MAC OFF

I own multiple Macs.  They are great.  I have no regrets to date.  But maybe the first regret is starting to form.   I was just sent a visio diagram which I need to view.  I do not have a copy of Visio on my Mac so went hunting for a visio .vsd viewer.  And found some.  They vary in capability and range from free to quite high prices.  So far so good.

I downloaded 3 without reading the specs.  Each one refused to install after downloading with a message that said 'Only works on Mac 10.8.  I have Snow Leopard which is 10.6.  Here we go.  Prepare for rant mode.  Engage.

Where should I start.  Snow Leopard is only 4 years old (2009).  It works really well and my Mac has been stable and fast and has had no problems.  Or none that are OS related.  Why are apps now drawing the line at 10.8?   Macs are different to Windows type machines.  They are reliable and the OS is excellent.  They last for years and years and years and this is the reward for paying a little more in the first place.  My Mac has now outlasted 3 generations of Windows machines some of my friends have had.

What is the point in taking one of the best benefits from a Mac and building in obsolescence in this way?  After only 4 years.

I know, I could go an pay some money and spend a few hours upgrading my machine to 10.8 yer yer yer.  But why should I.  Just to give Apple a little more money when the product they have sold me works very well.

Imagine if this was done in the car world!  Your 4 year old car will no longer work after next week unless you pay Ford more money and take it to the garage for an upgrade.

Its a trend which we are all too familiar with.  It is no longer viable to just sell something where the price you pay reflects the quality.  Now you have to provide an ongoing revenue stream for these organisations.  They have to do this because otherwise nobody would buy their upgrade products because ... of yes, there is no need for them.  So the easiest way to get more money from your client base is to sell them pointless upgrades and force them to spend money or lose the right to use what they already have paid for.  This sucks as they would say in the US.

Rant over.  Disengage.

Phew.  I need a coffee after that.