While I agree that it is disappointing to see Apple hide the 3rd party downloads (if you click Support, then Support Downloads, then 3rd Party Downloads you can still get there), I don't think it spells the end of Mac.
iPhones, iPod touches and iPads are great consumption devices -- but would you ever dream of developing for one ON one? Certainly not at this point in time. In fact, every other platform (Linux, Windows, Mac) allows you to develop for the platform on the platform. The reason is that these platforms allow for handling more complex tasks. I also don't see any professional (Final Cut Pro, etc) using an iPad as their main device. So unless Apple is willing to cede the desktop completely to Windows or Linux (and allowing OS X to run on it), I have serious doubts that the Mac is going away anytime soon. Having Apple pull the rug out from under you is always a concern (sometimes just by integrating your unique feature set into the OS), but I try not to fret too much about things I have absolutely no control over. You might express your concern to Apple, expressing it in terms of lost benefits to their end-customers. Given the referrals, we know lots of Mac customers that are looking for solutions come to Apple's site. And while it was easy for customers to find both Apple and 3rd party solutions, now their choices are limited -- giving those end users a feeling that there may not be as much software out there as they thought. Providing a higher level link to 3rd party solutions also tells PC switchers that Apple has a large collection of software available. -- Mark Munz unmarked software http://www.unmarked.com/
