Really dumb question......

[levitynyc]

If a mac can dual boot into Windows XP, then why can't a PC boot into Mac OS?

If windows would license their product to macs, why wouldnt Apple license Mac OS to use on a computer?

I know this seems like a silly question...but I was just wondering.

 

[Bill Gates]

It's not silly at all. Apple is a hardware company. That's where they make the bulk of their money. If they were to license MacOS then they would become just another software company, perhaps even losing much of their current appeal due to their attractive products. Microsoft makes money either way since they're just a software company. That's a very simple explanation, but it's the jist of it.

 

[iMacZealot]

Apple really doesn't want MacOS to get out; they've hardly ever licensed MacOS to someone else (except for a few retailers in the 90s.)

People have done getting 10.4 Intel on a PC, but it's not official.

 

[EricNau]

It's been addressed many times...

Why it can't be done:
There is a ROM chip in Apple hardware that OS X recognizes, and without it, OS X will not boot.

Why it won't be done:
Apple is not a software company. They make the majority of their profits from hardware, not from software. If Apple were to sell a PC version of OS X there would be zero incentive to buy Apple hardware, resulting in significantly less profits.
Plus, because Apple makes both the hardware and software, there is a much smoother user experience.

EDIT: I must be slow.

 

[miles01110]

Go Go vertical integration!

 

[SpookTheHamster]

Because Bad Things Happened when they did it last time.

 

[gauchogolfer]

If windows would license their product to macs, why wouldnt Apple license Mac OS to use on a computer?

I love the choice of words here . I didn't know I wasn't actually using a computer right now. As for the OP's original question, I think EricNau covered it.

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Hardly silly - just beaten to death.

 

[andiwm2003]

i wish i had a dollar for every time this question comes up......