Will the Apple brand suffer by allowing installation of Windows?

[Lars Petersen]

Hello all,

What are your thoughts about the Apple brand itself after the switch to Intel.

I see Apple as being the PC’s Bang & Olufsen. They have created something special where price isn’t as important as design and features. The people that buy Apple PC’s know that they are buying something different, something that stands out in every way.

They force people who want to have an Apple PC in their offices and living rooms to use their own operating system Mac OS X. I see MAC OS X as the only serious alternative to MS Windows for every day people.

This have placed them self in a unique position where everything really is something else, something unique, something you can have only by purchasing an Apple PC.

I’m afraid that they are actually risking their unique position in this market by choosing the path everyone else is following.

If there was Bang & Olufsen in every second home, they would loose the unique position they have today. They have to keep being expensive. They have to keep the special quality and design. They have to keep standing out from the masses.

I think the same goes for Apple, if Apple becomes everyone’s PC. I would probably look elsewhere for that new special brand that stands out from the rest and makes the owners feel like they have bought something special and unique. Something that people would admire and maybe even envy when they come to visit.

Lars

 

[kgarner]

Your forgetting that the iPod is everyone's MP3 player. And that hasn't tarnished Apple's image at all. Sure it might not be "special" to be a Mac user if everyone else was too. But I don't use Macs to be special. I use Macs because I value the experience that Macs provide over the alternatives.

 

[yankeefan24]

Your forgetting that the iPod is everyone's MP3 player. And that hasn't tarnished Apple's image at all. Sure it might not be "special" to be a Mac user if everyone else was too. But I don't use Macs to be special. I use Macs because I value the experience that Macs provide over the alternatives.

exactly. i don't care about the exclusivity of a mac. I love the OS and design.

I don't think this will ruin the apple brand at all. All this will do is increase sales (with switchers) and bring dell into chapter 11

 

[treblah]

I think the same goes for Apple, if Apple becomes everyone’s PC. I would probably look elsewhere for that new special brand that stands out from the rest and makes the owners feel like they have bought something special and unique. Something that people would admire and maybe even envy when they come to visit.

Wow. Because I don't want to get banned I'll just say...

You are the epitome of what is wrong with Apple users.

 

[millypede]

I await from Apple
a) A patch 'or' upgrade to stop this from working.
b) Law suit
c) Some other crafty thing from Apple Legal, they will find a way, they always do.

 

[Mike Teezie]

Wow. Because I don't want to get banned I'll just say...

You are the epitome of what is wrong with Apple users.

I don't understand why.

 

[emaja]

I await from Apple
a) A patch 'or' upgrade to stop this from working.
b) Law suit
c) Some other crafty thing from Apple Legal, they will find a way, they always do.

Why? What would Apple care? Someone still bought and paid for a Mac and therefore the OS, so they made their money. There are plenty of people running Linux on their Macs and Apple hasn't done anything about that.

There is precious little that Apple could do about people who already bought their Intel Macs from installing Windows on it. I suppose they could do a firmware update, but if you know enought to install this "Windows on a Mac" solution, you should know enough not to do a firmware update unless you know exactly what it could do to your system.

I agree that this could be a sticky situation for Apple, but I have faith that they will negotiate this in the best way for their business and the Mac faithful.

 

[p0intblank]

I don't really see this affecting Apple much at all, if any. As of right now, the ability to install Windows on a Mac is simply an option. Actually, I take back it being "simply" an option. As far as I know, the typical user cannot just insert the Windows XP disc and install right off the bat. This kind of install process requires multiple steps. Will it get simpler? Most likely, yes. But my point will still stand a year from now: it is only an option. It's not like Microsoft is officially selling Windows for the Mac.

So no, the Apple brand will not suffer in my opinion.