>
> ...
>
> OS X Sells for $99 whereas a winXp upgrade sells for upgrade for $249.
>
> ...
>
> OS X comes With all the 'Nix goodness, XWindows, + Java, Perl, PHP,
> Apache, etc.
>
> What would be the acceptance if Apple released OS X Tiger on Intel,
> Solaris, etc. Say 1Q 2005?
>
> Could Apple grab the Linux/Unix desktop?
>
> Could Apple make a dent in the windows desktop?
>
> Is this the time and place?
>
> Should they?
Apple would never do this, because they're a hardware company, not a
software company. They sell an experience, rather than a commodity. To
deliver that experience, they need to control the hardware.
OS X sells for less than Windows XP because of this. Apple makes their money
selling G4s and G5s; OS X upgrade sales are just icing on the cake.
If they were, theoretically, going to do this, they'd have to partner with a
hardware vendor, like HP, because most people don't install operating
systems - they just use whatever the computer comes with.
I suspect that Apple has largely already captured the "Unix desktop", to the
degree that it exists as a significant factor in the market.
As for the "'Nix goodness", you can download all the stuff you listed for
any platform you like, so I suspect that having it already installed is not
really compelling for the sort of people who use that stuff (us). The GUI
and the BSD core itself, of course, is pretty compelling.
Dave Watts, CTO, Fig Leaf Software
http://www.figleaf.com/
phone: 202-797-5496
fax: 202-797-5444
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