I don't understand why Apple doesn't make a crossover OS for PC's. Still keep their Apple hardware, but expand to the PC market as well. Those Apple lunatics will still buy the Apple hardware.
Apple right now has a finite and small universe of devices and drivers to test. That's comfy and easy and they like it.
You stated -- "I don't understand why Apple doesn't make a crossover OS for PC's. Still keep their Apple hardware, but expand to the PC market as well."
Well..., it's because Apple is primarily a hardware company. It's not a software company. The software and other services are only meant to support the hardware. All decisions on software are made with hardware in mind. Once you understand that -- then the Apple decisions makes sense.
It only doesn't make sense if you try to impose a different methodology upon the company -- other than the one they've chosen for themselves (i.e., to be a hardware company).
So, if you say, "They should be a software company, because hardware is not where it's at." -- then you're putting your own parameters on their decision-making process. They won't turn into a software company and thus their decisions will never reflect that, as coming from a "software company".
That's where a lot of people get confused about Apple.
Regards,
Star Traveler
No they won't. Back in the 90s Apple tried cloning and it literally ate their lunch. Apple figured they were losing $200 for every licensed copy of the Mac OS that was shipping on other computers. Now, I am guilty because I bought three Power Computing clones and I still have one--in the garage somewhere.
People keep saying that they could just license clones and they would make a fortune and millions of computers would be sold. This is just dead wrong. Look at what clones did for IBM. Since Apple still makes most of thier money off of hardware they couldn't make an immediate switch to software--there's no installed base to sell to. They would have to do it gradually and I just don't think they could make any money at it.
Because there's no margin in software, but plenty in their hardware.
As you said, plenty of people will overpay for that.