Should Apple offer Mac OS X to all?
updated 05:30 pm EST, Mon November 21, 2005
OS X for regular PCs?
Linux columnist Tom Adelstein says if Apple made Mac OS X for Intel to install on their PCs, it would "change the PC landscape like no other operating system has or could." Adelstein believes Apple should "open-source their operating system, port Openoffice.org to Aqua and bundle it for Intel PC's [...] and the world will say goodbye to Windows for good." If Mac OS X took over from Linux as the alternative operating system of choice to Windows, all would not be lost for Linux fans: "all the starving Linux developers would have a chance to make some money porting 17,000 packages to OS X, servicing them and selling them. Because, enterprises would move to Apple within a moment's notice and without hesitation. Apple's eco-system would grow and Steve would prosper like never before."






Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2001
Will never happen...
... or if it does, Apple will die.
"Apple's eco-system would grow and Steve would prosper like never before."
No, no it wouldn't. Apple makes half its money off of HARDWARE (The other half is iPod, and a minuscule amount is software.) Apple funds its OSX development with HARDWARE sales. Apple pushes OSX to sell HARDWARE. Apple makes OSX better because its tied to the HARDWARE.
That's what these people don't realize. They want to enjoy OSX without paying for it. And Apple's entire "ecosystem" is based off this.
This is also why I'm opposed to the Intel transition. Regardless of how much Apple locks down OSX, it will never be enough, and now geeks can get OSX without paying for it(well, not entirely for it).