I don't want to give up my freedom to use the
applications I purchase as I see fit.
Even if I had a Mac that could run Lion, I still would still steer
clear. Besides the cutesy iOS theme, Lion and Apple move forward with
only digital distribution of the OS and many other applications through
the App Store, taking all of the control and trust away from us.
And with no Rosetta (aside from proposed virtualization), it sets up
a world that not only takes away my ability to use my older software
the way I could in Snow Leopard, it also eliminates the possibility to
resell software I purchase from the App Store when I longer need it,
since physical copies are gone.
The App Store is turning the Mac more into a client versus a machine
that you have full control over, and I don't like it. Maybe I'm overly
skeptical. I am aware that many of the iOS-themed features in Lion can
be turned off, but there just seem to be too many negatives and not
enough positives going for Lion. That's just my two cents as a longtime
Mac user (since the 680x0 era).
The Silver Lining
To close, even though my thoughts are clear on Lion, I figured I
would end with a positive note. The silver lining with Lion and another
line of Macs that can't upgrade means another wave of low-end Macs!
Earlier Intel Macs, especially Core Duo models that can't run Lion, are
becoming increasingly low-end,* so at least you will be able to enjoy
much more content than you could with a PowerPC Mac for much less,
since Lion is leaving those early Intel behind.
I've already seen prices on 15" 2006 MacBook Pros in the $300 to
$500 range. Expect that number to drop even more as Lion gains steam
and as these early Intels flood the market when companies with fleets
of Macs start dumping them to get the latest OS running. This price
effect on used Core Duo Macs will likely have a ripple effect and drop
the prices slightly on all Core 2 Duo Macs as well.
I look forward to upgrading to an Intel Mac myself within the next
year or so. It will likely be an Early 2008 Hi-Res 1920 x
1200 Matte Screen 17" MacBook Pro, since it was the last portable
to use the form factor of the Aluminum PowerBook, has a removable
battery versus a built-in battery (another change I didn't care for),
and a matte LCD panel (which is no longer available). It can also run
Leopard, which I already have a copy of, and which also happens to be
universal binary and will install on this Intel Mac just as easy as it
does on my PowerPC Macs. These are all great features that are now
gone, but they are present with this machine.
In addition, I could also run Snow Leopard and could add a partition
for Lion just to use for more up-to-date web browsing, etc., giving me
the best of all worlds! It also meets the specifications for the new
Blu-ray player that is finally out for Mac OS X.
Too many positives and not enough negatives in this case. In
addition, it's a used Mac that I can surely get for a fraction of the
price of a new model.
That's the Low End Mac way! 
Part
1: An Introduction to Both Sides
Part 2: Yay for Lion
and the Next Revolution!
Part 3: No Way, My
Current Mac Works Just Fine!
Dan Bashur lives in central Ohio with his wife and children. He uses various PowerPC G3 and G4 Macs running Tiger and Leopard. Besides finding new uses for Macs and other tech, Dan enjoys writing (fantasy novel series in the works), is an avid gamer, and a member of Sony's Gamer Advisor Panel. You can read more of Dan Bashur's work on ProjectGamers.com, where he contributes regular articles about the PSP, classic gaming, and ways you can use Sony gaming hardware with your Mac.
