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OS X coming to PCs...What the hell?


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Here's your bombshell of the day: "this spring, Parallels will upgrade its software further, in a way that by coincidence will make it easier to run Mac OS on a non-Apple computer." While impressive, it doesn't sound that great on paper does it? David Kirkpatrick of Fortune doesn't seem to agree... he titled the following article "Windows is coming to the Mac - and Mac to PCs". Sure sounds optimistic, is there something he's not telling us? I don't know, but full OS X virtualization would be killer.

 

Read on...

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Only problem is that Apple says that OS X is only legitimately licensed on Apple hardware.

Real question is how much legal trouble Parallels would get in for releasing something that could ONLY be used for copyright infringement?

 

The only way that it would not be the case would be if Apple changed their license agreement to include non-Apple hardware or use within virtualized enviroments as a guest operating system.

 

From a technical standpoint, it has all been done before so this is nothing new. It would however be the first one where you could use an unmodified version of OS X and marketed as such.

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hehe, they could virtualize the macbooks hardware :(

 

but anyway if people actually bought mac os and used it virtualized, it could introduce many to the os with reduced functionality until they actually buy a mac, then they buy parallels AGAIN for windows on mac.

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If this happened, it would certainly come with Apple's approval. Apple has been very impressed with Parallels, and no doubt this would be a great way to test the waters of selling Mac OS X. It's perfect... all of the misc hardware can be Apple certified because it's emulated. No support headache.

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Mac OS legal on a beige box could destroy Apple! Even more with the Intel Chips!

 

Sure, like Windows on a beige box has destroyed Microsoft!!! The sky is falling!!! The sky is falling!!!!

 

Dude, you need to reboot. It's not so bad. Besides, if it's isolated to just VM, then it will make Apple and Parallels a lot of money with little to no dent on Mac sales.

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This has a definite possibility of happening, but I'm not sure if it will be marketable for Parallels to do this. By this, I'm saying there is only a minority of total computer users who want to have the Mac OS run on a $50 Dell box (even though those same users make up a majority of users in the forums here).

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Eh, I don't think so. WE want it, but it isn't going to happen. If there is some big emulation, then they will cripple the OS probably with opengl or something (like nvidia cards were when osx86 came out) but have OS X just boot up on a pc? No. I mean I want this to happen, but Apple wants OS X on its Macs and even IF we could boot OS X with parallels, you can't just put any hardware in it and over time (speaking from experience) some want the mac that just works. *shrugs* Sorry, but I don't think this will amount to much.

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If you read the article carefully, it said that neither Parallels nor VMware is going to release a version of their software that can run an unmodified copy of OS X on their PCs. It was mentioned that Parallels has come so far in development that it could easily be an unintentional byproduct, but they noted that they had to purposely modify the software to prevent this. It's all tied into legal complaints from Apple.

 

So to make it short and simple: Apple made it clear to Parallels that they can't let their software run OS X on PCs, but Parallels is feeling a bit of pressure from consumers to do otherwise.

 

Hate to rain on your parade... :|

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Eh, I don't think so. WE want it, but it isn't going to happen.

 

That's right, if OS X was going to be unleashed now, Apple would be doing it themselves. Apple would be stupid to have SWSoft (makers of Parrallels) involved. If SWSoft was involved, Steve Jobs would have made sure they STFU, so you would not be seeing any articles like this. Whatever SWSoft is talking about, it has nothing directly to do with Apple. Like the article said, it is somewhat coincidental, like EFI would be.

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I think what Parallels will do is implement drivers (like a virtual TPM for key storage) for OSX that are intended to be used to allow OSX virtual machines on a mac.

 

But since parallels can only simulate a beige box, those same drivers could be used to improve OSx86 compatibility. There's nothing else I can think of, Parallels Desktop only being available on the mac (how would EFI emulation in the parallels machine help us? It has to be something we can transfer to our boxes).

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I think what Parallels will do is implement drivers (like a virtual TPM for key storage) for OSX that are intended to be used to allow OSX virtual machines on a mac.

 

I do not there is enough demand for virtual OS X machines on Macs to warrant developing a product like that. Furthermore, given the context of the article, where VMWare states that its products are used to OS X on PC's, I think Parrallels is talking about there "Workstation" product (not Parallels Desktop for Mac): http://www.parallels.com/

 

It seems clear to me that Parallels primary goal is to compete with VMWare in the PC market, not developing Mac products:

 

For one, Parallels, which unlike SWsoft's enterprise product uses the same hardware-based virtualization approach as VMware does, will enter the server market by this summer. It will focus on small companies and departments in large ones, whereas VMware sells to just about every big company in the world. SWsoft's Beloussov makes no bones about his longterm intention to go head-to-head with VMware.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/19/technology...allels.fortune/

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hench, they make more money off of selling computers and iPods than selling software. Apple is a hardware company.

 

People who buy Mac's because of the design, and because of their hatred of PC's, will still buy Mac's.

But I think there are alot of people that would buy OSX and run it on their PC hardware.

What a better way to help people switch?

 

And selling sofwtare REALLY hurt MS didn't it. ;)

Edited by henchman
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