Dell Mac OS Drivers?

[MacRumors]

Engadget notes that "Apple Mac OS" is listed as a possible pop-up selection when attempting to download the latest drivers for your Dell computer.

The Driver/Downloads page discrepancy, of course, has sparked a lot of speculation about a Mac OS X/Dell pairing. The additional website pick-list option, however, may have simply found its way onto Dell's support site for existing printer drivers which Dell does produce Mac drivers for.

Dell's CEO has publicly stated that they would be "happy to offer" Mac OS X for PCs if Apple were to allow it.

[Bubbasteve]

I give it a day until Apple has it removed

[bigbossbmb]

I almost thought this was simply a printer thing...but then I went to the site and Apple Mac OS is not an option for the printers I tried, but it IS an option for a Dell XPS computer...

I really hope this turns out to be nothing.

[unemployed]

Originally Posted by Bubbasteve

I give it a day until Apple has it removed

It is gone.

[projectle]

It is obvious...

It is a logistics thing.

It is much easier to create one lookup script that is added by an include script for everything site wide. (you know, <?php require 'inc/navigation.php' ?>)

Put down your plushy pillows and screaming "OMG Ponies!" whenever you hear something about Apple?

[Bubbasteve]

Originally Posted by unemployed

It is gone.

I stand corrected

[TallShaffer]

I'm already sick of Dell being everywhere for everything, and there's no way Apple would let this happen.



Ohhh Emmmm Geeeeee PONIES!!!!!1!!!!1

[Nermal]

Originally Posted by unemployed

It is gone.

Still there for me.

[NVRsayNVR]

hmmm Don't do it Apple!


Think Alike........?

[im_to_hyper]

Originally Posted by unemployed

It is gone.

No, the options are still there. They tend to be for the higher-end newer computers, such as the XPS models and the newer Dimensions, but are not found on the business lines such as the Latitude or the Optiplex.

This could be indicitive of an update from Dell and Apple to allow OS X as a BTO option on its newer computers. The update screen looks highly conspicuous to be just for printer drivers.

XPS/Dimension 400/9150 / Apple Mac OS / English

The above is an example heading. Underneath are Dell Diagnostic utilities in an ISO form which could easily be burned under OS X, a BIOS update which is an exe but claims to be in "Universal" format. Notice the capital U.

This file format consists of a BIOS executable file. The Universal format can be used to install from Windows XP, Windows 2000, NT, Windows 9X, Windows ME or a MS DOS environment.

Perhaps they will be changing it to a Mac OS app as well?

Lastly, the printer driver is the same under all the listings, a Dell MFP Laser Printer 1815dn which has new Mac Only drivers released on 5-29-06 (Monday)

What does all of this mean??

Now: if Dell did offer OS X, would iLife and iWork be bundled, or is that one of the benefits of getting the actual Mac, being able to get those bundled?

[Peace]

Since Dell is changing over to AMD I'd say this is nothing.

[-Garry-]

You do know that Dell recently introduced a revamped support site? Of course, it looks exactly the same as the old one (only us Dell employees would even notice!)

I'm sure it's just a case of consistency since Dell wouldn't write the drivers themselves anyway - they'd have to be written by the hardware manufacturers themselves and I assure you that this isn't happening at the moment.

[mccoma]

that Dell would probably be the PC maker most likely to be able to handle OS X in a decent manner.
1. Until a couple of days ago, they were an Intel only shop.
2. They have the money to test OS X with all their options
3. In the non-portable market, their boxes are very different from the Apple boxes (no mac mini or iMac-like machines - can't really say about the new Mac Pro / PowerMac)

It won't happen because of Microsoft and Apple, but they would be the most likely to be able to do it. If they did do it iLife would have to be included (just to prep for upgrades and not to hose the user on things heard in the new commercials), but I do wonder if they would include Office? It would make sense from a Dell point of view.

[Makosuke]

I am going to assume that this is nothing--seems a pretty huge leap for Apple to either start licencing the OS or dump their hardware business entirely at this stage (I sure HOPE not--that would seriously suck). Then again, until recently nobody believed the rumors of switching to Intel, and that happened, so I'm not discounting anything.

And I must say, if Apple MUST partner with a company to get some version of OSX available for boring "Big corporate" purchases, even if Dell is the obvious choice I would so desperately hope that it wouldn't be the company Apple would choose. At least go with Lenovo, or HP, or ANYBODY but Dell.

[Nate4747]

Cue uproar.

But it's odd the way it's listed "Apple Mac OS." Most sites that ask for OS version list it as Mac OS X or 10.x.x. It sure would be interesting if Dell sold macs though.

[LimeiBook86]

This does seem quite interesting. Although Steve Jobs keeps saying "we're a hardware company" he also said that there was "No video iPod."...the times are changing or many it was just a screw up, or some hoax

[Lixivial]

Originally Posted by Peace

Since Dell is changing over to AMD I'd say this is nothing.

You mean to say that Dell is changing their server line over to the Opteron processor, right? And even then, it'll be used in a four-socket server. Fair move, I'd say, as that's where Intel's weak point currently is. That's not to say they won't move all their machines over to AMD, but I'm inclined to believe the laptop road will be tough for AMD to break.

Any road, I'm curious as to how that move makes this nothing; it's been proven that OS X will run on AMD processors (and why shouldn't it?). If anything, the fact that Apple Mac OS has been in the drop-down since at least December should be more fitting. Of course, in that instance, it contains an OS 9 driver set. I think this is just a mix up because the Latitude X1 driver page does contain one Mac OS driver.

EDIT: I take that back. Mac OS 9 & OS X driver set.

[EricNau]

The day Apple releases OS X to other PC manufacturers they can kiss their hardware sales goodbye. From that point on, Apple would be purely a software company.

Apple is spending a lot of time and energy to switch all of their computers to intel processors. They would not have bothered if they were planning on giving up in the hardware businesses.

It doesn't mean anything.

[LimeiBook86]

Originally Posted by EricNau

Apple is spending a lot of time and energy to switch all of their computers to intel processors. They would not have bothered if they were planning on giving up in the hardware businesses.

You have a very good point there, it would be very silly if Apple turned around and opened Mac OS X to other computer companies, especially now.

[neocell]

Just a pic if anyone's curious

[TallShaffer]

If this happens I'm just going to shoot myself in the back of the throat. I don't want to be using any software that is the same as any Dell user. I got a mac so I wouldn't have to be in the same usergroups as dell owners.

[bigandy]

yet another MR duplicate thread...

original here...

[Squire]

I wonder if this could mean OS X on Alienware.

-Squire

[netdog]

Originally Posted by TallShaffer

If this happens I'm just going to shoot myself in the back of the throat.

That seems like a reasonable response.

[2ndPath]

Originally Posted by mccoma

that Dell would probably be the PC maker most likely to be able to handle OS X in a decent manner.
1. Until a couple of days ago, they were an Intel only shop.
2. They have the money to test OS X with all their options
3. In the non-portable market, their boxes are very different from the Apple boxes (no mac mini or iMac-like machines - can't really say about the new Mac Pro / PowerMac)

In the non-portable market Dell really makes different machines, but Apple probably wants to target that marked with the new Mac Pros. Dell offers some of the features you only get on Powermacs so far for much less money (for example expandability and exchangable graphics). Because Apple could lose quite a number of Mac Pro sales there, I don't think they will do it, although it would be nice for the consume to have more options.

In the portable market Dell offers some subnotbooks, which weigh half as much as the MacBook. But then their have been rumors that Apple is working on a MacBook mini, which would fill that gap.