“Microsoft, accelerating its efforts to convince European lawmakers that it is changing the way it does business, said Tuesday it will give away software that will enable computers to run multiple operating systems at the same time,” Kevin J. O’Brien reports for International Herald Tribune.
O’Brien reports, “Georg Greve, president of the Free Software Foundation Europe, said he had not seen the details of Microsoft’s giveaway but cautioned against assuming that it was motivated only by pragmatism or a new spirit of cooperation. ‘If Microsoft were doing this for altruistic reasons, it would be a first,’ Greve said. ‘I think they are probably trying to get more machines on the Windows platform, and they may also be trying to improve relations in Brussels.'”
“Microsoft said it was relinquishing all license claims on the new software, Virtual Hard Disk Image Format, which will allow computers running on rival products like Apple’s OS X or Linux, its chief competitors in operating systems, to simultaneously run Windows,” O’Brien reports.
O’Brien reports, “According to the research firm International Data Corp., there will be about 500,000 computers, mostly servers, running dual operating systems by the end of the year. That number is expected to explode to 1.5 billion by the end of 2009. Three Microsoft competitors — International Business Machines, Sun Microsystems and Apple [Boot Camp]— already offer similar software.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Matt M.” for the heads up.]
[UPDATE: 1:19pm EDT: After re-reading the article, we modified the headline, removed the extraneous note and edited/removed comments that might have been confusing after our changes were applied.]
Related articles:
Microsoft license terms limit Vista virtualization to Vista Ultimate or Business versions – October 18, 2006
They’re inviting vampires through the front door.
I have a paid copy of XP sitting on a useless VPC7 image locked in their format. How about a tool to allow us to use it on Boot Camp or Parallels or a CD of XP?
Am I missing something here??
Where in the article does it mention running Mac OS X on another computer?
Here is what it says:
“Microsoft said it was relinquishing all license claims on the new software, Virtual Hard Disk Image Format, which will allow computers running on rival products like Apple’s OS X or Linux, its chief competitors in operating systems, to simultaneously run Windows.”
So it seems to me that this software allows Windows to be run on pretty much any computer. The article doesn’t say that this software can be used to run Mac OS X or Linux on any computer.
This is an interesting announcement especially when taken with the news that they won’t let you use Vista Home edition in virtualization.
I’m not quite sure I understand how this software works though. Is it similar to Boot Camp in that it allows you to put Windows on a Mac, or is it the opposite, letting you put Mac OS X on a PC? It seems to me they’d need Apple’s cooperation (or at least consent) to do that. I doubt that they’d get either.
“[…] which will allow computers running on rival products like Apple’s OS X or Linux, its chief competitors in operating systems, to simultaneously run Windows […]”
Maybe I’m reading this wrong, but to me this says that it lets you install Windows on other computers that would not normally run Windows (and to me this implies that it might be possible to use this software to install Windows on PPC-based Macs–but that’s probably wishful thinking). I don’t see where it says that it lets OS X run on Windows computers.
OK, after MDN’s edit, I get it. It’s essentially like Boot Camp. Like anyone is gonna trust Microsoft’s version when they can use Boot Camp or whatever shape it will take in Leopard. This is strictly political.
Yet again, Microsoft plays catch-up. But remember they thought of it first.
Me .. and plenty of other financially challanged folks, I suspect. Keepin’ my fingers crossed here.
That said .. my wife has NEVER had any problems with her tin can PC hardware. Not once. It’s only been Windows that has been problematic for her. I’d go for OS X on any and all of that cheapo hardware she buys. I really would.
Exactly right. It sounds like Microstiff’s virtualization software will allow users of any OS to add an additional OS to their computers—any additional OS, as long as it’s Windows. What a crock!!!
That’s right! It’ll run Windows Vista and Windows XP!
MSFT is loosing its grip on the desktop. By controlling the software that allows more than one OS to run simultaneously, they can slow the migration away from Windows.
Don’t anybody start any breath-holding here. You will NOT be able to run OS X on a “dirt cheap, upgradable box”. It will *NEVER* happen. Apple has proven time and time again that they want to sell you hardware, not software.
Besides, if I saw Tiger running on a crappy Dell, I wouldn’t be able to type through the tears and spasms.
Jeebus. Pony up and buy a nice computer for once in your life. Would you drive a brand new $500 car made in North Korea?
ChrissyOne “Would you drive a brand new $500 car made in North Korea?”
Sure, if it worked okay.
Would you buy a $4,000 computer made by an American company in communist China?
Well I wouldn’t, because I am old enough to remember the Yugo. ;P
sorry, that was me.
In my country, Yugo is happy rich people car.
I don’t think the proliferation of OS X via virtualization on low-cost hardware is any reason to expect loss of hardware sales for Apple. To the contrary, I DO think that widespread usage of OS X would actually boost Apple hardware sales to the point that those that want and could afford Apple quality would indeed purchase it, just as they do right now .. and those that couldn’t, wouldn’t .. just as they don’t right now.
In short .. I don’t really think it would hurt sales of Apple hardware at all. I think it would help it and help it dramatically.
Well that’s why you’re just damn wrong.
Bad Experiences Tarnish the Brand. (and there would be plenty if OS X ran on any ol’ POS box)
Repeat 10x.
Oh, and Chrissy?
Before you start worrying about the potential tragedy of having to see Tiger on a Dell? You’ll never see Tiger running on my four year old $1500 dollar Apple computer either, sadly. That’s because the processor is so obsolete that it won’t even run iTunes or QuickTime correctly and I’m unwilling to add sufficient memory to accomodate Tiger under those circumstances, regardless of who thinks it would look appropriate on my Mac. I have about three grand invested in two not-very-old Apple computers and they are both obsolete. If I could upgrade the processor? Sure. But it’s not upgradable.
So .. I DID pony up for Mac quality. Twice. And I’ll do it again if I can afford to. But quality doesn’t mean jack if everyday software won’t work on it after four short years. And none of this bunk about four years being an eternity in tech development time. I don’t buy that apologism.
Right now? I’d take OS X Tiger where ever and how ever I could get it and I’ll still call myself a committed Apple enthusiast, too. Eh?
gwm
Strange I have a 3 year old PB that uses Tiger very well.
I also have a more than 6 year old G4 Tower (Sawtooth) that runs Tiger too. I have upgraded the CPU to 1 GHz and added a larger drive, but even with the stock CPU it would work with Tiger.
The PB cost $3K and the G4 tower cost $1600.
Now maybe you bought a G3 ibook or G3 iMac. I can’t remember when Apple updated those to G4. I personally wouldn’t have chosen those because I knew G3 support would be limited in the not so far future. That’s why I dug in hard and paid for Macs with more current CPUs (even though the Swatooth was discontinued when I bought it).
Always good to do your homework and work out whether what you are about to buy will have legs on it.
MW “low” as in buying something for a low price doesn’t always save you money in the long term!!
G3s, they are indeed. Both of them. I was new to computing. I didn’t know about EOL issues at the time.
That said .. It seems unreasonable to expect the vast majority of people to be minutely informed about EOL pitfalls. Fifteen hundred dollar tools that the accessories stop working on after only a few years? C’mon, don’t jerk me, man. How do you think the bulk of world’s population is going to feel about that if they were to get a taste of it? You really think they would still say that they’d do it all again anyway, like I have said I would do? I doubt it.
This is ironic since Windows Vista isn’t allowed to be run in a virtual machine (at least the cheaper versions aren’t) according to the license.
gwm
You should be able to run Tiger, Quicktime and Itunes on your equipment. If you don’t have the RAM requirements, you can get 256mb for 29.00 or 512mb for 89.00 at Macsolutions.com
gwm,
Nearly all G3’s can run Tiger – they just need a DVD-ROM drive. I have a 450 MHz G4 Cube that runs Tiger faster than it ran 9.0.4 that it came with.
Listen guys, I use Apple and nothing else at present. I’ve never owned or used a PC. But I’m no rube in a cubicle, so ease up with the half-truth apologisms and distortionist spin like a bunch of weasely politicians, ok? It’s unbecoming of Mac users to be doing that stuff.
I spelled it out straight and you guys all know it. I don’t need to be told how some special G3 DVD ROM drive that didn’t come with my G3 at purchase would work like a champ. As for iTunes, which is dependent on QuickTime; G3s are now below official Apple minimum requirements for video functionality. That’s a fact. It’s also a published disclaimer on the iTunes webpages and you fellas know that.
My support for Apple is strong, but I won’t be bullshitted and I won’t spread any misrepresentations, either. I call it straight, to the best of my ability.
Thanks for your input, regardless.