“Apple’s iPods ship with virtually nothing on them,” Richard Edwards writes for The Butler Group. “What a waste of space!”
Here’s what Apple should do:
1. Follow Novell’s example and build a 60-day evaluation version of an OS X virtual machine that will execute and perform well on Intel’s latest chips.
2. Stick the virtual machine (along with the VMware Player) on every iPod with enough storage.
3. License HP to build MacPCs ready for the big rush.
4. Offer Windows XP users a discount voucher to purchase the full virtual Mac software.
5. Sell more iPods.
6. Sit back and count the money.
Full article here.
Advertisement: The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music + video experience on the go. Buy it now at the Apple Store. From $299. Free shipping.
iPod’s empty drives could be used more efficiently for promotion and software distribution, that’s a fact. But, why would Apple want to attempt to support all of the Wintel box assemblers’ and peripheral makers’ hardware variations in the world? It would be a mess. Like Windows.
That’s not the sort of first impression Apple would want to give the world about the Mac.
We still think Apple will eventually do something that allows Windows to run on Intel-based Macs – preferably in a protected “box” within Mac OS X. Think Virtual PC in reverse, but with both operating systems running natively on x86, instead of one running with dog-slow emulation. As an added bonus, before users realize they don’t need Windows, at least they’ll be able to run it more safely, as it’ll be better-protected by Apple’s Mac OS X. As we asked via headline in June, “Why buy a Dell when Apple ‘Macintel’ computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows?” For more detail, read our “Take” from “How Apple can win the OS war” from last Wednesday.
Related articles:
How Apple can win the OS war – October 19, 2005
Intel’s built-in virtualization tech could be one way to run Windows on Intel-based Apple Macs
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – 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
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
MDN has hit the nail on the head with that comment
I think the reason music files themselves don’t come preloaded on iPods has to do with the Apple Corps lawsuit and/or the deals with the music labels.
Does anyone know for sure?
A 60-day evaluation of various porn would be more welcome.
The Mactels are further off than one thinks.
Yesterday, Intel pushed back the date of the next xeon chips…Mactels will probably also have a delay.
Plus will need a new version of OSX…
hmmmmmm.
MDN comment is square on. It wouldn’t be a true OS X experience. All kinds of embarrassing and frustrating incompatibilities would be the only “for sure” thing.
Apple should ship copies of the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital with every iPod.
Or one of the more widely used P2P clients
Better: Mao’s Little Red Book…
Even better: Mao’s Little Red Book read by Richard Gere.
3. License HP to build MacPCs ready for the big rush.
IS THIS GUY ON FREAKIN’ CRACK?!
Seriously – some people should keep their ideas to themselves – this is the worst idea of all i have heard today.
i hope steve jobs reads this and rolflomaolololfloaflolmalol
>A 60-day evaluation of various porn would be more welcome.>
Sick, and getting sicker.
“All kinds of embarrassing and frustrating incompatibilities would be the only “for sure” thing.”…just like Windows! It is an embarassment to use such an arcane and old OS; one that has not seen an innovative improvement since DOS to 3.1.
shiver
I think people tend to forget that Apple will not be using the 32-bit x86 processors that people currently have, so distribution like that does not make sense.
I wrote a comment about Apple’s 64-bit roadmap earlier this fall, and I was wrong about MacWorld Paris announcement, but I still think the overall content of the article holds true. (see also comments)
http://www.andwest.com/blojsom/blog/tatle/comments/2005/08/26/Apples-64-bit-Intel-Roadmap.html
What is extra odd is the _maybe I will get a_ speedbumped mini. I hold it fairly likely there will be a low-power announcement for a G5 mini soon as IBM has announced low-power versions of this chip.
The reason why the development systems are still on 32-bit x86 has to do with availability of both processors and the Intel compiler for the new 64-bit chips (as noted in my article.)
I think the reason that iPod don’t come full of software is the same reason your new iMac doesn’t come all covered with 4-color stickers like a PC– because it offends Jobs to crap up something beautiful.
Yeah, what an iPod really needs is shitty trial versions of Quicken, Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing and Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?
1. Why doesn’t Apple make a Safari for windows and put it on the iPod?
2. I Cannot figure out why after such success with itunes for windows, Apple doesn’t tease Windows users a little bit more by making iLife available for windows? It’s such a great package. Does Apple think since ilife is only for Macs that people will switch to macs to be able to use this program? If you show them this great package won’t they buy it in droves and not use the preinstalled Windows photo/movie making stuff? If people see enough great Apple software won’t they eventually switch?
Mgmax hit it on the head. I don’t want my new pristine iPod coming with a bunch of crap I’ll never use, which I’ll have to trash before I can fit any music on it. That’s VERY Microsoft. Plus, since the iPod is both Windows and Mac compatible, should Jobs stick PC versions of software on there too? Twice the crap. People buy iPod to listen to music, not to test software. Know your market. Edwards is a dumbass.
How about the videos of Max OS X and the applications posted on their site. The ipod HD could store apple marketing material and have a better reach than TV commercials.
“Why doesn’t Apple ship a 60-day evaluation copy of Mac OS X for Intel on every iPod?”
IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Game On… Awhhhaat?? Awhhhaat? How does high end server chips affect the Mactels? Apple has already stated that the consumer machines and laptops will be the first to get Intel inside. It will probably be 2007 before we see the pro machines arrive.
And ummm I could be wrong but hasn’t Apple had a version of OSX for Intel for over four years running secretly in their dungeons? What did Jobs demo when he introduced the switch? What have been shipping to developers? Hello!!!?
This was not some last minute whim.. this has been planned for a long time.
D.
magic word “within” as in please stay within a realm of reality!
Bad plan. You have to figure that many people who buy iPods don’t have the technical know-how to install an operating system themselves (I’m talking PC users) and many still run VERY old computers. I’m on my lovely little powerbook, but my parents still have a 5 year old XP PC that basically gets them online to check email. Period. They do have an iPod which is slow to connect over the USB 1.1 connection, so running another operating syste (which BTW I hear will degrade the performace of the iPod’s tiny hard drive (and the nano’s are too small storagewise to do this sort of idea).
Bottom line: Have an iPod, a PC and want to try OS X? Get yourself to an Apple store. They’ll even help you around there and answer questions.
I think that iPods should ship with giftcards worth a couple free downloads. Just like a drug dealer, the first one should always be free!!
Especially now with video, if they were to give away just $5 in free downloads, you could get a movie clip or tv show, a music video and a song to try out your new toy.
As far as putting software on the iPod, that shouldn’t happen. Period.
An easily deletable Flash-based promo of OS X , iMacs, PMs, PBs, Cinema Displays, iLife, etc. running on video-capable iPods might provide a marketing boost. Show off the new photo booth feature of the new iMacs to every teenager on the planet.
A QTVR tour of an Apple Store and its wares would be cool. I seem to remember a QTVR mov like that when the Apple Stores first opened.
how bout no… number one it will get cracked, number two do you really like when something you payed for is loaded up with trial crap, its advertising you pay for, its harrasment, this is horrible idea!, some people are actually happy on windows! yeah i know really? yes! I love mac but we dont have to convince the other part of the world of our ways. geezzz sounds like some screwed up political party!
My 4G 40GB iPod came with an electronic iTunes Music Store coupon to download that free mix of songs (I didn’t like a single song on the mix though). I thought that was a good marketing idea though. Plug in your iPod, it launches iTunes, registers the iPod with the machine, then loads the music store and asks you if you want to download this free album. I thought it was well planned and elegant.
Lets see MS create that level of integration and elegance. It would go something like this: Plug in your Creative player, realize that the drivers aren’t installed for the player. Look for the CD that came with the player, attempt install the drivers off the CD. Then realize that your anti-whatever won’t let you install the drivers, disable all the anti-whatever apps. Install the drivers. Still no luck. You then realize that your USB2 driver is out of date, hit up the MS site for the latest drivers, battle the anti-whatever apps again to let you install the USB2 drivers. Then MS “auto-update” needs to install new patches with these changes to the OS you have made. Run thru all of those with several reboots. After everything is installed, you realize you have no jukebox software to access the player. You then go back to the CD to install whatever comes with it, some crappy app with no online music store integration. Creative tries to copy Apple, but includes a coupon for three months free subscription service to some crappy online service. You realize that subscription services suck and just give up. Finally, you take the Creative player back to Best Buy and trade it in for an iPod. Once you realize how perfect the iPod works, you buy and iMac and donate the PC to the nearest landfill.
Every windows technogeek I have ever heard comment hates all the crapware that windows bundlers put on the hard drive, and the first thing they do is erase all that stuff.
Explains why they guy is a commentator and not running a multi-billion dollar business.
A Mac-OS demo on iPods destined for PC users would be a great marketing device. But they don’t have to limit themselves to delivering this kind of message on iPods….Put a Mac OS-X demo for PC users ON THE WEB!
Doing anything Novell is doing would be a mistake (they’re in the crapper with a product nobody really needs and bungled marketing and execution – they’re bleeding and doomed – dare I say “beleagured”). Apple doesn’t NEED HP. They’ve got lots of Southeast Asian manufacturing on tap (same places HP is going). Apple knows customer service, they repeatedly get top scores. The only thing Apple needs is a little more time.