The future of Apple and Microsoft

I have been wondering lately, what is the future of the biggest OS companies, Microsoft and Apple? I have been researching for this special article I am about to write, and it has been difficult, because I have yet to find an article that talks about both Microsoft and Apple in comparison with each other.

The future of Microsoft
An article from seattlepi.nwsource.com is an interview with the Microsoft CEO, Bill Gates. The title of the article is “Gates on Apple, Google — and Microsoft’s future”. I find this article has a lot of views from Gates about Microsoft’s future.

Microsoft Windows Vista seems to be the answer to all of Microsoft’s flaws, in Bill’s point of view. Vista, Microsoft’s next OS, is to release in late 2006. Vista is to feature a new design, with better graphics and “to shore up the security on its software”. Gates calls Vista “the most significant release of Windows since 95”, by the way, Gates has said this every time he announces a new version of Windows since Windows 95. He acts as if each new version is the greatest thing in the world. If you ask me, I really don’t see much difference with XP and the description of Vista.

I only see a new design in Vista, and I think that Windows will still be very susceptible to security flaws.

The plan for security protection, Bill Gates describes, is to not bundle the security in the OS, instead for users to sign up for the protection for updated signatures.

I’m not sure if that is the greatest idea…

In the interview, Bill describes the position of Microsoft in certain markets. He says that Microsoft is the leader for the office, but behind in searching and the music industry. He also believes that he gaining ground in the gaming market with the Xbox, and the cell phone market.

The future for Microsoft seems to be strong, but eventually Apple will gain some market share, but Windows and Office will probably continue to be the most popular software and OS in the coming years. Eventually, the best OS will prevail, and currently, Apple seems to have the best.

The future of Apple
Apple’s future seems to lie with the Intel chips, and the switch to Intel seems to be the key to gaining market share in the OS market. When Steve Jobs announced the switch to Intel, he was very vague with why he was switching. An article from Ars Technica talks about the switch to Intel, and they believe that the switch is for the iPod, not just the Macs. Ars Technica beleives that future iPod lines will have Intel inside, and will become the new mobile media device. Steve Jobs said a while ago, that the Desktop PC is doomed, and mobile notebooks are the future.

I totally agree, and I cannot see the future of PC’s with desktops in it. A desktop PC might be useful as a media computer, and Front Row is the first step Apple has taken towards the media center PC. I think one of the reasons why Apple has such a great OS, is because they update it 4 times as much as Microsoft does. Apple basically perfects its OS, and each version they release is better than the last.

The first generation Intel chips are to have dual-core and 64-bit capabilities, even inside the low-end and mobile Macs. A chart from Ars Technica shows when they think each model of the Macs will be updated to the Intel model.