OS X Leopard will create no new jobs

Tim Gaden
12 December 2006, 1:59 PM


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Shock research shows that Apple's new operating system, Leopard, will create no new jobs when it is launched early next year.

 

Researchers have discovered that Apple's new operating system, codenamed Leopard, will create 0 new jobs when it is launched early next year.

This research (which was not commissioned by Apple) stands in sharp contrast to the findings of an industry report (commissioned by Microsoft) that Vista's release will create 100,000 new jobs in tech support and help desk positions.

Commenting on the impact Vista will have, Senior Vice President of Software Engineering at Apple Bertrand Serlet was not surprised:

"...underneath it's still Windows. It still has the registry at its core. It still has DLL hell and it still has this well-loved feature called activation. If you can't innovate, you have to imitate, but it's never quite as good."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs took a similar view ("Our friends up north [Microsoft] spend over five billion dollars on research and development and all they seem to do is copy Google and Apple") but was more charitable, finding the root cause in a lack of vision and life experience on the part of Microsoft's CEO:

"I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He'd be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger."

While Vista seems set to impact on the economy by creating more IT support jobs to fix the broken or frozen computers of other employees, research shows that Apple will take a different path.

Apple is well known for its award-winning innovation. With Leopard's release Apple will continue an innovative strategy of impacting on the economy by increasing individual productivity. It will let people get more of their own work done, faster and smarter, without the need for endless calls to tech support, compatibility hassles, driver problems or time wasted defending their PCs from viruses and trojans.

A spokesperson for Apple was unable to say how this on-going productivity boost for every Mac owner compared to the US$ 70 billion ($89 billion) Vista is expected to inject into the economy. 

[editor's note - if you hadn't twigged up to this point, this article is satire] 


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dicklacara:

All this ejaculation over Vista reminds me of some ancient wisdom:

The Palo Alto Postulate*:

The customer will pay more for less of worse...

The California Corollary*:

...because worse is bad, the customer wants less of it, and is willing to pay more to get what he wants!

*First presented in 1973, in the IBM Cafeteria (while waiting in line for the morning coffee fix) at 1501 California Ave, Palo Alto, CA.


29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

JB:

100k new jobs. Now how much this jobs will pay?????????????
Lots a jobs is available the problem is, find people that Know what they are doing.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

DEVELOPERS you morons. Vista ships with a set of frameworks and development tools that are among the most powerful ever written - platforms that are not only backwards compatible with XP but even run on other systems like your precious macs. With the exception of MS's own initatives to get this stuff out to you there is nothing that even comes close to approximating WPF, .NET, XAML, etc, on OS X. While that may not make a huge impact on your blogging about the jeans that Steve Jobs just wore at the latest apple marketing festival, the other 90% of the planet actually understands that a pc with windows is actually an incredible useful tool that can do lots of useful things. Things that people can get paid for.

Of course, not being one of those insanely annoying mac fanatics who can't say something positive about their computer without injecting some childish retort about microsoft/vista/windows, I don't see the words "new hardware, software or services businesses" as being the same thing as "tech support and help desk positions", either.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

The difference in frameworks are many:
1. the frameworks built into Mac OS X scale the way many UNIX tools scale.
2. the frameworks built into Mac OS X have been battle tested for almost 2 decades, much of it in Fortune 50 compnaies. And much of it in GrandMa's house. One system for both.
3. the frameworks built into Mac OS X are backed by a GUI building kit that allows developers to bult the best software on the planet.

4. the frameworks built into VISTA are closed, clunky and rarely CONFORM TO IETF standards and other compliance tests.
5. the frameworks built into VISTA lock you to VISTA, whereas many of Mac OS X frameworks allow you to swap to LINUX if you need.

Lastly, for everything you mention WPF, .NET, XAML there is a similar way in Mac OS X. It may not be better in your eyes. Different for sure... but there is nothing you cannot do with WebObjects. I am curious are any of the top10 or 50 eCommerce sites built on .NET, from what I can tell all the big commerce sites use some form of UNIX (or Linux). Mac OS X fits in very well here.

the article is not about interesting development, it is about how much VISTA is going to cost those who deploy it. 70B$ apparently.

Now those are support cost... ie revenue lost.

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

Once again, people are bagging Vista and Windows and M$.

Forget all that.

Throw Mac OS X 10.4.8 Tiger on your x86 machines.

http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

http://forum.insanelymac.com/

Most of these underground x86 hackers have converted to the Mac side and brought a Mac machine. Probably one of the reasons why Apple hardware sales has risen...

Its ironic.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

tin:

Stealing is wrong... That's assuming 99% of people installing OSX on a normal PC are using pirated versions.

I am one who beleives Vista will create new jobs. For starters, how many bigger computer repair places will now need to have a dedicated staff member to do reactivations of OEM versions of Vista?

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Rip Ragged:

I just love it when anonymous people reboot their PCs for long enough to call us Macintosh users names. Just because we make fun of inferior imitations of real stuff.

We Mac users have in the past made fun of Apple's failures and missteps, too. CyberDog, eWorld, the Cube, Newton etc. It just so happens that even though there are fewer of us, our computers work a higher percentage of the time, so we have the PC guys outnumbered where it counts. We can actually get a pretty good turnout on line. Add that to the fact that we find a lot of impetus for humor coming from the Seattle area, and, well...

Brown? Come on.

We just have to, y'know?



29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

aubrey.conversely:

10,000 seems a little light on - unless they didn't count all the IT hacks filling the mags and cyberspace with Vista drivel.

Actually, the "broken Windows" impact is very real and embedded in the way we measure economic growth. If it wasn't for tsunamis, vehicle accidents, heroin addiction, terrorism, pollution and new versions of MS software, we'd be officially in recession.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

mek804:

>>> they didn't count all the IT hacks filling the mags and cyberspace with Vista drivel.

You got that right. If you believe even 1/4 of the crap they post on Tech Republic about how wonderful Vista is, you'll still go into a sugar coma. ; )

mk : )



29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Frederic Bastiat:

...in my famous "Parable of the Broken Windows."

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

G J P:

Yeah! And having new and improved murderers in the US would "inject" billions of dollars into the economy in coroner and police jobs too! Doesn't make it "good" though does it.

Sheesh, I bet if Vista was even MORE crappy, they could boost that number even further!

And, in the end, there won't be ANY new money into the economy, but rather HUGE LOSSES... the users will just pay the price... since users AND IT personnel are all in the same economy, there will actually be a net LOSS for the economy... in TIME. (and time is money)

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Elf M. Sternberg:

Economists have a name for this: The Broken Window Fallacy. The financial flow used to repair a broken window is apparent economic activity, but actually masks a whole host of hidden costs and dedicates resources to repair and restoration what could instead be used for investment and innovation. Yeah, I know, you were joking. But others might take such an argument seriously.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

Of course Vista will create more jobs, because it is yet another piece of ham-fisted, user-abusing software that requires redundant, time-consuming, superfluous user input; constant hand-holding; arcane knowledge on the part of both users and support personnel; and significant HW upgrades to run any faster than a turtle in heat. Over the next twenty years it is going to to be quite amusing watching MS squander the commercial advantage that their huge user base presently gives them. (Lest you doubt the possibility, does the name Wang ring any bells?) MS's inability to execute is truly laughable and overcome only by its massive economic clout. They just do not get it. (Zune, anyone?)

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

a hahhahhahhahhahhahhaha. this was to funny. 10,000 folks to keep vista pc 's running......ahhahhahhahhha. my sides hurt from laughing so much.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

it seems to me that microsoft is a toy that breaks easly
that has glitches .i had a new gateway but bugs tore it up and its falling apart as of right now i'm typing this on a 1998 imac still works just needs more space. i love it always works mac is not a toy is real stuff
so I guess that bill gates got rich off a big toy that rips people off mac looks cool and is

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Don:

The claim that Vista "will create 100,000 new jobs in tech support and help desk positions" is probable true. It is also probably true that these new jobs may inject "US$ 70 billion " into the economy. But what is not described are the hundreds of billions that will be lost due to problems resulting in the need for those new jobs. My guess is that the billions injected into the economy will be a pittance when compared to the the loss of productivity that will be brought on by Vista.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

David Flynn:

I'm sorry, Tim, but you're just plain wrong.

Leopard, and the associated wave of Mac notebooks and desktops, will create jobs. Apple stores and resellers will need to take on extra staff to handle the extra sales as more people remove their blinkers and discover what it's like to use a computer that is elegant, truly user-friendly and basically 'just works'.

(Well, okay, maybe they won't need to take on extra staff, but if Microsoft can come out with rubbish like "100,000 new jobs!" then I can play a bit, too).



29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

This line makes me laugh.

"US$ 70 billion ($89 billion) Vista is expected to inject into the economy. "

This is 70Billion that could be spent on innovation within the customer base, rather than supporting a borken system.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

William K:

Does this mean Apple have an overstaffed help center, or are they just skimping on their user support?

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

William K:

Nice pic - The sign and the BSOD. Nice, Microsoft!

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

"Researchers..." What researchers? Is this just made up? If not then say who these people are and how they did this.

Where do these quotes come from? There are no dates or venues given. My recollection is that the quote from Jobs is from a fictional humor article on "Crazy Apple Rumors".

Without some references this article is meaningless.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

The article clearly states that it's satire. Pay attention.

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

chuck:

You had me for the first couple paragraphs. Well done!

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

So, Microsoft is releasing a product which will take the labor of 100000 people to support?

It would be much better for everyone, if Microsoft released a good product and these people could be put to productive work.

Every single one of these "jobs" that Vista will "create" is to cover for work Microsoft should have done, or done right, in the first place.

In your organization, the money could have gone to increased salaries to the productive employees, to facilities maintenance, or for a really good Christmas party.

These 100000 "jobs" are the result of destroying more than 200000 *real* jobs that cannot exist because idiots waste money on Microsoft garbage.


29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Hi-there:

Humanity never fails to amaze. This is a funny, well-written, satirical article, and some commenters here are taking it so seriously... Lighten up, sports fans... It's a joke, and a good one.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

Hi There: Time to wake up: there really is such a survey. While Vista is pretty much a joke, this article appears to be neither joke nor satire.

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Van Fruniken:

I just wonder who will pay for the $70 billion "injection" into the economy.

Windows users, obviously (not necessarily Vista users), who will need expensive helpdesk/software maintenance contracts to subsidise yet another expansion in the self-sustaining trade of windows-centric IT support.

So this is a null-operation, which compares favorably to the producitivity boost in companies that rely on MacOSX and don't suffer from Windows induced IT-support hell.

Who gains? Apple, obviously, and the Windows-centric IT people.

Who loses? Microsoft-based businesses, because of a productivity DECREASE AND higher costs.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Robert Pritchett:

Must be a play on words: Steve Jobs. No New Jobs. ;^)

How can Microsoft stimulate the economy by adding 100K "new" tech positions when there are so many former MCSE's who are out of work or have switched careers after burnout, due to supporting Microsoft Windows products? And yes, I am a former MCSE. I'm sorry, but the new and improved OS from Microsoft is "more of the same". A wolf with a new sheep cover.

How is Vista going to create new jobs? Most techies I know are getting not much more than minimim wage and have to do more than one job to break even. Why? It seems that anyone can be a Microsoft Tech - so the promise of "high tech" gave us a bunch of low-pay dead-end jobs.

Yep, looking forward to Vista. (Snarky remark.)

All Vista will really do is sell Leopard. See James Allchin's revealed word on the subject hwere he posted back in 2004 that if he were not working at Microsoft he would buy a Mac:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9005873&source=rss_topic123



29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Mark:

I'm a 16-yr Windows veteran, with all the required certification; plus, am an independent consultant. And, I'm a recent convert to the Intel Mac. OMG, I have reached nirvana. Apple got it totally right. No problems, no hassles, no antispyware program running, no antivirus program running, etc. It's astounding! I understand the passion, the following, the cult-like experience. It's because OSX is darn near perfection. But, the vast majority of my clients are Windows users. All I can say is that the release of Vista will keep me in business for years to come. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Rabi:

Shows the heavy burden that MS gives to humanity fill the world with more overhead to cripple industry. apple tasts good and shows to be benificial for human consumption.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

ron:

>Vista's release will create 100,000 new jobs in tech support and help desk positions>

All those jobs just to keep Vista running, when Leopard needs just one Jobs.



29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

(i know it's all a joke, but keep reading) The one thing that they don't tell you is the 100,000 new jobs will be in India with the rest of Microsoft's tech-support people. Another reason I switched to Mac, tech support is in America!

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

At the moment

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Longtooth:

Well all, I work in IT support for a major PC company & am a bit confused by this whole idea that 10000 new jobs will be created by the release of Vista. The jobs already exist so will not be created. The Tech support agents who currently support XP and all the legacy PC systems are simply given a couple days training on Vista and when calls start coming in related to Vista support, the warm body is already in the seat so to speak. IF new jobs are created it is because more PCs sell to new customers & when they run into problems they call but as this would happen even if Vista was never released I don't frankly understand where the idea of more jobs being created in IT support comes from.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

So that's 100,000 jobs at, let's say, $30,000 each. That amounts to $3,000,000,000 (three billion) dollars to keep Vista running *after it's made* That's an extra 3 billion dollars of public/private cash in additional (free) 'research' for Microsoft.

29 February 2008, 8:34 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Argie:

Therefore the MacOS X Leopard is the last of the last?

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Anonymous:

Microsoft are deliberatly wasting their customers time to make their product better.

29 February 2008, 8:35 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

timeforchange:

yes the brokenvista may create 100,000 useless jobs for puppets, but osx can create productivity and business efficiencies so you can get your job done and make money!



29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Freak:

When you people are done fantasizing I'm sure a third of you will switch over to Vista, job market this and glass look that. Theres nothing innovative about osx, sure it has a slick look. Underneath the hood its nothing more than child growing up, the reason Microsoft is successful is not because they over charge their consumers. Nor is it cause they copied their rivals, or even because dear old gates left the company. Oh no, its because they innovate under the hood. The worlds largest software giant that spends billions on rnd isn't something so easy to cast aside by insults, they have obviously done something right if consumers and organizations buy from them. Its how the economy works, thats all I will say just consider it opinion if nothing else.

29 February 2008, 8:30 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

SlayerJr:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. They innovate under the hood? Nothing innovative about osx? Oh my. Your IQ is showing mate.

29 February 2008, 8:38 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Steph:

The only thing under windows 'hood' is billions of lines of coding, written so complexly that other companies are unable to copy it. Which in turn makes windows users increasingly vulnerable to all forms of ad ware and spy ware. So they're sacrificing your computer safety needs to keep away the competition.

And Window's economic superiority has nothing to do with windows at all, but everything to do with one little mistake by Apple that have cost them a lot. Back when macs were the amazing new interface and Microsoft decided to copy this, slap it on top of dos and call it Windows, Apple was so sure that their tech was better that they increased the prices. And while it actually was better, and most people realized this an continued to buy macs, it wasn't long before the major companies, who were buying computers in bulk, switched over to the cheaper option. That was when all the applications started getting made primarily for windows. Hence the world forgot about macs and became PC-dominated.

Just because Apple made an error which lead to Windows becoming more popular, does not mean that Microsoft can take any kind of credit for it.

29 February 2008, 8:38 PM (4 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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