Why Is Apple Allowed To 'Lock' their OS?

[Pooky]

Are they allowed to make an operating system that is only compatible with certain hardware, and not allow anyone else other than people who buy their computers use?

What would happen if Microsoft started making computers and then made Windows to ONLY work on their computers?

 

[PeterCH]

Are they allowed to make an operating system that is only compatible with certain hardware, and not allow anyone else other than people who buy their computers use?

What would happen if Microsoft started making computers and then made Windows to ONLY work on their computers?

Because Apple sells the OS with the hardware. Apple is not a software company like MS, but a hardware company. They make the hardware - Mac personal computer, iPad, iPhone, iPod etc and they supply it with the software. It's all one product. The licensing terms of their OSX OS say that it can only be run on an Apple branded system. You can't buy a full OSX version like you can buy Windows RETAIL FULL but only OSX upgrades. You get the full version only when you buy your Mac preloaded and on a CD. It's like complaining that the BMW engine management software won't run on a Toyota.

MS would never do what you suggest because they would never push the huge volumes OEMs make around the world - companies from Toshiba, NEC, Sony, Acer to Mecer, Sahara, Esquire make PCs as well as individuals who buy components. MS would take ages to reach those volumes in the meanwhile people would switch to Linux and software makers like Adobe, Corel, IBM, etc would produce Linux versions of Windows software and MS would die.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

You can do what ever you want to. If MS took the Apple route then it would not anti-competative as it would then open up the market for other OSes to gain market share.

But MS would never do it as thats how they made their fortune by offering an OS that works across various architecture - many forget that in the late 70's early 80's vendors prefered to make their OS specific hardware dependant.

 

[burn]

OS specific hardware is the beauty of Mac in my opinion. It is what makes the OS 'just work' everytime Going the MS route would just break everything as they would have to support all sorts of rubbish hardware

 

[Tanya35]

OS specific hardware is the beauty of Mac in my opinion. It is what makes the OS 'just work' everytime Going the MS route would just break everything as they would have to support all sorts of rubbish hardware

It makes it easier to write a viable OS if the hardware is similar. That's one of the reasons Windows fails.

 

[kingrob]

It makes it easier to write a viable OS if the hardware is similar. That's one of the reasons Windows fails.

I beg to differ. I popped in a Windows 7 DVD into my Acer laptop at work and just sat back while Windows picked up ALL components (motherboard chipset, cardbus controllers, graphics, etc) correctly and after the reboot, I could work.

*Oh, and I am still not sure what Microsoft did, but now I have a Celeron laptop that behaves like a dual core pentium - and it only has 1 GB RAM! To say I'm very impressed, is an understatement.

 

[ponder]

You can't buy a full OSX version like you can buy Windows RETAIL FULL but only OSX upgrades. You get the full version only when you buy your Mac preloaded and on a CD.

Kuk. You can buy the box set for $170 with no restrictions as to previous version installed, this is not an upgrade. Alternatively you could also buy the server version which is not an upgrade.

 

[phiber]

I beg to differ. I popped in a Windows 7 DVD into my Acer laptop at work and just sat back while Windows picked up ALL components (motherboard chipset, cardbus controllers, graphics, etc) correctly and after the reboot, I could work.

*Oh, and I am still not sure what Microsoft did, but now I have a Celeron laptop that behaves like a dual core pentium - and it only has 1 GB RAM! To say I'm very impressed, is an understatement.

Just because you had that experience doesn't mean everyone did!

 

[kingrob]

Just because you had that experience doesn't mean everyone did!

I am XPerienced.

No, seriously, I have been playing with Macs at Incredible Corruption and have even run Hackintosh....but I fail to see what is the big "woo ha" about Macs. Yes, the Cairo Dock at the bottom looks cool, but that I can do in Ubuntu Linux as well.

For productivity, Windows 7 beats it hands down with jump lists and the new icon sets on the start menu. Especially if you need to remote desktop into a few sites a day and have a lot happening on your desktop.

 

[bwana]

For productivity, Windows 7 beats it hands down with jump lists and the new icon sets on the start menu. Especially if you need to remote desktop into a few sites a day and have a lot happening on your desktop.

I had to google "jump lists" but, unless I'm missing something, if you've really been using OsX like you say then you'll know that those have been in it for years . . . so has remote desktop come to think of it.

 

[burn]

I beg to differ. I popped in a Windows 7 DVD into my Acer laptop at work and just sat back while Windows picked up ALL components (motherboard chipset, cardbus controllers, graphics, etc) correctly and after the reboot, I could work.

You sound surprised

 

[Synaesthesia]

I am XPerienced.

No, seriously, I have been playing with Macs at Incredible Corruption and have even run Hackintosh....but I fail to see what is the big "woo ha" about Macs. Yes, the Cairo Dock at the bottom looks cool, but that I can do in Ubuntu Linux as well.

For productivity, Windows 7 beats it hands down with jump lists and the new icon sets on the start menu. Especially if you need to remote desktop into a few sites a day and have a lot happening on your desktop.

The new taskbar reminds me exactly of the OS X dock. OS X has a lot of other awesome productivity enhancers, my favourite is expose.

 

[PeterCH]

Kuk. You can buy the box set for $170 with no restrictions as to previous version installed, this is not an upgrade. Alternatively you could also buy the server version which is not an upgrade.

Apple does not check for previous versions on OSX installs eg asking to insert previous CD the way MS does. They're quite liberal in those regards, however if you read the terms and conditions all versions of OSX are upgrade versions, the ones from OSX Leopard to Snow Leopard are cheaper while the Tiger to Snow Leopard are more expensive.

You can only install OSX on an Apple branded system. That's their licensing terms. That's not a lock in because the OS they sell is always an upgrade to a previous hardware linked OS you bought with your Apple computer.

OSX is cheaper than Windows because OSX is subsidized by the total package cost. When you buy a Mac computer, your original outlay is more than for a similar PC (Sony Vaios being an exception, so are Panasonics which are more expensive than Mac Book Pros) but once you buy your Mac, further upgrades eg Tiger to Leopard to Snow Leopard, or iWork to iWork 09 are cheaper than on a Microsoft Windows system. Hence you can't really say - look OSX is cheap - only R329 - that R329 requires that you bought an Apple branded system and already paid the premium then.

Why won't Apple release OSX for everyone to use? Well because first of all people would stop buying their hardware. Secondly they'd have a ton of support issues because people would be installing their OSX on a variety of systems instead of the two dozen or so configurations of Intel Macs from 2006 to 2010.

 

[Adoxographist]

OS specific hardware is the beauty of Mac in my opinion. It is what makes the OS 'just work' everytime Going the MS route would just break everything as they would have to support all sorts of rubbish hardware

Thanks to all the different hardware support, it creates competition and brings the average price down. "all sorts of rubbish hardware"- uses plug and play so most of the time you don't even need the drivers for it.
Have you checked the price of mac hardware?

 

[Leno]

Thanks to all the different hardware support, it creates competition and brings the average price down. "all sorts of rubbish hardware"- uses plug and play so most of the time you don't even need the drivers for it.
Have you checked the price of mac hardware?

I think he is referring to motherboards, chipsets etc

Core stability...

 

[PeterCH]

I think he is referring to motherboards, chipsets etc

Core stability...

Apple hardware is decent - usually premium class stuff. However, they should do away with Aluminum and go Magnesium Alloy for their laptops - tougher, lighter and more expensive.

 

[kingrob]

Apple hardware is decent - usually premium class stuff. However, they should do away with Aluminum and go Magnesium Alloy for their laptops - tougher, lighter and more expensive.

LOL....can Mac hardware get more expensive than it already is? YES, it can! Just throw in Water Leopard with the purchase and all the Mac fanboys dance around the campfire in pure ecstasy.

I love Apple btw.

 

[ponder]

I think he is referring to motherboards, chipsets etc

Core stability...

Simple, apple could have a reference design and other manufacturers could follow that. You can get hardware identical to mac (chipsets etc) and with the exception of EFI OS X will run just fine on it without any hacks so it can be done. Implement EFI on standard Gigabyte, Asus boards etc and you are home free.

 

[bwana]

Simple, apple could have a reference design and other manufacturers could follow that. You can get hardware identical to mac (chipsets etc) and with the exception of EFI OS X will run just fine on it without any hacks so it can be done. Implement EFI on standard Gigabyte, Asus boards etc and you are home free.

Apple is a hardware manufacturer.

 

[ponder]

Apple is a hardware manufacturer.

Yes, I know that and the point is?

Notice I said "Simple, apple could..."

Apple has always been a hardware manufacturer and have in the past licensed other vendors to manufacture hardware besides the ones that made rouge hardware. I'm just trying to say it is possible IF apple was willing to license their OS in this scenario as the hardware is simple and wont infringe on anything of theirs.