Is Apple baked? - future of Mac OS and Rhapsody - Product Information - Brief Article

Software Magazine, March, 1997 by Daniela Cimino

Apple Computer Inc. may be far removed from the popularity its Mac platform enjoyed in the '80s, but the Cupertino, Calif.-based firm still considers itself a major player in the OS arena. The company has countered flagging sales and corporate layoffs with the $400 million acquisition of Next Software Inc., the return of Steve Jobs and a retooled OS roadmap. But are these the ingredients for success or disaster?

When Apple halted development of its Copland OS late last year, end users and software developers hung in the balance. According to Jim Gable, vice president of marketing at AppleSoft, its new dual OS strategy answers questions about the long-term direction of its operating system. The approach calls for continued upgrades to the MacOS and a mid-1998 customer release of its next-generation Rhapsody OS, which will include Apple and Next technologies. Apple recently released MacOS 7.6 and expects to deliver the Tempo upgrade with Internet integration, Java compatibility and the Copland Finder later this year. The firm would not comment on plans to incorporate additional features and capabilities from Copland into upcoming MacOS releases. Rhapsody will feature Next's OpenStep development environment, as well as multitasking and protected memory technologies.

Despite Gable's claims that Rhapsody will be a competitive high-end system, industry observers doubt its ability to level the playing field with Microsoft. "Apple is trying to solve its market problems by throwing technology at them," says Michael Gartenberg, a research director at Gartner Group, Stamford, Conn., adding that the firm will be entering the 21st century with Next's outdated Unix technology. "Apple does not bring peace of mind to corporate enterprise players right now."

Whatever its approach, Apple will continue to toil in Microsoft's long shadow. Last year the MacOS garnered only 6.6% of the OS market while Windows 95 cornered 62.9%, says Dan Kusnetzky, director of Unix and client/server environments at International Data Corp., Framingham, Mass.

For long-time Mac customer Trader Joe's Co., in South Pasadena, Calif., Apple's negligence and poor strategic decision-making prompted the company's recent move from the MacOS to Windows NT. According to Frederick Morsheimer, vice president of MIS, Apple did not keep pace with the store's changing business needs. "You could never depend on them to deliver anything on time," he says. "They'd make an announcement and six months or a year would go by and it would come out with half the features that they promised and lacking the critical success factors and functionality that we required. Why should we believe them now?"

Meanwhile, Apple continues its curious business practices. The firm has reportedly met with rival Microsoft to discuss licensing Windows NT. Gartner's Gartenberg suggests that Apple may be trying to get Microsoft to embrace its new Power PC platform. "Microsoft is an important applications developer and that would probably be the main thrust of their efforts," he says.