“Steve Jobs’ announcement Monday will be analyzed to death by the likes of me and every technology watcher and blogger out there. Most of the analysis will focus on the future of Apple and whether this Intel decision is a benefit or a disaster,” John C. Dvorak writes for MarketWatch. “I’m on the side of benefit as Apple can now champion its design and aesthetic strategies in the world of Intel and allow people who prefer the Windows OS to actually buy a Macintosh for its design and run Windows on it. Nobody in the Mac community would suspect this, of course, but it is one of many foreseeable but unintended consequences of this announcement.”
“The most important consequence, however, will not emerge immediately, but its impact may be formidable. It’s quite possible that this new Apple strategy while obviously harmful to the computer makers in general and to Microsoft somewhat could actually be most dangerous to the emerging Linux OS environment. In fact it could kill Linux and in some ways actually benefit Microsoft in the long term,” Dvorak writes.
MacDailyNews Note: Dvorak never actually explains how Microsoft would benefit in the long term and, in fact, contradicts himself as he concludes his article.
Dvorak concludes, “Microsoft will be affected because of this new competitor and the possibility that people will more readily switch to the Mac. But it seems that Linux has the most to lose. Linux was the only X86 alternative to Microsoft and now it has both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to contend with — two ‘last man standing” types. I think Red Hat and all the other Linux distributors have a problem.”
Full article here.
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Let’s say Linux is crushed by Apple – and half the converts move to Apple. Where do the other half go? Back to M$. Microsoft has increased Marketshare, and one less competitor. However, I seriously doubt Apple will take a bite out of ONLY linux. Personally I think M$ has the most to lose.
The Intel switch is clearly SJ’s way of trying to get a significantly larger market share.
Or it could be a boone for Linux as the x86 architecture would allow more flavors of the operating system to port easily.
Linux can’t replace MS or Apple, but it will stay alive in its niche.
Be glad we aren’t stuck with one {single} OS choice in the world the way we are soon stuck with one {single} CPU choice!
{} = MW
Dvorak is a tool. MS is the company with a stake to lose with Apple migrating to Intel, not Linux. Linux has its niche and very strong fanbase.
who is going to use KDE, GNOME or Windows if you could use Mac OS X?
Figures this squid would see the outcome the death of Linux. What of windblows XP3 (a.k.a. longhorn)? If one can run a particular SP3 app in a safer ‘virtual machine’, why run windblows?
SP3 is D.O.A.
Rock on Steve!
So long as Apple builds Macs (processor doesn’t matter) and doesn’t licence OSX to other hardware companies, I think we will see the following trends:
Apple: People who want an eloquent computer solution that ‘Just Works’. Video/Image/Publishing professionals. The Mac faithful
Windows: Businesses who have a lot invested in Windows/.Net apps. Companies who are scared to move to something else. (It’ll be interesting to see what apple does with .Net support, this is huge for many companies)
Linux: Nerds. Servers. Companies/schools with existing x86 hardware who are fed up with Microsoft or don’t’ want to pay for another round of Windows licenses. People who want/need software that costs nothing.(Remember that Linux is designed to run on ALL x86 systems, not just some Apple implementation)
Sidenote: It will be interesting to see what happens with Mac compatible video cards and DirectX support with Apple’s move to x86. Some cheaper/more powerful cards and the ability to play games might lure some people to the platform. (Though, the future of PC vs. console gaming is yet to be seen)
Linux is the current flavor that draws the tinkerers and the ones that want whatever they can get for free.
I always go back to the way Apple pursues a market. They look for 3 things – large potential market, few and ineffective solutions in place, and they can have the space to themselves for awhile.
Rosetta, just like the stone, was the key yesterday. My gut tells me Leopard will ship two months before Longhorn and it will run apps written for Windows.
the Linux market is servers and current X can’t touch Linux when it comes to servers.
absentminded
Exactly. Linux and OSX don’t compete in the same space. They complement each other. Dvorak of course doesn’t understand the modern computing world, so won’t get this.
I’ll be surprised if he can even program the VHS. Too modern and high-tech for him
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dvorak seems to be forgetting that MacOS will only run on Apple Intel hardware. As if hardcore linux users are going to ditch their current hardware and buy mac x86 hardware.
Don’t confuse operating systems with the processor that runs them. I doubt Windows will boot on an Intel Mac. Linux will after it supports Open Firmware, which it does at least on the PPC side. I’m of course assuming that Apple will continue to use Open Firmware and not the mess that BIOS is today. BIOS is getting better though.
Apple will be a somewhat different platform, but you’ll be able to run Windows in it at near full-speed. That will be good enough for me. I’m excited to have a Mactel laptop with Centrino or Pentium M. It should be much faster than the poor-old G4.
Macs will still be Macs though and I expect that Windows will not readily run on a Mac. Linux will love it though because Apple will undoubtedly keep compatibility as an important feature. Linux fan will also have the flexibility to build their own systems just as they do today. There will probably also be bootleg versions of OS X that will run on Wintel hardware eventually. Hopefully at the point Apple will be more of a software and device company than it is today and release OS X to the Wintel community.
Besides all that, with the Fat Binary, I mean “Universal Binary” approach, even if the PPC G5/6/7 outpaces x86 again, we’ll just have the PowerMac live on as we know it. There will be no compromise for using either (if you have XCode2.1).
Let’s just hope Apple keeps all this going.
“I’m on the side of benefit as Apple can now champion its design and aesthetic strategies in the world of Intel and allow people who prefer the Windows OS to actually buy a Macintosh for its design and run Windows on it. Nobody in the Mac community would suspect this, of course.”
What a dick. Yeah, that never dawned on any of us.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”oh oh” style=”border:0;” /> They were asked that very question yesterday and Phil Schiller said it would work. He had too much class to brag about it with a Microsoft exec in the same room, but the implication was obvious to everyone.
Naraa Haras,
It was announced that Apple/Intel computers will have the ability to boot Windows but wintel computers will not boot OS X. This is brilliant because people who are seeking choice in operating systems will hopefully choose the Apple hardware for it’s ability to run just about any OS in existence. It’s going to become increasingly difficult to gauge market-share after the switch.
What I’m wondering is if the new Macs will be able to run OS X, Windows and Linux concurrently or one at a time.
Linux can’t be “killed”. It is supported by 1000’s of people all over the world (& some big businesses) who will not just throw up their hands and buy into a comparatively closed source Apple Mac. This article is ridiculous.
Naraa Haras,you said it perfectly.
Cripes…I remember a time when I thought analysts actually knew what they were talking about. Dvorak and everybody else are just wannabees that are doing nothing more than guessing. Apparently, that’s what “analyzing” is.
“who is going to use KDE, GNOME or Windows if you could use Mac OS X?”
Everyone who currently uses KDE, GNOME, or Windows–in other words, most people in the world.
egarc: “It was announced that Apple/Intel computers will have the ability to boot Windows but wintel computers will not boot OS X. “
Not quite. Phil Schiller said it would be POSSIBLE to get Windows to run on a Mac. It wasn’t an official announcement of Windows compatibility, as you imply. However, I do think it will happen. Why would MS care?
Apple, of course, has very good reasons not to let OS X run on a PC.
Bye-bye Windows (stillborn Longhorn) and Microshaft!
Steve Jobs is BRILLIANT.
Wish he would have used AMD (Athlon64 for iMac/mini/PowerBook, Opteron for PowerMac/XServe) but Intel will do just fine, and has the bigger name.
Who the hell would want to buy a Dell now? If I can run any x86 OS in a VM/emulator with OS X as the main GUI. Brilliant, I tell you, BRILLIANT!
Good… Socialism never works anywhere
Are we being presumptuous in thinking that it will be an x86 chip? Is there a newer architecture on the way? Why would we have to wait a whole year for the first machines to appear otherwise?
Linux took off because of the OPEN SOURCE MODEL.
It will be 100% unaffected by OS X moving to intel.
Let’s not forget that it’s M$ who is the bad guy here!
Strange as it may sound, the switch will probably be good for both Apple and Microsoft (and yes, probably linux as well)
I expect that Apple will release intel hardware that will easily be able to boot Windows. Imagine if you are a windows user.. and you had a choice between a Dell or Sony VAIO or an Apple powerbook. (Sure, you would have to install windows yourself… but thats not too hard). Apple has the potential of being a big player in the windows hardware market.. which would greatly increase it’s profits. Chances are, a certain number of those people who bought an apple laptop or desktop to run windows will be curious enough to try the MacOS X software that came with their computer. Which would be an even bigger win for Apple.
I’ve been reading a lot of posts from armchair CEOs who feel that Steve Jobs was just acting impulsively or out of some sort of misguided desire to get revenge from IBM. I see no evidence of this. In fact it seems to be a well considered and planned. Yes the G5 is a viable competitor to Intel right now… but what will the processor scene look like a year or two from now? Thank God Apple has a CEO who has the forsight to undertake this risky transition while Apple is riding high instead of waiting until they are behind the 8 ball. Moving proactively from a position of strength is preferable to moving reactively because the market is calling for your head.
“Phil Schiller said it would be POSSIBLE to get Windows to run on a Mac. It wasn’t an official announcement of Windows compatibility, as you imply. However, I do think it will happen. Why would MS care?”
Because it takes Windows out of the food chain. If a Mactel machine can run Windows, presumably it can run Windows software too. Windows itself isn’t a drawing card for their user base; the apps are. So if OS X can run your Windows apps, you don’t need the MS OS itself, or you’d only use it in a limited way.
Reducing your dependence on Windows makes upgrading it less important, and primarily working in the OS X environment shields you from all the Microsoft PR crap and bundled software they push at you. If you can run Safari as your browser, why would you bother with Explorer? If you’ve got QuickTime 7 (or maybe 8 by next year), who in their right mind would use that POS Windows Media Player?