| Apple may use Intel's Trusted Platform Module or "LaGrande" technology to restrict Mac OS X for Intel to Macs, according to Gartner. "Apple clearly does not plan to try to compete against Windows, which — though it will run on Intel-based Macintoshes — will not be supported by Apple, the firm said in a report last week. "Nonetheless, many design-conscious Windows users may be willing to pay premium prices for Apple hardware. Apple/Intel compatibility also raises the possibility of virtualization technologies that enable a machine to run both OS X and Windows." The firm said that in the longer term, Apple could change its strategy, provided it "sees a market opportunity for its OS on the broader x86 platform." Ars Technica provides some analysis of the situation: "So, will Apple use LaGrande to tie OS X to the Macintosh? That depends on one whether or not Apple is really serious about locking OS X to Apple machines alone. And the answer to that question depends on how Apple envisions 'the Macintosh' as a platform in the post-PC, post-PowerPC era." "As is has often been pointed out both here and elsewhere, the dirty little secret of Microsoft's success is that, prior to MS's relatively recent crackdown on unauthorized usage, most of the installations of Windows and Office have historically have been illegitimate in some way or another (e.g. pirated copies, accidental "piracy," bogus serial numbers used with legit copies, and so forth)."
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