Comments on: Mac Boot Camp: Catching a Falling Knife http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife An outcome-driven leader, proven technology product developer, and marketer with over 20 years of hands-on experience including start-up, small and large business environments, and the board room. This is my blog. Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:15:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Try this again, thistime without the dumb community, eh? » cnet_demo_18 http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1411 Try this again, thistime without the dumb community, eh? » cnet_demo_18 Sun, 23 Apr 2006 17:58:55 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1411 [...] Mac Boot Camp: Catching a Falling Knife [...] [...] Mac Boot Camp: Catching a Falling Knife [...]

]]> By: The Big Act by Sprout http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1409 The Big Act by Sprout Mon, 10 Apr 2006 12:25:39 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1409 <strong>Five Reasons why Apple Will Never Switch to Windows Mac Boot Camp: Catching a Falling Knife -- Alec Saunders .LOG </strong> Alec Saunders is the latest of many to wonders if Apple Five Reasons why Apple Will Never Switch to Windows
Mac Boot Camp: Catching a Falling Knife –
Alec Saunders .LOG

Alec Saunders is the latest of many to wonders if Apple

]]> By: Charles Jolley http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1410 Charles Jolley Mon, 10 Apr 2006 07:37:33 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1410 Hi Alec: I think the value of Mac OS X is in the value it adds to their hardware. The only reason Apple hardware is not a commodity compared to other PC vendors is because its the only way you can get access to Mac OS X. If Apple gave up OS X or released it for other PC vendors, they would destroy their entire business model. (Not to mention abandoning the distribution channels they've built up.) Here are four more reasons why I don't think Apple is going to drop Mac OS X or offer it for sales on other machines: <a href="http://www.sproutit.com/articles/bigact/595" rel="nofollow">http://www.sproutit.com/articles/bigact/595</a> Hi Alec:

I think the value of Mac OS X is in the value it adds to their hardware. The only reason Apple hardware is not a commodity compared to other PC vendors is because its the only way you can get access to Mac OS X. If Apple gave up OS X or released it for other PC vendors, they would destroy their entire business model. (Not to mention abandoning the distribution channels they've built up.)

Here are four more reasons why I don't think Apple is going to drop Mac OS X or offer it for sales on other machines:
http://www.sproutit.com/articles/bigact/595

]]> By: Boot Camp a step, but not the holy grail » mathewingram.com/work http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1406 Boot Camp a step, but not the holy grail » mathewingram.com/work Sun, 09 Apr 2006 20:56:01 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1406 [...] Will people want to do it? Sure they will. I might even give it a shot just to see how it works (Alec says he might too). But let’s face it - rebooting all the time is a major pain in the ass. I do it from time to time to switch from Windows to Linux, but it still bugs me because you have to shut everything down and you can’t move or copy things from one session to another. Like many people, I think the dual-boot option is just a step on the road to true “virtualization,” which will use better software tools and new processors to allow operating system to run side by side seamlessly - at the moment, running things like VMWare and VirtualPC gives you a kind of slowed-down version of the OS you can only use for non-processor intensive applications (in other words, no games). [...] [...] Will people want to do it? Sure they will. I might even give it a shot just to see how it works (Alec says he might too). But let’s face it – rebooting all the time is a major pain in the ass. I do it from time to time to switch from Windows to Linux, but it still bugs me because you have to shut everything down and you can’t move or copy things from one session to another. Like many people, I think the dual-boot option is just a step on the road to true “virtualization,” which will use better software tools and new processors to allow operating system to run side by side seamlessly – at the moment, running things like VMWare and VirtualPC gives you a kind of slowed-down version of the OS you can only use for non-processor intensive applications (in other words, no games). [...]

]]> By: Alec http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1408 Alec Sun, 09 Apr 2006 17:23:28 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1408 I think that's part of the equation Frank. Apple has no way to monetize the OS right now save selling upgrades to the existing user base. I am sure that's a good business, but it's not a large business. The billions Microsoft makes from Windows are predominantly OEM sales, not retail. A really outstanding year selling upgrades is 5 to 7 million units. That's nothing to sniff at, of course, but Apple currently represents less than 10% of the install base. Assuming 500K units sold at $100 per, that's just $50 million in sales over an upgrade cycle. But as I pointed out, Apple can win if the OS business thrives, or it dies. I think that's part of the equation Frank. Apple has no way to monetize the OS right now save selling upgrades to the existing user base. I am sure that's a good business, but it's not a large business. The billions Microsoft makes from Windows are predominantly OEM sales, not retail. A really outstanding year selling upgrades is 5 to 7 million units. That's nothing to sniff at, of course, but Apple currently represents less than 10% of the install base. Assuming 500K units sold at $100 per, that's just $50 million in sales over an upgrade cycle.

But as I pointed out, Apple can win if the OS business thrives, or it dies.

]]> By: Frank Miller http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1407 Frank Miller Sun, 09 Apr 2006 17:08:54 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1407 There are two other questions that need to be asked. First, how much money does Apple make on its software business? They have a certain cost associated with developing OSX and all the apps they do and nurturing the developers. When you offset this against the actual revenue they make on this software, how much profit do they retain? I have not looked at any of their annual reports lately but my suspicion is that its not much. This leads to question two. Apple also has one really really good Windows app, iTunes. I say really really good because its probably the best piece of Windows software I run (which I know is arguable, but thats not my point). How much money do they make off of it? Well none, they give it away. However, its a huge enabler for their service which make tons of money. So hows this for fun. Lets suppose that Apple really doesnt like OSX that much because they really arent making any money with it. They make money on their hardware and thats good. And they make money on iTunes (and lets assume the can monetize other apps similarly). Maybe they're just cutting their losses? Maybe they really want to run Windows on their Macs and own the hardware and the apps businesses? There are two other questions that need to be asked. First, how much money does Apple make on its software business? They have a certain cost associated with developing OSX and all the apps they do and nurturing the developers. When you offset this against the actual revenue they make on this software, how much profit do they retain? I have not looked at any of their annual reports lately but my suspicion is that its not much. This leads to question two.

Apple also has one really really good Windows app, iTunes. I say really really good because its probably the best piece of Windows software I run (which I know is arguable, but thats not my point). How much money do they make off of it? Well none, they give it away. However, its a huge enabler for their service which make tons of money.

So hows this for fun. Lets suppose that Apple really doesnt like OSX that much because they really arent making any money with it. They make money on their hardware and thats good. And they make money on iTunes (and lets assume the can monetize other apps similarly). Maybe they're just cutting their losses? Maybe they really want to run Windows on their Macs and own the hardware and the apps businesses?

]]> By: MatthewS http://www.saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1405 MatthewS Sun, 09 Apr 2006 14:26:24 +0000 http://saunderslog.com/2006/04/09/mac-boot-camp-catching-a-falling-knife/#comment-1405 I think that there was an element of being forced into a corner. We now know that Apple planned on releasing this functionality with OS X.5--Leopard but with the xp on mac contest being successful found that they needed to step up release (even as a beta) more quickly. Apple isn't really targeting its existing base of users with bootcamp, at least not in the long term. They are seeking ways of expanding market share. The only way that they can be successful in expanding the market will be through eating into HP and Dell's market. I look at the "No Boot in Windows Pledge" as being the most zealous of the Mac user segment. Fine, don't boot into Windows ever. Personally, once I have purchased a copy of XP I will be putting it on my MacBook Pro. In most cases I would far rather be in the OS X environment, but occasionally I find myself really wishing that I was carrying another laptop with Windows on it. I think that there was an element of being forced into a corner. We now know that Apple planned on releasing this functionality with OS X.5–Leopard but with the xp on mac contest being successful found that they needed to step up release (even as a beta) more quickly. Apple isn't really targeting its existing base of users with bootcamp, at least not in the long term. They are seeking ways of expanding market share. The only way that they can be successful in expanding the market will be through eating into HP and Dell's market.

I look at the "No Boot in Windows Pledge" as being the most zealous of the Mac user segment. Fine, don't boot into Windows ever. Personally, once I have purchased a copy of XP I will be putting it on my MacBook Pro. In most cases I would far rather be in the OS X environment, but occasionally I find myself really wishing that I was carrying another laptop with Windows on it.

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