On May 1, 2006, at 10:36 AM, Cory Papenfuss wrote:
I didn't know that hardware was a part of the OS. ];-)
For MacOS it is pretty much by definition. Aside from recent
hacking endeavors WRT MacOS-X-intel on non-macs, the history has
required purchasing Macintosh hardware to run MacOS.
I presume you mean "purchasing Apple hardware". Mac OS runs on Apple
hardware, not "Macintosh" hardware. Yes, it's just semantics, but I
like to be precise about these sorts of things.
That's pretty much the main reason why I don't run MacOS today. My
current machine is a dual Athlon 2400 built for about 1/4 the price
of a single (slower) processor Mac at the time.
I suspect times have changed a bit. But Apple doesn't sell hardware
at the bottom of the market, they only sell mid range to high end,
complete systems. That's their business, and I think they're ok with
it, given their earnings these past few years.
Hardware cost: 25% of slower Mac.
OS cost: $0
Application cost: $0
Aggravation: more.
Freedom to tinker: priceless...
lol ... that's funny.
Now, with the latest Apple Intel-dual-core based hardware, Mac OS X
and Boot Camp, most of the clients at my contract previously on
Windows/Intel boxes are buying the Apple laptops they have always
wanted but were unwilling to spend the money to convert their
software to.
Overall, I appreciate the value of my Apple systems and prefer Mac OS
X's options over either Windows or Linux systems, even given
comparable quality hardware and forgetting about money for a moment.
I hate it when I have to deal with Windows ... I find Linux much
easier to deal with apart from the poor device and commercial
software support.
Unfortunately, I suspect that the philosophy of most Linux clients
I've worked with ... that they should never have to pay for
software ... will relegate the OS to specific niche uses. It's hard
for a software vendor to make a living if there is an inadequate base
of paying customers willing to praise the value of their efforts with
money. ... I find Linux to be an excellent platform for low cost,
customized computing needs, like render farms and servers. That's
what my contract client uses it for.
Godfrey
