[KLUG Advocacy] Apple using Intel chips ...

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> > "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).

I've got nothing big against current AMD processors in workstations;  in
workstations I don't think it matters.  I don't buy their
rock-em-sock-em performance claims, but everybody makes those.  But I
think it would be crazy to build an architecture around a small
questionably-stable company (small compared to Intel, Motorola, and
IBM).

> 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.

Agree.

> > "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?  ;-)

Nope.  I imagine he is pretty old by now, and broke. :)

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

Yep.

> 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.

I think they would loose their just-works niche.  Support ever device,
chipset, etc...  Seems like a mighty high goal for such a small company.

> 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).

I don't know, I think the portable device and what not is an easy market
to get run out of, competition is only now picking up for such things
(things that really challenge the ipod and the like).  Their platforms
gives them an ongoing market presence with some motivations for loyalty
- and a platform to integrate things like the ipod into.

> 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?

You bought a PowerPC box to run OS/X?  What difference does it make if
an Intel CPU is inside?

> 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.

Then the question is are you representative of the Mac target market.
My experience with Macites indicates not.  Techies they are not.

> > 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 ...

But they might be able to sell the unit for less and maintain the same
margin.

> > "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.

Sure, I don't see a reason that something like WINE wouldn't work.  But
it doesn't turn people into Macites, it makes them into people running M
$-Office on some wierd platform.  It is very easy for them to just go
back to using a Windows PC.

> > "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.

Possibly.  I think you need to offer something very compelling to get
people of off Windows.  Maybe this would work.    But the history of
things that tried to emulate windows and/or cohabitate ain't pretty.

> Especially if they can get some if the big boys, like Dell, to buy in
> and start offering a choice of OS-X & Windows.

Now that would make M$ sweat.