Please reply me at laureen_20042000@yahoo.com

Microsoft undoubtedly made a very usable OS, and I mean usable in terms of GUI, with no considerations for security. I would contend that it’s practically just as usable as MacOS. Perhaps if you were to show a caveman a PC and a Mac, he’d probably be more comfortable on a Mac quicker, but the fact is that there are barely any cavemen left in the world, and Microsoft owns most of the PC world (which would also make them the prime target of black hats and the like). In my mind, FOSS OSs have a lot to learn from Microsoft.

I would agree though that currently, with all factors considered, the MacOS is a very strong contender for the title of “Best OS”. It’s usable, it’s secure, and since it’s built on Unix, geek-friendly. It’s only real downside is its price.

It is highly doubtful that we’d ever see the MacOS like we see Windows today. You can buy Windows and install it on any x86 computer; it even comes OEM on many many pre-built computers, but I can guarantee that Steve Jobs will never be willing to lose the kind of control he has over what the Apple user uses now. If he were to release MacOS as a stand-alone OS, he simply wouldn’t have control over what quality of hardware people would put it on.

If Apple would suddently open the market to Macintosh clones (like it did in the early 90s), Mr. Jobs would likely make computer companies to make sure that their branded computers with pre-installed MacOS was up to snuff with Apple’s standards – which would obviously still make Apple-related products expensive.

As long as Apple is making good money and Steve Jobs is in charge, I wouldn’t count on seeing truly cheap Macs any time soon.

We see pirated copies of WinXP and other Windows versions all the time. But that didn’t stop Microsoft from being the multi-billion dollar business it is now.

Let’s say Apple sells their OS as OEM, with branded computers, such as Dell and HP. They’d probably make a killing out of that.

Yes, Pinoys are not into buying software, much less the OS, if the pirated versions are available for free. But if the OS is bundled as OEM, and the cost is imputed in the hardware’s SRP, then that would be a good deal if it were Mac OS X instead of Windows you get, ain’t it?

@Fleeb,

Yes, it’s not that simple to switch to another OS. But that made me think: Windows is, after all, supposed to be more complicated to operate than MacOS, isn’t it? And while majority of the computing world is still Windows-centric (with the immense popularity Windows gained over the past few decades), we’re now moving towards the internet as the more prevalent computing environment. And that makes it easier to switch across OSes.

I’m still hoping the Linux side of things will get their stuff going for desktop Windows users to try out their OS, since I don’t think actually paying for legal OS/software is natural to us.

If their software will end up in Green Hills, more and more people would be trying it and later getting a large ‘user base’. Just like the console wars, companies subsidized their consoles during launch to get a large user base, but during that time, well of course they get negative gains.

The average Juan do not want to switch OS that simple you know, they were even trying to look for “Drive C” in Linux. That’s another factor to consider, transition.

However, I think the recent shift towards dual-core Intel processors, and the low-power and cool Pentium Ms is one of the advantages Apple will get on the technical side.

That’s right–better wait. You can expect thinner powerbooks with longer battery life. And they will be a lot cooler on the lap, too. Or at the very least, you can wait for the Intel-based units to come out; PowerPC-based machines will likely have a price-drop.