Apple has focussed on integration with the new iApps versions. Users can access their iTunes music library for creating soundtracks for home movies built in iMovie, for example. "The iLife application's latest release continues to demonstrate Apple's commitment to provide task-oriented media capabilities to the native Mac OS environment," Jupiter's Gartenberg said. By offering them for download, Apple's doing the right thing for its customer base." Apple, like Microsoft, is focusing on digital media as an important selling point for its operating system. At Macworld two years ago, Jobs positioned the Mac as a hub for digital applications and devices. Since then, Apple has released six separate iApps -- iCal, iDVD, iMovie, iPhoto, iSync and iTunes -- and added other digital media features directly to Mac OS X 10.2. "The addition of media-editing features in the OS has once again shown that vendors will continue to drive features into their products to create consumer value," Gartenberg said. But Apple could pay a stiff price as it treads on the turf of smaller Mac developers. Opera, for example, may stop its Mac browser development, in response to Apple's release of a beta of its own browser, Safari. "It's going to be harder for smaller vendors with similar offerings to compete (with Apple)." Gartenberg said. The Mac maker also faces other problems. Analysts question how successful Apple's digital hub strategy has been, considering the company's recent slide in PC market share. Its share of the worldwide PC market dropped to 2 percent during the fourth quarter from 2.3 percent the previous quarter, according to research firm IDC. In the United States, Apple's share declined to 3.1 percent during the fourth quarter from 3.8 percent a quarter earlier.
What will Apple come up with next? For full Mac OS coverage, see ZDNet UK's Mac News Section.
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