Justin Laing

Many people have mentioned that if Apple OS X were available for their intel/x86 box they would give it a whirl. If not using it as their main OS at least as a secondary. Guy Kawasaki writes in the Art of The Start that Apple once thought their computers would be used for standard business purposes only (Word processing and spread sheets). Apple soon realized that people were using their Macs for desktop publishing instead. Apple embraced these users and Mac into the de-facto platform for desktop publishing.

Why is Apple missing the boat on this one?

Over the years Apple has had many opportunities to make an OS that is PC compatible. I’ve heard that OS X has had an internal intel version for years. Is their strategy to stay a computer manufacturer even when computers are becoming a commodity? They have bucked this trend with the iPod (And arguably the iMac and now possibly the Mac mini). However, if their main business is still desktop computers it seems that being a hardware manufacturer is a business of diminishing returns and increasing competition (i.e. Dell).

By selling their OS to the broad PC market they would increase revenue and growth in three ways.

1) They would directly increase revenue with an increase in the number of purchased copies of the OS (even if some people where pirating it, some would buy legally).

2) Having more users on their OS would spur software vendors to write more software for their OS. This would cause more people to buy their computers and OS.

3) The more familiar users are with OS X the more likely they will buy an Apple computer.

An alternative long range strategy

If Apple holds out and does not start selling OS X to the PC market it may still have a path to expanded growth. Apple will benefit from more applications being designed to work over the web in browsers like FireFox (which works well on PCs and Macs). Cross browser web applications will allow more users to switch to Apple’s platform. Only the future will tell if Apple can make the leap from the Mini to the Camry of computers.