and an unecessarily complex open marketplace battle with Microsoft.
Apart from the fact Microsoft have never had to compete in an open market, they've nearly always had a nice, cosy, entrenched monopoly position.
I wouldn't rule it out ever, but at the moment I think it is too much, too soon. When they are trying to establish a new platform with iPhone, it seems very ambitious.
That said, Apple have never been so healthy and they may see this (with all these new developers at WWDC and mindshare in the media) as the opportune moment which they may not get again.
Most of their get a mac adverts have had less to do with get a mac and have been very focused on a single point: Vista is bad.
It doesn't matter if you agree with it, the point has been conveyed very successfully by Apple.
So if Vista is bad then what do you do? Well you look for alternatives, that's what you do. What better than Linux? Well Linux is good and getting stronger on the Desktop, but still requires some level of technical intuition to install (this is changing rapidly with each new release).
That's not really the problem though. The main problem with Linux is distribution. Unless you are tech savvy you aren't going to look online and find the OS that is right for you, download it, burn to DVD and then install it and then transfer all your files and settings across.
Now who has over 200 stores worldwide and is expanding all the time?. Who has staff who can handle all the tricky stuff for you (install, dual boot). And who has staff who can train you in using the new OS? Apple Retail shouldn't be underestimated in how important a role it could play.
My big problem is all those business and support contracts are literally a cash cow for Microsoft. They've worked hard to get those and they are long standing agreements. That's where they make most of their money, not on people going in the store and buying retail boxes containing Windows. All these contacts and contracts can't easily be emulated and Apple doesn't have the business infrastructure to do it.
So I would be surprised, but like I said anything is possible. It's the sort of thing Apple would do. It would be interesting experiment even if they just partnered with: Asus, HP, Sony and Dell. That's four companies that would hugely increase the installed base.
Certainly those companies would give their right arm (and possibly leg too) in order to offer Apple's software (dispute it all you like, I'm sticking with it). The question is would Apple keep their side of the bargain. Has Apple finally learnt to make good partnerships?
