I'm completely blown away by Mac Neo. It made me think a lot about what we tried to accomplish with Windows 8 more than a dozen years ago. Being early is no different than being wrong…mostly.
"being early is no different than being wrong, mostly." Love. This. A huge life lesson, and it reminds me of about 10 products I worked on over the last four decades.
the problem with Microsoft has always been the disagreements, and fear. There isn't one person who is willing to make a bet and see it through - and also survive long enough to fix the problems that an inevitable v1 will create. MSFT lacks patience, resilience, and changes in directions are the result. Steven was different, he offended everyone internally, not because he wanted to, but because he needed to make the tough calls no one else had the guts to make. Unfortunately, as a result, he also wasn't allowed to fix the critical issues for the long run, as there were too many people betting against him. Reading this just makes me melancholic for those "good ol' days", and as I'm typing this on my own neo, I share Steven's feelings here.... so close. sigh.
Apple have superpower that Microsoft never had: an ability to say “my way or the highway” to both users and app developers.
They are using it carefully, but it's critical for many things that Apple does. From the ability to change CPU architecture (ALL transitions were accomplished by artificially stifling old architecture when it's time to switch to a new one), to ability to change API and so on.
Microsoft had no such ability… by its own choice: it could have, carefully, put hardware manufacturers into that position where they couldn't release anything without approval from Microsoft, but haven't done that. If it did that, then yes, Windows 8 could have succeeded, without it… no chance in hell.
Google does have it, though — but only with Chromebooks, ironically enough, with phones… it's constant fight there with carriers and phone manufacturers, but they try to do what Apple does there, too. Microsoft never tried.
Windows 8 was great in a lot of ways (8.1 eventually bricked my Microsoft Store-purchased machine while dogfooding Dev Preview, however, so I have no soft feelings towards it--how did we fail to test critical driver stuff on the small number of laptops approved for our own store???), and I am always a little sad about its reception. Metro was great! (I remain proud of that release, even though I went back to Mac when my MSFT days were through and haven't looked back. I will probably be getting a Neo at some point just to have a travel laptop.)
I am by no means a technology expert in either software or hardware. Simply a deep user of both, and an enthusiast in how I can push these tools to allow me to do more. And man, reading this piece is hard to not be struck by the knowledge and historical prescience (and regret). A succinctly and powerfully written review. Kudos.
UI/UX matters. macOS to this day remains keyboard+mouse(trackpad) OS. Including in MacBook Neo.
Windows 8 with MetroUI was different.
Legacy Win 95–98–NT–2000–XP-7-style “Control Panel”, “Import Pictures and Videos” wizard still remain functionally superior, more convenient to use in Windows 11 with keyboard+mouse than their touch-oriented MetroUI analogs, when they either overlap, or “MetroUI” feature set has not yet fully caught up.
Had it been only the power-efficient ARM architecture, as Apple did with macOS, perhaps, the results could have been different.
Familiar superb Win95-Win7 UI could have been the key selling point, the same way your post praises UX indistinguishability of MacBook Neo from familiar MacBook Air.
Curious, what would be your take, to which extent forcing a touch-focused MetroUI on unwilling keyboard+mouse PC users, something that Apple never did (with tiny exception of failed Mac Touch Bar), with apparent goal to leverage preexisting Windows OS omnipresence to compete with iPad on ARM, perhaps, unfairly, had a consequential negative effect?
In my opinion as a Windows user, everything has been on a downward spiral since Office 2007. When Windows 8 was announced, there was a glimmer of hope that Microsoft had finally woken up, but it faded instantly. Apple simply stepped up and did exactly what Microsoft should have done, even with a 12-year handicap. It’s unbelievable how far ahead Apple has pulled. I’m just glad my children have never had anything to do with Windows or Microsoft.
"being early is no different than being wrong, mostly." Love. This. A huge life lesson, and it reminds me of about 10 products I worked on over the last four decades.
the problem with Microsoft has always been the disagreements, and fear. There isn't one person who is willing to make a bet and see it through - and also survive long enough to fix the problems that an inevitable v1 will create. MSFT lacks patience, resilience, and changes in directions are the result. Steven was different, he offended everyone internally, not because he wanted to, but because he needed to make the tough calls no one else had the guts to make. Unfortunately, as a result, he also wasn't allowed to fix the critical issues for the long run, as there were too many people betting against him. Reading this just makes me melancholic for those "good ol' days", and as I'm typing this on my own neo, I share Steven's feelings here.... so close. sigh.
🙏
I am pretty confident, Ray is the second person.
You know how rare it is to find someone who will praise Apple and MS in the same breath? You earned a subscriber today.
Apple have superpower that Microsoft never had: an ability to say “my way or the highway” to both users and app developers.
They are using it carefully, but it's critical for many things that Apple does. From the ability to change CPU architecture (ALL transitions were accomplished by artificially stifling old architecture when it's time to switch to a new one), to ability to change API and so on.
Microsoft had no such ability… by its own choice: it could have, carefully, put hardware manufacturers into that position where they couldn't release anything without approval from Microsoft, but haven't done that. If it did that, then yes, Windows 8 could have succeeded, without it… no chance in hell.
Google does have it, though — but only with Chromebooks, ironically enough, with phones… it's constant fight there with carriers and phone manufacturers, but they try to do what Apple does there, too. Microsoft never tried.
It really feels like when I fell in love with the 11" MacBook Air... that might be the best form factor of all time. I wish they had continued it.
I still believe Metro was the best UI I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately Microsoft gave up on it too soon.
That was a poignant post indeed.
🙏
Windows 8 was great in a lot of ways (8.1 eventually bricked my Microsoft Store-purchased machine while dogfooding Dev Preview, however, so I have no soft feelings towards it--how did we fail to test critical driver stuff on the small number of laptops approved for our own store???), and I am always a little sad about its reception. Metro was great! (I remain proud of that release, even though I went back to Mac when my MSFT days were through and haven't looked back. I will probably be getting a Neo at some point just to have a travel laptop.)
Congratulations, Apple! You just created a Chromebook...
I am by no means a technology expert in either software or hardware. Simply a deep user of both, and an enthusiast in how I can push these tools to allow me to do more. And man, reading this piece is hard to not be struck by the knowledge and historical prescience (and regret). A succinctly and powerfully written review. Kudos.
UI/UX matters. macOS to this day remains keyboard+mouse(trackpad) OS. Including in MacBook Neo.
Windows 8 with MetroUI was different.
Legacy Win 95–98–NT–2000–XP-7-style “Control Panel”, “Import Pictures and Videos” wizard still remain functionally superior, more convenient to use in Windows 11 with keyboard+mouse than their touch-oriented MetroUI analogs, when they either overlap, or “MetroUI” feature set has not yet fully caught up.
Had it been only the power-efficient ARM architecture, as Apple did with macOS, perhaps, the results could have been different.
Familiar superb Win95-Win7 UI could have been the key selling point, the same way your post praises UX indistinguishability of MacBook Neo from familiar MacBook Air.
Curious, what would be your take, to which extent forcing a touch-focused MetroUI on unwilling keyboard+mouse PC users, something that Apple never did (with tiny exception of failed Mac Touch Bar), with apparent goal to leverage preexisting Windows OS omnipresence to compete with iPad on ARM, perhaps, unfairly, had a consequential negative effect?
Apple put macOS on an iPhone chip with the MacBook Neo.
Apple put M series chip in an iPad with the Air and Pro.
Devs will port iOS, iPadOS games and apps to support MacBook Neo now - since a lot of kids and students will get that instead of an iPad.
Then Apple will release an Apple TV (budget) with an A series chip and an Apple TV (pro) with an M-series chip.
That'll mark their entry into Gaming Consoles.
Devs could build once and target all of Apple's devices.
Apple is coming after Windows, Xbox, Chromebook, Android PC OS, M365, Google One all at once with a single product called Neo.
Poignant ..... (lived through all of this since 1984 ... still miss Windows 7)
In my opinion as a Windows user, everything has been on a downward spiral since Office 2007. When Windows 8 was announced, there was a glimmer of hope that Microsoft had finally woken up, but it faded instantly. Apple simply stepped up and did exactly what Microsoft should have done, even with a 12-year handicap. It’s unbelievable how far ahead Apple has pulled. I’m just glad my children have never had anything to do with Windows or Microsoft.
How is the Neo “a paradigm shift”? Is the A chip so different than M?
Yea, Apple turned an iPad into a Netbook. There is no apparent use case for this POS.
Still trying to burnish your past history huh? But a lie isn't one side of the story, it is just a lie.