Will Apple drop OS X in favour of Windows?

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Article:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1925239,00.asp

I kind of get annoyed when people post stuff they've just seen on Digg or Slashdot, but I simply had to post this article here to get everyone's opinion.

The article basically explains one person's opionion that Apple is slowly its way towards dropping OS X as we know it, in favour of developing hardware and software only for the Windows platform. It cites things like the iPod dropping firewire, and the Intel switch as proof of this.

I'm far from convinced, but I did get a little knot in my chest thinking about it.

If anything, I think Apple woul dbe more likely to in the future offer Windows users more, like more Windows-compatible hardware. Or maybe Apple do have a secret plan to adopt windows, but not as a replacement to MacOS, but rather an accompanyment, through dual booting.
 
It is Dvorak putting his foot in his mouth to generate traffic so he will not loose clickers for his advertisers. He is quickly becoming unimportant and he needs the article that Mac users are going to pounce on. He is then going to go to his advertisers and justify the skewed numbers as popularity for his site. This is old hat for him, so don't fret anything.
 
I didn't read the article, and I don't intend to. Dvorak's not worth reading. But it's not impossible.

Ever since the iPod came out, Apple's focus has been shifting. I like to think there's just no way, but really, Apple could be very successful as a 'fashion' PC maker. Most people already look at Apple as a fashion company with the iPod. And Apple doesn't seem to mind, that's for sure.

What happens when Vista comes out, and people want to buy fashionable Macs to install it on? (Which, from what I've heard so far, is perfectly doable.) Is Apple going to ignore that large market when there are no technical barriers for them? So let's say they do start supporting Windows officially, for a piece of the PC pie. Then what happens when more people are buying 'Macs' for Vista than OS X? How much money does Apple really make from the Mac OS? Not a whole lot, I imagine. Right now, they need it because it sells their hardware. If the time comes when they don't need it to sell their hardware.......

I'm not panicking, but it's possible.
 
i read the article. it's ridiculous, and not because i like apple. apparently, with the switch campaign over, and unsuccessful (was it?), and the ipod campaign not winning anyone over to the mac (isn't it?), and the switch to intel processors, and the fact that bill gates was in the keynote audience at macworld 1997....

this guy is an idiot...
 
Is it possible? In the computer industry, anything is possible. The points made in the article are somewhat questionable.

Microsoft and Apple have always had coopetition. (they work together on some things and compete in other areas. all computer comapnies do it.)

His IBM analogy is interesting. Yes, IBM dropped OS/2. It was dead when they dropped it. No, they never dropped AIX for linux. They market both. They market z/OS too. All for different platforms, etc.

USB v firewire for the iPod. When the iPods first came out the choice was firewire or usb 1.1. It was a no brainer to go with Firewire. When the iPod dropped firewire all Macs have built in USB 2.0. So do the PCs sold. While you can argue the merits of firewire, the specs were "close enough".

as for the Intel processor debate... to the general non-techy end user, who cares? Why do I use a Mac? Why did I switch to Mac? I didn't go ga-ga over the specs of the G3 chip in my first iBook? No. It was the fact that it worked well. The whole system worked well, and looked good.

Will a move to Windows in the future.. .it could... ya never know.
 
You're right, this is the computer industry were talking about. Where
are all those anti-Intel Mac users now? swearing to stick with their
Beige G3 PowerMacs till the year 3000? I doubt it. they are
probably drooling over those nice Mac book pro like most of us if
they haven't placed an order yet.

Windows on my Mac? it could be the other way round, where the dell
inspiron at work would come pre-installed with OS X or OS XI. Maybe
Apple will ditch the hardware business and microsoft will make ipods. :confused:
 
Ask yourself what is the first thing that Apple does when it buys another software company...

It discontinues the Windows versions of the products.

No a single high end application that Apple sells is for Windows.


The iPod and the iTunes Music Store aren't part of Apple's computer business, and should be taken as such. More importantly, had Apple not opened up to the Windows market they could never have reach 80% market share in them.

In the beginning the iPod was a cute Mac-only music player... but they saw that tons of people were willing to buy it and it didn't hurt them to have them work with Windows.

In the beginning the iTunes Music Store was both an experiment with the Recording Industry and a way to show off the abilities of WebObjects. Again, they saw that their was a market for it and no reason to not open it up to Windows.

Apple may only have 3-5% market share, but they have close to 17% installed user base... that is massive. And while PC users may have gotten used to replacing their PCs every year, Mac users look to Apple for quality. If Apple was a PC maker, their would be nothing to stop people from buying something else.

Mac users use Macs for the Mac environment. No Mac environment, no real reason to buy an Apple Computer over a Dell.


Don't think this is the case?

Look at me. I have a PowerBook 3400c that can run Rhapsody 5.6. I also have a ThinkPad 760ED that can run Rhapsody 5.1. The 3400c is faster than the 760ED, it runs more apps... and it is an Apple Computer. So I would naturally use the 3400c for Rhapsody over the ThinkPad, right?

Wrong. Rhapsody stayed on the 3400c for less than a week. Why? Because I was more productive on the ThinkPad because it has a 1024x768 display where as the 3400c only has a 800x600 display.

Now consider that both of these systems were out at about the same time (and Apple didn't have a 1024x768 PowerBook until the Wallstreet). If you removed the choice of operating system from the picture... I'd be an IBM customer back then. The only real reason for me to buy a PowerBook over some other PC laptop was the Mac OS. When the playing field was leveled buy having the same OS on all the systems... I didn't pick an Apple system.

That is why Apple will not sell computers with Windows. That is why Apple will not sell Mac OS X for PCs. Their hardware business suffers in both cases.

And even today, Apple makes most of it's money on hardware sales.
 
Apple = iPod.

This is what that has been pissing me off (though I have to say I love the iPod) and I shall not launch into whether is the iPod doing more harm than good, Steve still love Macs, etc.

But there is a fear in my heart that Apple might just "integrate" Mac OS X with Vista... that would be plunging the world into an unknown territory... and Macs will be competing against Alientware for marketshare... that is not very cool...

I guess I am just sharing my nightmare... sorry for the rant...
 
ergo proxy said:
Where
are all those anti-Intel Mac users now? swearing to stick with their
Beige G3 PowerMacs till the year 3000?
Click to expand...
Quick historical note... The Beige G3s were faster than any of the existing Intel desktops back when they were current. When introduced the G4 was faster than any existing Intel desktops.

And Intel has yet to ship a processor that can replace the G5 in Apple's product line (though they should be able to soon).

When you look at performance along a timeline... you'll see that in most of the 90's PowerPC was way ahead of Intel processors. And that after 2000 the main problem (for Apple at least) was Motorola's production quality (IBM stayed at the forefront of processor abilities with it's PowerPC and POWER lines).

Try not to blur history when making statements like that.
 
I switched to Mac because of Stability and security. I wouldn't mind a dual-booting mac mini with a "normal" 3.5" hard drive. But i know that is a pipedream and it's not gonna happen.

Apple will never ever ditch their OS for another companies. Apple is a hardware vendor, not software. Granted, i know a few people who would Love to install OS X on a dual boot.
 
plastic said:
Apple = iPod.

This is what that has been pissing me off (though I have to say I love the iPod) and I shall not launch into whether is the iPod doing more harm than good, Steve still love Macs, etc.

But there is a fear in my heart that Apple might just "integrate" Mac OS X with Vista... that would be plunging the world into an unknown territory... and Macs will be competing against Alientware for marketshare... that is not very cool...

I guess I am just sharing my nightmare... sorry for the rant...
Click to expand...


Your right about the part that Steve loves Macs... And that's why I think this is just plain bogus. Nothing in Vista that would make me jump ship. Most people may even revollt and switch to some Linux Distro instead. I can't see this happening.
 
Lots of features in Vista are similar to features that are already present in Mac OS X at the moment so there'd be no real benefit for Apple to just scrap Mac OS. Plus we don't know what's planned for Leopard yet.
 
Wow -- as if a line were drawn in the sand: it seems to me that the younger, relatively-new-to-Mac user base is actually kicking this idea around, going, "Hmmm... maybe!" while the seasoned, been-a-Mac-user-for-15-plus-years user base is screaming, "You're all out of your mind! It ain't gonna happen!"

I gotta side with the latter. It's absolutely ludicrous.

I'd be willing to bet that all the Mac users who had ever used Mac OS 7 (possibly even 8) or earlier say "No" to the possibility of Apple "going Windows" while a good amount of people who were introduced to the Mac via OS X think it's actually a possibility.

I smell a poll... ;)
 
For the record, the first OS I used was System 6. And I'm still in love with System 7. I certainly don't think Apple will do that anytime soon, but no, I wouldn't rule it out.

I agree with RacerX completely about the PPC. It bothers me when people act like the PPC was always a dog.

But I disagree with RacerX about the hardware. Apple's image and consumer needs have changes a LOT over time. These days, people want Apple's hardware because...it's Apple's hardware! It's sexy, and it has status. If Apple ever killed the Mac OS, they would become a PC boutique, and I think they could be successful as that. That's already what a large portion of the uninitiated sees them as anyway, so from a branding perspective the transition would be smooth as butter. Would I by an Apple PC? No, I can't imagine I would. But then again, I probably wouldn't buy an iPod, either. The iPod has succeeded not because of its technical merit, but because it's fashionable.
 
Gotta disagree with your last statement, Mikuro: When the iPod was introduced, it was the _only_ player with a harddrive. And it was _small_ at that, too. It was easy to use, and the software/hardware integration was just great. Other players have _still_ not matched the iPod on a _technical_ basis. (I count the integration to the technical, not the fashion side.)
 
except for the Creative DAP player. which was first, and very successful. the ipod was the first *usable* mp3 player. and for sometime is was the only usable mp3 player. still is, to some extent. the ipod is the best solution for listening to music on the go.

full stop.
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
Wow -- as if a line were drawn in the sand: it seems to me that the younger, relatively-new-to-Mac user base is actually kicking this idea around, going, "Hmmm... maybe!" while the seasoned, been-a-Mac-user-for-15-plus-years user base is screaming, "You're all out of your mind! It ain't gonna happen!"
Click to expand...

I agree with that. In fact, I think that's the problem with Dvorak, is that he isn't a Mac user, and that ignorance shows through quite clearly in his article.

I think a mac user would know better than to print that kind of bollocks.

However, I still think that in the future more Apple hardware will be making its way over to the PC (cinema displays and such). With windows people loving the iPod, many will think "well my ipod is cool, i wonder what else apple has that I'd like"
 
What really ticks me off is how Apple never flaunts their OS in advertising. Seriously, pratically everyone knows what an iPod is but not everyone knows what Mac OS X is. When the switch just happened from PPC to Intel, why do they have to spend a vast amount of money to create an Ad just about a CPU change? Realistically not everyone who watches TV knows what a CPU really is or just simply may have a vague idea - So why create an ad just about that really when it's not needed, if people want to know what CPU a mac has go to the specifications of the product.

I know it would be hard to advertise OS X by itself, so maybe the only suggestion is to combine the 'Cool' iPod-style silhouettes with a iMac and advertise the Lifestyle aspects of the Mac itself and it's Software.

That's realistically the best way to get our Mac out there - Show it to the people man.
 
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