Apple to release Mac OS X 10.6 ‘Snow Leopard’ preview next month

grantreibelt (New user):

If Apple ever want to slug it out properly with Microsoft then they have to allow their OS to be installed on hardware that is not their own. I would love to try out their OS but I am not going to buy one of their computers to do this. "What about compatibility issues" some would cry - I say that Apple need to compete on an even playing field and deal with the compatibility issue (set a minimum spec etc) just like Microsoft have to with Windows.

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Totally agree. Incompatible hardware is none of their concern really anyway... Most people capable of installing it are already knowledgable enough to figure out why their sound doesn't work, etc.

Edit: And I'd be in the camp who would consider buying MacOSX without owning a Mac. I only want MacOSX for one specific purpose. That purpose also requires higher end hardware... Seems a waste of money to buy it all in Apple form.

DFTBA (User):

Separating Mac OSX from a mac is like separating cream from ice cream all your left with is either plan fat or sorbet, an icy sugared goo. Note I am not a zealot more like an enthusiast.

dylan (New user):

I can see where Apple are coming from though.. it's a lot easier to write the software to work with specific hardware than an open playing field where it is free for all. At least a Mac user knows that out of the box their computer is going to work without having to install a myriad of drivers and having manufacturers that write poor sloppy drivers that cause horrendous system instability. I have no doubt that on 3rd party hardware, Mac OS X would not be as "solid" as it is now.

NetR@nger (Cornerstone member):

Quoting grantreibelt:
I would love to try out their OS but I am not going to buy one of their computers to do this.


Couldnt have said it better,grantreibelt.

grantreibelt (New user):

If I am not mistaken - the current Apple computers now use Intel multi-core processors and Nvidia GPUs. The only differences that can remain between Windows PCs and Apple PCs would be the motherboard design - I'm sure that Asus, Gigabyte (and a few others) could match hardware technology with whoever is producing the Apple PC motherboards. I'm sure my Asus X58 Extreme and the Intel i7-920 could crunch the zeroes and ones well enough to run OS-X 10.6. My point is not anti-Mac in terms of OS - I just want to be able to use their OS on my own hardware rather than buy an extra machine that is chained to its OS. I do know that there are some work-arounds to shoe-horn the Mac OS on any modern PC but I would rather install it as a legal owner. Apple prevent this with their closed approach. They should do the market research and see how much extra customers they would get in selling the OS separately. If the major concern is hardware compatibility then they only need to get a few of the major hardware vendors involved in certifying drivers and set a sensible "minimum hardware" spec.

shrike (User):

Apple are a proud company, and are rightfully proud of their product. To license it out for third parties to develop drivers for different hardware is to destroy one of the things that make it great to begin with. After all, people buy macs to escape all the crap that goes along with running windows.

JimN (New user):

A M E N B R O T H E R !