Why doesn't Apple make OS X avilable on all x86 machines?

[mojohanna]

According to the latest financial call, apple sold less than 1.5 million Mac’s so far in the year 2006. I bet Dell sells that many in a week or less.

Check your numbers this is the number of Macs sold in ONE quarter. Not all of 2006. Market share has increased to about 4.5%. Additionally, Apple is the only major PC maker who actually had gains in unit sales. They are now the #4 PC make behind Dell, HP, and Gateway (respectively).


"Apple shipped 1,327,000 Macintosh® computers and 8,111,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 12 percent growth in Macs and 32 percent growth in iPods over the year-ago quarter." (Source: Apple's website)

 

[mstecker]

I love the fact that Lenovo, in my honest opinion, makes the best laptops on the planet, the Thinkpad, which I would take over a MacBook Pro or MacBook any day of the week.

Ugh. My new job "gave" me a prety pimped out T43p Thinkpad. They wouldn't buy me a Mac. So what did I do? I let me 3 year old and 5 year old use the Thinkpad for playing games and paid for a MBP myself. It's now covered with bits of food and spilled stuff. My MBP is, by contrast, cared for liike one of my children.

 

[gnasher729]

Bootcamp is amazing because I can run Windows on a Mac. That’s fantastic but I don’t want to spend my money on Apple hardware. Pretty as it may be, I want choice.

Well, if you don't want to spend your money on Apple hardware, why should Apple give a damn about you?

Perhaps you haven't realised that all MacOS X versions that you can buy currently are actually upgrade versions. It doesn't say it on the box, but the only machines MacOS X can be installed on have been sold with a copy of Mac OS. With the Intel versions, that might change, so Apple might sell upgrade versions for the current price ($129) and full retail versions that can be installed on any PC for a reasonable price (like $399). Interested?

 

[Sun Baked]

Why, because Apple does not want to compete directly with MicroSoft.

Sad fact is that MicroSoft Office is still one of the most popular Apps on the Mac.

Apple releases an OS for all machines, and MS will fight back ... and it will get ugly quickly as MS drops all support for the Mac OS.

---

Right now, even though a Mac is now a PC -- they aren't losing too many customers, and there are quite a few Mac users also buying Windows for their Macs.

 

[gnasher729]

It was probably used or an old model. I'm talking about today, machine A versus machine B. Same specs except one machine has a fruit as a logo, thereby increasing the cost.

Go into any computer store. You get crap computers cheaper than anything Apple sells. If you get into Apple's price range, you can't get anything better than a MacBook, MacMini or iMac for the same money.

 

[gnasher729]

Ugh. My new job "gave" me a prety pimped out T43p Thinkpad. They wouldn't buy me a Mac. So what did I do? I let me 3 year old and 5 year old use the Thinkpad for playing games and paid for a MBP myself. It's now covered with bits of food and spilled stuff. My MBP is, by contrast, cared for liike one of my children.

Must be one of the subtle differences between the brands. I have _never_ heard anyone saying that they had a "pimped out" Macintosh.

 

[jsw]

Apple's a business. Apple is quite profitable.

Dell is a business. Dell is having problems and profit margins are starting to vanish.

Apple doesn't sell just the OS because they make a lot more money on the hardware. They are not a charity, they are a business, and this business model works for them.

The fact that they're able to leverage a superior OS to sell good hardware - which isn't much if any more expensive than comparable PC hardware is good for them. The fact that some people can't afford their systems isn't their problem.

My MBP is, by contrast, cared for liike one of my children.

You got it a Thinkpad to play with?

 

[zap2]

And you do realize that if it wasn't for the iPod, Apple wouldn't be alive right?

Bold statement..as bold as it is wrong. truely you don't know anything about computers. Look at offerings from Dell, they have 17'' Inspron notebooks that are thicker then my iBook when its closed, and are not as fast as the 17;; MPB

 

[generik]

Well, if you don't want to spend your money on Apple hardware, why should Apple give a damn about you?

Perhaps you haven't realised that all MacOS X versions that you can buy currently are actually upgrade versions. It doesn't say it on the box, but the only machines MacOS X can be installed on have been sold with a copy of Mac OS. With the Intel versions, that might change, so Apple might sell upgrade versions for the current price ($129) and full retail versions that can be installed on any PC for a reasonable price (like $399). Interested?

Actually, urm, I want to buy Apple's hardware, but I also want more choices.

For instance let's look at the desktop line Apple currently has. I like the Mac Mini form factor, but I also want good graphics performance. Do I have the option? No, to have discrete graphics I would have to go for the iMac.

Now, I don't want a AIO machine, what if I already have a superior monitor that I wish to use with my Mac? Only option left would be the Mac Pro. It may be reasonable to you, but considering that I can put together a PC that has a nice CPU, more memory, AND superior graphics for the price of the Mini, it is really very hard to justify why I am paying more for less performance AND less choice.

Sometimes when I read posts on here about how it is alright that Apple charges a super premium on their Pro workstations because the idea is supposedly that you can get more useful life out of them, and that they are upgradeable, hence you will buy less computers from them, thus necessitating the need that they sucker as much out of you on that one purchase and I just shake my head.. since when is pricing all about what you get out of it? You see, coming from the PC side, the option of having options is something that we've always had for free. I don't need to pay $2500 solely for the fact that I want to plug in a new PCI card I wish?

Well, it is all a matter of perspective. Apple is small because there are those who cannot accept this practice, and likewise Apple needs to protect its bottom line by trying to sucker as much off you because they are a relatively small player, see the vicious cycle?

I'm not really advocating a "Mac Pro Mini", but I do think Apple needs to think out of the box a little when it comes to maximizing their profits, because it really doesn't take a very clever consumer to see through their scheme. But anyhow, I gotta admit that while I don't like the way it is, I can see why Apple is doing it, it is not like I'd have any brilliant marketing ideas to tack on that'd rack in the bucks while giving consumers the choice they really want.

 

[yg17]

The crap about how "If I want to use OSX, I have to buy a Mac" is, well, crap. It's like that with everything:

If I want to play PS2 games, I have to buy a PS2.
If I want to go around bragging that I drive a BMW, I have to buy a BMW.
If I want to drink something that tastes like Dr. Pepper, I have to buy Dr. Pepper.
If I want a Big Mac, I have to go to McDonalds.



Face it. As a consumer, most of the time, you don't have a choice. Having to buy a Mac to use OSX is no different.

 

[Dane D.]

All quotes by DevilsRejection

That’s fantastic but I don’t want to spend my money on Apple hardware. Pretty as it may be, I want choice.

And you do realize that if it wasn't for the iPod, Apple wouldn't be alive right?

Windows has always had a logo program, you saw a Windows logo on a product and you knew it would work.

choice, that's all i want. my hardware, not apples. you ever think people don't like macs for that sole reason?

Don't give me that whole "experience" crap. Users use software. Hardware is just hardware.

And you do realize that if it wasn't for the iPod, Apple wouldn't be alive right?

I can't wait till that stubborn arrogant prick steps down, but that's another thread.

So if i want to use their OS I have to use their hardware, doesn't seem very fair at all.

You sound like my 10 yr. old, whining how unfair it is. Get over it dude, life isn't fair. You have a choice either buy Apple or not. And why under your name is the word "Banned"?

 

[Timepass]

You know the OP has a point Apple should allow OSX to be put on all computer at some point in time.

If apple keeps growing market share wise there is no way they are going to be able to keep up with demand. Growing to fast is just a deadly as not growing.

Should they do it soon. No. With in the next 5 year-10 years yeah I think they should. There is no way apple going to be able to put out enough computers to keep up with demand. Apple already is struggling to keep up with demand and time and time again it lags more than it should. At some point OSX is going to be released out to all x86 computers.

Right now it fine not to. but in the future they are going to need to at some point.

 

[dextertangocci]

I could configure a Dell notebook right now with the same specs as the base price MacBook Pro for about $300 cheaper. That's money that I could spend on a RAM upgrade or a larger hard drive.

AHA!!! Yes, you can get it for $300 cheaper, but do you get OSX????

NO!

And that is precisely why Apple doesn't make OSX available for pc's

And besides, how much thicker, and how much uglier is the dell than the MBP

 

[dextertangocci]

And why under your name is the word "Banned"?

He/she is temporarily banned for some reason. If he/she really doesn't like macs, why don't you just leave MR? Just because you sold your iMac, and you are now without a mac, you don't have to try and persuade people not to get macs, DevilsRejection

 

[tipdrill407]

You know the OP has a point Apple should allow OSX to be put on all computer at some point in time.

If apple keeps growing market share wise there is no way they are going to be able to keep up with demand. Growing to fast is just a deadly as not growing.

Should they do it soon. No. With in the next 5 year-10 years yeah I think they should. There is no way apple going to be able to put out enough computers to keep up with demand. Apple already is struggling to keep up with demand and time and time again it lags more than it should. At some point OSX is going to be released out to all x86 computers.

Right now it fine not to. but in the future they are going to need to at some point.

Apple is struggling with demand right now because they are in the midst of the PPC to intel transition (Even though most of their computers use Intel) Once Apple completes this transition, issues with demand should dissappear. And if there's demand any corporation would be smart enough to figure out a way to increase demand.

 

[Killyp]

Maybe they should remove the Devils part of his/her member name?

 

[keysersoze]

He/she is temporarily banned for some reason. If he/she really doesn't like macs, why don't you just leave MR? Just because you sold your iMac, and you are now without a mac, you don't have to try and persuade people not to get macs, DevilsRejection

Why'd he get banned? Why'd gnasher get banned too? Did they have it out on this thread?

 

[Rower_CPU]

Why'd he get banned? Why'd gnasher get banned too? Did they have it out on this thread?

The details of member's being banned are private, but needless to say both these members had some posts that broke forum rules.