Hidden Dimensions - A Major Apple Weakness Could Harm Mac OS X
Apple Newsroom is the source for news about Apple. Read press releases, get updates, watch video and download images. Before I go into details of the Linux operating system, I want to describe what an operating system (OS) is. An operating system is a system software which makes communication between computer hardware and software. There are various types of operating systems e.g. Windows OS, Linux OS, and Mac OS. Windows operating system comes with major releases e.g. Windows 7, windows 8 and windows 10.
by John Martellaro
January 2nd, 2007
You can never solve a problem on the level on which it was created.
-- Albert Einstein
We all know that Mac OS X is a superioroperating system. It's easy to use by novicesand experts alike. It has a modern infrastructurewhich includes seldom discussed items such aslaunchd and the Common Data Security Architecture.It has great attention to security, consistency, andminimizes tinkerability while meeting the needsof many business and technical professionals.
Apple makes a big fuss about Mac OS X. Eachversion is eagerly awaited with great anticipation.We're all particularly excited about Leopard. And so we all hope that Mac OS Xwill reign supreme for all time.
Maybe not. What what if Apple, someday, were to lose some of theirfocus on Mac OS X? I'm not thinking about next year, but I amthinking about the not too distant future when the dust settles onApple's consumer electronic ambitions.
One reason I'm thinking about this is that, it seems to me, neverhas there been more of a gulf between the public perception ofApple and the core competency of Apple -- integrating computerhardware and an operating system. The other reason it comes tomind is an article I wrote previously about Apple and degrees of freedom. Apple doesn't like commitmentsto end users. They rarely partner with large customerorganizations. They will partner with companies like Disney andIntel, but only on the supply side.
In order to ask questions about Apple's long term commitment toMac OS X, one has to look at instances where Apple has made firmcommitments to customers. There aren't many.
A Tale of Two Stories
What started me thinking about all this was the combination of twostories here at TMO on Wednesday. The first was the blogfrom David Sobotta back on December 25th about how Apple show managers in Cupertino,clueless about the Federal Market, proceeded to do a lot of stupidthings at a federal computer show called FOSE, held every year inWashington D.C.
The second story was about a very technical technique for combining launchd and rsync to triggeran automated backup when an external drive is connected.
The combination of the two stories reminded me of the starkdifference between the technology of a UNIX operating system, thepublic perception of Apple, and how Apple manages its image.
Mr. Sobotta's Blog described an incident that was typical ofApple. It all started when a bright young fellow at Apple startedto work on an extensive security briefing document forpublication. As I recall, the original draft was on the order of30 pages and went into some very important fundamentals of Mac OSX's security architecture and features. But, of course, beforesuch documements can be released to the public, they must bereviewed by Marketing Communications with a fine attention todetail and image. In the end, after review, the security briefingwas a shadow if its former self and diluted in the extreme.
It requires some patience to find the final version of that paper.One reference, in fact, starts at the top of Apple's ITPro site but the link to the security tech brief is dead whichis rather confusing. It's probably just an oversight.
Another link is at the very bottom of Apple's Mac OS Xfeatures page. That link is active and will allow you downloadthe watered down 13 page paper.
When I recall the process involved, I am reminded that there is athick layer of insulation between Apple's technical people andtheir technical customers. This has been an irritation before, and itcould become a problem in the future.
A lot of the material that is directed towards these kinds ofcustomers is nothing more than links to stories about Apple asopposed to material created by technical professionals withinApple and communicated to end users. Even the Apple inspired siteMacResearch.org is simply aneffort to allow technically deep professionals to share theirknowledge with other users because Apple, fundamentally, isuncomfortable doing it themselves.
The reason is that Apple is a company that's all aboutimage, and they would prefer not to have technical professionalscommunicating directly with customers. In some cases, experiencehas shown that scientists and engineers don't have the skills tocommunicate certain messages in a desirable fashion. But Apple,as a UNIX vendor, carries that far overboard.
Weakness Microsoft
As a result, highly technical material is, outside of the AppleDeveloper Connection, either hard to find, watered down, ornon-existent. This was a typical complaint to me when I engagedApple customers in years past. It is a credit to a few verytalented individuals at Apple that a wealth of securityinformation related to Smart Cards, Common Criteria, securitycertifications, and encryption has been published in barelyacceptable detail. However, Apple is only one lay-off or two awayfrom completely losing this credibility with its customers.
The Two Faces of Apple
As we approach the release of Leopard, it is moreand more evident that the public fuss about Apple,its image building, its foray into consumer electronicswith the iTV and possibly an iPod that can make phone calls,is creating a larger and larger gulf between Apple's non-technicalconsumers and technical professionals.
A company that started out, in its first 25 years, making mostlyvery nice computers and operating systems, is on the verge of amajor shift in its focus and revenues. As more and more of Apple'srevenue comes from consumer devices, priorities will shift.Resources, which are always spread thin at Apple, typically get directedtowards the latest hot consumer project.
Lest we forget, going to war against Windows, while a formidablefoe, is easy in one very important way because the securityarchitecture of Windows is so messed up. Because a comprehensivefix is not forthcoming, Mac OS X will have significant edge in thatarea for years to come. On the other hand, the home theater marketand the cell phone markets are full of pitfalls, traps, and clevercompetitors. These markets, while a huge opportunity,will distract Apple.
One sign that a loss of focus is at least possible is that Apple goes outof its way to avoid long term relationships with customers.Products are abandoned without notice and replaced by new ones.Apple avoids long term business relationships with researchagencies and universities in advanced computation. What commitmentsApple does have are short term or easily broken. Apple spokespersons,those who are press-certified, are typically non-technical. Applehas few Ph.Ds on staff who are empowered to work closely withcustomers on long-term research projects. Apple declines tosponsor important events, technical TV specialsand conferences.
Weakness Mac Os Sierra
Mr. Sobotta pointed out in his Blog cited above that Apple doesn'tallow third party vendors in its booth at the largest professionalconferences. The very people who are most technically capableof demonstrating technical solutions on Mac OS X are denied boothaccess in favor of Apple volunteers who are not qualified todemonstrate the most capable and advanced software that appealsto conference attendees. (And industry analysts.) The Blog went on topoint out that Mr. Jobs forbids literature in the booths. Technicalprofessionals go home from a show loaded with dreams. They look atbrochures and technical data from companies like HP and Dell andstudy, analyze and dream their next computer project. But they getnothing from Apple to sit on their office desk every day, cry out in four colors,and remind them of their dreams. Mindmazer mac os.
The technical community in the U.S. only has so much patience.They require a dialogue with Apple, not a monologue. They requiresome very serious technical interchange with Apple engineers andscientists, but there are precious few hired by Apple who have thecharter to conduct collaborations. Technical documents comefrom Apple highly filtered and diluted, and as a result,Apple never feels a sense of partnership with its enterprisecustomers.
Don't misunderstand me. Mac OS X is a superior OS. It retainsa special status within Apple and makes their beautifully designedcomputers worth buying. Mac OS X is also the hub of Apple'sdigital lifestyle, making operations with video, audio, designand creativity a joy. Leopard will be terrific.
My concern is this. As Apple moves more and more into consumerelectronics, its tendency to favor image over substance andblock serious technical cooperation with enterprise customerswill become more and more at odds with what it takesto deliver a robust UNIX OS. Apple tends to hide behind theirMarketing Communications division, a group of people who shudder with fearwhen presented with technical material to publish. Sothey water it down until it becomes useless.
As we approach the release of Leopard, it is moreand more evident that the public fuss about Apple,its image building, its foray into consumer electronicswith the iTV and possibly an iPod that can make phone calls,is creating a larger and larger gulf between Apple's non-technicalconsumers and technical professionals.
A company that started out, in its first 25 years, making mostlyvery nice computers and operating systems, is on the verge of amajor shift in its focus and revenues. As more and more of Apple'srevenue comes from consumer devices, priorities will shift.Resources, which are always spread thin at Apple, typically get directedtowards the latest hot consumer project.
Lest we forget, going to war against Windows, while a formidablefoe, is easy in one very important way because the securityarchitecture of Windows is so messed up. Because a comprehensivefix is not forthcoming, Mac OS X will have significant edge in thatarea for years to come. On the other hand, the home theater marketand the cell phone markets are full of pitfalls, traps, and clevercompetitors. These markets, while a huge opportunity,will distract Apple.
One sign that a loss of focus is at least possible is that Apple goes outof its way to avoid long term relationships with customers.Products are abandoned without notice and replaced by new ones.Apple avoids long term business relationships with researchagencies and universities in advanced computation. What commitmentsApple does have are short term or easily broken. Apple spokespersons,those who are press-certified, are typically non-technical. Applehas few Ph.Ds on staff who are empowered to work closely withcustomers on long-term research projects. Apple declines tosponsor important events, technical TV specialsand conferences.
Weakness Mac Os Sierra
Mr. Sobotta pointed out in his Blog cited above that Apple doesn'tallow third party vendors in its booth at the largest professionalconferences. The very people who are most technically capableof demonstrating technical solutions on Mac OS X are denied boothaccess in favor of Apple volunteers who are not qualified todemonstrate the most capable and advanced software that appealsto conference attendees. (And industry analysts.) The Blog went on topoint out that Mr. Jobs forbids literature in the booths. Technicalprofessionals go home from a show loaded with dreams. They look atbrochures and technical data from companies like HP and Dell andstudy, analyze and dream their next computer project. But they getnothing from Apple to sit on their office desk every day, cry out in four colors,and remind them of their dreams. Mindmazer mac os.
The technical community in the U.S. only has so much patience.They require a dialogue with Apple, not a monologue. They requiresome very serious technical interchange with Apple engineers andscientists, but there are precious few hired by Apple who have thecharter to conduct collaborations. Technical documents comefrom Apple highly filtered and diluted, and as a result,Apple never feels a sense of partnership with its enterprisecustomers.
Don't misunderstand me. Mac OS X is a superior OS. It retainsa special status within Apple and makes their beautifully designedcomputers worth buying. Mac OS X is also the hub of Apple'sdigital lifestyle, making operations with video, audio, designand creativity a joy. Leopard will be terrific.
My concern is this. As Apple moves more and more into consumerelectronics, its tendency to favor image over substance andblock serious technical cooperation with enterprise customerswill become more and more at odds with what it takesto deliver a robust UNIX OS. Apple tends to hide behind theirMarketing Communications division, a group of people who shudder with fearwhen presented with technical material to publish. Sothey water it down until it becomes useless.
Apple's aloof approach, technical shyness, and reluctance tosupport long-term research with customers is one of itsbiggest weaknesses. In the long run, that will harm the bestUNIX OS ever conceived.
John Martellaro is a senior scientist and author. A former U.S. Air Force officer,he has worked for NASA, White Sands Missile Range, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Apple Computer. During his five years at Apple, he worked as a Senior Marketing Manager for science and technology, Federal Account Executive, and High Performance Computing Manager. His interests include alpine skiing, SciFi, astronomy, and Perl. John lives in Denver, Colorado.
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