[macintologist]

I know that hell will freeze over before Apple does this (heard that before?), but if Apple released OS X for PCs, just think of the damage it would do to Microsoft's dominance in the PC industry. You'll see Dells shipping with OS X as an option. The hacker community will embrace it. Schools will love it. Ma and pa will digg it.

Or would it? How much marketshare could OS X take from Windows if it legally natively were released for PCs?

[hookem2oo7]

I think a legal version of OS X for any PC would take a reasonable chunk out of Windows' market share, but it would also destroy Apple's hardware sales IMO. Why would you buy a $3000 Mac Pro when you could build a machine that would run OS X for $300?

[macintologist]

It's been proven time and time again that a Mac Pro is not overpriced.

[::maroma::]

It was proven too that licensing the Mac OS is a bad idea for Apple. And if Apple can't make enough money to innovate the way that they do they would whither to a shell of what they are today.

[climber]

While I agree 100% with the sentiment, it has also been proven time and time again that most people will not buy a $3,000 PC but will instead buy a $300 piece of crap and think it is just as good.

Apple makes a lot more money selling the hardware for 3 grand then it would selling the software to Dell to put on their crap.

[brokenjago]

No one said it was overpriced.

Who said it was overpriced?

[d4nth3m4n]

apple would have to sell the OS for significantly more than the comparable Microsoft product to compensate for the hit they'll take on the hardware front.

if home users were more willing to pay a premium for quality hard and software, do you think apple would have the marketshare they do now?

[HackManDan]

At the end of the day, Apple is a hardware company. OS X is a means to an end. It could never financially support Apple by itself.

[alligator]

Bad PC hardware would damage the image of OS X. Hackers would also do a number on it.

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

I know that hell will freeze over before Apple does this (heard that before?)...

I see Hell freezing with climate change and all.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

I know that hell will freeze over before Apple does this (heard that before?)

Exactly. They said it before.

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by HackManDan 

At the end of the day, Apple is a hardware company. OS X is a means to an end. It could never financially support Apple by itself.

Yeah, because we all know that MicroSoft couldn't have survived without their hardware sales. I mean, HOW is a company supposed to make money on SOFTWARE?

[smacintush]

Originally Posted by ::maroma:: 

It was proven too that licensing the Mac OS is a bad idea for Apple.

No, it was proven that the Apple of that time period was incapable of doing it right.

The way the did it before allowed direct competition in hardware sales without the volume they needed to make up for it.

Opening it up to the full PC market would be a different animal IMO.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by smacintush 

Yeah, because we all know that MicroSoft couldn't have survived without their hardware sales. I mean, HOW is a company supposed to make money on SOFTWARE?

Does Apple make Windows? Does Apple make Microsoft Office? Is Apple an illegal monopoly? The answer to the previous three questions is "No," and that's why Microsoft's business model would not work for Apple — because they could only imitate the least essential component of Microsoft (i.e., the mere fact that it makes software).

Anyway, I don't think OS X would do that much more damage than it's doing now. Most people use Windows because it's familiar and ubiquitous, not because they've made a rational decision that it's the best.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

I know that hell will freeze over ...

Not far from me. Actually South of my location...



On topic: The clone wars have ended and I am a happier man.

[macroy]

How much of MS revenue is from their their desktop OS? I thought it wasn't the majority (35%?)

[lpkmckenna]

OS X on PCs might not take *any* market-share from Windows. Instead, we'd see mostly dual-booting and virtualization on home PCs. Apple's sales would still tank.

That's *if* Apple released OS X for sale in stores. But they might not do that. They could sell OEM licenses only, with severely-limited hardware/driver support.

It's important to remember: Apple doesn't make hardware. They contract it out. Apple could theoretically contract HP to manufacture and sell low-end mini-towers if they wanted to. Buy why?

[Cadaver]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

It's important to remember: Apple doesn't make hardware. They contract it out. Apple could theoretically contract HP to manufacture and sell low-end mini-towers if they wanted to. Buy why?

Up until the Intel switch, Apple did make hardware, or at least, they made their money selling hardware. Yes, Apple contracts out the assembly, but the computers are all designed in-house by Apple.

Now that they're running Intel architecture, I suspect most Macs will be slightly modified Intel reference designs. But they'll still make most of their money from selling computers, not software.

Apple couldn't sell enough copies of OS X to survive as a software-only company. Not at least at present. Don't forget that there are more pirated copies of Microsoft's operating systems than there are legit copies of MacOS X.

[Stogieman]

Originally Posted by macintologist 

I know that hell will freeze over before Apple does this (heard that before?)

Yes, during the Windows release of iTunes.

[lpkmckenna]

Originally Posted by Cadaver 

Up until the Intel switch, Apple did make hardware, or at least, they made their money selling hardware. Yes, Apple contracts out the assembly, but the computers are all designed in-house by Apple.

I guess I wasn't clear enough. Apple doesn't manufacture their systems; they contract manufacturing firms in China to do that.