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April 19, 2005
Apple OS X86
Every now and then, in a conversation about operating systems, somebody brings up the idea of Apple releasing Mac OS X for Intel processors. I don't think it will happen, not soon anyway. And gosh do I hope I am really, really wrong.
Now, Mac OS X86 is a beautiful dream for OS X fans like me, and the nightmare of those with a Macintosh hardware fetish. Here's why: the only reason Apple is selling so many of their pretty but expensive and slow computers is OS X. I own four of them myself. I would maybe have bought one because it was pretty; I bought 4 because it's the only hardware platform for OS X. My belief is that Apple will never release OS X86 until their PC business is clearly dead-diddly-ead. If they did release it, sales of G4/G5 macs would vaporize. Why the heck would I spend $4000 on a 2GHz G5 when I could build a sweet 3.6Ghz P4 in a custom chassis for $1500? I wouldn't, most other people wouldn't either. Bye-bye Macintosh hardware sales.
Apple has carved a niche for themselves at <5% of the PC market, with gross margin on PC hardware that struggling Intel box makers like HP can only dream about. It's a still a huge part of their operating profit, despite their huge focus on being a consumer electronics and music company: the Sony for the 21st century. iPod, iTunes now, probably phone or TiVo-like device next; maybe digital cameras. Look at all the electronic consumer products that have shitty design: think how Apple industrial design could clean up the crappy usability of most (all?) digital cameras. How about the ridiculous Java cell phones that do everything poorly except make phone calls? And they SUCK at making phone calls!
But they still make too much money on Macintosh hardware to just let that business melt away. Maybe they have crazy dreams of beating Microsoft on the desktop, but I doubt it.
My big hope is that it will just get too expensive to for Apple/Motorola/IBM to keep up with Intel in processor performance. In that case, Macintosh sales will slump (because they will just be too darn slow compared to cheaper Intel machines.) Faced with a dead PC business, Apple will release Mac OS X86 to the world. $99 for freedom from Windows!
Posted by billo at April 19, 2005 07:11 PM
Comments
I got it and will try it soon.
Posted by: tarz at July 15, 2005 02:02 AM