“Apple Computer Inc., the maker of the Macintosh computer and iPod music device, on Wednesday rolled out a first-ever software patch to run Microsoft’s dominant Windows operating system on its PCs, a move that could draw millions of new buyers,” Reuters reports. “By enabling the move to Windows, the world’s No. 1 operating system, Apple hopes to draw people who want Macs, considered by many as easier to use and more stylish, but prefer the Windows operating system.”
MacDailyNews Note: Nobody “prefers” the Windows operating system. They use it because they’re stuck with some Windows-only software “solution” or they’re gamers or they don’t know any better. Soon, it will become clear to most everyone, including Reuters: Give people a Mac and Windows, let them use both for a couple of weeks and then we’ll see which one they really prefer.
Reuters continues, “Macintosh users will now likely be able to run some games and other software on their Mac OS X computers without buying a separate Windows based computer. The final version of Boot Camp will be available as a feature in the upcoming Mac OS X version 10.5 ‘Leopard’ personal computer. Apple said it will not provide support for installing or running Boot Camp and does not sell or support Microsoft Windows software.”
Full article here.
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This isn’t a solution for Mac users. The purpose of this is so Windows users can put the software they have on their new Macs and slowly ween them off of it, and onto the Mac versions over time.
Remember they did this a few years ago with OS9 users. It was called Classic.
This is Apple’s “security blanket” for Windows users who don’t want to get rid of Windows *just yet*… I agree with MDN, let a Windows user use Mac OS X and XP together for 2 weeks, and see which they wind up preferring.
Funny how a new source can distort what this announcement really means… It’s not about Mac hardware.. It’s about giving consumers no logical reason to purchase anything other than a Mac.
“Nobody “prefers” the Windows operating system”
The girl who works in the shop next to me prefers Windows over OSX. Her co-worker has a powerbook and their desktop is a PC. She always tells me “I hate Macs” every time I come over to fix the PC. I’m sure she’s not the only one.
It’s not about the OS.
Apple is a hardware company. The end.
It doesn’t matter how the Press words it, it WILL be huge whether or not people THINK they prefer WIndows.
When I read about this this morning I thought it was some funny late news from April 1st…I’m now convinced it’s genuine!
SJ’s grand plan unfolds bit by bit as Gates cowers under the table from the storm of chairs thrown round the office by CEO Ballmer!! Wonderful.
artist:
she probably hates it because she is unfamiliar with it, and that’s a fair point. Shes too use to windows and how that OS operates, and the differences can be annoying.
… And, here in lies the problem.
All the news reports make it sound like Apple has caved. “Apple now runs Windows, the world’s No. 1 operating system” What will the general public think?
Since this is a beta and will be a feature in Leopard, I wonder if fast user switching will come into play when it is final.
That would be cool showing the cube spin from windows to Mac OS X.
I can finally play counter strike!!
This is Reuters, the respected news organization and they say this:
“The final version of Boot Camp will be available as a feature in the upcoming Mac OS X version 10.5 ‘Leopard’ personal computer.”
Leopard isn’t a computer it’s an OS. Some research, and understanding of what you’re writing about would be a good thing here.
I do agree with the reference that it will draw millions of users to the hardware though and I refer the ‘learned’ gentlemen to the answer I gave earlier:
‘This is good news evereyone, calm down.
Mac users will always still buy the Mac, Windows users now have one LESS reason for buying a Windows box. As far a market share numbers go, they can now only go up, not down.
So what if some people will buy an Intel Mac and install Windows on it and never use the Mac OS.
The point is:
1) It will show as a Mac sale on the market share numbers. We get a substantial increase in market share and all that means for increased mind-share. Don’t forget Apple make most of their cash from hardware.
2) Apple now have a Windows user, running Windows on a computer that has the possibility of running Mac OSX for NO EXTRA COST.
All Apple have to do now is convince that Windows user to switch to the Mac. This is a LOT easier than it was because now IT WILL COST THEM NOTHING TO DO SO.
How they will do this is up to Steve Jobs, but how about cancelling iTunes for Windows? (just boot into the Mac OS). Apple will release more and more great software for the Mac to entice these IntelMac Windows users to switch.
What’s next? Xcode for Windows.
Once Adobe (for instance) have completely ported Photoshop to XCode. Apple will release an update to XCode which will, with one tick box, compile the same app to run on Windows. They’d be stupid not to, as the cost savings for them would be huge. Ditto every other developer.
Once Apple control the development environment for Apple AND Windows, nothing will ever be the same. They’ve just pulled the rug from under Microsoft’s feet.
Steve Jobs (and his cohorts) are absolute genuises.”
Nobody prefers hearing the idiotic whinings of Mac fanatics (like MDN editors).
Fans of the platform are sorta stuck with them.
There are some who prefer no computer at all. To each his own.
This will draw those who it will draw. Some still think Apple is all design over substance– they’re completely wrong, but they’re not the ones who are ever going to be swayed.
This lets corporate enterprise purchasing departments buy Macs (or will after Leopard ships.) This is huge.
Personally, I’d prefer a near-native speed version of Virtual PC. It’s a bit sad Connectix was absorbed by Microsoft and isn’t around to for this.
Here’s my problem with dual-boot. Its a pain. If you boot into windows, you are unlikely to reboot to OSX to check email. Most people who are not good at computers will only boot into one or the other. And if they boot into windows, what’s the point but to sell more macs as windows boxes?
If anyone still thinks Apple is not a “hardware” company, this must change their mind.
If Apple wanted to really get people to use OSX, they would come up with an emulation system for windows programs. That is much more usable than dual boot. Of course, that brings up the problem of OSX losing developers, but at least for usablility, to use OSX for most operations and an emulation for some windows only program is the best solution.
Here’s why I think this: I never boot my mac. I hate the startup process, so I don’t do it. It’s one of the beauties of OSX. Maybe windows users boot daily and are used to the headaches, but I just never do it. And it’s a time-waster for me. I may reboot once every two months. I have a windows box, and I use it only for speific purposes. And I never reboot that box either. (though I use it maybe 20 minutes per day) I love Virtual PC, but it is too slow compared to a networked windows box.
So i’m confused as to why Apple would do this, except to sell more boxes. Maybe Dvorak was right. (Did I really just type that? Someone shoot me!)
I am a Mac user who also has a Windows box to run one piece of software. This solves a problem. I will never have to buy another Windows machine, but since I already buy Macs, I won’t be increasing Apple’s user base. For most Windows users, this won’t change anything.
Re: “it’s not about the OS.”
Cpt. Obvious or Cpt. Oblivious??
All that is needed now is flash memory to enable you to ‘flick’ between operating systems. Closing down one and rebooting the other can then be done in seconds…
That doesn’t change things for me, I already use the best and have no desire to torture myself with Windows.
Think 5 or 10 years from now. Steve Jobs already has.
This is the beginning of the end of Windows dominance.
Does anyone else find it objectionable that this is called a “patch”? The term “patch”, when used to describe software, is a very pejorative term. This is not a “patch” to fix a problem, it is a preview of a future expanded use of OS X. Reuters probably should have assigned some one that knew something about computers to this story.
Apple wouldn’t do this unless they are so confident that OS X blows XP out of the water. Which, of course, is true. And yeah, it’s ALL about the OS!!!
Chris,
You bring up some good points, but please do not give any credibility to Dvorak. Dvorak simply doesn’t get it, which is how he came to the flawed conclusion that Apple will abandon OS X and switch to Windows.
How do we know Dvorak’s prediction is flawed? Because Apple is, as Jobs has said on many occasions, “the whole widget.” The Mac is a combination of the hardware and the software. The iPod is a tight combination of the hardware and software.
Now, seeing as how Apple absolutely refuses to license FairPlay to 3rd parties, do you really think Apple would handle the keys to their future to Microsoft? Does it make b[]ANY sense at all that Apple would depend totally on Microsoft for timely updates to the OS by switching to Windows?
Just because Apple adopted Intel chips doesn’t mean Apple is switching to Windows. Intel chips power a lot of other OSes, including many, many variants of Linux, Unix, and Solaris, yet you don’t see Dvorak claiming Red Hat is planning on switching to Windows. The only reason he’s saying it is to pull the chains of Mac users, and nothing else.
All you have to do is understand that Apple believes fundamentally that unless you control the whole widget, you cannot deliver the kind of trouble-free experience that consumers desire. Dvorak clearly doesn’t believe in this philosophy, which is how he can go from a switch to Intel chips to Apple abandoning Mac OS X.
Let’s do ourselves a service by kiling that dog of misguided speculation from Dvorak.
For some things I prefer the windows OS. MDN cannot speak for everyone.
You actually have to OWN a new Mac to do this marvelous new thing. For us Mac owners this is sideshow stuff and not much at all. We already know what the mindless millions haven’t caught onto yet.
This is Steve fishing for customers of his hardware and eventually his software. If the reviews are good then people will switch and eventually also experience the magic of Mac. Got’em hook line and sinker.
If it doesn’t work then he just stops make the programme and takes it out of the OS and put it down to a nice try.
Oh shit.
The end of OS for Apple?
Why would a software developer need to create an OSX version of their product?
Soon the only company making OSX native software is Apple?
Soon people will buy an Apple just to run Windows software?
We will have to wait and see.