June 16, 2005 12:24 PM PDT
Dell founder thinks different about Apple
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The founder and chairman of the No. 1 computer maker told Fortune magazine that he would be interested in becoming a switcher of sorts if the opportunity ever came up.
"If Apple decides to open the Mac OS to others, we would be happy to offer it to our customers," Dell wrote in an e-mail.
It's a hypothetical reply to be sure, but Dell does relish the operating system diversity that his company provides. Dell ships its PCs exclusively with Microsoft Windows but does offer Red Hat Linux as well as Novell's Suse Linux and NetWare in servers and some systems. Dell made a halfhearted attempt to sell Linux laptops at one point but then pulled back after claiming there was no market.
Adding Apple Computer's Mac OS to its repertoire could give Dell's PC customers a more likely alternative to Windows.
An Apple representative declined to comment on the article. A Dell representative confirmed the e-mail but declined to say where Dell would install the OS--PCs, servers or both.
During Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference earlier this month, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced plans to ship Macs using Intel microprocessors by this time next year.
After Jobs' presentation, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller addressed the issue of running Windows on Macs, saying there are no plans to sell or support Windows on an Intel-based Mac. "That doesn't preclude someone from running it on a Mac. They probably will," he said. "We won't do anything to preclude that."
However, Schiller said the company does not plan to let people run Mac OS X on other computer makers' hardware. "We will not allow running Mac OS X on anything other than an Apple Mac," he said.
And though Apple is keeping its Mac OS in house, that doesn't prevent the company from opening up the licensing of its operating system to other PC manufacturers, as it did in the '80s and '90s with companies like Power Computing and Umax.
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Why Apple is not interested in making more money?
Allowing people to run and install Mac OS X on their computers or hawrdare will increase sales of OS X by 10000% as another (good) alternative to MS Windows.
PC market is desparate for another good OS,it will improve security,inovations and bring new technologies...all this equals MORE money.
But hey I am not CEO,so what do I know....
90's and it almost killed the company? You would think after
learning that lesson this wouldn't even come up again.
Look, at the WWDC keynote Steve said that there was a project
to port OS X to Intel since it was made. The reason was just in
case. My view is that if Apple hardware ever flopped, there last
ditch effort would be to become a software company like
Microsoft.
Problem is Apple hardware is selling great and will continue to
do so.
Xandros is extremely easy to install and use, it has the security windows users need. Running Windows apps is a breeze. It is a very small company but are picking up steam, The fact that Apple wants to control its users more then even Microsoft, is what keeps Apple from gaining its marketshare. It is sad that a open source company will be able to help keep Apple down. Even sadder is the fact that Apple does it to themselves more then any competitor ever could,
As a PC owner, I would purchase Apple hardware if it ran Windows and was about the same price!
Apple would have a massive marketing advantage - they would be smart NOT to license their OS to any other company!!!
Get a clue people. The computer, in all forms and OSes may be ubiquitous, but that doesn't mean people put them at the center of their lives.
even make a slightly diffrent version of OSX for DELL, HP &
SELECT MANUFACTURES.
Apple could require select manufactures to have a specific CPU
or video card for example, that only Apple/Intel manufactures or
some other way for the OS to check a piece of required hardware
or it will not work!
Then everyone else could have the security of Apple systems.
Maybe even allowing I-Life to only work on Macs or something
like that, then there would still be a reason to by a Mac version.
Many corporations would be willing to by a Dell with ANY
version of OSX over XP/Longhorn as long as their were business
apps available!
Hey maybe Apple will lanch a second version of OSX a month or
so before Longhorn ships! Now that would be interesting! By the
way, didn't Apple did say they'd never use Intel chips? Just a
thought!
much, because he basically just SELLS it.
He knows the Intel controls the chips that are in all his products.
He knows that the average consumer doens't know AMD from a
hole in the ground (Steve Jobs knows this too.) He knows that
Apple and Intel are thick right now, and that together, they have
more money than he does. (About 200 billion or so). They
also have real talent that can create products that he can't even
manage to copy when his techs have one in their hands to
dissasemble. (Seen many Dell DJs out there? I've never seen
one, whereas I can't cross the street with out runing into
someone with an iPod.)
What happens if Intel decides to JACK the prices of all their
chips, but gives apple a discount. (In some way that is legal, it
would NOT be hard.)
Intel makes about 82% of all PC chips. Wouldn't it be FUN to see
the PC world scrambling to find chips?
Wouldn't it be fun to see Apple have a new mac that was cheaper
than a PC (in such a way that was obvious to EVERYONE) and one
that runs windows as well as any PC, (to assuage any fear of the
unknown Mac OS). Consumer would no longer be afraid of Mac,
they could figure out on their own that it is indeed a far better
system. No longer would buying a Mac be an all or nothing
proposition.
What if Intel stopped selling to the rest of the PC market, just for
a quarter or two? Yeah, they would lose some money, but there
is NO WAY AMD et. al could make up the slack.
Apple marketshare could rise nearly as fast as the iPod did.
I am guessing that the big surprise is that Leopard runs windows
aps without requiring a copy of winodws, and in such a way that
they are not garishly ugly (nice look os OS X instead) and are not
a security nightmare (for instance, the OS warns you when
software was being installed, etc...) "Who knew it was that easy
to fix this mess?" would be the cry heard round the world.
It would not be that difficult for Apple to support the windows
APIs in a minimalist (ie. Microsoftian) way such that folks could
run their cruftware but they would want the Mac upgrades
instead of any PC ones, but they could still play games (that PC
is good for.) They already support all the Office code directly in
OS X such that any program can load word/excel docs.
Apple's move to Intel is a direct 'embrace and extend' move
directed squarely at M$. Intel is giddy as a school girl about
this (after having been shafted repeated by (who else) Microsoft.
(They treat everyone that way, Mac users however, know this
better than ANYONE.)
All you PCer's might want to start learning OS X now. If none of
you believe this, then that's GREAT actually, just keep on
sleeping, while M$ is resting on it's laurels, taking it's sweet time
coasting toward another delay of 'Longhorn'.
I love that story
won't be long before one won't even need to run windoze.
If the money presents itself, then why wouldnt they.
It would be another smart move on Jobs part, if he did. I would be first in line to get OSX for my PC. To hell with Windows and Bill Gates.
Finally, if you didn't realize, selling PCs (and that's what a MAC is) isn't as profitable as selling the operating system that runs on it b/c of the competition b/t pc hawkers. Apple would have to drop the price substantially if they want to gain market share.
Have fun, I did!
is NOW kissing Steve Jobs' ass after standing in his shadow for
many years.
WHAT A HYPOCRITE Mr. Dell!
Would you like a little Grey Poupon with your crow Micheal?
FACTS FROM CNET HISTORY about how Michael Dell REALLY
"thinks differently" about Steve Jobs & Apple Computer:
[ Dell: Apple should close shop
Published: October 6, 1997, 2:00 PM PDT
By Jai Singh
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
TrackBackPrintE-mailTalkBack
ORLANDO, Florida--When it comes to the state of Apple
Computer, everyone has an opinion.
And at the Gartner Symposium and ITxpo97 here today, the CEO
of competitor Dell Computer added his voice to the chorus when
asked what could be done to fix the Mac maker. His solution was
a drastic one.
"What would I do? I'd shut it down and give the money back to
the shareholders," Michael Dell said before a crowd of several
thousand IT executives.
Dell's comments follow Steve Jobs's keynote address at the
Seybold trade show last week in San Francisco, where the Apple
cofounder seemed to win over attendees with his explanation of
why he had made certain key decisions, killing the clone market
and aligning more closely with Microsoft. The Seybold crowd--
as well as some Apple employees--also seemed to be buoyed by
the increasing role Jobs has taken on at the company as board
member and interim CEO.
But others, like Dell, appear to think that Jobs's expanded role
isn't helping. There is some concern that Apple will have a hard
time recruiting a top-notch CEO because of Jobs's presence.
Others fear that Apple could end up completely in Microsoft's
camp by deciding to use the NT operating system on its servers.
Apple is reportedly planning to come out with network
computers that would require high-end servers to function.
While many industry executives have offered opinions on how to
right Apple's ship, no high-level executive has made as blatant a
comment as Dell's. ]
THINK DIFFERENT, THINK AGAIN MR. DELL!
- Apple on Intel - Bringing balance to the "PC Force"
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June 19, 2005 6:40 AM PDT
- Mac on Intel ? bringing balance to the ?PC Force?
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See all 109 Comments >>June 17, 2005
It?s pretty clear that the entire PC industry will have a tremendous opportunity to correct itself from two decades of monopolization.
For as long as Apple will not prevent anyone (as they have officially stated), including Microsoft and Dell, from installing Windows on any non-Apple machine; and if Apple would eventually license its PC industrial designs to other PC makers, in a few short years Apple?s potential to grow into a $30 billion-a-year and up company will suddenly become realistic. Here?s a combination of possible (evolving) scenarios:
First - imagine Bill Gates frothing at the opportunity to install Windows on every PC built by Apple. He?s always wanted Windows to be just like the Mac, ever since Windows 1.0. More than any time in its history, PC?s now will have the opportunity to look just as good as Apple hardware systems such as the Mac Mini, iMac, and PowerMac. Millions of PC users would pay to have their familiar Windows OS running on PC?s that equal the beauty and industrial design that they find only on current Macs.
Second - Dell would quickly follow and would love to be one of the first recipients of Apple?s OSX. Even if they don?t license Apple?s industrial design, they could still install OSX on their current PC designs and maintain themselves as the biggest PC seller. Dell?s build-to-order model easily defeats the retail store model of the Apple stores. Plus, their customer support departments would be freed from all the virus and malware troubles that inhabit Windows. This will also lessen their lone dependence on Microsoft for operating systems.
While huge gains in the sales of more P4?s or Itanium?s are not the main motive of Intel, Apple represents a free channel for innovations that may have been previously limited by Microsoft or Dell. In a few short months, Intel could drive modern innovations for their processors and chipsets. And if they could help grow the Mac market share, they?ll definitely create a legitimate alternative to Microsoft. Interestingly, will Intel customize a smaller chip, by removing all legacy-supported transistor code for DOS, Windows 3.1 ? Win98? OSX won?t need it and it might allow Intel to produce smaller and lower watt-consumption chips. Intel could produce more chips per silicon wafer, hike up the speed and make a lot more money than the regular output than the current Pentium margins.
What about the software developers? They will naturally follow the Windows market. And once OSX tools become mainstream, with the demand for iLife and iTunes, they will not represent an obstacle to Apple?s adoption of Intel. It?s no wonder that the biggest software application developers, MS and Adobe, have already signed on.
Like it or not, the major PC vendors will get involved in the Apple-Intel partnership. But this time around, the entire PC industry will have the opportunity to correct itself from its current monopoly.
As good as Apple designs PC?s, as Steve Jobs stated, the heart and soul of the Mac is OSX. By themselves (with the new Intel chips), Apple?s current 2005 projected sales of four to five million Macs, about $14B worth, could easily double within the next two years. The combined efforts of Intel, Microsoft and Dell could double that within the same time frame, and usher Apple into their very exclusive club. But this time, the chance for PC industry parity among suppliers and customers might finally arise.
What a difference, Intel inside Apple, makes. Competition arises, and instead of MS, Intel and Dell ruling the PC industry, consumers finally get to dictate who wins.