[NTLUG:Discuss] Mac v. Linux

[Kevin Brannen]

Burton Strauss wrote:

>...
>
>Besides, I think you are also wrong on how much commodity hardware will
>creep in.  It's just not cost effective to design a new bus and then new
>North/South bridge chips.  So it's still going to be SATA and USB and PCI
>and DDR.   So while there may be a custom boot rom (BIOS), at some point
>it's going to load x86 code.
>
>My bet?  If you want to run windows on the ApplePC, go ahead.  They'll tell
>you it's not supported, but it will probably work...  And if you can boot
>Windows, you can boot Linux.
>
>So now you're back at the question of why anyone would pay the Apple Tax for
>commodity hardware.  And whether you want to pay for an OS to get support or
>roll your own.
>  
>
...

I don't have the URL handy (but see the SlashDot story for it), but you 
need to go read the one that talks about Jobs' keynote announcing this 
move.  At the end, there is a paragraph from a Sr. VP who addresses 
this.  The hardware isn't changing so that OS-X runs on commodity 
hardware.  What they is just getting a new CPU, like when they changed 
from the 68K to the PPC.  He said they will not be selling just the OS 
for commodity hardware.  So no new buses, support chips, ROMs, etc.

Now, that may change after awhile, which may be what you're alluding to, 
but at this time, they say that isn't going to happen.

Given that, I don't think much will change in the world.  IF Apple 
lowers their cost to more directly compete with MS, then they will 
increase their market share.  Hopefully, Linux will take the challenge 
and make their desktop better.  Then IF both of those things happen, MS 
should lose some market share and start having some real competition, 
which will be good for everyone.

Kevin