“Diehard Macintosh users have long mocked ‘Wintel’ computers with Microsoft’s Windows operating system and Intel innards as inferior to their beloved Apple Computer machines,” Julio Ojeda-Zapata writes for The St. Paul Pioneer Press. “So, recent news that Macs will soon switch over to Intel processors — and maybe even run Windows along with Apple’s own Mac OS X operating system — certainly came as a shock.”
“Yep, you heard right. While Apple isn’t encouraging this practice — no surprise there — it won’t interfere with those who want to put Windows on their Intel-based Macs. How this will happen is unclear, but it raises interesting possibilities. If Macs are able to run Windows as well as OS X, for instance, buying an Apple machine may become a no-brainer (if the price is right) because it will give computer users the best of both worlds,” Ojeda-Zapata writes. “Windows runs on PowerPC Macs now, but only via sluggish ’emulation’ software such as Microsoft’s Virtual PC.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Right now, with only “brainers” buying Macs, anything that leads to the “no-brainers” buying them is a good thing for Apple. By “no-brainers,” we are referring to those who choose Windows presuming it’s their only choice. Almost uniformly, after people use Mac OS X to do something (not just play with it for 5 minutes in a store), they’re quickly able to recognize Windows’ mediocrity. It’s like a 10,000 watt bulb switching on. The majority of Mac users know both Mac and Windows (they’re forced to use Windows at work or to interact with Windows businesses, for examples) and tellingly choose Mac for their personal computers. The vast majority of Windows users only know of Windows and have little idea how much better their computing experiences would be with a Mac. Apple would be smart to play up the “get two computers for the price of one” angle; that kind pitch appeals to the masses and a Trojan Horse like a Mac capable of natively running Windows would make the iPod Halo Effect seem an insignificant blip in comparison.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple could use Trusted Platform Module chip to keep Mac OS X off non-Macs – June 14, 2005
The OS Wars heat up: Apple paves way to release Mac OS X for off-the-shelf x86 hardware – June 14, 2005
Apple Computer attacks Microsoft Windows with two-page Mac OS X Tiger print ad in Time (with images) – June 14, 2005
Dvorak predicts Mac OS X for generic x86, Apple ‘Office’ suite, dawn of Mac viruses and spyware – June 13, 2005
Report: Apple Mac OS X 10.4.1 for Intel hits piracy sites – June 11, 2005
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
Is Apple setting up the ultimate “Switcher” campaign by preparing to let Mac OS X speak for itself? – June 10, 2005
Why buy a Dell when Apple ‘Macintel’ computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows? – June 08, 2005
Windows users who try Apple’s Mac OS X Tiger might not want to go back – June 07, 2005
iPod success opens door to Mac OS X on Intel – March 04, 2004
Actually, the “brainers” will continue to buy PC hardware much cheaper than Apple sells them for, and run a cracked version of OSX if they so choose to.
Since when did breaking the law and stealing shit become smart?
When it comes to computing, nothing is a no-brainer. While we who choose to compute using the Apple platform think we’ve got it good, many people who choose otherwise feel they have it equally good.
It really isn’t that difficult to keep your PC healthy, surprisingly. Yeah there’s a ridiculous number of exploitable holes, it’s not difficult at all to block people from being able to exploit them.
This mentality of PC people being “no-brainers” is exactly why the Mac has lost market share. When we as a community decide to quit shitting on everyone else because they choose a different methodology in computing, and start actually trying to showcase to those people what better computing is all about, then inroads will be made.
As long as everyone keeps drawing childish lines on the playground, reinforcing the us vs. them credo, the Mac will have trouble gaining converts.
Article 11 of about 685 on this topic we’ll see over the next year.
I just hope it doesn’t create a backlash. There are a number of reasons why this might not be a “no-brainer” but if people come to expect it thanks to constant repetition in the press, they might be disappointed when the Intel Macs roll out next summer.
Even if it doesn’t come true, one thing is clear: no one is talking about MS and Longwait these days.
Given the choice between Apple’s GUI interface and the much more sophisticated and .Net compatible forthcoming Longhorn OS, most users will choose Longhorn.
Simply put, as those in the real IT world know, with e-commerce becoming a large and intergral part of the computing experiences, custs will want the ability to use .Net to navigate e-retail. Apple simply cannot offer that.
I am mocked openly here but I will continue to be the lone voice of reason, showing everyone the future or the world is bright and that as we get more intergrated with the Internet as an indispensable part of our lives, .Net and MS will lead the way.
©
“This mentality of PC people being “no-brainers” is exactly why the Mac has lost market share. When we as a community decide to quit shitting on everyone else because they choose a different methodology in computing, and start actually trying to showcase to those people what better computing is all about, then inroads will be made.
As long as everyone keeps drawing childish lines on the playground, reinforcing the us vs. them credo, the Mac will have trouble gaining converts.”
My response
http://www.apple.com/retail
If the virus hackers havent “cracked” OSX yet, what makes you think they will in order to run it on PC’s?
Sputnik, come to Earth. You missed the last news: Longhorn is not going to support .Net . It has been removed from the Longhorn initial features.
And I am not kidding. Only a minimal part, inadequate to do any ecommerce will be in Longhorn when released.
Sorry to give you the bad news.
PS
I lied: I AM NOT SORRY 😀
RUBBISH!
thank you cpt. obvious…..no really, thank you.
and hammer, how is that a “response”? maybe i’m missing something..but that seemed off topic (apple retail)
Cpt. Obvious…If you have the time, I’d like to introduce you to a hundred Windows using friends that seem to be having trouble keeping their PCs healthy.
you guys are all dolts.
Sputnik is obviously a representive of Windoze IT droids.
Why even respond?
it amazes me that so many of you fall for sputnik’s hilarious baiting. As others have noted, sputnik is a mac-fan but a brilliant satirist who makes subtle digs at MS/Longhorn within his own “ms-fanboy” comments. I’m sure he derives great pleasure from the squeals of protest from the self-appointed mac-defenders. (He KNOWS that .net is crippled in Longhorn and simply baited one of you into pointing that out.)
His act reminds me of the hilarious Phil Hendry radio show. Hendry plays hilariously outrageous characters on the radio for about 10 minutes, elicits self-righteous protest calls from first-time listeners driving home from work (in s. calif.), then spends the rest of his hour laughing with long-time listeners at the suckers who fell for the bait. brilliant.
I, for one, welcome our new MS/Longhorn overlords…
Far from promoting a “get two computers for the price of one” angle, Apple has stated it won’t even acknowledge publicly that Windows will work on a MacIntel box.
Which means Apple will never give ANY positive recognition to the existence of OS X’s arch-rival product.
Instead Apple will target new markets by saying:
Here’s a MacIntel,
Here’s OS X
Here’s your legacy Applications
Voila! they work together!
This will be a major factor. Apple has said they will not support this but also not do anything to prevent it. I actually think it might be cool if they DID support it. Once users have a chance to actually use both, most will end up using the OS X almost all the time.
At my little sisters house they have 4 computers. 3 windoze machines and an iBook. Which computer do you think everyone is always fighting to get on? I’ll give you a hint – its white. hehehe
With both OS’s in, it will be known as ” The Agony and the Ecstasy Mac”
posner, old MDN posters know Sputnik very well. But remember, as with all comics he needs from time to time a *shoulder* so to have a reply. Otherwise s/he will fall silent and we would miss good all laughs from time to time from lost-in-space-Sputnik old debris.
Wow, I read the full article and these reporters are really reporters! They actually did their homework and asked a bunch of experts to get the full lowdown. The article is mostly in a question/answer format and the answers are all pretty much dot on. That is really refreshing.
Check out http://bugmenot.com/ if you don’t want to sign up to read the article.
hammer: “When we as a community decide to quit shitting on everyone else because they choose a different methodology in computing..”
It isn’t a case of that. The shitting is on the people who promote Windows or all things MS; have never tried Mac; and unbelievably, like to promote FUD on all things Apple!
Those fold deserve ALL the sh1t that falls on them.
AND, as 90% of Mac users here are experienced in Windows, the same criticism cannot be levelled in reverse.
Um, no, it wouldn’t be smart to advertise two computers for the price of one. Every time someone buys a Mac, they would have to spend something like a couple of hundred dollars to buy Windows. Why would Apple encourage people to BUY the Microsoft product that made them rich?
any idiot can pirate a copy of Winblows. Its not very hard.
iPodder — i understand your point. Fortunately the supply of bait-takers appears to be infinite.
So bring it on, sputnik. In my new position as legitimate russian journalist, i poo upon your shameless MS/commie apologism.
Sputnik, get a job. If you have one, your boss must be thick.
wow, that didn’t take long!
“get two computers for the price of one” I couldn’t of said it better myself. If you buy a wintel you can only use it as a wintel. If you buy a mactel well…
How about someone who uses the Apple to run Windows, (for those who would), then they go on the web using Apple’s internet connection instead of explorer?