Why doesn't Apple officially release OS X to the PC platform?

Question

If I recall correctly, out of all the computer users, only about 6% use Macs.

Now that Macs are running x86 architecture, an OS X port to the PC would be simple. And people are already running OS X on PCs with hacks.

Why would a company ignore 94% of their potential customer base? It seems kind of dumb to me.

Answer 1

Lots of reasons for this, but the main one is this:

Apple makes money selling COMPUTERS (and iPods), not operating systems.

Apple doesn't even protect its operating system. There's no "activation", no "genuine advantage" security checks, no calling home to verify authenticity as with Windows.

So if Apple licenses the Mac OS for others to run on PCs they bought elsewhere, Apple loses out on the profits from hardware sales - the bulk of their revenues. Apple has tried licensing their OS to computer makers in the past, like Acer and a couple of other hardware manufacturers, and it didn't work out well.

One main reason Mac users love Macs (and pay a premium to get them) is the extremely tight integration between the hardware and the software, something Windows and Linux PC users don't get. When you let anybody build a machine around your OS, will it be the same quality experience? Is the Mac OS running on a $350 Dell crap-box the same experience as Mac OS running on a Mac? History says no. Non-Apple computers running Apple operating systems have, in the past, been total lemons which nevertheless cost Apple some serious money.

Also - and this is the thing some people really don't get:

Apple doesn't compete with Microsoft. Read it again: Apple does not compete with Microsoft. "I'm a Mac..." ads aside, Apple competes with Dell. Toshiba. Gateway. Other HARDWARE manufacturers. Intel Macs run Windows as well as any PC. Better in some cases, because Macs don't come in stripped-down, low-end crap-box models. Apple sells only mid-range and high-end models. So, as a PC buyer, I'm thinking: Get a cheap PC with Windows - useful but kinda clunky - or get a Mac and, for a little bit more scratch, get a better piece of hardware and BOTH operating systems - which I can keep and use productively for almost twice the average PC lifespan.

It's a no-brainer, unless 1) your budget is just too tight for the least expensive Mac or 2) a low-end crap-box is truly all you need. For many people, that's true - and Apple will never court them by offering the Mac OS to them.

The Mac OS shines on nice systems, thought it will run on ancient computers with little RAM (unlike Windows Vista and even full-blown XP). But from a business standpoint, the margins are terribly low. Dell and Gateway competed themselves into the poorhouse. HP and Compaq...ouch...all bad news there. IBM NEVER made money on PCs, in their entire history of selling them, and finally quit. They sold their PC lines to Lenovo of China a couple years ago. Even Sony's margins on PCs are tiny - they're barely profitable, and many quarters they're run at a loss.

Why?

Because they all licensed the same operating system (Windows) and then had to compete with each other based on who could build the cheapest plastic crap-box.

This is market saturation no one wants to get into, and a business model Apple abhors.

Apple makes a tidy profit withOUT competing in that area. Why the hell would they want to jump in?

Apple's business model is to control both the hardware and the software, integrate them to an amazing degree with stellar quality control not possible in the PC world, and sell only mid-range and high-end systems. That keeps them in the sub-10% user base, but it's a nicely profitable one.

Ultimately, the only thing that matters is the return on shareholder investment. If Apple can turn a good profit, HOW they do it is irrelevant. The goal is not to dominate the world (or the market), it's to maximize profit. Apple's profit ratio far outstrips other PC makers, and that only happens because they keep their OS and hardware under one exclusive roof.

For now. ;-)

Answer 2

A couple of reasons.

Apple makes the majority (almost all?) of their profits from hardware sales, unlike Microsoft, which gets profits mostly from software. If they sold just the OS, people would build their own computers or buy others. Thus they couldn't make nearly as much money.

Besides money, they can assure quality control. By limiting what hardware it is run on, they can assure compatibility. If they let you install it on anything, there would be literally millions of combinations in a computer setup, and they'd have to ensure compatibility with everything. What a pain!

In addition, if they spent time writing drivers for compatibility, they wouldn't be able to spend as much time or money on developing NEW things, just fixing old ones. Note how Apple is arguably "ahead of the curve," while Microsoft has trouble keeping up to their own release schedule, instead releasing patches.

There may be more, but that's what comes to mind for me.

Answer 3

I'm sure there are many reasons, but don't ignore the obvious:

Apple wants them to buy Macs.

If OS X was available to PC users, who would switch over?

Answer 4

I personally think it's because they control most of the hardware. Want Mac OSX? You'll have to buy a Mac first! Money, money money.

Don't get me wrong though - in my oppinion Macs are well worth their price tag but saying that, I do also believe that price tag is a bit inflated.

I'll stick to my Hackintosh for now (OSX works flawlessly on my HP T3050.uk....hehehe).

Answer 5

Apple is a hardware company unlike Mircosoft which is a software company. Apple wants people to buy their computers for OS X.

Answer 6

Because Apple sells hardware, not software, so OS X is included. Microsoft sells software, not hardware (with a few exceptions).

Their business models are very different.

Answer 7

The Sony Vaio is a perfectly styled pc/laptop for Windows.
What do you think, will happen to Apple sales, if Apple OSX would be able to run on it?

Answer 8

They are trying to restrict themselves, their OS goes with their hardware, computers they create. So if you want their OS, you will have to buy their computers. And we all know how costly their computers are, although they are decent.