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OS X For x86, Here's How
- Thread starter rice_web
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This is exactly right...
To the idea of a crippled $49 x86 OS X demo, I ask, "why?" Why why why why why?
It wouldn't win any new converts. It would only piss people off. Lots of people. Like, ALL current Mac users with investments in the PowerPC platform. And ALL Windows users who like OS X and want to try it but "DAMN APPLE WHY DID YOU HAVE TO CRIPPLE IT YOU $&#@*&#*!!!!!!!!"
I know this $49 OS X is only a demo, but most people aren't going to buy a Mac anyway, and those that are considering it are already considering to go to an Apple Store and just use an actual Mac. Most PC users don't even know what an OS is, much less want to shell out $49 to switch their current OS to OS X so that it can do much less than it already does in an unfamiliar manner.
It sounds like a lot of grief for Apple for no reason.
Alex
One thing that you seem to be doing, is give Windows users too little credit. Their are many Windows users that are starting to understand the computer world, even in small terms of most Mac, PC and Linux junkies. Peterjhill, that idea that you posted about bundling a demo with a PC magazine is much closer to what I was intending, but still not quite. Maybe if they could bundle it with magazines, AND sell a retail copy for $20 (I'll make a concession and lower it to $20), it could be a hit.
Yes, Steve Jobs is fanatical with his ideology. Only recently has he broken away from his famous product grid--it should have happened a long time ago. The point is, consumers aren't confused by mutliple product lines. Once again, everybody gives too little credit to computer users, especially Mac users. Mac users most definitely are not going to be confused about the eMac versus iMac; the iMac has a cool swivel flat-panel display that is easy to differentiate upon.
Why on earth would it anger PC users? They'd still have a version of OpenOffice to work on office files, a web browser to surf the internet, an e-mail client to check their e-mail, iTunes to listen to music and burn CDs, and iPhoto to manage digital shoe boxes. All of these things could be saved to the hard drive, but the OS would be condensed on to the CD, to allow the user to merely put in the CD when wanting to run OS X. They'd spend their $20 for this demo at EB and put the CD in, and suddenly, they are immersed into an Aquafied demo. An autorun screen would pop-up with a button to restart the computer to load the demo, and upon restart, OS X for x86 would load. This version of OS X would be full of pop-up messages that describe what the full version of OS X is like, telling the user that the full package is available at Apple.com or at the nearest Apple store.
This COULD WORK.
Yes, Steve Jobs is fanatical with his ideology. Only recently has he broken away from his famous product grid--it should have happened a long time ago. The point is, consumers aren't confused by mutliple product lines. Once again, everybody gives too little credit to computer users, especially Mac users. Mac users most definitely are not going to be confused about the eMac versus iMac; the iMac has a cool swivel flat-panel display that is easy to differentiate upon.
Why on earth would it anger PC users? They'd still have a version of OpenOffice to work on office files, a web browser to surf the internet, an e-mail client to check their e-mail, iTunes to listen to music and burn CDs, and iPhoto to manage digital shoe boxes. All of these things could be saved to the hard drive, but the OS would be condensed on to the CD, to allow the user to merely put in the CD when wanting to run OS X. They'd spend their $20 for this demo at EB and put the CD in, and suddenly, they are immersed into an Aquafied demo. An autorun screen would pop-up with a button to restart the computer to load the demo, and upon restart, OS X for x86 would load. This version of OS X would be full of pop-up messages that describe what the full version of OS X is like, telling the user that the full package is available at Apple.com or at the nearest Apple store.
This COULD WORK.
I think you give computer users too much credit.
I bet you well-over 50% of all computer users don't know the difference between RAM and Hard Drive storage. In fact, I'm being conservative. The number is probably closer to 90%.
As for the multiple product lines. Were you around pre-Jobs? do you know how many Mac product lines/models there were? I couldn't keep track of them... seriously.
There are a few things I think you are ignoring or missing... and I think this is being driven by your personal desire for a stripped down OS X to run on your machines... but you seem to be ignoring the massive resources required to port and test an OS on another platform.
Based on what you are saying... if you want just a demo? Why not simply an OS X demo application that you launch under Windows?
This would take _FAR_ less resources, and would accomplish the same task.
I ask you - post this idea to
http://arstechnica.infopop.net/OpenTopic/page?a=frm&s=50009562&f=48409524
Arstechnica's battlefront and see what people think.
arn
Okay, we'll make it run under Windows, and we'll emulate Aqua. That would be simple enough, and--as you said--take far less time to test and port. It could merely run full screen.
Users could still work with their Office files, iTunes, and iPhoto and save their changes, but it would be very stripped down in most every aspect. The more it becomes stripped down and less usable as an operating system, the more it can become a free disc that they can give away in magazines and in people's mail boxes.
90% wouldn't know the difference between RAM and hard disk space? That's probably correct, give or take a little. Many users are starting to understand that their are two different items, but have no term for either--and just call both RAM.
Users could still work with their Office files, iTunes, and iPhoto and save their changes, but it would be very stripped down in most every aspect. The more it becomes stripped down and less usable as an operating system, the more it can become a free disc that they can give away in magazines and in people's mail boxes.
90% wouldn't know the difference between RAM and hard disk space? That's probably correct, give or take a little. Many users are starting to understand that their are two different items, but have no term for either--and just call both RAM.
Sophisticated Mac users (most people who read Macrumors) won't be confused about anything. It doesn't matter to them how many product lines Apple has. But to the rest of the computer user population, a clear and straightforward product line is a necessity. The difference between the eMac and iMac DOES confuse normal people enough already. "What's the e and i for? How come this one is all fat, and this one is all small?"
It would anger them because here's this great OS they can use, but it's only a demo, and if they want the full version, they have to buy an expensive Mac which they can't afford. It would be like dangling a piece of candy just out of a toddler's reach. And the resulting screaming would be no quieter.
What would prevent geeks from ripping the CD to their hard drive, getting an HFS+ driver working in Linux (if the CD isn't ISO9660), and using a customized Darwin to get OS X running outside that constrained environment? If this ever happened, it would immediately spread across the world via P2P networks and would be an utter disaster for Apple. Maybe even the ultimate disaster.
I think your idea (which you mentioned in your next post) of merely running a GUI "tour" on top of Windows would be much better. Although I still don't really see the point, given that people can just drop down to their local Apple Store and get a much more accurate view of what the Mac is really like by simply using one, and given that the Mac experience - the thing that's supposed to be luring PC users to the Mac - is not just the iApps but the combination of hardware and software that would not be possible to recreate by a tour running on top of Windows.
Alex