|
Lies and Damn Lies (9/11/98)
|
 
|
| | |
And here we thought we'd all moved past the stage of listening to rumors that big developers are abandoning the Mac platform in droves. Ever since Intuit gave up on the Mac last April (true!) and then quickly reversed its stance not one week later (after having been given a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the top secret iMac), we figured that would be the last "jumping ship" story we'd hear for a while. So imagine our surprise when we caught wind of the rumors that Adobe, long a stalwart Mac developer dependent on the platform for its success, was planning to cease Macintosh development.
Consternation! Uproar! Could it be? Apple and Adobe essentially built the entire desktop publishing business on a foundation of Macintosh, LaserWriter, Photoshop, and Pagemaker. But no-- the rumors are nothing but rumors, at least according to an Adobe spokeswoman, who called the statement that Adobe was dropping Macintosh support both "very damaging" and "very untrue" in a Reuters story. Sure, they've made more Windows-y decisions in the past, but given Apple's new direction, what few Windows-only software they've released may soon surface in Mac versions as well. For instance, the consumer-level PhotoDeluxe is a natural for Apple's iMac, the current darling of the media. And regardless, the big guns-- Photoshop, Pagemaker, Illustrator, etc.-- are here to stay.
Perhaps what the whole sordid affair tells us most is how insecure everyone still is about the future of the Mac, regardless of how irrational that insecurity may be. Sure, sales are up, market share shows signs of growth, and Apple remains consistently profitable, but old fears die hard, so it's easy to get swept up in a rumor that plays strongly on the worry that Windows NT could sweep the desktop publishing market right out of Apple's arms. But as many a graphics grunt who's flirted with the NT floozy can tell you, it's just not the same...
| |
| |
 |
SceneLink (1005)
|  |
 |
|
And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
| | | |
|
| |
|
 | | The above scene was taken from the 9/11/98 episode: September 11, 1998: Adobe denies rumors that it's leaving Apple for an exclusive affair with Microsoft. Meanwhile, Sun claims a victory in its battle with Microsoft over the heart and soul of Java, and a faithful viewer speculates on just how far Bill Gates' influence has reached...
Other scenes from that episode: 1006: Choking on Java (9/11/98) With all the activity heating up over the impending "Redmond Justice" season premiere (currently scheduled for September 23rd, though that could certainly change, given Microsoft's latest "let's subpoena several thousand documents from several really huge companies and only give them a one-week deadline" gambit), another lesser courtroom drama may have dropped somewhat from the public eye... 1007: Seeing Starrs (9/11/98) Ladies and gentlemen, we at AtAT are humbled by a paranoia far richer and more fertile than ours. At this point we step aside and turn the episode over to Russell Swan, a longtime faithful viewer whose nose for conspiracy is unparalleled: ÒHow could you have missed the big story?Ó...
Or view the entire episode as originally broadcast... | |  |
|
|
