One event that everyone in the Mac community is anticipating this
year is the release of Mac OS X 10.6 "Snow
Leopard".
I am just as excited as everyone else, but perhaps not for the most
obvious reasons. Though the smaller size and code optimizations are
certainly attractive, I am more intrigued by the new precedent set by
both Apple and Microsoft in operating system design. Both Snow Leopard
and Windows 7 are taking the intense concentration away from having
tons of new features introduced with each new OS version.
A Better OS
While there are some advances, the major focus for each new version
centers on code optimization and other architectural improvements. Snow
Leopard will introduce the ability to run fully in 64-bit mode, as well
as other technological enhancements, while Windows 7 will attempt to
fix issues that have unfortunately hampered Vista's dominance as
successor to XP.
This attitudinal shift in the development of both companies' major
operating systems signals that the computer industry as a whole might
be shifting from an emphasis on new gadgets and gizmos used to market
the OS to technological advances for the sake of a better and brighter
future.
This is most definitely a step in the right direction. By
demonstrating that they have a commitment to excellence and quality,
both Microsoft and Apple are laying the foundation for more
cooperation. Someday, perhaps even in the near future, we may witness
these two putting aside their bitter rivalry and ongoing fight for
platform dominance in favor of a synergistic cooperation for the
benefit of all.
Utopian Dreams
If these words sound utopian and futuristic, that is because they
are utopian and futuristic.
In order for computing technology as a whole to meet its full
potential, the attitudes of everyone involved in the industry - from
journalists to engineers to the CEOs of the corporate giants - must
change to reflect a spirit of cooperation and focus on the fulfillment
of technological promise, not the bottom line.
Rather than having the greatest minds of our generation pitted
against each other through inter-corporate competition, why can't we
allow them to work together, creating a win-win situation for
everyone?
One of my greatest wishes is for technology to continue developing
to the point that space elevators, microscopic robots, and sentient
computers, concepts once firmly planted in the realm of science
fiction, will become commonplace. Perhaps this will happen in my
lifetime; technology certainly seems to have come far in the last
century.
For now, the best we can hope for is a continuing trend of
technological advancement from not only Apple and Microsoft, but also
from the entire industry. 
