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Darwin 6.0.2 for x86 Released

Posted by pudge on from the i-guess-people-do-still-use-x86 dept.

Jos Louis writes "Apple has released the x86 version 6.0.2 of Darwin, the FreeBSD-based core of Mac OS X. You can download the bootable ISO on Apple's site."

1 of 524 comments (clear)

  1. Re:For the freaking 10,000th time... by g4dget · · Score: 2, Troll
    No Apple isn't going to give away the rest of MacOS X. As much as many folks go gimme-gimme-gimme-for-free Apple's management has fiduciary responsibility to keep the company profitable; giving away MacOS X in its entirety will not further that goal.

    Well, what will further that goal, then? Do you really believe that software developers are going to switch in droves to a proprietary, single platform set of APIs that requires the use of a 20 year old unsafe programming language? APIs that are only implemented on the hardware from a single company, which ships a very limited range of machines?

    I certainly don't: I think Cocoa and Quartz are a dead end, with no prospect of widespread adoption by software developers, outside a die-hard community of Mac developers. Calls for Apple to open source the GUI have nothing to do with "gimme-gimme-gimme", they are simply a reflection that most developers and companies don't want to commit a lot of time and effort to a set of APIs that stand and fall with the fortunes of a single vendor. Open sourcing Cocoa and Quartz wouldn't make the APIs technically more attractive, but at least they would ensure their continued existence.

    In any case, I don't actually want Apple to open source Cocoa and Quartz--I think it would just prolong the agony. I think Cocoa and Quartz will have to be replaced within a few years with something very different--unless Apple goes out of business first.