Windows Software On Mac

Kai Regular Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 157

I saw something about this on T.V., so I decided to look it up.

Sounds nice, Apples being able to run Windows.

Would open alot of oppurtunities for people. (Dont think I spelled that right but you know what I mean.)

Heres Some News On It:
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/computers/0,70604-0.html?tw=wn_index_1

Kai Spammer Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 1168

Topic already open about this:

http://texas.teamxlink.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18767&start=20

Also, I hope someone had invested stock in Apple before April hit. Apple stock has been going up each day since april 1, 2006. I believe it increments on average of 4 dollars.

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 5024

Ya, OS X will die as soon as Apple realizes that they can sell 5x as many machines by preloading Windows.

Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:27 pm

Have to dis-agree with ya' there MeanMF. All you have to take into consideration is how much effort and money Apple is putting behind OSX and the comments on Windows on the Boot Camp homepage:

Quote:

Macs use an ultra-modern industry standard technology called EFI to handle booting. Sadly, Windows XP, and even the upcoming Vista, are stuck in the 1980s with old-fashioned BIOS. But with Boot Camp, the Mac can operate smoothly in both centuries.

Quote:

Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.

And don't forget the die-heard mac fans that would, I'm sure, kill if that happened Wink

.

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 5024

[MF]Shade wrote:

Have to dis-agree with ya' there MeanMF. All you have to take into consideration is how much effort and money Apple is putting behind OSX and the comments on Windows on the Boot Camp homepage. And don't forget the die-heard mac fans that would, I'm sure, kill if that happened Wink

.

Mac fans weren't exactly thrilled with the switch to Intel. Apple will go where the money is. The effort and money behind OS X is exactly why they'll consider dropping it - it's losing them money. They can spend far less on Windows and sell many many more systems. Dell earns twice as much as Apple now while spending less on R&D, and that includes the iPod and iTunes which are cash cows.

"Apple has decided to make Internet Explorer its default browser. We believe Internet Explorer is a really good browser. Internet Explorer is my browser of choice." -- Steve Jobs

"[iPods] are the wrong place for video. No one has any video content to put on them, and even if they did, the screens are much too small." -- Steve Jobs

"I'm very happy with the PowerPC. We have all the options in the world, but the PowerPC road map looks very strong so we don't have any plans to switch processor families at this point." -- Steve Jobs

Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:36 pm

But if Apple were to do that then it would be going against its complete morals and the company as a whole. It sure as hell wouldn't happen under Jobs.
Besides, I think Apple would be insane to do that. Look at the PC manufacturer market now. It is absolutely full of 3rd party companies all trying their hardest to squeeze the cheapest components they can get at the cheapest prices they can afford (with exceptions: Alienware etc.).
Why would Apple want to join that mess? Apple isn't a company that just follows the crowd. I could never see Apple clawing for marketshare in the Windows PC area, it just isn't going to happen.
Besides, Apple would make much more money right now. Think about it: a mac is now a kind of one-computer-to-rule-them-all as it can run any operating system it wants.
People are going to flock to macs and install Windows on there for the applications that are Windows only (CAD etc.) and then use OSX as their main OS. The benefits of this is huge: not only are macs the only computers that can run any operating system, they also look damn good, are comptetively priced (yes, they are) and are rock-solid build quality.
I'd say there's a lot more money to be made in a mac with OSX and Windows than there is simply a mac with Windows by itself.

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 5024

Is the extra money spent on OS X R&D worth the number of machines they wouldn't sell if they only bundled Windows?

The marketplace will decide...

Kai Spammer Joined: 21 Jul 2004 Posts: 1168

[MF]Shade wrote:

People are going to flock to macs and install Windows on there for the applications that are Windows only (CAD etc.) and then use OSX as their main OS. The benefits of this is huge: not only are macs the only computers that can run any operating system, they also look damn good, are comptetively priced (yes, they are) and are rock-solid build quality.
I'd say there's a lot more money to be made in a mac with OSX and Windows than there is simply a mac with Windows by itself.

For a short time perhaps. Windows is the worlds leading OS in peoples house holds. People will spend their money on what they are familiar with and what they can operate the easier which would be windows as most libraries and schools have windows. For the majority of the consumer market to learn how to adapt OS X just isnt a reality.

Yes, OSX is a nice OS but the statistics show that Windows is most prefered and the leading OS overall. Most people dont care much for dual booting neither so when faced with a choice would pick windows. Keep in mind, the avaerage consumer is not a computer geek like us.

I agree with Mean MF on the idea that Mac's would sell more machines if they had only used Windows as default. Wish it werent true but that's just what the demand in the todays market is. Not to mention that Windows is most commonly used over OSX in the business and corporate world. I dont see many companies using Mac's for all of their database management task's in the future.....

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 5024

Ya OS X will never catch on in the corporate world because you're locked into a single, horrendously overpriced vendor. That's also why Linux has pretty much destroyed Solaris and HP/UX.

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 5024

I'm not alone.. Wink

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1923151,00.asp

Kai Lover Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 585

I think that plenty of people (not corporates) would buy Macs if it came bundled with Windows, despite the price, just for one simplistic reason:

They look great.

If it looks like a luxurious product people will pay for more for it.

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 8:07 am

Has anyone ever tried installing heaps of software on a Mac? Takes about 1/5th of the time it does for a PC, and doesn't leave all sorts of headaches.

It's all the little touches to OS X that makes me feel more comfortable using it as an OS. It's great because you can easily become a "power-user" in OS X. Sometimes I never even have to take my hands off the keyboard to use the mouse (using Quicksilver).

Yes they look nice, but that's not why I got the MacBook Pro and it wasn't a part of my decision making process.

Kai Lover Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 585

I dont doubt that for a minute DF, I just reckon that, as MF Superman said, the masses who are not quite as au fait with technology prefer products that they are familiar with.

If the Mac can run their favourite products and perhaps even more; whilst looking like they do?............................. as i think about it I really dont know anyone who doesn't like the look of a Mac.

I reckon they could easilly make the move into the 'premium' PC market, and make a ton of cash in the process, if they came shipped with windows as well.

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 1:39 pm

guest wrote:

Has anyone ever tried installing heaps of software on a Mac? Takes about 1/5th of the time it does for a PC, and doesn't leave all sorts of headaches.

That's a good point - installation for most mac apps - drag app to Applications folder. Want to get rid of the app? Just move it to the trash. Easy.

Joined: 30 Jul 2006 Posts: 0

Apple's move to support dual booting is a risk, but in my opinion extremely clever.

Apple is a essentially a hardware company with 2 problems. The first problem being that they also make software - pretty good software to be honest. Mac OS X is *streets ahead of Windows* and will continue to be so even after Vista is released. Why is this a problem? Simple - people who have got to know OS X love it - and would not switch back - so Apple sell their computers with OS X installed. The second problem Apple have is that nobody has really heard of OS X. It's pretty incredible how much the "Wow.. let's buy that one honey - look how pretty it is... oh.. wait.. it doesn't do Windows" conversation takes place in retail stores.

Apples ultimate ambition is clear - they want everyone using Mac OS X on Mac hardware. Until now, that was a catch 22. OS X didn't run on the same cheap PC hardware as XP and although people love Mac hardware, it doesn't run Windows. There are 2 ways to get round this - either make OS X so it works on cheap PC hardware, or make Mac hardware run Windows. Now, releasing OS X for cheap PC hardware is a ballache - all the drivers, support, etc. etc. Not to mention the effect it would have on Apples (suprisingly) good relationship with MS over the last few years. It also wouldn't sell any more Mac hardware - probably a lot less.

So, they release new Mac hardware - still just a pretty - which can run XP. Note that it can not (currently) run XP without *having OS X installed*. There's the killer - in my opinion, you will *always* need OS X installed to use Windows on a Mac. If users have both OS's installed, Apple are gambling that they will eventually prefer OS X. For my money, that makes sense.

It's difficult to see a real downside from Apples point of view here - sell a crapload more hardware, and get OS X a crapload more exposure...

A

Team XLink Moderator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1223

too true, although I think the article MeanMF posted poses an interesting point as well.

Many market analysts have been predicting that Apply may well become an audio company ever since the iPod took off. Of course there is no way to tell, and if Apple (which is actually tied fairly close to Microsoft) got some exlusive rights to adding their own GUI Layer, so to speak to the windows engine, we could very well see Mac OSX dissapearing altogether.

Of course this is all speculation, it could go anywhere (I mean, shit, with the coming downfall of vista, people (like myself) may look to alternate solutions (think OSX or Linux (yes I know OSX is built on top of Unix).

Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:26 am

Side note: It's OS X, as in, OS 10, but still pronounced as "oh ess ex" Wink

Team XLink Administrator Joined: 11 Nov 2004 Posts: 5024

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that Apple is just going to go out and drop OS X tomorrow. I think that soon they'll probably start selling machines, especially laptops, that have Windows XP or Vista preinstalled on them instead of or in addition to OS X. Eventually (years, not months) I believe that the percentage of people buying their products to use OS X will be low enough that it won't be worth the investment required to support ongoing development. At that point they would either drop it or open source it.

Team XLink Moderator Joined: 21 May 2004 Posts: 1223

guest wrote:

Side note: It's OS X, as in, OS 10, but still pronounced as "oh ess ex" Wink

Oh I am quite aware Smile

I got lazy with the spacebar, no need for technicalities Very Happy

Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 12:06 pm

MeanMF wrote:

Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that Apple is just going to go out and drop OS X tomorrow. I think that soon they'll probably start selling machines, especially laptops, that have Windows XP or Vista preinstalled on them instead of or in addition to OS X. Eventually (years, not months) I believe that the percentage of people buying their products to use OS X will be low enough that it won't be worth the investment required to support ongoing development. At that point they would either drop it or open source it.

That's exactly why Apple won't start including Windows with their machines. Besides, what you just said was going on the basis that people find Windows better than OSX. Don't mean to sound like a fan boy, but that just isn't true. Vista will bring Windows up to speed, but by then I'll already be running 10.5 which will be already more advanced than Windows. You could say that Windows has more developers and that would attract people to it, but remember this: if you want to run Windows on your mac easily through Boot Camp, you must also have OSX installed on your mac. That's the genius behind it. People probably could just delete the mac partition afterwards, but to do that they will have seen OSX and become curious about it. After looking at it and playing with it I'm pretty sure most people would just stick with OSX. And if they need to game, keep the Windows partition. And if they need to run Windows apps, get virtualization software.