As you probably know, Apple has gone a little patent-crazy in recent years, and there's now a whole cottage industry of sites that make a regular practice of sifting through the tea leaves of Apple's patents looking for clues about the company's plans. And the latest bit of prognostication is pretty intriguing. Apparently, Apple has filed a patent on the idea of
running multiple operating systems simultaneously on a single box. The patent-watchers have seized on this as proof that the company is planning to make the upcoming
Intel-powered Macs capable of running both OSX and Windows simultaneously. There's no question this would be a killer box for Mac fans who also need to run an occasional Windows app, or Windows users who want to check out OSX. The real question, at least in my mind, is who this would help most in the long term. On the one hand, it could expose Windows users to the Mac world, where Apple could tempt them to stay with apps like iPhoto and iMovie. On the other, of course, Mac users would see how many apps are Windows-only, and could end up leaving the fold for good. However, if Apple is going to risk something like this, now may be the best time to do it, with revenue at record levels and iPod income providing something of a cushion if Mac users do start to defect.
Tags: hardware, osupdates
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Comments
9
Subscribe to commentsKyleNov 10th 2005 10:55AM
The only thing I use my PC for is games. I do everything else on my iBook. I am looking forward to ditching my PC.
emily.Nov 10th 2005 12:55PM
Mac users already know how many apps are Windows-only. If that's anyone's issue, they've defected already.
The point is if you get one of these machines *it no longer matters* if the software is for Windows or Mac. You can run everything on your computer. My only hesitation would be that suddenly you can run all the spyware and viruses too.
Dave M.Nov 10th 2005 12:55PM
The only real question I have is if they indeed do a OS X/Windows system, will the system be vulnerable to Windows viruses, Spyware/Adware, worms, and rootkits like Windows only systems are?
metNov 10th 2005 3:06PM
I guess Windows on Mac will be 'broken' accidentally' too a couple of times in the future :)
Now that would be getting even, wouldn't it?
Tushar DayalNov 10th 2005 4:34PM
The spyware would only effect the OSX portion of your dual-boot system if the spyware was written for OSX! Spyware written for windows would only effect windows, spyware written for OSX would only effect OSX since the way the operating system, file structure, and even different harddrive formatting is completely different from windows.
It's like having TWO different machines run on a single set of hardware. They are pretty much independent of each other.
David WerjefeltNov 10th 2005 6:16PM
Is it? How would boot sector viruses affect this?
MikeNov 11th 2005 5:07AM
Let's not forget that Apple has been, traditionally, a hardware company. If Windows people buy Apple/Intel to run OS X or Windows, Apple makes money on the deal. If Mac people buy them then switch to Windows, Apple still makes money on the deal. Don't forget: the plan is to make OS X run only on Apple's hardware, but to let Apple's hardware run any OS (Apple has specifically mentioned Windows, but I don't see why *nix can't run as well). Clearly, Apple again has its eye on hardware sales.
squid729Nov 11th 2005 11:08AM
if average consumers end up with systems that would dual boot mac/windows then they win. sure i can do that now with windows/linux but only tech-savvy need apply. and apple stands to gain considerably more than they could lose, i mean potentially every new pc buyer could consider buying a multi os machine, and why not if added cost is reasonable enough.
David WerjefeltNov 13th 2005 8:52AM
Is it? How would boot sector viruses affect this?