Dell, when asked, said he'd offer Apple OSX PCs

[poopypoo]

http://www.fortune.com/fortune/fastforward/0,15704,1072719,00.html

this isn't much of a scoop by now, but, I do have some food for thought --

someone on Anand commented that Dell may well be setting Microsoft up for the fall here, and I rather agree. Although Apple will have to see how much it is worth to them to sell OSX-bundling rights for, MSFT will waste no time, I'd think, in paying off/subsidizing the major PC manufacturers to use Windows exclusively. Or would they? Maybe it would be time for them to find a new company to carry the MSFT torch to the mainstream. After all, it could be argued that Dell can't afford to antagonize gates as much as Gates can't afford to lose Dell...?

 

[jvd]

if gates stoped selling windows to dell , dell wouldn't be here tommorow . Its that simple

 

[_xxx_]

So where did Dell ask Apple for OSX? I just hate misleading topic titles!

 

[poopypoo]

well, hey, sorry, i certainly didn't mean to mislead anyone. in fact i posted it before reading the article myself ^^; i still think the questions are interesting --

jvd, i don't think MS can legally just decide not to sell windows to Dell. i imagine they could come up with some excuse to lessen the sweet OEM deals though. Not sure about that.

 

[Frank]

jvd, i don't think MS can legally just decide not to sell windows to Dell. i imagine they could come up with some excuse to lessen the sweet OEM deals though. Not sure about that.

True. Dell gets massive cuts on everything they sell. But there is only one product they need, where they cannot switch to a competitor, and that's Windows. The knife cuts both ways, as they generate a lot of sales for Microsoft as well. But if push comes to shove, Microsoft is the strong party and could demand more money, even market-conform. Which would be many times what Dell pays at the moment.

 

[silence]

jvd, i don't think MS can legally just decide not to sell windows to Dell. i imagine they could come up with some excuse to lessen the sweet OEM deals though. Not sure about that.

True. Dell gets massive cuts on everything they sell. But there is only one product they need, where they cannot switch to a competitor, and that's Windows. The knife cuts both ways, as they generate a lot of sales for Microsoft as well. But if push comes to shove, Microsoft is the strong party and could demand more money, even market-conform. Which would be many times what Dell pays at the moment.

i see Dell as stronger party here.... maybe they just want to pay less for each copy to M$.... wouldnt be first time someone used similar tactics and Dell can play that game...

we can think what we like, but OSX isnt bad product and there is lots of software made for it, so having Dells with OSX might be Good Thing(tm).

that could take more market share from M$ then all Linux distros put together.... (as for desktop computers, not servers)

 

[Saem]

I think Dell is stronger here. OSX will already be running on Intel hardware. A lot of the apps, Word and so on are already on OSX. Really the only thing missing are games, but those will follow, seeing as OSX being on Intel will make games easier to move over along with drivers, since the performance characteristics of the two platforms are basically indistinguishable.

 

[Fox5]

How come Dell acts like it's no problem to start selling OSX, but AMD processors, which run exactly the same programs as Intel, is considered a big problem, and Dell certainly isn't selling some form of Linux on their desktops either...

 

[Killer-Kris]

How come Dell acts like it's no problem to start selling OSX, but AMD processors, which run exactly the same programs as Intel, is considered a big problem, and Dell certainly isn't selling some form of Linux on their desktops either...

With AMD it's a couple of things, first and foremost it's likely a supply issue. AMD can't supply the number of processors Dell would need (or so the theory goes, I don't know if they really can/can't), then on top of that they'd loose their prefered Intel price so not only would they have to try and fill the supply void that AMD left with Intel but it would cost them more.

On the other hand OSX or WinXP are software, there is no such thing as a supply issue, they can have a million, a billion, or a trillion copies if need be. The only issue I see offering multiple OSs is the added cost on the tech support end.

Then the linux on the desktop is probably a simple issue of supply and demand. If people wanted it they'd offer it. But if you know how to and intend to run Linux you're probably not going to buy a Dell in the first place. Where as OSX has many many people who grew up working on Macs in school, and had to switch to PC for work and software compatability. They'd probably love to have a Dell with OSX on it, I wouldn't be surprised if Dell offered the machine as a dual boot Windows/OSX setup at a small additional cost especially given Intels new virtualization tech you could actually have both OSs running at the same time and eliminate the need to dual boot.

On the issue of Dell needing Microsoft or vice versa I can't help but think about how badly Apple needs Dell! If Dell starts selling OSX machines that will pretty much over night multiple the percentage of total Mac users, and actually make a reason for developers to support OSX on x86 that much more. Granted I think it would pretty much kill off Apple as a hardware vendor, but it would do wonders for market share and developers mind share.

 

[compres]

How come Dell acts like it's no problem to start selling OSX, but AMD processors, which run exactly the same programs as Intel, is considered a big problem, and Dell certainly isn't selling some form of Linux on their desktops either...

With AMD it's a couple of things, first and foremost it's likely a supply issue. AMD can't supply the number of processors Dell would need (or so the theory goes, I don't know if they really can/can't), then on top of that they'd loose their prefered Intel price so not only would they have to try and fill the supply void that AMD left with Intel but it would cost them more.

On the other hand OSX or WinXP are software, there is no such thing as a supply issue, they can have a million, a billion, or a trillion copies if need be. The only issue I see offering multiple OSs is the added cost on the tech support end.

Then the linux on the desktop is probably a simple issue of supply and demand. If people wanted it they'd offer it. But if you know how to and intend to run Linux you're probably not going to buy a Dell in the first place. Where as OSX has many many people who grew up working on Macs in school, and had to switch to PC for work and software compatability. They'd probably love to have a Dell with OSX on it, I wouldn't be surprised if Dell offered the machine as a dual boot Windows/OSX setup at a small additional cost especially given Intels new virtualization tech you could actually have both OSs running at the same time and eliminate the need to dual boot.

On the issue of Dell needing Microsoft or vice versa I can't help but think about how badly Apple needs Dell! If Dell starts selling OSX machines that will pretty much over night multiple the percentage of total Mac users, and actually make a reason for developers to support OSX on x86 that much more. Granted I think it would pretty much kill off Apple as a hardware vendor, but it would do wonders for market share and developers mind share.

They dont need to suppy 100% of dell shitpped processors.

 

[Killer-Kris]

They dont need to suppy 100% of dell shitpped processors.

You are right, Dell could mix and match suppliers, but that would mean that they have to have two seperate construction lines, two different sets of parts to order (and attempt to keep as few instock as possible). In addition to losing the favorable pricing from Intel.

On the other hand software is much easier to handle in that regard. Like I think I suggested, I could very well see Dell selling MANY dual-boot systems. There will never be a surplus supply of OSes because there are only as many as are ever needed. Of course Dell will likely lose their favorable pricing from MS, but they don't gain all sorts of other problem that will cost them as well.

 

[suryad]

Its all about marketing politics...not what the better product is...better products dont look like they matter much...Intel and MS are 2 of the biggest examples...