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Seacrest Wrote:
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>
>
> That will provide an incentive for current Mac
> developers to continue to write Mac software or
> incentive to other developers who wish to get a
> leg up on those that don't.
>
> Also, the Mac OS has a bit of *prestige* that
> Windows lacks.
>
You're right...it all comes down to market share...this "Boot Camp" will give current Mac developers a window to a more massive marketshare but it will be a Windows market.
And if you think that there's a "prestige" factor that could also be turned around for Windows developers who can now say that their products are good enough to attract former Mac users.
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Harbourmaster Wrote:
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> If I don't already own a $150 copy of WinXP (and
> have it installed on my brand new IntelliMac) and
> a software maker told me to "just buy our Windows
> version to run on you Mac" I would tell them to
> F-off!
>
>
> Plus if this means that more folks buy Macs then
> as the market share grows there is more incentive
> for the developers to do a "Mac" version of there
> software. Sales numbers won't be able to show
> what OS is running on the hardware just how many
> there are!
>
> --
> Aloha, Ken
>
>
A. WinXP doesn't necessarily cost $150. You can get OEM versions on the cheap and there's already speculation that Apple might bundle WinXP with upcoming systems in order to tempt Windows users to buy the hardware.
B. As for developers telling you what to buy...well, Apple already does that to a certain extent.
C. People buying Macs that can run WinXP will use them to run their WinXP apps...as you said before, they won't take kindly to developers telling them what to buy.
I'm worried that there will be little to no incentive for Mac developers to continue to develop for the platform when they now have a potentially huge platform that they can go after. They can advertise themselves as, "We were good enough for the Mac platform, think of how good we can be for you Windows users!"
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IronMac Wrote:
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> A. WinXP doesn't necessarily cost $150. You can
> get OEM versions on the cheap and there's already
> speculation that Apple might bundle WinXP with
> upcoming systems in order to tempt Windows users
> to buy the hardware.
That would be freakish. The day that happens is the day I begin to prepare for the Apocalypse.
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It's the end of the (Mac) world as we know it!
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I think that this was smart move. That cat was already out of the bag. Eventually the nerd overlords would have made it more accessible to the masses to dual boot. Apple just figured it was time to show them how to do it right, and easy. This will get OS X into more households. When your XP installation blows up in your face, what are you going to use to download a patch or search for a solution? OS X. Will you even bother to search for a solution? Most people will just switch to OS X and be done with XP. They already write off their computers ever 1-2 years as it is. Most people just accept that this is how it is. Eventually people will just abandon XP because it requires way too much work compared to OS X. The concern about developers is a valid concern though. If Apple times it just right they'll hit a teetering point where OS X hit s critical mass, XP starts to crumble, users start to switch, and though Windows looks tempting, it won't look AS tempting then because OS X will be in lots more households.
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It's the ultimate Trojan Horse.
Curious people will buy Intel-based Macs to get a taste of Mac OS X and keep running Windows. I think it'll take only a couple of boot-ups into Mac OS X for many to realize what an insulting POS Windows is, and they'll spend more and more time in Mac OS X and demand more and more Mac-native apps to run there.
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OS X didn't just suddenly lose its value or appeal just because the hardware can now boot another OS.
If XP was a superior OS, then there would be reason to worry, but people buy Macs for the OS and the superior overall user experience. That market still needs to be satiated.
Now that most of the barriers have been improved, it opens up an additional segment that may be curious about OS X but still need to run Windows. They now have insurance that their money won't be wasted even if OS X may not work out for them.
I have a feeling that another shoe will drop when 10.5 is revealed. Full virtualization and/or full compatibility with NTFS to allow easy document sharing, but not bundled Windows. People will still have to procure their own copies, which will make Microsoft happy.
Funny how none of the rumor sites picked up on this. The crackdown on leaks must be working.
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You guys are missing the point.
The risk is not that folks won't buy Macs or like OS X.
The risk is that a software house that currently develops both will stop development of the OS X version of their software because they don't need to spend all the development costs to get a version that will run on Mac OS X, and we'll be forced to buy Windows to run on our Macs if we want their titles. And these are big titles.
It's not what the consumer will do. It is the software developers abandoning dual platform development.
And if you think that OS X is just so danged elegant that this won't happen, you don't understnad the economics of the software house. We're back to Betamax.
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Which big titles?
I can see how it might occur with specialized applications, small companies, or in Mac gaming, which has been on life support for many years anyway.
Any large company that goes down that path probably isn't that devoted to the Mac anyway, and doesn't deserve the support of Mac users.
