MacOS Compatibility or How To Bring Snotty Cloners to Their Collective Knees
Say that you're a huge computer company, that just began licensing their OS to other computermakers so that you could grow the number of users that use you're OS, much like Apple is right now. Now say also that instead of increasing said users the companies you licensed your OS to take away from your market share, and profits, by underselling you to the point where you CANNOT compete. What DO you do? Well Apple has figured out a solution, be it good or bad. In short what do you call a PowerPC based computer, with awe inspiring graphics hardware, super great prices, and NO OS! Well either the Amiga(though it had a decent OS.) or all dressed up with no where to go. Think for a minute. Say MacOS8.1 was incompatible with all the cloners products. WELL NOW, how much ARE licences worth eh? The cloners have lived under the mistaken impression that they can take all thats good about the Mac, and ignore why the were created. And now Apple is saying, "Hey no hold on just a second by witholding a license for MacOS8 from the cloners. If you think they havn't considered pulling a Microsoft with OS8.1 you are sadly mistaken. Apple has basically created a new enemy for itself with cloners, and now it's realizing that it has some power, the question is will cloners realize that they are likely to die without MacOS compatibility.
Don't think that they'd shrivel up and die? Think maybe they'd just move to wintel, or Be and live the happy life? Maybe you'd better think again. First have you priced the cost of moving into the Wintel market lately? I don't mean making Wintel Compatibles, I mean competing with the market that's out there, and actually making a system that's cheap enough, and good enough that Joe Shmoe buy's it. it ain't cheap, espcially when you have the word's "Ex MacOS Maker" in your name. As for thinking of BEing something different, that's a toughie too. Be has a neat new OS, with some real cool abilities, too bad they can't run Photoshop, or Duke Nukem. Until Be has a reasonable userbase, there's nothing to be made from a non-MacOS compatible MacOS Compatible.
Now how does this affect you the buyer of a new MacOS compatible? Well, depends do you want to run all the latest, and greatest bells and wistles, or stare at that 7.6 look for the rest of your computing years. If cloners realize that they are stuck between a rock, and Wintel then you needn't worry at all, you can happily run MacOS from here to infinite loop, but I wouldn't be surprised if you just HAPPEN to need a "Clone Computing Enabler." in a few months to run MacOS 8 correctly.
Now as for Apple, they have to be on the look out too. Word has it, and I don't mean Word 97, that the cloners are considering an Apple buyout. Many think this is down right ludicrous, but considering what incompatibility could mean for them, it looks a little more likely eh? On the other hand there's an easy way to figure out whether cloners would A) band together, and B) actually bother to buy out Apple. It's simple math, just check out the NASDAQ and see how Apple's stock is doing. If it becomes cheaper for them to buy Apple, than to pay for the licenses then expect either Apple to start handing out licenses like they were flyers for a Wintel Clone, or Apple to suddenly become a conglomerate company, that is essentially worthless.
What could make ALL of this even MORE fun? I'll give you a hint it helped make the 128k Mac, and it rhymes with Dr. Dobbs. YES, that's right Mr. Steven P. Jobs. Mr. Jobs ALWAYS offers a good show. Between his reknowned brashness behind company doors, and his awe inspriring charisma(How do you really think NeXT which was going through it's own private hell, could suddenly get bought by a red bleeding company, considered to be on the verge of it's dying days? It wasn't because Mach was really cool. ) it's really hard to tell what his impact may have on the company, now that he has "An expanded Role". He could hold out till cloners eat Apple like it was a delicious, not a McIntosh Or he could persuade Ellison to step in and protect his little company of old.
And you thought the licesing issue was petty, and short reaching. As for myself, I'm not looking to buy a non-Apple Mac for a while, partially because of the above, and partially because I feel it's wrong to abandon Apple in it's time of need.(Also there IS some cool tech developing under Ruperstein's guiding hand.) What should YOU do? Beats me, what do you think of the idea of paying 3000$ bucks for a machine that will never get past 7.6, well all your Apple loyal buddies are playing around with Web Objects, and Renderman on their new Rhapsody Compatible. Worse yet is the idea of MacTelers having better systems. (MacTel is MacOS on Intel for you laymen.)
Anyway, in closing, round and round the system clock hand goes, where she lands nobody knows...
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