Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software
Why Boot Camp doesn't mean the end of software for Macs
Several
readers in the comments to my earlier post are already proclaiming that the sky is indeed falling, predicting that Boot
Camp means that Adobe and every other Software manufacturer out there will stop "porting" their products to
OS X. This will not happen for two very easy to see reasons:
- Not everyone will install XP on their Macs, and therefore there is still money to be made selling software for OS X.
- Software companies like making money.
Also, a dual-booting environment is not the ideal work place. There's a lot of lost productivity in shutting down OS X to switch over to Windows XP to run Photoshop. As is, software manufacturers have the chance to make *more* money selling to both platforms. I mean, there is an entire Macintosh division at Microsoft creating Office for the Mac (which is not a port but a fully native OS X build of their software). Why? Because they make money off of it.
People made these same dire predictions when RealPC and VirtualPC and all those other emulators came out. They made the same predictions during that odd time in the 90s when you could purchase a PC computer on a card that you shoved into your Mac to dual boot. It hasn't happened yet (in fact there is more Mac software than ever before today because of Apple's growing marketshare) and it isn't about to happen. As long as Apple is in a state of growth, there is more money to be made selling to Apple and software companies will continue to do so.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Johnny Rotten said 2:37PM on 4-05-2006
I was thinking we could do about 5 more posts on Boot Camp today. That wouldn't be ridiculous at all, no.
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Bob Weitz said 2:44PM on 4-05-2006
I have no problem with the Macs expanded set of options...but the name!!!!??? Boot camp makes a lot of sence to nerds and geeks, but the name itself is quite controversial and militaristic. How did this one slip by Apples marketing department when Boot Camps are currently developing very sinister reputations and with a particular boot camp in Florida that is under investigation for killing a new resident?
Try naming it after a local fruit.
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Douglas F Shearer said 2:45PM on 4-05-2006
How many posts do we need on this?
Seriously though, great to see Apple supporting their customers and giving them what the want, makes a change!
When you think about it though, it's a little contrasting to their very closed iPod and iTunes setup!
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Ben said 2:53PM on 4-05-2006
Boot camp is promising for mac sales, market share and software development in this. People that have to use windows can now buy a mac, which will in all likelyhood significantly increase the amount of people willing to buy a mac. Which will increase the OS X install base. Thus if developers prefer the ease of developing on OS X as opposed to windows they will now have that option because people will have both operating systems installed. This opens the door for a battle between the two system everyday when you turn your computer on. OS X or XP hmmmmm..
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Chris said 2:57PM on 4-05-2006
Amen doug!
There was much love between me and the iTMS..that is until I wanted to listen to ****MY**** music on my XBOX 360.
I'm down with DRM, but it needs to be flexible enough to work universally. That's why I like the idea of the open source DRM that's floating around. No royalties, universal access.
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GOD said 3:00PM on 4-05-2006
9 of the last 10 posts have been about Boot camp! It's big news, but there most be something else going on today.
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tmkates said 3:03PM on 4-05-2006
Have No fear!
All one needs to do is look at the post right below this- The BSOD is evendence that Macs will not be taken over by The plague known as "Windows."
The windows function will be utilized by people who have banished their PCs to die in the basement but still want something to play Games on.
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Rob Knight said 3:05PM on 4-05-2006
Anyone wishing to give up the OSX experience for Windows XP doesn't own a Mac or hasn't had one long enough.
I don't mean to be bold, but seriously, if you actually use OSX long enough to get used to it, you will absolutely not wish to run Windows for any longer than absolutely required.
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Hank Cazorp said 3:32PM on 4-05-2006
The security implications are interesting. The HFS partition is going to be visible to XP. Granted, XP out of the box can't access an HFS volume but if the only thing preventing that is software, what's to stop a Win32 trojan from modifying system files on an HFS partition during a Windows session?
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Richard said 3:36PM on 4-05-2006
Well, I've been running Macs since 2001, and I still run Windows machines and like it. I have yet to see a Mac that can run World of Warcraft like any PC of equal and sometimes lesser price, and no Mac in the world can run Visual Studio 2005 which is how I make a living.
The ability to dual boot my Intel iMac is a big relief. Less clutter, fewer cables, a cleaner work environment. I just can't fit two computers comfortably in my office.
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Aebhric Coleman said 3:37PM on 4-05-2006
Can I throw a hypothetical spanner into the soup?
Seeing that Disney just bought Pixar, all in the name of corporate competitiveness, etc (i.e to make more money).
What if Microsoft now tried to buy Apple? Where would we be then?
Aside from the moral arguments (how could Apple possibly sell their soul, etc - though the argument is seriously being eroded already by Apple "allowing" a Microsoft OS run natively on a Mac), what could be the economic arguments against this? What if Microsoft's bid was hostile, which is currently happening in the case of a major pharmaceutical company in Europe (Germany).
God hopes it never happens, but whaddya think?
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Derek said 4:13PM on 4-05-2006
I make a conscious decision to use Macs cause of the user interface workflow. I can't survive without Expos?nymore. I love the way the hardware works, obviously. People are kidding themselves that anyone chooses Macs cause they are in graphics arts or crazy fanatics.
This is just a precursor to Darwine.
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dmarsee said 4:24PM on 4-05-2006
Actually on-topic:
Yes, you have a point, C.K., BUT many companies are also stupid. I can just as easily see some CFO oversimplify the situation and say that they could cut development costs in HALF if they only had ONE OS to develop for. Companies like making more money, but they like spending less money almost as much!
Yes, any sane person would know that if we own a Mac, we'd prefer the Mac version of a product... but look at the game develpoment world. In one fell swoop, they just got all the cutting-edge Mac users as potential customers, and they didn't even have to raise a finger! What makes you think they'll go through any effort at all to develop for the Mac now?!
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Michel said 4:24PM on 4-05-2006
#2
I think that the name is appropriate, as apple has promoted a computer environment opposite to Big Brother as depicted in the 1984 commercial. Boot camp implies the other option that users now have, Apple or "Big Brother"
That is the way I interpret it.
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Herman Idzerda said 4:27PM on 4-05-2006
No problem at all! As a recent switcher I had a Mac and Windows PC together on the same workplace before. After unhappily working together I chipped the DOSbox outof the window(s) I am now Mac ONLY. Sure sometimes I miss some of the Win tools.
Indeed I think it is a brilliant step: remember it is a dual *BOOT* set-up so you cannot use Windows and Mac OS X together. Nobody will invest a lot of effort in making Windows XP running TOGETHER with OS X after Bootcamp's release. In the end every Bootcamp user will not bother using XP anymore and Mac OS X will have won the day...
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Jon said 4:37PM on 4-05-2006
CK:"in fact there is more Mac software than ever before today because of Apple's growing marketshare"
CK, do you just pull the things you say out of your a--. That is simply not true at all. The Mac marketshare today is smaller than it was for most of the '90's, including the late 90's. Go look it up. The number of Macs sold may be higher --- but there are more computers sold total. It is hard to take your analysis seriously when you get things like this dead wrong.
YOU SHOULD ISSUE A CORRECTION (and not just a lame hidden one but acknowledge it).
Moreover, there are going to be plenty of companies that need Photoshop now, and want to upgrade to Intel Macs, who will dual boot and use Photoshop for Windows -- they will then get used to it and probably will not pay to then get an OS X version when the new version comes out but just pay an upgrade fee for the Windoze version.
Also, of course, software companies want to make money. But do you have ANY DOUBT that there are some companies who yesterday were considering ports to OS X, but who just decided that the costs of doing so would outweigh the benefits because they can just sell the same software to OS X users who dual boot??
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Blue Balloon said 4:53PM on 4-05-2006
who care? Photoshop running great on Mac
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Big Al said 6:04PM on 4-05-2006
Market share may be lower than in the mid 90's but the installed base of Mac users is 3 to 5 times larger than it was in the mid 90's. Even a 'moron in a hurry' can see that a 3 to 5 times installed base means 3 to 5 times more potential software customers.
Besides ported software is crap anyway. I would rather run a Windows version in an emulator safely hidden from infection.
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SubGenius said 6:24PM on 4-05-2006
@Jon
"The number of Macs sold may be higher --- but there are more computers sold total."
This is true but every cash register sold counts as another Windows PC sold.
There are millions of "cash registers" sold every year that will never buy a single piece of software.
Of computers that are actually sold to consumers, Apple has had a significant increase in marketshare over the late 90s.
The other thing you are forgetting about is DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS, DEVELOPERS!
Yes SOME companies are going to decide to not to port software to the Mac. But the developers at those same companies are going to go home and buy a MAC. Guess what they will be doing in their free time? DEVELOPING, DEVELOPING, DEVELOPING! DEVELOPING, DEVELOPING, DEVELOPING! Guess which OS they will be doing it for?
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dr.zoiberg said 11:10PM on 4-05-2006
It makes sense. People had already cracked the system so that they could boot Windows, so it's good for Apple to simply make this feature it officially available. Remember they make more money with hardware than with software.
It's also a clear attack to the Wintel market: this is going to bring a lot of switchers, in times that see Microsoft struggling with delays on Vista.
Good job, Steve!
Now bring the new iBooks.
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