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If they were running OS X, you can bet that Apple wouldn't have approved of them running OS X on non-Apple hardware.

OS X doesn't share a driver architecture with UNIX at all. "Standardized UNIX" doesn't really come into play at all. The OS X driver API is likely even more obscure than the Windows one.
The history of Light Peak's origins are in dispute though, and what's interesting to me, is that Apple was NOT even mentioned at the IDF conference. It's not a secret project by any means, and it would be good PR for Apple to have their name associated with it had they been in it from the beginning.

That said, I do think Apple's highly interested, and should even be willing to spend some funds for code development. It's cheap, and less than peanuts when you think about what the other developers have spent on this.

A fast, optical 10Gb/s interface would be highly desirable, and notably in the enterprise market. If you think about it, it's as fast as 10G Ethernet without the additional overhead (IP stacks, routing,...). That gives a high speed interface directly in the system without the need for a card (though it does use PCIe lanes to connect to the system, they're routed directly on the board).

This is something Intel would be highly interested in, and the MP is NOT the only systems that use EFI. The Itaniums do as well (where EFI originated BTW), and why we actually have EFI based RAID cards. They only needed to develop drivers to enable it to function under OS X. ;)

As Intel's products benefit Apple (they wouldn't have any computers without them right now), they'd most likely not complain. They'll certainly benefit from Light Peak hitting the market as well. And even though OS X's drivers aren't as easy as other versions of UNIX, it's still not that hard to do. I do think it would have been easier than Windows (which is the biggest PITA out there to develop hardware on IMO).

Why do you think drivers are so buggy/temperamental, even after a products been around awhile? :eek: ;)
 
If they were running OS X, you can bet that Apple wouldn't have approved of them running OS X on non-Apple hardware.

OS X doesn't share a driver architecture with UNIX at all. "Standardized UNIX" doesn't really come into play at all. The OS X driver API is likely even more obscure than the Windows one.

Non-Apple hardware?

Intel MAKES the hardware for Apple, and Apple has it cheaply manufactured elsewhere. Apple doesn't make anything at all, except for the software. Apple only brands hardware.
 
Non-Apple hardware?

Intel MAKES the hardware for Apple, and Apple has it cheaply manufactured elsewhere. Apple doesn't make anything at all, except for the software. Apple only brands hardware.
Though Apple is a "hardware" company (where they derive their profits), they don't manufacture anything, nor produce finished designs. They create an industrial design (Ives' function) and a specification document, and have it ODM'ed by someone else. Unfortunately, that's the way of most products these days. :( (And why so much is crap). :mad:
 
Apple doesn't make anything at all, except for the software. Apple only brands hardware.
...
Though Apple is a "hardware" company (where they derive their profits), they don't manufacture anything, nor produce finished designs.

Clearly both of you have zero understanding of Apple's R&D department.
 
Clearly both of you have zero understanding of Apple's R&D department.
Prototype /= Finished product

And even when they have their hands on a prototype, that does NOT mean they did the actual design work (circuit design, PCB layouts, part selections, cost analysis, ....). They need such systems to develop the code for it. :rolleyes:
 
CES has announced so many USB 3.0 products that I can't even keep track of them. USB 3.0 is coming fast. Apple should react.
 
And even when they have their hands on a prototype, that does NOT mean they did the actual design work

The same is true for ALL computer makers. The computer as it exists today is because a bunch of people decided to copy IBM with off the shelf parts.
 
The same is true for ALL computer makers. The computer as it exists today is because a bunch of people decided to copy IBM with off the shelf parts.
It's for different reasons (remember, there's not much out there for CPU choices. ARM has more variants than most, and is too limited for desktops, workstations, or servers, so that leaves Intel or AMD right now. If ARM gets to the point it can compete, who knows... But in simple terms, the silicon is super expensive to develop, and most can't afford it. The most recent Fab facilities are over $3 Billion USD to build. :eek: That doesn't touch the R&D in both the chip design and materials aspects (manufacturing process).

1. Standardization
2. Costs. No company wants to maintain a bunch of engineers to take a product from concept (paper) to a finished state, and maybe manufacture it. The manufacturing facilities were the first to go, where it was then produced by OEM's. Then the bulk of the engineers (and all in some cases), and changed from OEM to ODM.

Basic design specs, and maybe, such as Apple, an industrial design is created (packaging). That information is given to the ODM/s, which then does all the circuit design/development and manufacturing work. Prototypes are sent back for code development and verification testing. They eventually reach a point where it's given the go ahead for full scale manufacturing.
 
hopefully we will see blu-ray soon too..
but i think the odds are about the same.

Never gonna happen. The concept of optical media is already outdated. Downloads are the future, man. even if you can't get 1080p. Apple has already started eliminating optical drives, like in the Air.
 
1st, man

Apple was the first to brink firewire, usb 1.0 and 2.0, CD drive. THey were the first to get rid of the floppy, and are getting rid of firewire. We can expect usb and sata 3 in the next pros.
 
Never gonna happen. The concept of optical media is already outdated. Downloads are the future, man. even if you can't get 1080p. Apple has already started eliminating optical drives, like in the Air.

I wish they'd keep it as a contigency, or at least make it a ridiculously expensive 3rd party option. I won't totally embrace abandonment of physical media until I can download the equivalent of a Blu Ray disc, and it's features, in the same amount of time that it takes me to drive down to Walmart and back.
 
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