...don't even ignore 'em.
-- Samuel Goldwyn

Monday, September 17, 2007

YO, APPLE. WANT MARKET SHARE? HOW ABOUT OSX FOR PCs?

Hobbyists and hackers have done it already, many times since Apple introduced its Intel-based Macs, which can run Windows. And I couldn't be the only person who made the mental connection when I saw this article on nytimes.com, which posits that Apple's missing out on an opportunity to eat Microsoft's lunch after Redmond released the less than extraordinary Vista OS. The NYT article suggests Apple ought to be loosening up and signing more retail chains to sell Macs. I say, a much better idea would be to offer MacOS as a download to PC owners. What better way to get in front of millions of frustrated PC users? I'm sure, Apple guys, you could come up with a properly profitable price to charge us for the privilege. But you'd be smart to make it cheap enough to be irresistible. It'd be a lot easier, too, to sell CDs of MacOS off racks than take orders for Mac hardware through Best Buy or whoever. Heck, you could sell CDs at Costco. The frustrated PC users would get used to MacOS, fall in love, and when they were ready to buy a new computer, what would they do? Buy a Mac, of course. I know this would be hard to sell Steve on -- it's against the purist Mac religion. But, gee, aren't you tired of having a three percent marketshare, no matter how big a deal the iPod is? I'd love to have Jaguar, or even the version before that, on my Sony Dual Core VAIO. Just say you'll think about it, OK?

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