I'm admittedly not the expert on the underlying technology of PowerPC versus Intel processors, but I've just found out that Apple has released a version of Darwin 6.0.2 that will run on x86-compatible processors. Darwin is the kernel based on FreeBSD and Mach 3.0 that runs as the core of Mac OS X.
After reading some of the comments at SlashDot, it seems that this version of Darwin isn't the most compatible just yet. The release notes that are provided via the page I linked to at the top seems to set some pretty specific hardware requirements for now. (Again, I'm not as well versed in the technical terms of computer hardware and architecture.)
However, this release gives more credibility to some of the rumors floating around: First, that Apple is preparing to release a version of Macintosh OS X that will run on Intel processors. And second, Apple may be planning to switch from the IBM/Motorola-designed PowerPC chip to the new IBM 64-bit processors... or even some new design of Intel chip.
I realize that a bunch of you probably will just dismiss this because it's Mac-related. I respect that. But I also know that there are some computer geeks around here that might want to check it out. So I'm posting it.
And before some people start breaking out the napalm for a Mac vs. Windows vs. Linux flame war, I'm not trying to do that. A lot of this is simply rumors and speculation, especially the part about OS X for Intel chips. I'm just posting the news as a something that some people might be interested in.
Think different!
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
While I have serious doubts about the commercial viability of such a venture, with Palladium/DRM looming on the horizon...it would be nice to finally see some real mainstream competition in the PC market.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
Too little too late. If Apple had pursued such a strategy in the 80s, the OS market might look totally different today. But as things stand, I suspect the only people using this will be Apple people who happen to own a PC too. Probably not an insubstantial market, but I don't see anything revolutionary here. I guess.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
You're right, Sol, there's not really much of an expectation (realistically) that there will be a huge conversion to Mac even on Intel processors.
However, this is something that would certainly take time. From my perspective, I've seen a number of Windows users who've been rather frustrated with their machines. Yet they stick with Wintel because of the perceived greater range of software, and its ease of configuration. And because so far there's really no other choice. Linux is certainly an option, but there's no single company that promotes the sale of the OS. With Apple, we can get the core of the open source programming with the funding of a big-name company to promote it.
Also, it's certainly going to be a long time before OS X becomes viable for Intel processors. For one thing, I noticed that the Darwin program can only be formatted on a UFS disk -- which means that many of the older Mac applications might not work (since most Mac programs are written for HFS+ formatting). It'll take time to get things running smoothly. (For that matter, it's taken nearly two years for OS X to become a full-fledged operating system even on the traditional Mac systems.)
I don't think that it'll be a sweeping, immediate conversion. There may not even be a conversion at all. But this news DOES mean that there is another option now.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
If they persue this I am apt to be a convert, depending on factors such as programs and the such... Needs time to develope though...
-------------------- "You are a terrible human, Ritten." Magnus "Urgh, you are a sick sick person..." Austin Powers A leek too, pretty much a negi.....
Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
...And in the mean time, the reverse is still true. I just installed a borrowed copy of Virtual PC 5.0 with Windows 95. It's trying my patience, but I unfortunately need to have Micro$oft Windows access to run a computer program for one of my classes. (There's an old Mac version of the program I need that's available; unfortunately, it's crap. As in, the programmers didn't take the time to implement it properly.)
All Your Mac Are Belong To Us!
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged
quote:Originally posted by MinutiaeMan: ...And in the mean time, the reverse is still true. I just installed a borrowed copy of Virtual PC 5.0 with Windows 95. It's trying my patience, but I unfortunately need to have Micro$oft Windows access to run a computer program for one of my classes.
Windows 95? Windows 95?
Why don't you just stab yourself in the neck with a fork?
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
The problem is that my dad purchased the original copy of VirtualPC (with Windows 95) quite a while ago. Neither of us wants to bother paying Microsoft for the upgrade for a piece-of-shit OS.
Anyway, I only use VirtualPC for a small number of programs right now. At some point I may consider buying an upgrade -- because buying VirtualPC with a copy of Windows XP Pro bundled is actually cheaper than buying XP Pro by itself! But in the mean time, it's simply not necessary.
Though stabbing myself with a fork WOULD be a bit less painful than seeing the blasted Windows logo pollute my clean Aqua desktop. Sigh...
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
Clean AND shite. It's contradiction in action!
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
...From a certain point of view, perhaps. However, from MY point of view -- which has seen the "clean" version of Windows XP in action -- the Aqua interface is a whole lot better. The Windows interface may have anti-aliased text, but the "fancy" coloring is still remarkably simple.
You also forget that OS X is basically a new OS built from the ground up (around the UNIX core, of course). Just about everything in it, especially the Aqua user interface, is basically brand new. Windows, on the other hand, is still essentially an evolutionary system that's still running on a crappy core and a derivative UI.
But to each his own, right?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
| IP: Logged
posted
I'm just thinking how much better PC emulation could be running on an Intel machine. I mean that's been one of the complaints about PC emulator software is how slowly they run on Macs. But if you are running on what presumably is the same hardware, the speed difference might be much less. If even they could even get it into the 85-90% range, I think you'd really have a product there. Jaguar and XP on the same machine maybe even reading the same documents? That's some hot toast there...
-------------------- "Nah. The 9th chevron is for changing the ringtone from "grindy-grindy chonk-chonk" to the theme tune to dallas." -Reverend42
Registered: Sep 2000
| IP: Logged
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Printer-friendly view of this topic
