“There is talk of [Apple] using a ‘trusted platform’ method of having the Intel version of OS X look for a proprietary chip before it will boot. This will ensure OS X will run only on Apple hardware. I look for Windows XP to be running on the Intel-powered Macs long before OS X runs on PCs. Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller said there are no plans to sell or support Windows on Intel-based Macs. But, he added, Apple would not actively preclude someone from running Windows on their Intel-based Macs,” Jim Rossman writes for The Dallas Morning News. “Mr. Schiller also reiterated Apple’s stance on running Mac OS X on PCs: ‘We will not allow running Mac OS X on anything other than an Apple Mac.'”
Rossman writes, “Surprisingly, Dell chairman Michael Dell last week said that he would be interested in selling Dell computers preloaded with Mac OS X. ‘If Apple decides to open the Mac OS to others, we would be happy to offer it to our customers,’ he wrote in an e-mail to Fortune magazine.
This marks the first time a big-league PC maker has publicly stated a willingness to include the Mac OS. Usually, they’d be afraid of angering Microsoft, but Dell is so big it can afford to stand up to Microsoft.”
Rossman writes, “Early testers are saying the developer copy of Mac OS X for Intel will run on any PC. I think that might be on purpose. Apple wants the PC world to see how great OS X is on any platform. I bet once word gets out, Apple will sit back and wait for the PC world to demand OS X for PCs,” Jim Rossman writes for The Dallas Morning News.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Rossman’s crystal ball obviously came from the same shop as Jeff Harrell’s and John Dvorak’s.
On June 11, Harrell wrote of the Mac OS X for Intel developer version (including the iLife apps, too) hitting piracy sites and running on non-Apple PCs, “This is the most awe-inspiring stealth marketing move I’ve ever seen… Apple’s giving their potential future customers a free taste, that’s what they’re doing. It’s a try-before-you-buy deal.”
Dvorak wrote on June 13, “Once the system stabilizes in the wild, Apple announces that it cannot do anything about the piracy situation and that it’s apparent that everyone wants this OS rather than Windows. It’s ‘the will of the public.’ Apple then makes the stupendous announcement that it will sell a generic boxed OS, ‘for the rest of you!'”
Related MacDailyNews articles:
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
Apple will have a hardware chip on it’s motherboards that a newer version of the Mactel OSX will need to boot otherwise you will be wasting your time and money on that cheap PC box. Apple Computers is called this because they are in the business of making Apple computers and will continue to do so. They will not give there OS away or sell it to PC’s, ever as that would be to costly. To many crystal balls and not enough facts.
Consider this: How the heck can Apple top 130 bux a dvd? What kind of markup is that in hardware terms? Maybe it’s time to rethink the clone idea. What if they put a huge clamp on the guidelines of what should run the OS OEM? Maybe they could make the vendors of these “clones” agree to strigent testing of all the hardware and drivers well before release. It can be done.
I’m here to tell you, the next machine I will buy to replace my powerbook will be another Apple powerbook. At the same time, I would love to get an apple cert instead of my MCSE. Wouldn’t it be nice if all this crap was true? I’m not one of the eletists, and I would love to see my favorite *nix on all the desktops @ work. Steve is sniffing out the idea, and I’m sure that he’ll consider it. Imagine if a company like Dell could start the downward spiral of Windows in a huge way….oh man I can’t wait. This is the only way OS X will really be able to hit, otherwise you have an ever bigger monopoly if the mac rises to a huge market share once again.
“Early testers are saying the developer copy of Mac OS X for Intel will run on any PC.”
Uh, early testers are saying just the <A >opposite</A>–that they are able to run Windows on the Macs but they are unable to run Mac OS X on PC hardware.
I have yet to see anyone get it working on non-Apple hardware. Trust me, as soon as someone does, it will be big news.
Given Steve Jobs personality..most particularly his belief that he should be top dog and that no one gets the better of him…I’d say he’s gunning for Bill Gates.
He has never forgiven Gates and the MS lawyers for outsmarting him…
Beyond the software..
It’s all about EGO stooopid…
It’s not gonna happen anytime soon, but once Apple has had Intel inside for a couple of years, and most of the major applications have been ported across, the Mac platform will be a lot more viable for licensing.
Apple’s reason for being is to control the experience. Currently the OS runs on propriatary hardware almost guarenteeing a good user experience. It the OS is ported to non-apple hardware then we will be in the same boat as the MS croud. Microsoft can’t control the hardware that the OS runs on which leads to problems and poor user experiences. Some card does not work with another card and the disk won’t recognize the processor. Thank you I will stick to Apple hardware and software. I will have one place to aim the gun if I need support, instead of “you need to talke to the card maker”, “Oh you need to talk to the mother board maker.” and it goes on. Just remember Apple is a “hardware” manufacture, the Software compliments the hardware. They are not porting the iPod software to Creative players anytime soon.