‘ Tis the time of year for year - end lists , many of which are of the “ Year ’s Biggest Stories ” variety . Our friend atPC Worldhavetheir listing . Infoworld took a slimly different approach with alist of the top 10 underreported tech account of 2007(which more than a few Macworld readers did not agree with ) . Computerworld even roll up a top 10 list of … top 10 list .
Well , I ’m secret plan for getting in on the Top 10 act . Here ’s a list of the 10 prominent Mac floor of 2007 , selected arbitrarily and in reference with nobody else .
1. The iPhone’s debut
2. Leopard ships
It get in later on than expected , but you could argue that OS X 10.5 was worth the wait . ( Unless , of track , you were among the usersstung by some upgrade headaches . ) Like the iPhone , Leopard physique to tempt events well into 2008 . count for OS X 10.5 ’s Time Machine patronage lineament to spark invention in the computer storage market place , while the operating system ’s Core Animation feature film should make its comportment feel in future software releases .
3. Record Mac sales
Amid the iPhone hoopla and the ongoing popularity of the iPod , it ’s comfortable for some people to forget that Apple also makes a middling good data processor , too . The fellowship served notice in 2007 that , even as it expands its job into other areas , it has n’t taken its middle off the Mac ball . In July , Apple reported a record quarter for Mac sales — a record that endure all of three calendar month until Apple break it again .
4. Adobe delivers a new Creative Suite
Adobe was among the last mellow - profile Mac developer to get out with software that ran natively on Intel - based Macs . But when it came time to deliver Universal Mac package , Adobe delivered in a big room . Its monolithic Creative Suite release feature update versions of about every professional product in Adobe ’s armory across the imaging , designing , and picture - output disciplines . The dissimilar permutations of Creative Suite 3 well represented the most important third - political party release of 2007 .
5. A Mac-targeting trojan horse
In October , reports emerge of a Trojan Horse promise OSX.RSPlug . A that changed a Mac ’s Domain Name Server name and address to point to malicious DNS machines . There was no drive to panic — the malware could be detected and remove or avoided altogether with a small level - headed demeanor . But it did suffice as a reminder that as unattackable as the chopine is , Mac user should guard against self-complacency .
6. A little competition for iTunes
Since its 2003 debut , Apple ’s on-line iTunes Store has pretty much slopped - armed any would - be rival to its digital media ascendance . But a worthy enemy emerged in 2007 in the form of Amazon MP3 . The death result of this add competition ? By yr ’s remainder , you could bribe more medicine free of digital - rights management restrictions for a lower toll at iTunes than you could earlier in the year . Here ’s hop iTunes and Amazon MP3 remain to push each other into 2008 .
7. High-profile software delays
Leopard was n’t the only marquee sack to take its metre getting to retail shelf in 2007 . A pair of major Mac developer — Intuit and Microsoft — both postponed releases of their flagship product . In fact , the twelvemonth closes with neither Intuit ’s Quicken nor Microsoft ’s Office appear in Intel - native physique . ( Office is slated to embark in two week , while the desktop variation of Quicken is n’t await until the fall of 2008 . ) What ’s notable here is the reaction to these delays ; while such mellow - profile no - show might have instigate a blizzard of “ The Mac platform is doom ” stories in some corner in the past , most user had a ho - hum chemical reaction to the lack of raw Office and Quicken rendering . Perhaps it ’s a foretoken of the Mac food market ’s overall potency as well as a switching away from developer who once overshadow the weapons platform .
8. The death of DRM
My colleague Christopher Breen cover this in his look back at the class in medicine , but it bears reiterate : digital - rights management for on-line music sale is likely going the agency of the dodo . Steve Jobs signaled his desire to do by with DRM via aFebruary open letterand the creation of iTunes Plus running ( introduced at $ 1.29 each , but now uncommitted for 99 cent ) . Amazon MP3 has its own DRM - free choice , which just got bigger with the addition of the Warner Music Group ’s catalog .
9. Apple’s green policies
The year began with environmental chemical group Greenpeace protesting Apple ’s policies at Macworld Expo . By May , Jobs put out another open varsity letter , this one outlining Apple ’s plans to remove toxic chemical from its product . The company take the first step toward doing just that , when the 15 - inch MacBook Pro models introduced in June boast environmentally - favorable lead - backlit displays . Look for Jobs ’ green directive to regulate more Apple hardware maturation in 2008 .
10. Media companies take aim at iTunes
Whether it was former Disney CEO Michael Eisnerpartly pick the on-going author ’ strike on iTunes pricingor the spat between Apple and NBC Universal that removed NBC television programme from the iTunes Store , it ’s percipient medium companies want more say in how their wares are priced at Apple ’s on-line memory board . That dispute does n’t calculate to disappear in the new year , either .
That ’s one man ’s listing . finger free to echo in the New Year by supplying your own thoughts on the top newsworthiness narrative of 2007 or what to await in the coming year . And while we ’re on the subject , Happy New Year to all our reader .
