If Apple is to gain more than 15%-20% world market share it will have to release OS X for the PC. Up till now  Apple’s OS only works on their own hardware. Indeed one of the reasons their computers traditionally work so well is because they produce their own hardware and design software to run on it.

However it is highly likely that other companies will always be able to produce cheaper hardware than Apple and since so many people out there like ‘cheap’ it seems unlikely Apple hardware will ever achieve more than 20% world market share. So if Apple want to push Microsoft from the top of the podium they will have to do what Microsoft did and sell their software to run on others’ hardware. Microsoft are looking weaker now than ever having lost much consumer loyalty with their much maligned Windows Vista OS. Many of these users are now switching to Mac. But are they switching rapidly enough? The main barrier is the price of the hardware and I can’ help feeling that Apple could gain more ’switchers’ if it removed this barrier by releasing OS X for the PC. This window of opportunity will not last forever and Microsoft will eventually pull their socks up.

Now that Macs are running Intel processors the technical challenges of supporting third party hardware have decreased significantly. Indeed hackers of the OSx86 project already got OS X running on several models of PC. Given this I don’t believe it would be too challenging for Apple to officially release and support OS X on a selection of third party hardware. Over time the supported hardware would grow. Certainly there would be minimum specs and certainly only certain graphics cards would be supported. But is this really any different to Vista and its own support of third party hardware?

Many feel Apple would never make such a move because of the damage it might cause to its own hardware sales. I disagree. Apple could continue to produce and sell high quality hardware which, for the extra money,  would run OS X more smoothly than others. Again, is this any different to Vista? Some hardware simply runs Vista better than other hardware, right? And despite the fact Vista will (sort of) run on a $400 PC, people continue to buy $2500 PCs. Similarly even if you had the option of running OS X on $400 non-Apple hardware, many would still choose to buy more expensive and higher quality Apple hardware whether they need more speed or simply enjoy a smooth ride.

There is some evidence to support my suspicion that Apple will release OS X for the PC in the next five years. First, the move to Intel processors. Second , the porting of OS X apps like Safari to Windows. Third, the cross-platform cloud computing of Mobile Me. Fourth, the complete support for Exchange announced for iPhone 2.0 and Snow Leopard. And finally the fact Apple have done nothing to stop Psystar from selling their Mac clones. Apple is allowing Psystar to continue selling their clones because they are interested observers getting some free market research. Instead of suing Psystar like so many believe they will, Apple will before long sell them copies of OS X.

Perhaps even Snow Leopard will be released for the PC, if Apple are ready.

Five years is a long time in tech. Within those five years Apple will have made all the necessary preparations to release OS X for the PC. This includes tightening security in OS X, Quicktime and Safari, developing full support for core Microsoft technologies like Exchange and building in third party hardware support and hardware detection into OS X. Apple may also be waiting to steal Microsoft’s thunder just as they are about to release Windows 7.

You heard it here first!

1. Geoff, March 24, 2009:

   Yawn. Apple has no reason to do anything you say.

   Nintendo is usually #3 these days in sales. Yet, they have more money. How? Why? Huh? It’s not being #1 that matters. It’s the bottom line– how much is spent and how much comes in. Apple is doing absolutely wonderful… sitting under 20%.

2. John, May 27, 2009:

   Apple should licence OSX to pc, it would increast hardware sales. And if all you fucking mac fan boy twats think your hardware is so special then you shouldn’t be worried about people not buying it lol. makes me laugh. only reason people buy macs is because apple bought loads of good software companys giving people no choice, example is logic pro. No one WANTS a mac they are shite and over priced. fuck em thats what I say.

3. Pascal, August 11, 2009:

   I have to agree with Geoff: never gonna happen. Having a OS capable of running on various hardware platforms is highly unlike to ever be one of Apple’s corporate goals.

   And that John guys seems to be either very young or simply a complete fucking retard. Most people out there are more than happy to pay for those reasonably priced machines as a dedicated hardware platform ensures more stability in both everyday and professional computing.

4. Si, August 11, 2009:

   @John
   so if you’re a PC fanboy – wtf are you doing on here anyway !?

5. BCS, September 13, 2009:

   1st rule in computing: Computers are tools.
   2nd rule in computing: Get the tools that best match your needs and environment:
   If what you have right now does what you need to have done, then you have the right tools.
   If all you do is check your email and write a few word processing documents, almost any ‘tools” will get the job done. If on the other hand you are looking for success in the field of your specific work environment, then one has to choose wisely because a Mac will by far be more ‘accessible’ in the realm of audio and video work, but then again it depends on the software platform one chooses. Some well built PC’s are very effective with editing software that once were only accessible to the PC platform and have been available to the MAC as well and work quite well.

   All things considered, when the choice to purchase a MAC is your choice, you will have a machine that you turn on, use, turn off, turn on, use, turn off, turn on, use, turn off. They just work! The Mac platform is not infallible – they have their fuck ups as well – but compared to the PC/Microsoft marriage, well, let’s just say that the ratio is definitely in the MAC’s favor.

   I have been actively working with both platforms for the last 12 years and I have built some amazing PC’s tailored to the gamers environment. They were not cheap to build but the results are amazing.

   Three main reasons why Mac’s are the price they are:
   1. market share: at 20% or so, you pay a certain amount for your product’s projected sales. The more you buy the less your cost will be, so here, we are back to purchase power 101.
   2. They use good parts (relatively more expensive) and this Apple policy will hopefully always be at the foreground of the product planning of the company.
   3. Apple is a brand name…

   3rd rule in computing: The money factor. You either buy ‘cheap’ and always – ALWAYS – get what you pay for. That’s the rule of the game in this consumer based society. The good part is that now even the ‘cheap’ buy will get you a so much better overall technology than just a few years back. So either you stop smoking (what ever you smoke) or drink for a while and save the bucks for a great computer (MAC or PC) or, you don’t. Simple.

   In conclusion: The myth that a MAC can not do what only some PC’s can is… well, a myth. So that’s settled. If Bill Gates and company would just take the time to really think through all the problems they are facing before releasing a new version of their OS – yes, such as Vista, as the whole world knows about it by now – then they would not be in the ‘hot water’ they find themselves in. But please do notice that they still are the major player in terms of market share, so the ‘hot water’ thing is somewhat relative to how many people are still actually using a PC versus an Apple product.

   There is a difference between fanaticism and passion. To stay within the integrity of the definition of the terms, one can never allow him of herself to cross the line between the two. So please everyone out there, do make the difference and choose your tools wisely.

   May that Peace and Joy be with all of you, always.

   BCS

6. scott, October 25, 2009:

   i thought apples move to intel was for cost reasons. The motorola chips they use to use got to expensive and restrictive.

7. Mac Data Recovery, November 18, 2009:

   Who really cares if Apple releases osx for pc’s. I’ll be sticking with my Macs thankyou very much. I’ve got a windows box next to my mac that needs more dicking around with and it hardly gets used. I ought to just drop it in the trash.

8. Robert, December 1, 2009:

   @scott – I don’t think it was for cost reasons. The chips they were using were falling behind – intel and amd have more funds for developing their technologies and intel processors were advancing far beyond the other platform (personally, I preferred the motorola and later derived chips – they took less clock cycles to perform operations compared to intel architecture (at least in the early days)), but intels sheer brute clock speeds soon overcame this. Apple could get intel chips at much higher clockspeed and lower cost (so maybe cost was a factor as well, then). Anyway, what does it really matter. Use what you want and don’t condemn someone else for using what they want. To each his own. If your OS gets done that which you need it to do, then why would you switch? I don’t think Apple will ever become an OS company, since they are (and always have been) a hardware company. But who knows, maybe in some alternate universe (even though uni means only one) perhaps Psystar is a super secret Apple project to judge demand for an open OSX. Who knows? And yes, I know – I am an idiot, but judging from every debate about OSX and Windows that I come across, I’m in good company.

9. Grant BUrtt, March 16, 2010:

   Thats bullshit Ive used nacs for nearly 25years and like ant ither computer they fail on the odd ocasion. Admitedly Windows systems used to fail far worse than a Mac but their last 3 OS’s have been anything but worse that mac systemsI have run Mac systems in back to back business situations while the windows PC’s remain stable for months on end carruing out their operations the Mac Systems required almost weekly input. Mac used to be aq great proprietary system for garphics at the printing firm. now with HP releasing a few enterprise class graphics systems we have replaced all the Macintosh systems. Why does Apple proceed to close the loop. We have machines that are being constantly locked out of new OS Functionality. The latest version of OSX doent even run in the dual CPU G5 Pro anymore. Fucking theives.