CoolMacintosh.com: The Macside: Has Windows XP Stolen The Spotlight?

By Nick Canfield

MacOS X has been the buzz of the industry for some time now. People have been talking about its new capabilities and how it fits in with Apple's digital hub strategy. After the release of MacOS 10.1 people are seriously considering OS X. But something has gotten in the way of all the MacOS X excitement, Windows XP. Microsoft released its own new operating system just recently and is kicking it off with a $1 billion marketing plan. All eyes would seem to have turned to Windows XP. But will this new rival and its massive marketing budget really affect MacOS X in a negative way?

For the most part Windows users will stick with Windows and the Mac faithful will remain with their OS. However, the platform battle will rage for the alligence of newer users and one time Mac users who converted to Windows. MacOS X and Windows XP are really quite similar as new features go. It would seem that the very things Apple has been advocating, promoting, and implementing have been added to Windows XP. Microsoft would appear to be impressed with Apple's ideas. Both operating systems are state of the art and designed to be more stable than their predecessors. Both are based on Unix but add their own interfaces. Apple may be betting on these similarities and Microsoft's marketing efforts to sell more copies of MacOS X and more Macs. Microsoft is advertising the very things it implemented into Windows XP by looking at Apple. This includes wireless networking, easy digital picture access, movie editing, CD burning, DVD playback, music capabilities, and a whole host of features in MacOS X. Apple thinks that if people come looking for these features, they will see that MacOS X does them better.

Microsoft is betting heavily that Apple was right with its digital hub strategy. A key new feature of Windows XP seems to be its ability to handle video editing and pictures, music and portable devices, Microsoft is strongly promoting this. However, Apple does of course have the jump in this area as they did popularize this idea.

Other features like CD burning and wireless networking, relatively new in the popular market, are also adopted by Windows XP. Apple has already embraced these aspects and has a large lead over Microsoft. This is especially true in wireless networking with Apple's award winning Airport system.

Microsoft seems intent on capitalizing on Apple's success. It is trying to take MacOS X's winning hand and use it for itself to stop the loss of users to Apple. If done right, Apple can use the very issues Microsoft is stressing to gain more users.

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