[Eyenovation]

Well, it certainly didn't take long did it? One hacker even reported it was even relatively easy. Apple's OS X now runs on 3rd party PC's which is either going to shuffle up supremacy in the OS market, or be a horrible mistake on Apple's part. Needless to say as many have suggested, this could be one big plan on Apple's part to eventually offer a stand alone OS in shrink wrap that competes with Windows. If that is the case, I think it's worth noting that as Mac faithful we can expect some changes.

1.) For one, no version of OS X in recent memory has been plagued with serial numbers and activation BS. It's good from a user standpoint because it's unrestrictive, easy to install, and relatively hassle free. But rest assured; this will change. Given the Windows debacle and the ratio of legit vs. non legit OS copies, Apple would be foolish not to employ some form of activation scheme.

2.) Viruses. It's been long said that as Mac faithful, we seldom (if ever) have to worry about viruses. If OS X indeed proliferates like it probably would, this will in fact change as the market share percentage would increase exponentially. This would then be a much more likely target for malicious coders and hackers.

3.) Apple hardware sales will plummet. Though many can tout the allure of exotic and sexy Apple machinery, there's certainly a point worth mentioning in our inherent bias. It's a lot easier for manufacturers to create sleek looking hardware than it is for them to create the user experience that is OS X.

Perhaps I am way off base here. Maybe I am way wrong... but didn't Apple already try the whole 'Mac Clone' marketing idea? I realize this is slightly different, but in a sense it's the exact same thing. It's either going to be the biggest thing since the iPod for Windows, or substantially cripple the company into another lull.

What does everyone else think?
I can't say I am in favor of the idea given the aforementioned likely repercussions but perhaps I am missing something. I have to think wall street likes the idea. Apple's stock is no doubt up because people are getting wind that Apple likely intends to sell just the OS.

[thunderous_funker]

Ibl

[RAILhead]

Me too:

[Millennium]

One word: Icarus. A very fast and very high ascent, followed by a crash-and-burn. Just like BeOS, NeXTStep, and other operating systems which started on superior hardware and then gave in to cheap-over-good.

[OpenStep]

[osxisfun]

2 words.

dual core powerbooks, 64 bit dual core powerbooks, dual and four core desktops, a real roadmap, low power mobile solutions...

I guess that was more than 2 words but these are all things that IBM failed to give us.

Intel will.

Real world over ivory tower purists.

[DeathMan]

stupid thread.

[Ganesha]

1) Apple can easily implement activation without much trouble. Why every Mac is a uniquely serial number that Apple has in a database already. Apple probably also has the MAC numbers of these systems. This means you can keygen your own serial number/MAC number pair. Using this as a starting point, Apple can lock out, or do a more detailed check, of compromised keypairs. This means for people who own Macs, no entering of any numbers, since all the numbers are embedded in hardware. People who run non-Macs will have the emulate or defeat this feature.

2) Most spyware/worms are for profit. It is not profitable to go after 2-3% of the market. This unfortunately means any future Mac OS worms will be destructive in nature.

3) Apple will still sell plenty of Macs. Core Mac users will still buy macs, since they don't want to deal with the extra hassle of installing OS X on a non Mac. Cheap users will still not buy Macs.

I will stop buying Dell's, since if I can multi-boot, I will have no need for a Dell. If anything this will hurt PC sales of people/compaines the need both. For organizations that already have site licenses, it may be cheaper in the long run to buy Macs and install Windows on them, since they can always turn them into OS X systems if they need more OS X boxes. No for profit is going to expose themselves to the legal risk of running OS X on non-Apple hardware, so the other way around won't happen.

[osxisfun]

> will stop buying Dell's, since if I can multi-boot, I will have no need for a Dell. If anything this will hurt PC sales of people/compaines the need both.

This is a very good point Ganesha, I am currently thinking about buying a pc laptop (i found a gateway 14.1" that i like.) and was thinking to myself... if this were 8 months from now and i needed a pc laptop i would just buy an ibook (hopefully with better rez) and run windows in dual boot.

[meelk]

*snubs nose* at ALL the people who said this would be impossible, improbable, etc etc etc.

whos laughing now?

[Kerrigan]

What I find strange is the lack of discussion here about this. Today we have confirmed the fulfillment of the second Mac prophecy, and nobody seems to be talking about it.

1) The Angel showed me that there shall be a small headless cow of an affordable price
2) The Angel showed me an apple which was once holy and complete will become rotten at its core with evil insides
3) The Angel Gabriel showed me that the mouse with two eyes and a ball will signal the coming of our lord

[budster101]

Uhm, for now it's easy.... but just wait.... it's all up to Apple to determine how hard it will be, as per effgee in another thread, it would be good to allow a certain amount of this sort of thing to give them a taste, but not on any scale...

[Athens]

Originally Posted by Eyenovation

1.) For one, no version of OS X in recent memory has been plagued with serial numbers and activation BS. It's good from a user standpoint because it's unrestrictive, easy to install, and relatively hassle free. But rest assured; this will change. Given the Windows debacle and the ratio of legit vs. non legit OS copies, Apple would be foolish not to employ some form of activation scheme.

It would be foolish to include a activation scheme. It only punishes the honest people. Anything apple does to prevent illegal copies will be cracked just like Microsofts Activation, or Symantecs, or 321 Studios which had the hardest one I knew of and so on and so on. Apple wants the user experience to be simple, easy and clean so they wont. And it would be a waste of money for them to even try.

2.) Viruses. It's been long said that as Mac faithful, we seldom (if ever) have to worry about viruses. If OS X indeed proliferates like it probably would, this will in fact change as the market share percentage would increase exponentially. This would then be a much more likely target for malicious coders and hackers.

Its was always only a matter of time before people started making viruses for OS X, the difference is OS X is really secure and its much harder to make them currently. But rest assured in time we will have a few viruses like we did on the Pre OS X systems. And this has nothing to do with CPU but as market increases and there are more Macs it might be in the future to actually spreed viruses as the community will be more interconnected.

3.) Apple hardware sales will plummet. Though many can tout the allure of exotic and sexy Apple machinery, there's certainly a point worth mentioning in our inherent bias. It's a lot easier for manufacturers to create sleek looking hardware than it is for them to create the user experience that is OS X.

Again it all depends on how much the MacTel boxes cost. If they are competative then they wont plummet. You people are all basing this idea on current hardware prices/stats. If Apple comes out with a 3Ghz Intel system with 512MB DDR3 Ram, witha kick ass video card and so on, and is priced to compete with other hardware venders Apple will prob sell as many Macs as they do now. But unlike before they should be able to keep up with demand.

Perhaps I am way off base here. Maybe I am way wrong... but didn't Apple already try the whole 'Mac Clone' marketing idea? I realize this is slightly different, but in a sense it's the exact same thing. It's either going to be the biggest thing since the iPod for Windows, or substantially cripple the company into another lull.

Yes but this is a bit different. For one the clones where letting Apple do all the development and they where using off the shelf PC parts to make there Macs cheaper. This is also a opertunity for Apple to sell the OS as a standalone with out hardware, something that wasent possible before, you still needed the right hardware then to run MacOS. Apple will be using the same hardware as the other guys and will be able to make money of the OS alone, this is actually way different then before.

[Athens]

Originally Posted by Ganesha

1) Apple can easily implement activation without much trouble. Why every Mac is a uniquely serial number that Apple has in a database already. Apple probably also has the MAC numbers of these systems. This means you can keygen your own serial number/MAC number pair. Using this as a starting point, Apple can lock out, or do a more detailed check, of compromised keypairs. This means for people who own Macs, no entering of any numbers, since all the numbers are embedded in hardware. People who run non-Macs will have the emulate or defeat this feature.

Useless, anything system Apple uses can and will be cracked. End of story.

[budster101]

Nope. They can limit the cracks to a handful. And that can be a good thing.