Could this be the big cat that Steve Jobs lets out of the bag this year?
| by Joe Leo, Columnist | January 4, 2007 |
THE 'PURR'-FECT RUMOR: Could this be what Macworld 2007 brings? (Simulated graphic-- ©2006, J. Leo)
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The big question in all of this of course, is whether Apple would decide to finally give in and license their OS. They've never ever wanted to follow that model (the closest being the Mac clones of yesteryear, the PowerComputing machines and the UMAX ones) and have always wanted to keep the Mac OS tied solely to the Mac hardware platform.
So another scenario we propose--assuming that Cupertino doesn't want to give in completely, but still does make that announcement January 9th--is that in order to keep Mac OS X proprietary to the Mac platform, as they would probably keep in the back of their mind, Apple could make their operating system available in different forms.
Akin to Windows XP being available as a "home edition" or a "professional edition."
Using that as a backdrop, a "professional edition" form would be made available strictly for users of the Mac and that would come, of course, pre-installed on all Mac hardware. A "home edition" of Mac OS X for users of PC hardware (Sony, HP, Dell, etc.) would be available for them, and would be a stripped down version.
How good would that be for the user experience and marketing? We don't know. We're not qualified to say. But it seems to work as a business model for Microsoft, and has always been the level of business they've done in the past, in terms of versions of Windows sold.
By the same token, Apple themselves has a similar business model. As Mac users know, there is a consumer line of hardware, and a professional line of hardware as well. MacBook for the average Joe, and a MacBook Pro for the virtuoso (expert, pro user).
They even do it with their software suite. Consumers have iMovie HD or Final Cut Express HD, and professionals have Final Cut Pro 5. Consumers have iPhoto, professionals have Aperture. You get the picture. (Yes, pun intended!).
So how does Apple keep the Mac OS X Leopard, "professional edition" for Macs only, from being run on PC hardware? Well, the way it works now where Mac OS X in Universal Binary can't be simply installed natively on PC hardware since it's lacking a "hardware handshake" (and can only run unofficially on PC hardware with a hacking, where even at that, it doesn't run well).
That also brings in the question, speaking of software, of Apple's iLife suite which is at the heart of every Mac and what makes it the user's digital hub. Would that be made available to the PC hardware user and bundled with the Mac OS X "home edition for PCs only?" That could be another weapon under Cupertino's belt. If you want iLife, you have to buy an actual Mac. If you can live without it, fine.
See what happens when you talk about a rumor and start fanning the winds of the rumor mills? Or in this case, as we believe, started one here? All of this discussion is highly unlikely and we don't have any sources who told us this info. But as with any rumor, it's fun to play out and ponder. Don't you just love rumors?
And remember, a version of Mac OS X is already available for Windows-based PCs! What? Don't tell us you didn't know about it! It's called Vista! (Apple even poked fun at this thought at WWDC 2006 last year when their banners announced, "Mac OS X Leopard: Introducing Vista 2.0").
So will Microsoft cry foul if Apple starts selling Mac OS X for Mac or PC in the style of Windows, with a "home" edition for PC hardware and a "pro" full-featured edition for Mac hardware, in essence suing Apple for copying their marketing techniques?
Will Leopard's big secret pounce on the competition? Only time will tell, and we've got five days to wait before we see this cat's spots revealed. And if it doesn't, hey, wasn't this whole experience very thought-provoking and fun? ("Ack! Cough, cough!" hairball...!!).
SIDE STORY: N.Y. Times's Pogue: 'Microsoft did not steal ideas from Mac OS X'
"Review: Windows Vista" (December 15, 2006)-- Back in December, Apple pointed a link to the New York Times website where writer David Pogue reviewed Windows Vista for the newspaper. Well, it really isn't a journalistic review... it's a video which seems to be more of an opinion piece, geared more toward Mac fans to humor them. If you didn't get a chance to see it, you can click up there (hopefully the link will still be active when you do... it's hilarious!!)