Apple Expo 2000 - OS X Available For US$29.95 Via The Apple Store (Updated)

by , 12:15 PM EDT, September 13th, 2000

Update: This article was originally posted at 6:30 AM and updated at 11:15 AM with a Spin.

As expected, Steve Jobs announced the immediate availability of the OS X Public Beta at today's keynote speech at the Apple Expo 2000. Much to the dismay of the crowd, and certainly to Mac users everywhere, Beta will be available only on CD from the Apple Store for US$29.95. Apple will provide no downloadable version of the new product. According to Apple:

“Mac OS X is the future of the Macintosh, and the most technically advanced personal computer operating system ever,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re excited to have our users test drive this public beta version and provide us with their valuable feedback.”

The Mac OS X Public Beta is available in English, French and German from The Apple Store™ for $29.95. Apple has created a Mac OS X tab on its web site at www.apple.com which contains in-depth information on Mac OS X, including regular updates on third-party applications, tips and tricks and technical support information.

Mac OS X features true memory protection, pre-emptive multi-tasking, and symmetric multiprocessing when running on the new dual-processor Power Mac™ G4 line. Mac OS X includes Apple’s new Quartz™ 2D graphics engine (based on the Internet-standard Portable Document Format) for stunning graphics and broad font support; OpenGL for spectacular 3D graphics and gaming, and QuickTime™ for streaming audio and video. In addition, Mac OS X features Apple’s new user interface named “Aqua,” which combines superior ease-of-use with amazing new functionality such as the “Dock,” a breakthrough for organizing applications, documents and miniaturized windows. Mac OS X Public Beta includes many applications, including Apple’s new Mail client (IMAP and POP compatible) and new versions of the QuickTime player and Sherlock® Internet searching tool, as well as a beta version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer, the most popular browser for the Mac®.

Apple is providing a FedEx shipping option for an extra US$10, which will deliver the product in three business days. You can find more information at Apple's revamped OS X site.

The Mac Observer Spin:

It was this publication that took great pleasure in reveling in the fact that Microsoft was charging for public betas of Windows 2000. We suggested that if Apple were to do so, the Mac public would howl its outrage to the farthest corners of the globe. It appears we were wrong. For the record, this is in reference to criticizing Microsoft too.

That said, we would like to have seen the price for this release be US$19.95 instead of US$29.95, but we are certainly not privy to the issues surrounding distribution of this product. We would also liked to have seen Apple offer some kind of coupon/rebate for the final version of Mac OS X to purchasers of the Beta. That would have been a nice way of saying thank you to customers willing to pay for Apple's beta products. So be it.

Lest you think we are full of vitriol on this subject, we are simply delighted that Apple has been able to bring Mac OS X Beta to market. This is an important move for the company in terms of the future. Wall Street, IT professionals, computer enthusiasts, and the mainstream media will be watching this release closely. So will we, so stay tuned to The Mac Observer for extensive coverage on Mac OS X Beta.

Apple