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Business News
Review of MacOS X

Welcome to the future my friends...
MacOS X
Apple introduces, "the world's most advanced operating system".
Thin Red Line
"MacOS X"
Special to SLFP.com
by W. Wesley Clayton &
Brian E. Ganninger

ST. LOUIS, MO,(SLFP.com), March 25, 2001 - Macintosh users truly have something to celebrate today; the official birth of an amazing new operating system from Apple, called MacOS X. Pronounced "MacOS Ten" not "MacOS EX," this new operating system has been regarded as "The world's most advanced operating system" by its maker. But, outside of the hype, hoopla, and public relations mastery that Apple has been known for, thousands of computer users making the decision to upgrade to this new system may be wondering if this new system is right for them.

Before I get into the nuts and bolts of MacOS X, I think a little bit of background information is necessary.

I have been following the development of MacOS X from the time Apple co-founder Steve Jobs returned to leadership of the company in 1997 and believe me, I have eagerly been awaiting this new system. What's the big hurry you might ask? Simply stated, the answer is simplicity and power...an elegant simplicity and a rush of power never before available on any computer and now only available on a Mac. You see, Apple has always been known for producing computers that are incredibly easy to use. Lately they have been known for producing computers that are as visually appealing as they are functional. Beauty and simplicity are fine and great, but in today's technological world, even the average user needs more than just a colorful computer with an easy to use operating system; that's where that rush of power comes in.

In the corporate world, information-technology professionals have long regarded the Unix operating system as one of the most powerful and stable (crash proof) operating systems in existence. Many of these "professionals" are the tech-geek people who work in the dark bowels of large corporations to manage computer systems that handle the complex business transactions that make or break the company. These types of companies simply cannot afford to have their computer systems fail as these systems are the heart and soul of their operations. Imagine if Amazon.com's computer system failed for even a few hours...this could yield an enormous loss to the company.

But on this strong backbone of technology, the "Darwin" core, named for that (r)evolutionary figure we all know, lies what most users will experience. The Aqua interface. It sounds like water and looks like candy but this provides the smoothest transition for even the most novice grandmother of 12. After getting past a gorgeous watery welcome from the Apple crew, you enter your common information like name, and it walks you through the rest. Then the magic begins.

MacOX Desktop
Mac OSX desk top with the dock.
A smiling Mac greets you as normal and then you type your user name and password (only once if you choose to auto login) and then the OS starts up. The first change is the smoothness. Apple built in a technique called anti-aliasing, which smooths everything on screen. Fonts are easier to read, icons are smooth and as large as you choose them to be. Another key feature is the Dock. This handy application sits at the bottom of your screen and can hide itself (if you so choose) and provides you a space to store frequently used files and applications, as well as applications that are running and windows you may minimize. A handy feature built into the Dock is that anything you minimize stays there, previewed so that you could continue to watch a movie you minimize in QuickTime, Apple's flagship video technology, or anything else, like a Web page in Internet Explorer.

Files are also easier to use as well. Instead of navigating through up and down and in circles sometimes, Apple developed the 'column view', which horizontally presents the path, opening each folder in sequence so you can see where you came from and where you're going. It may take a little getting used to, but there is no denying that it is a much faster way to find just about anything. Customization is also a big theme. You can easily drag buttons around to new positions, re-size windows smoothly, and configure every setting under the sun to make it your own.

Lest ye of Apple stock shy away, many of the familiar favorites are still there. The Apple menu sits at the left corner, with new functionality and the clock is at home in the right corner of the menu. Sherlock, the easy to use search companion built into Mac OS for several years, is there in all it's newfound OS X glory. And favorite applications have already started to make their way over to the native feel of this great leap forward in computing. iTunes, Mac's new music (mp3) jukebox, is ready for download the same day as they release an operating system 15 years in the making! Microsoft included a Preview Release of Internet Explorer 5.1 and many other apps are available from links on Apple's Website at http://www.apple.com.

OS X will be bundled with all Mac computers starting in July. By then the operating system will be an even more finely tuned machine. Apple has promised full CD-RW drive support for iTunes by April, and the DVD player is soon to follow. By July the first massive wave of applications will be out and this operating system, which has already satiated my deepest desires, will be the joy of the masses. I recommend it for those who want to ride the edge of this wave into the future.

Does Apple's PR mastery really equal the power of the underlying system they are trying to bundle for even the simplest of users? In one word, YES. To quote the OS X box, "The super-modern operating system that delivers the power of UNIX with the legendary simplicity and elegance of the the Macintosh." Welcome to the future my friends.Red Dot

This article was co-authored by W. Wesley Clayton & Brian E. Ganninger.
Wes Clayton is the founder of Interapptive, Inc., a St. Louis based Web design firm, specializing in Web application, e-commerce solutions & custom software development. Notable clients include: The Pasta House Co., Provider Plus, Inc., and eBoxersOnline.com, Inc.

Brian Ganninger is an independent Web & interface design consultant working on numerous platforms include Mac OS X, and all the myriad flavors of Windows. He is also a technical reviewer with publishing company Friends of ED, Inc. on a series of Macromedia Flash instructional titles.

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