Washington Apple Pi

A Community of Apple iPad, iPhone and Mac Users

The Road To Mountain Lion: A Survey

Washington Apple Pi Journal, reprint information

During the summer of 2012 the Pi ran a survey on the front page of the web site, www.wap.org. This ran prior to the introduction of the new Macintosh operating system, Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) and the new iPod, iPad and iPhone operating system, iOS 6. The survey was limited to members only, and 34 members responded. When viewing the responses below, keep in mind that some questions allowed you to answer more than once. After the survey results, you’ll find a short summary of conclusions.

Are you planning to upgrade to Mountain Lion?

Yes - 25
No - 3
At present, unsure - 6

Apple’s pre-launch publicity clearly reached users, at least those in Washington Apple Pi.

What kind of Macintosh is your primary machine?

MacPro - 4
Intel-based iMac - 14
MacBook Pro - 6
MacBook Air - 0
MacBook - 6
Intel-based Mac mini - 4
Non-Intel-based Mac - 0
I don’t know - 0

It was gratifying to see that members can identify their computers. In years past, some answered “beige” when asked, “What kind of Mac do you have?”

Is your current Macintosh compatible with Mountain Lion?

Yes - 28
No - 4
Not sure - 2

Again, Apple’s pre-launch publicity seemed to give most users a good sense of which machines could take advantage of the new operating system.

Do you know how Mountain Lion will be sold?

Yes - 31
No - 4
Not sure - 1

Uncertainty about how to purchase Mountain Lion extended beyond this survey; a fair number of questions on the Pi’s forum, the TCS (https://tcs.wap.org), reflected a lack understanding of Apple’s on-line Mac App store and how this work. This seemed particularly true of those who never upgraded to Lion and were attempting to jump directly from Mac OS X 10.6 to 10.8.

Do you know how much Mountain Lion will cost?

$19.95 for up to five machines - 29
$49.95 for up to five machines - 2
$49.95 per machine - 0
Billions and billions of dollars - 0
Haven’t a clue - 3

Apple’s understated announcement of the price did seem to be well understood, but there was some confusion over how many machines could be upgraded with one purchase.

Do you think you will need advice or assistance in installing Mountain Lion?

Yes - 5
No - 17
Not sure - 9
May not install Mountain Lion - 3

As with almost all Mac operating system upgrades, there was a fair amount of anxiety concerning the upgrade process. On the other hand, Mac users are far more willing to upgrade than in the Windows world, where there is a fear that even touching a minor setting for the operating system may turn a barely functional computer into an inert pile of plastic and metal.

Do you think you may have problems with upgrading or updating programs compatible with Mountain Lion?

Don’t anticipate problems - 14
May have minor problems - 15
May have major problems - 2
May not install Mountain Lion - 3
Again, upgrade anxiety appears to be fairly common. “Will my specialized program for hot-gluing matryoshka dolls work with Mountain Lion? I can’t live without my hot-gluing application!”

How many Macs does your immediate family own?

One - 4
Two - 8
Three - 5
Four - 3
Five - 4
Lost count - 10

No comment.

How comfortable are you with operating system updates and upgrades?

Very comfortable - 12
Comfortable - 17
Uncomfortable - 4
Very uncomfortable - 1

Cross-checking the responses, it seems members are much more confident with operating system upgrades than upgrading applications.

Turning to iPhones, iPads and iPods, have you heard about iOS 6?

Yes - 33
No - 1

When you consider that Apple, itself, spent almost no money promoting Mountain Lion or IOS 6, the fact that virtually everyone knew it was coming is a tribute to guerilla marketing.

Do you have an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch? (Select all that apply)

iPad - 22
iPhone - 20
iPod touch - 10

Good thing we didn’t ask how many iOS device people had...

Is your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch compatible with iOS 6?

Yes - 25
No - 2
Not sure - 2
Don’t have an iOS device - 5

Apple did a fine job of spreading the word, pre-launch, on what will and won’t work with iOS 6.

Do you anticipate upgrading to iOS 6?

Yes - 25
No - 4
Don’t have an iOS device - 5

Pretty much everyone who has a compatible device intends to upgrade.

Do you anticipate any problems upgrading to iOS 6?

Yes - 5
No - 21
Don’t have an iOS device - 5
My iOS device is too old to upgrade - 3

Members with iOS devices are even more confident in upgrading the iOS operating system than the Mac operating system. This may change in coming years as Apple’s Mac App Store and iTunes Store are erasing the barriers to upgrading. Have an Internet connection? It is easy -- and inexpensive.