[osxonintel]

CUPERTINO, CALIF > It is confirmed via IRC chat (efnet, #macosx) by an Apple employee by the name of Michael (last name is unverified) with the email address [email protected] has broke the news. Michael works for Apple in the Research and Development (r&d) Department. There he is given daily task to test and analysis different software products before they go to beta or open market.
As the informant explains Apple has been developing a x86 version of OS X to run on Intel hardware. As rumors go they have only been developing x86 OS X to run on Intel and VIA Apollo Pro 133A x86 chipsets, BUT NOT AMD761 or VIA KT133 chipsets. Speculation is assumed that a port for other x86 chipsets will follow. Michael described it as, "they took x86 boards and mounted them in 9600 cases"

No release date for the x86 version of Mac OS (codename: Chameleon) is planned, and no official word is available from Apple. Michael confirmed that it is only a "back up plan". He wouldn't elaborate too much on "back up plan", but he did go on to say that it is most likely being developed in the event that Apple hardware sales should start to drop.

06/25/01

The following are exerts from previous conversations with Michael from Apple. The conversers identity has been withheld for their anonymity.

<--CUT-->

0:16: *MikeyD* yes

0:16: -> *MikeyD* hrm

0:16: -> *MikeyD* what stage

0:16: *MikeyD* tons, ranging from rhapsody to latest Bagheera/Devi2V4 builds

0:17: -> *MikeyD* ok

0:17: *MikeyD* shhh

0:17: -> *MikeyD* heh

0:17: -> *MikeyD* what possible strategy is releasing osx intel

0:18: -> *MikeyD* does it have a Red Box ?

0:19: *MikeyD* well, i can tell you think

0:19: *MikeyD* this even

0:20: *MikeyD* the project codename is camealon (spelling errors aside) and i think its more of just an ace card incase they have to

0:20: *MikeyD* purely a contingency plan, but i dont know for sure

0:21: *MikeyD* they took x86 boards and mounted them in 9600 cases

0:21: *MikeyD* ill take a snap shot of one of the machines with the boards on it

0:21: -> *MikeyD* they can't be doing osx intel 'just in case it proves useful'

0:21: *MikeyD* i havent had a chance to take an in depth looks at them yet

0:21: *MikeyD* mainly cause im not allowed to

0:22: *MikeyD* no, its just incase they have to release it

0:22: -> *MikeyD* in what situation would they have to release it?

0:23: *MikeyD* downfall of the hardware maybe? i dunno

0:23: -> *MikeyD* sounds really silly

0:23: -> *MikeyD* porting osx is a 4000 Kg project

0:23: -> *MikeyD* they have to intend to do something with it

0:28: *MikeyD* like i said, the way everyone else int he lab is viewing it is that its a backup plan incase hardware sales fail

0:28: *MikeyD* but i have no real proof other than it exists

0:28: *MikeyD* and the chosen ones get to test it

0:28: -> *MikeyD* .. ok

0:28: *MikeyD* ill get you a snap of it

0:28: -> *MikeyD* kewl

0:28: *MikeyD* ill brb..shh, im bring my boss over

0:29: -> *MikeyD* would be nice with an About This Computer box on it

<--END CUT-->

More info will be provided as it becomes available.

***JUST ADDED*** PLEASE VISIT http://zineotic.com/osx/ TO SEE WHY AND WHAT THIS THREAD IS ALL ABOUT...

[fats]

Di no a las drogas!

[GuruMeditation]

If the story is true, by giving out his email address you might have just gotten the guy fired...

GuruMed

[jadolfsson]

osxonintel, you suck. Friends don't do that to friends.

This is pure BS anyway...
This "fact" was released on an Appleinsider board, it is completely unfounded and probably totally fake anyway.

[spicyjeff]

Michael works for Apple in the Research and Development (r&d) Department. There he is given daily task to test and analysis different software products before they go to beta or open market.

This is pure crap. A 5 year old could tell tell a better story thatn this, it doens't even make sense. R & D is research and Developement...Testing and analysis would be Q & A. Not to mention that this person has no idea how Apple is internally structured since these 'divisons' don't really exist in this manner and the department go by different names altogether.

And why isn't this in the lounge?

[Cipher13]

Somebody take this garbage to the appropriate forum... OSX Gen...

Its a contingency... no sh!t... thats what I and others have been saying all along... theres no doubt it exists... exactly what useful new info is in that conversation, even if it WAS real?

Woo! They use 9600 cases! STOP THE PRESSES!

Theres nothing in there that I haven't said before (my opinions being unfounded, mostly. Not much evidence).

Its just a matter of this guy memorising the name of a chipset to suck people like you in, osxonintel.

And if it is real? Then yeah, good work giving out the email address.

...all assuming that you didn't manifest the entire convo yourself; which is really, really sad...

[ 06-27-2001: Message edited by: Cipher13 ]

[[email protected]]

Goto the site linked above in the beginning. Has a picture of "mikey" and some halarious info about him. HAHA. this is such crap. funny though.

[Cipher13]

Hehe, I like the profile page

[OverclockedHomoSapien]

This is such BS....just someone with a grudge trying to slander "MikeyD". If this is for real, and MikeyD really does work for Apple, then nobody deserves to get their job taken away because of some stupid chat room skirmish. These people need to grow up and take some time off from their computers....it's scary when people can't tell the difference between real life and computers.

[waffffffle]

These posts have been showing up everywhere. This is all some elaborate scheme by one person, probably a child, who thinks he can gain enough support for OS X on intel that it will happen. It will NEVER happen. I've posted on an OS X on Intel board once before. There were all these people complaining that Apple won't give them an OS that they "deserve." The funny thing is that every one of these people is a kid who has no intention of purchasing OS X for $129, but instead to pirate it, like they do everything else. It's pretty disgusting if you ask me. But I'm happy that Apple knows that they're doing. I think we can all be pretty confident that they ONLY way OS X on Intel will ever happen is if Apple switched to Intel processors and OS X ONLY ran on Apple's boxes with Intel processors and NOT generic PCs. Although I have a feeling that we will be staying with the PPC for quite a while.

[rambo47]

Sheesh! You scooped MOSR on this one. Meader is going to be pissed!

[velocitychannel]

Pfft! This is such BS. Everyone knows that the real codename is WindowsXP. Jeesh, let's get it right people!

Seriously though, does anyone really think Apple would face off with Microsoft in that way? The only reason I can see Apple putting the resources into an Intel version of OSX is if they decided to start shipping Macs with an Intel processor instead of PowerPC.

[chingwei]

Well, I am also skeptical of this rumor, BUT

Don't you all think a port for x86 is very possible? There is already Darwin for x86, and Darwin is the basis of OS X, is it not? The rest of the OS is built on top of Darwin, right? (I'm not any sort of MacOS expert, I just remember seeing that "jelly-bean" picture of the OS X architecture on apple's website)

I mean, there are ports of linux for all kinds of platforms, right? It's normally the kernel and low level OS that has to be ported, but the rest of the packages should then just work everywhere...layers of abstraction, etc...

Anyway, what I'm saying is I have no idea about this MikeyD thing, but I feel like since Darwin for x86 is already out, it should only be a matter of time and desire on Apple's part before "Mac OS X86" becomes a reality...

-Ching-Wei

[Cipher13]

Originally posted by chingwei:
<STRONG>Well, I am also skeptical of this rumor, BUT

Don't you all think a port for x86 is very possible?</STRONG>

I have no doubt OSX for x86 exists... I also have no doubt that it is the last resort for Apple. Last line of defence. A life boat, nothing more.

But then again, given Jobs' tunnel vision and narrow mindedness, I wouldn't be surprised if there was NO contingency plan...

[Moonray]

Oh, before you waste your time with posting another reply to this thread, hop up to the top level of that site and have a look at the nice lizard gallery

-

Chameleons are lizards right. That would make this story even more untrue

yeah right,
What's next ? Macs with an intel processor -&gt; Windows XP on a Mac, that would be hell.

[Bluebomber21XX]

Yes, but those lizards are alligator lizards =P

[oscar]

Hmm, I should move this to osx gen, but it's kinda strayed off topic. if this thread doesnt stay on topic for a day, it will be closed.
Peace!

[ 07-03-2001: Message edited by: oscar ]

[Twinspar]

Back to the subject...
From what I know, this may only be part BS. I was at WWDC and I speak with Apple guys regularly, and we know that the Darwin kernel of OSX does run on Intel hardware. Do I think we'll see an OSX for Intel on the shelves any time soon? No... but it could happen. My $0.02 on OSX is a quiet hope that with a combination of aggressive and intelligent advertising, application support, and market targeting, OSX might replace Windows as the majority/default OS for personal computers in a few years (like 4-5). Why not?... it runs all your FreeBSD apps (most of *nix), plus legacy Mac apps w/ Classic (yeah, I know...), and if you throw VPC 4 on there and are running a G4, you get nice speedy Win-clients and you're ready for pretty much anything. Anyway, back to Apple news leakage-- minimally, Apple must have done some testing to know that the kernel runs on Intel hardware. You guys can fight it out over what you think that means for Apple, the future of OSX, whatever. Peace.

[ 07-03-2001: Message edited by: Twinspar ]

[Nonsuch]

Originally posted by velocitychannel:
<STRONG>Pfft! This is such BS. Everyone knows that the real codename is WindowsXP. Jeesh, let's get it right people!

Seriously though, does anyone really think Apple would face off with Microsoft in that way? The only reason I can see Apple putting the resources into an Intel version of OSX is if they decided to start shipping Macs with an Intel processor instead of PowerPC.</STRONG>

The only circumstance under which I could see Apple releasing OSX86 would be if Microsoft for some reason suspended production of mac office. I don't actually think they would do this, as Office makes them nice money and they have much bigger fish to fry, but if it did happen, Apple might well conclude they had nothing left to lose.

An interesting thought ... MS might decide they don't need the competition and keep mac office going to keep Apple happy.

[edit: lousy frown faces ...]

[ 07-07-2001: Message edited by: Nonsuch ]