Dell Says He'd Sell Apple's Mac OS

[mbamac]

1) Dell is the world's largest computer seller
2) "Nobody gets fired for buying from Dell"
3) Dell has the imprimature of the corporate market
4) Dell can scale better
5) Dell can cover the "cheap end" of the market
6) Dell can, in short, help increase market share especially in corporations, which is kinda vital, because with the under-2% corporate share right now, schools are sayin' ya gotta get Windows.

You can exchange "Dell" with "Apple wants to".

 

[mwpeters8182]

Also, to be fair, some of the current Dell machines wipe the floor (performance-wise) with current macs.

Dells are boring, but they aren't bad computers. And I've found their customer service to be very good. We got our comptuer back in days from a motherboard replacement, where it took apple 3 weeks to get my powerbook back.

MP

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Although it's good that OS X is popular and that Dell would consider it good business to sell, the thought... of a Dell... running... Mac OS X... just.. makes... me... want... ... ... <running screaming from the room>

 

[Tulse]

Michael Dell wants to be Steve Jobs, Exhibit 3,291.

Yes, but I'm really surprised that he would willingly play second-banana to Steve. Michael Dell seems to want the cool associated with Apple, but my impression was he wanted to create that cool himself, and not just pick it up reflected from Steve. Dell has just as big an ego as Jobs.

 

[pianodude123]

nooooooooOOOO!!!

It's going to happen, it's all just a matter of time.

It might not be soon, but there will be a day when you can walz in to Best Buy and buy Mac OS (enter version here), go home, and install it on the PC you already own.

I think it's great, I don't know what all the 'heart break' is about.

Apple is in the business of making money; they're not in the business of being a 'be different, rebel, don't conform' cult.

They will ALWAYS produce top-notch stuff. But their goal is just the same as any company: distrubute that top-notch stuff to as many customers as possible.

I honestly do think there will be a day when Apple will take over the computer industry, and Mac OS will be on the majority of user-computers, in the work-places etc. Mac OS is the future of computers. All in good time

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I HATE DELL!!!! DELL STINKS!!!!! What would be the advantage to having apple if stupid DEELLLLLL just comes along and screws everything up with their stupid "dimented" desktops (fine...its "dimension...but same thing)!!!!!

 

[atari1356]

*throws up* - again.

The thought of Mac OS X on a Dell computer makes me ill too.

If it does happen, I really hope Apple stays in the hardware business because there's nothing in the PC world that compares to the quality and looks of a PowerMac/PowerBook/iMac/Mac Mini

 

[pianodude123]

i would rather shoot myself than see dells with OS X

agreed...i hate DELLS

 

[pianodude123]

The thought of Mac OS X on a Dell computer makes me ill too.

If it does happen, I really hope Apple stays in the hardware business because there's nothing in the PC world that compares to the quality and looks of a PowerMac/PowerBook/iMac/Mac Mini

YOU FORGOT THE IPOD...even though thats not a computer...all dell has is that STUPID DJ...which is a complete knockoff of the genuine ipod...I HATE DEll...have i told you that?

 

[mithras]

From front page...
Didn't he say its about software?

Yes. Paraphrase from the very end of the keynote:

...because the soul of a Mac isn't the processor, it's the operating system.

At the time, when he said that, it gave me shivers, because it really did make me think Steve was gearing up for operating system trench warfare with Microsoft... only time will tell.

 

[Stella]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I HATE DELL!!!! DELL STINKS!!!!! What would be the advantage to having apple if stupid DEELLLLLL just comes along and screws everything up with their stupid "dimented" desktops (fine...its "dimension...but same thing)!!!!!

Not every PC uses cares about the hardware - just as long as it runs their software and does what they want it to do. You know - Dell machines does this fine for a lot of PC owners - at a cheap price.

 

[Paul O'Keefe]

that would be really scary. i hope apple stays with what they have.

(i just realized i am spending half my free time on a rumor site for a company.. i need a life)

Sometimes I feel that same way.... Gotta be smooth. Relax. Take the backseat. Hitch hike. Take a long ride on my motorbike.

 

[Ryan T.]

Michael Dell wants to be Steve Jobs, Exhibit 3,291.

He's wants to be the head of a computer company much smaller than the one he's already head of?

 

[mithras]

Here's the exact quote from the end of the Mactel WWDC keynote:

And, we will be very excited to keep pushing the frontiers and tell you about Leopard when we meet again next year. Because more than even the processor, more than even the hardware innovations that we bring to the market, the soul of a Mac is its operating system. And we're not standing still.

That to me sounds like a man who would at least strongly consider licensing Mac OS. Of course, Steve won't even open up Fairplay to let other cellphones and mp3 players play iTunes tracks, so maybe we shouldn't hold our breath

 

[itcomesinwaves]

anything could happen

While I don't have much of an opinion on Dell selling OSX, it would require major shift in policy for Apple. Of course Apple has been making a lot of surprising moves lately, and since the Intel announcement everyone wants a piece of the action. They are now positioned with so many options, it's more of a guessing game for us then it's ever been.

I expect to see more deals that focus around their open source projects (like the Nokia web browser deal). This deal interests me because there was nothing stopping Nokia from porting WebCore to their phones without any help from Apple. Nokia is essentially paying for Apple's ability to make the software usable and friendly to the average user. It also gives Apple all sorts of opportunities to capitalize on having their tech in these phones.

 

[Object-X]

It will happen...eventually

This will not happen for several years. Apple will not license OS X until their transition to Intel is complete and the "risk" factor from this move is gone. That really means Apple will wait and see how their hardware sales are doing once the transition is complete. I think it will happen eventually. Longhorn is going to be a disaster for Microsoft. It will ship late and it will ship incomplete; and what does ship will be buggy and I predict it will have a critical security patch the first week of it's existance. The demand for OS X to be licensed will be too high at that point for Apple to resist the temptation to make gobs of money by OEM'ing it.

 

[ITR 81]

I could see them doing a deal with HP/Compaq and IBM, but not Dell.

Though I could see Dell selling the Mactel's or whatever Apple calls them.

 

[xli_ne]

Of course he would. Why would it be a bad thing for any PC company to offer a different OS? But it won't happen, at least not yet.

totally agree. he would be stupid not too if jobs ever does, which I believe he won't. hopefully anyway

 

[zap2]

Mac OS need goood hardware to run on ,many dell computers will make Mac OS slow and crappy, if Dell computers would run Mac OS like computers made by apple i'd be for it ,but since they would most likly would run like crap i say no. Dell makes to many low cost computers( thats are crappy) to make anything that could run Mac OS and show how great it really is. Dell computer would make it run slow and choppy , then people would be like" well since it runs like crap on my 399 computer with like 128 ram it must run like crap on all computers." Keep apple as software and hardware. It one of the reason that OSX easy to use.

 

[Mac-Xpert]

I'm already not to happy with the switch to Intel. But running Mac OS-X on a Dell is really the limit.

However I do wonder what happens if Steve Jobs would license to Dell and at the next WWDC say: "Mac OS-X runs great on a Dell" Somehow I think that all the people that are now saying Dell sucks all of a sudden will say "Oh yeah Dell is great, this is the best thing that ever happened to Apple and Mac OS"

 

[itcomesinwaves]

YOU FORGOT THE IPOD...even though thats not a computer...all dell has is that STUPID DJ...which is a complete knockoff of the genuine ipod...I HATE DEll...have i told you that?

Didn't Dell sell the iPod for a short period of time? After it became Windows compatible and started to really take off... Then they threw the DellDJ together and dropped the iPod.

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Not every PC uses cares about the hardware - just as long as it runs their software and does what they want it to do. You know - Dell machines does this fine for a lot of PC owners - at a cheap price.

But I don't want the cheapest computer possible. And Dell is about putting together the cheapest parts possible. I want quality. And quality cost a little extra. (Even though the 20" Dell/Apple screen price difference is ridiculous).

If Apple starts licensing its OS we're heading for the clone (resisting urge to put in 'wars' here) mess all over again...

 

[MacRy]

If OSX was licenced for any old hardware where would that leave Apple with it's own kit? It isn't exactly cutting edge at the moment and if consumers can buy something cheaper and more powerful and still have a great OS (OSX) on it then that's what they'll do. I personally love the Apple hardware and it is one of the major draws for me but not everyone is an aesthete and will be happy to run OSX on any dull looking piece of plastic crap.

 

[acedickson]

I'm on the fence about the possibility of the Mac OS (whatever version) becoming readily available to any, and all, PC users.

On one hand, I like the idea of being able to build my own machine and install this great OS on it.

On the other, I do love Apple's hardware and think it would hurt sales in the long run.

Sure, the Mac faithful would continue to buy their hardware...maybe. But, the reason for this switch is to increase sales and marketshare of their hardware. Making OS X+ available to PC users wouldn't increase either of those.

 

[Object-X]

Mac OS need goood hardware to run on ,many dell computers will make Mac OS slow and crappy, if Dell computers would run Mac OS like computers made by apple i'd be for it ,but since they would most likly would run like crap i say no. Dell makes to many low cost computers( thats are crappy) to make anything that could run Mac OS and show how great it really is. Dell computer would make it run slow and choppy , then people would be like" well since it runs like crap on my 399 computer with like 128 ram it must run like crap on all computers." Keep apple as software and hardware. It one of the reason that OSX easy to use.

Keep in mind that Apple could make it available with conditions. They could certify it with only certain hardware components. Dell sells Linux, but only on certain systems, like the Optiplex and certain Poweredge servers. A Dell computer with OS X would be in a similar situation. I think fears that OS X would be shipped with inferior hardware and become as buggy as Windows are overblown. Apple could control this issue.

 

[Lacero]

I think it's a great idea. Sorry, but with Dell's reputation in business and PC consumers, Apple could stand to benefit greatly. If Hell needs to freeze over for the fourth time, then so be it.