By SteveJack
“Apple Computer Inc., the maker of the Macintosh computer and iPod music device, on Wednesday rolled out [Boot Camp, software designed] to run Microsoft’s dominant Windows operating system on its [Macintosh] PCs, a move that could draw millions of new buyers,” Reuters reported today. “By enabling the move to Windows, the world’s No. 1 operating system, Apple hopes to draw people who want Macs, considered by many as easier to use and more stylish, but prefer the Windows operating system.”
The Reuters quote above is typical. People who’ve never used a Mac are about to get a wonderful and shocking awakening. Nobody “prefers” using Windows outside of the Ballmer household – and that’s because the Ballmers are brainwashed. I’m not targeting Reuters here, I’m using their quote as an example of a mindset held by many, many people.
People who have never or hardly used a modern Macintosh have no idea what they’re missing. Because their idea of a “personal computer” is a mediocre Windows box that causes frustration and fails to inspire, these Windows-only PC users cannot figure out why people buy and use and extol Macs. Loving their computer is such a foreign idea to them that they are forced to jump through mental hoops to explain it all away. Mac users are “fanatics,” “cultists,” and worse. Anything, but the real reason, for that would mean they made the wrong choice: Macintosh is better than Windows.
Now, millions of people in the market for a new PC have a new choice: buy a Dell or HP or Sony or anybody else’s PC that only runs Windows or buy an Apple PC that runs both Mac OS X and Windows. Why would anybody in their right mind buy anything but an Apple Mac?
Millions of Windows-only users will now get to see for themselves what they’ve been missing. We all know what happens when people really try a Mac. They want to use the Mac and they dislike using Windows more and more. Eventually, they figure out ways to use Windows as little as possible or stop using it altogether.
As Mac market share gains come, and they will come, software developers will notice; so will Wall Street.
Today, Apple dropped a hydrogen bomb on the Windows hegemony. Nothing will ever be the same. Immediately affected will be the box assemblers like Dell, HP, Sony, Toshiba, Lenovo, etc. Eventually, Microsoft itself will feel the pain as people naturally gravitate to booting into Mac OS X and realizing that Windows is dreck and they can do without it. Today, Apple changed the world, yet again. Hang on, it’s going to be a wild ride!
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
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Related articles:
Reuters: Apple’s new ‘Boot Camp’ could draw millions of new Mac buyers – April 05, 2006
Apple shares surge over 6-percent in early trading on ‘Boot Camp’ news – April 05, 2006
Apple introduces Boot Camp: public beta software enables Intel-based Macs to run Windows XP – April 05, 2006
This will change evrything, but it won’t be a huge todal wave. Those on the fence will give Macs a try. The user base will continue to expand, as well. In time, all software will have to play more nicely with one another.
If Apple has Xc0ode for Windows as its next step, wouldn’t it then make Apple’s software the premeir software programming environment, allowing them to absorb windows in the long run?
so this kind of negates the idea that Apple Computer wanted to keep market share growing slowly so that they would be able to keep up with demand…
MDN MW: big, as in the market share should be allowed to grow in big steps.
This is a sad, mixed blessing. I see the reason for it on a purely business level but the very thought of seeing a Windows desktop framed by Apple hardware makes my stomach churn. If only they would just market the shit out of OS X they wouldn’t have to resort to this.
Why would anyone in their right mind buy anything other than a Mac? Price. Price. Price.
masonreloaded:
price,price, price??
so you tell me that you can buy a laptop with the same spics as MacPro wth half the price.
please give me a link I’ll I will buy it right away. i mean it. really.
my ibook rocks, never an issue. In the long run, and off the shelf Mac’s cost is becoming a moot point. Buyer beware, do your homework, read the fine print (see: Dell), and note all the software that comes ‘free’ with Macs.
mw: study-like your mom told you to do.
Scarbro: That’s silly. We’ve had Windoze desktop framed by mac hardware ever since we had Virtual PC and SoftPC.
This isn’t a “resort.” It’s an assault.
MW: “real” as on “get real.”
Well, let’s remember that a “switcher” will have to buy a separate Win XP OS, if they want to dual boot, unless they have an XP disk already. And, that isn’t very cheap.
I feel similar Scarbro, though I do see the sense in it – especially if anyone here is also a gamer and has resorted to buying XP for that purpose and as for me I’ve resisted that and pride myself at being 100% Macintosh (I have 5 Mac’s all networked together).
Think on this more; since Vista is only a fraction of what Longhorn was, is it conceivable with the recent slip on release date of Vista that M$ should instead just release Vista as Service Pack 4 for XP!
Well mason yes Mac’s cost a tad more, but also save you a whole lot more in the long run. I for one would rather pay more for something that’ll work instead of paying some IT Engineer to go away on a long-haul vacation and work on their tan with those hourly rates they charge!
It is quite depressing when your own financial circumstances will only allow you to buy a Windows PC in the hope you’ll be able to afford an Apple Macintosh at a later date only to find you cannot save enough of your earnings through paying to fix your Windows PC only too often.
With that if you buy cheap (Dell), don’t expect it to work for long or even be close to being reliable.
I applaud that Japanese Bank for shedding 2,300 Windows PC’s for Apple Mac’s, at last a major player in the business world has taken the intiative, they won’t be disappointed and I imagine laugh at their nearest banking competitor when their computer systems go down in what I could term ‘The Daily Windows Ritual’, and for them to continue on with their business as usual along with gaining on the market at the same time.
How about Win XP security holes when running on the Intel Macs? I hope that the security perception of Macs are not tarnished because people are running Win XP on their Macs.
Stan,
It won’t tarnish as Apple is adamant in their literature about Boot Camp how unsafe Windows is.
MW: past.
As in, NetBIOS and Windows are from another century past.
An atom-blaster is a good weapon, but it can point both ways.
Look how excited the Mac community is to be able to run Windows on their computers. So we have people who normally run Windows continuing to do so, with no reason to buy a Mac. Mac users are now purchasing copies of Windows. . .or pirating it, which I find even funnier. And there are those fence people who will buy a Mac, but now must add the cost of Windows on top of the base price. LOL
HAHA, go sell crazy someplace else. We’re all stocked up here.
Uhm, Haha, are you so entirely oblivious to reason that you can think of not a single reason why Microsoft users would buy a Mac? Are you then slothful, arrogant, or just delusional? As far as the Mac community, you demonstrate you superior reasoning skills once again — most Mac users don’t use Windows. So what you’re seeing is a subset of users expressing delight that they can sell the PC they have for those 1-3 programs they have to use for work or for games. I’m sure you do find this funny, but the PC-only manufacturers don’t. Apple has successfully co-opted Sony, Dell, HP, Gateway and the rest of ’em. Not too shabby.
SteveJack you stupid faggot. Why would anyone buy Apple’s overpriced shit to run Windows.
Well, I’m pissed!
I just placed a sell order for another stock so I could by some cheap Apple stock … and they drop the f*&**& bomb on me this morning. The stock is up $6.04 since this morning. Couldn’t ve they kept this news under wraps for another couple of days? Bummer!
“Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows!”
Er… Last time I saw, people managed to run OS X on PCs just fine. Some trickery involved, yes, but…
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Also, Dell has nothing to worry about. It’s not about the ability to run Windows, but about giving Enterprise-level tech support and equipment replacement policies.
Call the IT department “Data Processing.”
When they say “enterprise,” you say “business.”
Or “phasers on stun.”
Apple MacBook $1999
Same configuration Dell $1213.
Dual core Dell with slightly lesser specs (but you add the extra options you care about) $799.
Lemme see, I can pay 150% to 64% more for about the same thing and run Windows on it…
There’s a deal only a Mac lover could love…
There’s no hydrogen bomb here, just another PC vendor entering the PC marketplace, and an overpriced vendor at that.
The biggest danger for Apple is that a lot of Mac users will try Windows (Because they now can easily) Find out it’s not as bad as they’s been lead to believe, and make their next PC a $799 Dell.
A Hydrogen Bomb (or at least a small roadside bomb) would be Jobs announcing a version of OS X that runs on the $799 Dell…
Except I would argue that many Mac users have used XP and have no interest in buying a Dell or from any other PC vendor.
I’m not a Mac user, but you’re an idiot if you think a Mac Mini doesn’t compare favorably with a Dell Desktop.
Let’s really start to compare specs… When you add in all the extras and the quality of components. A Dell with similar features costs far more. You build me a $600 PC (including software) that can handle desktop video as well as a Mac and you win.
The only complaint I have is that Apple is slow to increase processor speeds.
Also comparing Apple to Dell isn’t really a fair comparison. Dell is hardly a boutique PC manufacturer. You start to compare Apple laptops to Sony and Toshiba and Apple Desktops to Sony Desktops and you have a much more pertient comparison.
If you’re happy with a Walmart quality PC then Dell is certainly fine.
There’s also cost of ownership and length of usability. A 400MHz iMac holds up much better today than a similar Dell or other generic PC from the same age. Try running Windows XP on a Pentium II and see what I mean. Apple’s overall service rate of repair is much better as well.
Like I said. I’m not a Mac user. I’ve never owned a Mac.. I’m not even a regular Linux user. I use Windows XP mainly because I use it professionally. This blind hatred and concentration on price from PC users that are perfectly happy with a horribly bloated and awful OS is rediculous.
I plan on buying a iMac or a Mac Mini as my next PC because I can run Windows XP for work when I need to… but I predict that 90% of the time I’ll be booting into OS X.
“Let’s really start to compare specs… When you add in all the extras and the quality of components.”
You have been fooled if you think the motherboard, LCD, processor and hard disk inside your Intel MacBook are better “quality” than those which come with a Dell, heck the same contract manufacturers build machines for both of them.
And on price, I did compare Apples with Apples (Or Dells), the same exact PC is 64% cheaper from Dell, and even includes translucent white plastic trim on the case…
the 150% cheaper $800 dell is cosmetically identical to it’s more expensive brother, still a core Duo, just a little lighter on all specs.
So either you buy box A with the same contents and and a Dell name, or box B with the same contents and an Apple name for 150-64% more.
You’re not buying any extra quality, performance etc, just a very expensive nameplate.
The equivalent Dell to the Mac mini is $320. an 88% premium. Sure, the Mac does come in a pretter, smaller box. but is about 50% slower than the Dell.
“Except I would argue that many Mac users have used XP and have no interest in buying a Dell or from any other PC vendor”
Yep, a marketer’s dream, to be able to sell a commodity product at a higher price to consumers who show strong brand loyalty, just by tweaking the packaging a bit. Well done Apple, but for how long now that direct comparisons are available?
Mr. Why,
Show us the specs for each machine. Post, right here, the specs for the Dell and the MacBookPro you’re comparing to prove to us idiotic Mac users that we’re wasting our money.
Actually, even if you were right, you’re still missing the point. A Corvette is a fast sports car, but I would rather drive a BMW every day. It’s just a better user experience.
And Snafu, last I heard, there’s some SERIOUS trickery getting OSX installed on a PC. I need my computer to just work. I don’t want to spend 2 days trying to get some kludge from hell to work right, I just want to get down to business.
BTW, I know this is wrong, but I will NEVER, EVER, EVER pay for a real copy of Windows for installation on my Intel Imac. Microsoft doesn’t deserve another freaking penny for that steaming pile of crap.
The average user won’t be affected, but the computer geek in thier family will be. They are the first that need to be converted.