Apple may actually be on the right track with their alleged move to x86 (Intel and/or AMD) chips. They can’t compete on hardware with the likes of Dell, there is little doubt about that. Perhaps they plan to make up the difference by offering OSX to current Windows users, and that is an area where there is a huge potential for sales. The computer using public have come to see Viruses and Spyware as a Microsoft Windows problem rather then a general PC problem (rightly so if history is any indication) and If OSX will run on Wintel hardware then people will have a powerful alternative Operating System that already has most of the big applications like MS Office, Photoshop and co available without all the Virus and Spyware problems that plague Windows. The idea of loading OSX onto a cheap Dell laptop or desktop is an enticing one. Of course Apple will have several hurdles in it’s way not the least of which is driver support for the myriad of Win-hardware out there. Up till now Apple have had an iron grip on the hardware used in their systems and will have a hard time getting driver support for the full range of Wintel hardware. On the upside OSX is based on FreeBSD so they already have access to a vast array of device drivers, they will mostly have to concentrate on newer hardware.
From Apples perspective, there are several benefits to a change to x86 processors, and one downside. If OSX runs on standard x86 hardware, then they will lose most of their PC hardware market. On the upside they will have access to millions of new prospective customers, and on the hardware side they can use the AMD card against Intel and vice versa to get better pricing for their respective chips. Part of the IBM problem is that Apple didn’t have any cards to play in negotiations with IBM. With the x86 platform they have several.
I must admit that when I first heard the news I figured Apple had fallen out of their tree (sorry), but the more I think about it, the more I realise they may be onto something. With the change to x86 chips, Apple can continue to create the stylish hardware that we all know them for, but at a cheaper price and with better gaming performance. And OSX becomes a compelling alternative to millions of Windows users who are sick of the Windows malware plague. The only downside from all this that I can see is that it’s likely to hurt Linux desktop growth, but the places where Linux is growing fastest on the desktop are not the places where Apple is likely to be considered a viable alternative anyway.
