22 replies to this topic

[sama7896]

take a look at this1,this2 article, more on inside links ...
But you have to see this is more than a coincidence, Apple always choosed their words carefully ...  And those banners do say something

[vaporATX]

[Shaithis]

I will still take it with a pinch of salt.

Not sure how they can recoup in software sales what they would lose in hardware sales. Especially when you see just how ridiculously overpriced macs are.

[Synaesthesia]

...right...

OR

maybe just to avoid confusion, Apple are avoiding saying things like Mac OS X iPhone, when OS X iPhone sounds more logical.

WWDC must just come already. I can't take any more pent-up excitement and silly speculation.

[kamikaze]

Shaithis, on Jun 6 2008, 04:16 PM, said:

I will still take it with a pinch of salt.

Not sure how they can recoup in software sales what they would lose in hardware sales. Especially when you see just how ridiculously overpriced macs are.

Ridiculously might be a little too strong....

I don't agree. If you compare apple to apple they are 10-15% more expensive than a branded PC equivalent. that's not ridiculous..

Besides you may not realize the power of Marketing, and the meaning of the word "profitability". Let me give a few examples

* Porsche is the most profitable car company, does it mean they make the best cars ? common assumption would think that they do. At least, everybody wants to drive a Porsche but only a few actually did.

* Audi and VW are really the same cars: same engine, same frame. In fact everything is shared except the interior and the visual shape of the car. Yet Audi is much more expensive than VW !!!

These above example show two things:

1. There is not one personal computer market, there are several (students, gaming, techy..etc) -> you can't blame Apple to aim the high end.
2. Price is a driver for quality. It's common assumption that something pricey is better than something cheap.

Now think about Apple and apply these thoughts.

As far as OSX on every PC... I'll be very surprise if that happens.... But isn't Apple the company behind "Think Different?"

[Shaithis]

When I have looked at Mac specs and then looked to build a PC with an almost identical spec, the price difference has been phenomenal.

Maybe they have dropped their prices a lot on the last couple of months but I somehow doubt it.

In fact, just done a Mac Pro spec. Fairly high-end but this is the end of the spectrum I normally spec for.

2 x 2.8 CPUs
8GB ECC RAM
2 x 1TB Disks
30" display
8800GT gfx

£4481 OUCHIE!!

The same spec in a PC is around £2500

[dpollard55]

Isn't this one of the signs of the end of the world?   I bet that Nostradamus guy predicted this would happen....  Seriously though, I've learned a few things over the 20+ years of owning a computer (ahh the memories of the old Commodore days come flooding back), and some important things I've learned is that when it comes to Apple expect the unexpected and whatever rumor you might hear is never as crazy as what they'll probably do. Apple has the ability to enact drastic change (the switches to PPC, OS X, and intel for example), and this makes nothing out of the question.

[drpeppir]

Well Mac may lose hardware sales and gain software sales but micro$hit would lose software sales period, sounds good to me until ms can get their act together.

[dark4181]

OpenOS 10.6? Doubtful, but intriguing

[Running With Scissors]

Would it be that damaging to Apple to sell OS X to PCs, maybe make a different version for PCs perhaps Apple OS.

I would have thought apple would be making most of their money from gadgets like iPhones and iPods not to mention the iTunes Store.

[sama7896]

i think this is not gonna happen this decade, at least not until windows isn't down and wining. (which might be soon - anybody bought vista ? ) )
If apple remains on its exclusivist/perfectionist-wannabe position, it will keep having a steady avenue, whilst things like efi-x or psystar (and this is only the start, there will be many many others) will only add future customers to apple-pool and determine the availability of more software/ games to the mac platform.
All in one - a win-win for apple. I suspect this is the reason they don't react to these pseudo-legal hits at their OS.

[fatshitcat]

My guess is:


no way

[Hagar]

Well, all the dropping of the "Mac" name means is that Apple are moving away from the highly polarised "Mac" brandname. seing as how Macs comprise a smallr & smaller part of their product line, this makes perfect sense. The other point is that ever since the switch to intel, macs & pc's have been directly comparable in price & specifications, and the price gap isn't as large as it used to be, leading to a situation where people buy Macs over pc's because although similar in spec etc, the Mac is a neater design & has more cool factor, justifying the extra cost. Those concerned with maximum bangs per buck will still go for a PC, forgoing wifi & bluetooth & webcam & all the other built-in goodies the Mac adds.

So how would the availablilty of os x on pc's affect this? Presumably snow leopard fro PCs would be sold with a separate support package, and a hardware compatibility list, so there is some income to be had from it, and to avoid the pitfall of trying to support all the hardware in the world.

First, would it change who bought a PC rather than a Mac? I don't think so, most Mac users buy them because they love the whole package. PC buyers will continue to hunt the price/performance curve.
Would it destroy Apple's Mac sales?

Many people cite the previous mac clone experiment, with such people as Radius & Power Computing making clones, but they forget the world was a different place back then:

Up until Windows95, there was really no home/small computer to compare with the Mac. Had it only been cheaper, it would be the dominant platform today, and back then there were still many who believed this platform war was winnable. The cloning venture was an attempt to widen that market, but since Macs were totally different hardware, and even the clones cost more than similar PCs it just ate away at the existing one.

These things are no longer true.

Macs are now pc hardware done differently, that's all. The choice isn't between one hardware platform and another, it is between 2 philosophies on the same platform, and allowing os x to spread to the wider public using PC's is actually closer to the original goal of Apple, that of cheap, user-friendly computing for everyone, than the path they have walked the past few decades.

I think they could realistically do this, balancing a few lost hardware sales with a huge increase in user base of people who will use iPhones & other apple products, and who will probably look long & hard at a Mac next time they replace their PC. it's a reality-adjustmant, bringing the myth into line with the fact: that Macs are premium PCs, and all good PC's can run OS X.

[Headrush69]

What does Apple have to gain? (Increased OS X sales)
What does Apple have to lose? (Lost hardware sales)

Is the gain worth it? Everyone seems to think that OS X sales would explode if made for PCs outright and offset loses from hardware sales, but my guess is that even though sales would increase, (mostly from OEM inclusion), you would see an explosion of pirated copies of OS X.

Now if OS X had a larger market share in business markets it might be worth it, but for the most part OS X is still a home OS.

Not saying it won't happen or never will, but based on the reasoning noted in the articles in the first post, seems like a big reach.

[Alessandro17]

Shaithis, on Jun 6 2008, 04:16 PM, said:

I will still take it with a pinch of salt.

Not sure how they can recoup in software sales what they would lose in hardware sales.

OS + iPhone, iPod sales could increase dramatically, that is how.

[Headrush69]

Alessandro17, on Jun 25 2008, 06:55 PM, said:

OS + iPhone, iPod sales could increase dramatically, that is how.

Why would ipod and iphone sales change much?

Most people I know who own ipods are Windows users anyways.

[iPoco]

All Apple would do by releasing a PC version would be to create gigantic amounts of instable hardware when running OS X and also make company's who develop hardware make OS X drivers. I can't see them doing it and if they do it'll anoy me because it takes away this fun of making a now pc version working on a pc.
iPoco

[teknojunkie]

hopefully it will only stay on Apple Computer and not us hackintosh users

1. If Apple Makes it Available PC Computer, Lost in Hardware Sales
2. Mac OS X will be just as bad as Windows
3. It will boring for us Hackintosh users.
4. Mac is meant to be ran on a nice looking Case

I think of OS X on a PC, like a demo, until satisfied to get a real MAC.  
So I don't think Apple will Implement their OS on PC's
Its only gonna be Intel soon because, Power PC Computers of theirs aren't even being developed. So whats the Point, Your going to have switch eventually.
Your going to need an HDTV Soon. So Might as well get one.

Its all good I have a MAC

[Alessandro17]

amantheboy, on Jun 25 2008, 11:53 PM, said:

2. Mac OS X will be just as bad as Windows

I don't believe that will ever happen. Windows is crap by design (Registry, DLL, ActiveX...)
OS X is Unix, and based on one of the most stable and secure Unix implementations.
Linux OTOH also supports all kind of hardware, from your mobile phone or router to large servers.
Granted, Linux does have driver problems sometimes, but that is mainly because hardware manufacturers do not cooperate.