Apple considering Marklar?

[MacRumors]

MacUser.co.uk posts a story about Apple's secret Marklar (OS X on x86) project. According to their sources, they are also claiming that Apple is considering marketing Marklar -- as an independant product:

US sources close to the project indicated that the company was actively considering selling Marklar as a retail product, effectively allowing users to replace Windows with OS X. Apple is contemplating the move because it sees an opportunity to win market share from Windows when Microsoft introduces Palladium, a version of its operating system that implements digital rights management.

...or, alternatively, to be triggered for release if Microsoft and Apple relations sour.

Information on Marklar was first leaked by this eWeek article which describes it as an "fall-back plan" should the PowerPC fail to deliver.

Later unconfirmable information came in the form of this detailed article on Apple's Past and Future roadmap... which shares many similarities to this Macuser's report:

Contrary to circulating rumors, [Marklar] is not meant to be a Power PC exit strategy. Rather, it is intended to be offered to X86 users when Apple sees market conditions being fit for it. What it means by this is regarding Intel's Lagrande technology, and Microsoft's Palladium technology. Apple intends on releasing OS X on Intel, when consumer dissatisfaction falls to an all time low for Microsoft when users become restricted to what they can do on their PC's due to Lagrande and Palladium. Likely it will be released in the event that Microsoft chooses to stop developing for the Mac platform altogether.

If this information is indeed accurate, this also provides more validation to the RoadMap article which also detailed other products that are in the works.

[medea]

woah, if this would be the biggest move Apple has ever made if they go through with it, just imagine......but would pc users buy it, I mean if people arent willing to buy a macintosh would they purchase just the os....im thinking yes.

[Mudbug]

This honestly seems like the first valid possibility for Marklar to see the light of day that I've heard of. This should be interesting to watch.

[pgwalsh]

How much sofware would there be for Marklar on X86? 0

[bbyrdhouse]

Here we go again!

I just wonder if this rumor has enough life left in it to fill another thread...........

I'll just sit back relax and enjoy reading everyone "duking" it out..........again.

[idkew]

i think that this would only be a good idea if people were truely sick and tired of microshaft and its practices.

if people are not ready to switch, the only people running marklar would be previous apple users who wanted a "faster" computer for less than an apple branded computer.

that would obviously hurt apple a ton since it would lose sales to dell...

not to mention, if apple sells os x for macs for $129, what would it cost for PC's? there is a ton more work required to get ALL those standard-less systems working correctly under os x. imagine the thousands of drivers that would need to be written...

[gbojim]

Originally posted by pgwalsh
How much sofware would there be for Marklar on X86? 0

Exactly. The only way I see this really working is if Apple sets up OEM deals where the hardware is sold with all the app software you need and is targeted at the home market. This would have to include the iApps and Appleworks. The hardware kit would have to be tightly controlled due to lack of drivers. I can't see this being sold as a stand alone product. I would certainly be ticked off if I bought it, installed it on my existing system, and found out most of my hardware did not work.

Even then, they would have to sell a huge volume to make up for the profits lost when the consumer hardware sales get cannibalized.

[bbyrdhouse]

Hey Mudbug,

I just noticed that you live in Shreveport, LA. I grew up in Bossier.
Small world huh.

___________________________________________________

I think it would be neat to have OSX on x86 but I dont think it makes sense for Apple.
I think Apple stands to gain more ground by having a faster processor in all their products and a little better price scale in place for when Microsoft and Intel introduce their new products.
By then the Linux distros will have a better shot at the PC market than Marklar.
Just my opinion!!

[Choppaface]

Originally posted by gbojim
The only way I see this really working is if Apple sets up OEM deals where the hardware is sold with all the app software you need and is targeted at the home market.

which could be very hard to do if apple goes looking for help from microsoft 'owned' OEMs


I wonder how developers would approach this... R&D for three platforms would be pretty expensive (e.g. photoshop windows, os X, os X x86...), so apple must have some plans for what to do there... it wouldn't make sense to make a launch and have basically zero software

[Durandal7]

I think that when Palladium is introduced Microsoft hating will be at an all time high. If MacOS X for x86 is introduced I believe that it will begin to make a serious dent in Windows 2004 (or Longhorn or whatever) sales.

Target Audiences:
-Some Linux users looking for a better interface
-People who enjoy tweaking hardware and would rather have Linux/OS X dual boot then Windows w/ Palladium
-All those people who like OS X but don't have the money for Apple hardware
-Graphics designers who prefer the Mac but need high powered Xeon workstations

[joed]

I reckon Apple could convince Sony to reinstall OSX x86 for all their computers. Sony is already going to install Sun's Office instead of Microsoft office for most computers sold in Europe and their PDA's use Palm instead of PocketPC.

I think they'd be happy to ditch Microsoft all together.

[dricci]

So when people are angry that their motherboard/processor include digital rights mismanagement, they'll install OS X on the same machine (which probably won't be allowed to boot due to it's lack of support for the drm).

It doesn't add up.

This rumor is so old now it's not even funny. The day Apple releases OS X for x86 is the day I stop using computers. Apple creates a total package solution that just works, where as a PC Apple would have to include every possible driver, something the latest versions of Windows aren't even able to do. It'd turn into a driver and support headache just like PCs. It wouldn't be fun anymore.

Not to mention that the MAJORITY OF APPLE'S PROFITS COME FROM HARDWARE SALES

[evolu]

what if marklar acted as virtual PC does?

first post y'all.

[BenderBot1138]

Let's call it the Rhapsody of StarTrek.

[bbyrdhouse]

originally posted by dricci

Apple creates a total package solution that just works, where as a PC Apple would have to include every possible driver, something the latest versions of Windows aren't even able to do. It'd turn into a driver and support headache just like PCs.

___________________________________________________

I tend to agree with dricci on this one.

[Billicus]

Originally posted by dricci
So when people are angry that their motherboard/processor include digital rights mismanagement, they'll install OS X on the same machine (which probably won't be allowed to boot due to it's lack of support for the drm).

It doesn't add up.

This rumor is so old now it's not even funny. The day Apple releases OS X for x86 is the day I stop using computers. Apple creates a total package solution that just works, where as a PC Apple would have to include every possible driver, something the latest versions of Windows aren't even able to do. It'd turn into a driver and support headache just like PCs. It wouldn't be fun anymore.

Not to mention that the MAJORITY OF APPLE'S PROFITS COME FROM HARDWARE SALES

I agree with dricci - If this happened, it would have to be a last ditch effort - it would be an immense undertaking to get all the work Apple has put into their Macintosh Hardware to the Intel/Amd platform. Apple would have to be losing their hardware before this happened.

Consider this scenario: Oh they have OS X for the Pc now...so why should I but a Macintosh computer again?

[lmalave]

I think Apple is just keeping this on the back burner to use as negotiating leverage against Microsoft. The fact is, for now Apple needs Microsoft to keep supporting Office for the Mac. The fact is for the average consumer Office is THE must-have application - the Mac is basically dead without it. Maybe other companies can follow Sony's lead and chip away at Office's market share, forcing it to be more open. But for now Apple can't afford to do anything to seriously challenge Microsoft. Microsoft tolerates the "Switch" ads because it expects Apple to remain a niche player with under 10% market share for the foreseeable future.

Since Apple makes most of its money from hardware, there is no way they would undermine their core hardware market by offering Mac OS X for x86 unless they really were at death's door. Or unless they had the backing of one or more major, major parners (like Sony, as mentioned in a post above), and are willing to bet the whole farm on this radically new strategy...

[kansaigaijin]

M$ makes 85% margin on Windoze and Orifice.
how many Black (it is the dark side, PowerPC is white box) boxen of CDs do you need to replace the hardware sales?
why make hardware?

the hardware would become a super premium product running a high end chip etc and the designer consumer stuff.
Like that alien stuff.

[iMax]

As someone has already mentioned, there would be no programs out there that would run on OSX on an x86 based processor...

and perhps even more importantly, this would be the end of most Mac hardware sales. To the vast majority of people, the benefits of OSX on boxes that are half as cheap as apple's and are able to be home built... Apple's going to destroy most of their hardware sales.

The only places where they truly compete are in laptops. The iMac is a great design but with less than awesome hardware, and the powermac is truly lagging, especially in a price/performance ratio.

[bbyrdhouse]

originally posted by kansaigaijin

M$ makes 85% margin on Windoze and Orifice.how many Black (it is the dark side, PowerPC is white box) boxen of CDs do you need to replace the hardware sales? why make hardware
the hardware would become a super premium product running a high end chip etc and the designer consumer stuff.like that alien stuff

Huh!

[electric]

What if this rumor is true and what if Microsoft decided to make a version of Linux. What a mixed up world that would be.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by dricci
So when people are angry that their motherboard/processor include digital rights mismanagement, they'll install OS X on the same machine (which probably won't be allowed to boot due to it's lack of support for the drm).

It doesn't add up.

This rumor is so old now it's not even funny. The day Apple releases OS X for x86 is the day I stop using computers. Apple creates a total package solution that just works, where as a PC Apple would have to include every possible driver, something the latest versions of Windows aren't even able to do. It'd turn into a driver and support headache just like PCs. It wouldn't be fun anymore.

Not to mention that the MAJORITY OF APPLE'S PROFITS COME FROM HARDWARE SALES

But imagine, if you will, a partnership with someone like Sony. It's entirely possible that such a "co-opetition" arrangement, where Sony licenses OS X and then begins to compete head-to-head with Apple for hardware sales, could result in overall higher Apple hardware sales. Why? Because Apple has a pathetic 3.5% market share, and Sony has 10 times the marketing muscle. Let's say the overall Mac OS X market went up to 15% behind Sony's marketing, of which Apple sold a third and Sony two thirds. That means Apple's overall market share would go up to 5%, plus it would be making extra money off the OS X licensing deal. The fact is, the more people accept OS X as a viable alternative, the better off Apple is, since it will always be able to compete on hardware design, even against the likes of Sony (no slouch itself in the product design department).

Of course, I don't think such a scenario is going to happen with the 970 around the corner, but I'm just saying it's possible. It would of course still have to involve tight control over hardware, since that is key to Apple's strategy. And also Apple would have to resolve how developers could develop easily for both PPC and x86. There would have to be some kind of voodoo there. But let's not forget that since Steve Jobs came back, breathtaking surprise and bravado have been at the core of Apple's marketing and strategy: iMac, TiBook, iPod, iMac G4, and whatever big thing comes next

[arnette]

Originally posted by BenderBot1138
Let's call it the Rhapsody of StarTrek.

How many times are you going to post that same joke?

[etoiles]

Originally posted by lmalave


But imagine, if you will, a partnership with someone like Sony. It's entirely possible that such a "co-opetition" arrangement, where Sony licenses OS X and then begins to compete head-to-head with Apple for hardware sales, could result in overall higher Apple hardware sales.

oh no, its the attack of the clones...ehm...I mean the clones strike back...erhm...I think we have seen that already. Maybe people will watch it again, if it is some fancy 'collectors new and improved directors cut' ?

[MrMacMan]

Well the idea of making a Mac OS for Intel (AMD, hehe) is feasible but will it work?
I mean just another OS for people to be fighting over...
This deffently opens doors but will it work? I donno...

This is a great Idea, but just like communism it might fail. -- To quote some great genius. hehe.