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Apple also has patented the term 'XSAN'. Maybe there is a quiet initiative to break into the enterprise and go after Windows/Linux.

First post.

Apple could also patent xCellent

They are going to provide ready-made (or tailor-made) X-Storage Area Network solutions based on the new XServe G5. Already something similar is available for biotechnologies and proved succesful. Maybe they are going to expand the concept on other fields as well.

Would it have been possible to base Mac OS X on Linux instead of FreeBSD? Advantages seem obvious if true, but what would have been the disadvantages?

I really, really could be wrong here, but I could swear I once read that Linux was considered and abandoned because of the GPL.

Am I the only one that thinks the delay of the G5 tower upgrade is due to a large demand of xServes?
MacOSrumers has some interesting thoughts on this.

http://www.macosrumors.com/

Not only that....FreeBSD was said to be more secure than Linux. Maybe that was somewhat a factor that was considered. Who knows.

I think that NeXT was based on BSD, possibly before Linux even existed.

and Mac OS X is based on the NeXT OS (in case you didn't know)

so where´s a list of all the new OSX programs by these new developers???
heck, maya doesn´t even offer most of its software for OSX...probably lots more out there.

Linux wasn't the only candidate. BeOS had an even greater chance than Linux to be the basis of OS X.

Security (BSD is more secure), the GPL, and probably resistence from Microsoft unwilling to port Office to Linux.

Also, NeXTSTEP was based on BSD Unix (Mach kernel too).

BeOS would have been the basis of the new Apple OS, except, it was too immature and wasn't ready to migrate everything from the old MacOS.

I would have loved to have BeOS as the basis of OSX. It's a great OS. Too bad few people realized that, and too bad Gassee was too arrogant at the time, and spent his time tilting at the Microsoft windmill rather than to get the job done right.

Linux was too far out of Apple's control to be an effective basis for their OS, too.

However I do suspect that a Linux based version is by no means totally excluded though hardly in the near future I suspect. This would be esentially only viable I suspect with the cooperation of IBM in its quest to supplant Windows with Linux in the long run. If it ultimately make the breakthrough as a desktop OS the opportunity for a united front there gives great potential for both companies. However I suspect that niether would go in that direction until Linux has real penetration and momentum ( a fair way off as yet but Asia will be the big battle ground there and one Linux will win unless Microsoft caves in totally), for Microsofts displeasure would be considerable. However if expanding the Mac platform becomes less and less viable seems to me that that direction along with the consumer based devices might be an option worth considering and certainly a great fall back situation. Timing would need to be right mind and I can't answer for the technical viability of such a move.

Linux? Huh?

Most of the foundation of OS X (NEXTSTEP) was done before Linux ever existed.

Take a look at this again: http://www.levenez.com/unix/history.html#14

NEXTSTEP was at 2.0 before Linux was first released.

Hey Jerk, nice chart. Sorry for some more basic questions here...
Why did the Desktop and Server editions of OS X originate from different code bases? Has that been completely changed now, so they share the same base? Was Apple hoping someone else would pickup and use Darwin as a base for their own flavor unix, or is it just to say they are based on open source platform?

Linux was too far out of Apple's control to be an effective basis for their OS, too.

Besides the purely technical and legal issues, maybe a perception of Linux being "too geeky" was a good reason to go with the more subtle reputation of BSD UNIX. The association with Linux may have scared some people from considering OS X.

I never used BeOS but I wouldn't mind if some of its technical "innovations" were refined and integrated into OS X.

opinionated jerk
that levenez site is really cool isn't it
It is my favorite. Every MacMan and every MacGirl should study that page.