[KLUG Advocacy] Apple using Intel chips ...

[Bruce Smith]

> "Question 3: Where the heck is AMD?"
> 
> Hopefully, far far away.

I'm not as against AMD as you are; I've had decent luck with their newer
Athlon 32bit processors (much better than the early Athlons, IMO).

But if nothing else, AMD has to hang around to drive down Intel's
prices.  Without any competition, Intel would charge whatever they like,
and IMO that's a really BAD situation.

> "This is the biggest question of all, suggesting Steve Jobs has
> completely forgotten about Adam Osborne."
> 
> Cool, I'm not the only person to related this back to Mr. Osborne.

But have you ever been in a hot-tub with him?  ;-)

> a.) Apple needs to sell more computers (business 101)

Or more software.

I have taken a recent liking to OS-X, and if I could buy x86 OS-X and
install it on existing PC's of mine, I and/or my company would be
purchasing some copies.

IMO, Apple should forget about PC hardware sales (unless they merge with
Intel as Cringely predicts), and sell software (and IPOD's and that
kinda crap as long as people buy them).

OTOH, if I need to buy a Apple-only Intel PC to run the new OS-X, then I
don't get it.  What's the point of switching to Intel?

I would probably buy the Apple-only Intel PC's when I need a new PC, as
long as Linux runs fine on it, just to avoid the M$-tax and get an OS
that I find somewhat useful.  But that's not going to generate near as
much sales from me since my upgrades don't happen very often.  OTOH, if
I only had to buy the OS and use my old hardware, I could see some
immediate software purchases on my part.

> c.) To sell more computers you must..... make them cheaper!

And if Apple/Intel make a PC that only runs OS-X, then they get to set
their own prices, just like they are doing now.  And Apple hardware is
more expensive now ...

> "By the way, the new Apple OS for the Intel Architecture has a
> compatibility mode with Windows (I'm just guessing on this one)."
> 
> And this would be the dumbest thing Apple, Intel, or Apptel, could ever
> do.  M$-Office is a potent trojan.  They need to get people OFF
> Microsoft, and who makes all those crappy applications?  The OS is
> peanuts,  Office is the killer.

Unless he's talking about something like VMware, which would be much
easier on Intel hardware.

> "If Intel was able to own the Mac OS and make it available to all the
> OEMs, it could break the back of Microsoft"
> 
> Yeah, Ok.  How?  If Windows moved to the PowerPC everyone would be
> buying PowerPC boxes in droves.  It is about the applications.

If Apple started selling OS-X that would run on existing PC hardware
(with a reasonable HCL), and included some kind of VMware/Wine/...
package that ran Windows software in it's own chroot environment (that
can easily be trashed and restored), then people may seriously consider
buying OS-X instead of Windows when they upgrade OS's or buy a new PC.
Especially if they can get some if the big boys, like Dell, to buy in
and start offering a choice of OS-X & Windows.

 - BS