Dell Would Sell OS X

We're talking Clones, here, people. CLONES. Do we not remember Umax? Are the lessons of the past to be forgotten? Part of Apple's appeal, part of the reason people WANT to pay more for anything with an Apple on it is branding. Diluting the brand may make sense to consumers (price points, availability, support) in the long run it'll just muck it all up. Bad business models, lowering profits (which ultimately drive Apple and Jobsie) and, as everyone's noted, rising pressure to include support for more devices, which means more aptches, more code and a move into bloatware.bits and

Screw Dell. Apple is about innovation and creativity. Dell doesn't have a creative bone in their body. Why let them reap the benefits?

Why should Apple want to give up all those lucrative hardware sales? Afterall, just selling software isn't very profitable, just ask Microsoft...

I would encourage Apple to strike a deal with Dell simply for the fact that Dell is so strong in business and government sales. Apple is not strong in these markets, and corporate America is interested in security yet distrusts Apple. Apple could work with Dell to ensure that only approved PC configurations would work with OS X and Dell would be the company offering to sell the machines dual boot with OS X and Legacy Windows. Dell is not really a competitor of Apple's except for in educational markets. A deal like this would only greatly improve Apple's chances of punching out more marketshare. Think about this in terms of the VHS vs. Beta war. There were plenty of consumers willing to buy VCRs from Sony - because of its quality - but didn't buy from Sony because Beta did not have the marketshare that VHS did. Had Sony licensed Beta off to more companies, the perceived platform strength of Beta would've contributed to even more sales for Sony. People knee-jerkingly shouting that clone licensing will kill Apple based upon history do not know what they are talking about. The Mac clones hurt Apple because none of the companies were strong players...they poached Apple customers by lower prices (and sometimes better machines) without growing the market by attracting non-Apple fans. Dell would not be a repeat of this, and nor would HP. Sony maybe...it depends on how many Sony-philes there are that aren't Apple fans already. Hell, licensing OS X off the Lenovo/IBM wouldn't be a bad idea either since Apple does not have the strength or apparent desire to punch into the Chinese and Indian markets, which is a near-future necessity. Thus, from my perspective, if I were Apple/Steve Jobs, I'd license Mac approved machines for Dell and HP for CORPORATE & GOVERNMENT sales (and then possibly consumer sales a year later), Lenovo/IBM for non-Japan Asian markets, and Alienware and Falcon Northwest to attract the hardcore gamers to the OS X platform. The Mac OS X platform would greatly improve, yet it wouldn't be privy to an avalanche of "whitebox" clones destroying Apple profits. Besides, the DMCA is there ready to obliterate any company trying to hack OS X to run on their whitebox PCs.

I hope Jobs is smart enough to stay away from that market. They are more concerned with sales and money, where Apple is more concerned with support. I already don't like the fact that they switched to Intel chips, but the more they get into the PC market, the less Apple will keep their loyal customers. Another factor is that if they more more towards the PC market with their software, the more prone OSX will be to viruses.

The way I see it, there are two implications if they were to port OS X to the PC platform: 1) Apple erodes away some of it's exclusivity and upsets Mac loyalists 2) Makes some gains in market share and its installed base That being said, look at Apple since Steve Jobs returned to the company all these years ago: Apple is no longer strictly a computer company. It's a big, fashionable design shop that happens to be in the computer industry. This isn't a bad thing, as it's been the big reason of the resurgance of the Apple brand, their good financial results, and their popularity with just about everyone carrying an iPod. If you ask me, Apple should reorganise into two basic divisions based on their core competencies, much like Porsche has: One that is basically the software division and one that is a design shop. With regards to the manufacturing, Apple could still choose the components they want, but then farm out the actual production of the computers, much like they have with the iPod. This way, PC users can utilise one of the best, if not THE best, Operating Systems currently available, while the hard-core fans can still enjoy great designs and Apple-chosen hardware. Everyone wins.

Just by the way, (To the guy who said "it will literally take a generation to rival the two button mouse OS'S.") Plug in any 2 button mouse with a scroll wheel into a Mac with OS X and it will work, the little menu that pops up when you right click, the scrolling, you name it, (like it came with it, I do not know why they don't advertise it, but you can control click to get the same results). You can even buy one that looks like the white pro mouse here http://www.dvforge.com/themouse.shtml

These sound like all the same old tired arguments, "my kungfu is better than your kungfu" If Apple does everything correctly from here on out, it will litterally take a generation to rival the two button mouse OS'S. Why? Virtually(Iknow it is an overused word)EVERYONE I know uses a wintel pc at work and at home, but most importantly... all of our children are growing up on them in a world where Mac's are non-existant(there's that pesky single digits market share thingy)The only thing that will lure them to a mac os is if it looks and feels like the one they've been using all thier life. BTW, linux got y'all beat!!!

Licensing OSX is not in the game plan despite many people arguing for it. It would not increase sales just cannibalize the existing sales as people buy from Dell and not Apple. Do people have such short memeories they have tried this before and it failed then and would fail now as everyone undercut Apple. Mac OSX and Intel chips big deal as long as they get the speed into the new powerbooks, then who bothered. You seem to forget Apple haven't been opening stores at the speed of light so Dell can sell cheap OSX boxes. It ain't gonna happen people.

Didn't I mention this in the past?! I think it would be a good move for the company in general. This would open up the market for Apple. I'm thinking Dell should offer a Dual booting system that would allow both Windows and OSX. Perhaps, a tri-booting system...Windows, OSX, and UNIX all on one machine! Wouldn't that be something?