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Pixar Switches to Mac OS X and G5s
fmorgan writes "No big surprise here: when Apple introduced the G5 at 2003 WWDC, it become more a question of 'when' Pixar will move to G5s, than 'if'). At the same conference, Apple showed a new codec for Mac OS X named 'Pixlet,' developed with Pixar. In last year O'Reilly's Mac OS X conference, there was a presentation on how Pixar moved their desktop/office environment to Mac OS X. Now it seems it's the main production work: 'Apple's Don Peebeles said that Pixar has used Linux and Intel-based architecture in 2003, but that Pixar was switching to Mac OS X and G5 workstations for its production work: Peebles went on to say that this switch was "a move that no doubt made common CEO Steve Jobs very happy."'"
Steve Jobs is a "non-monopolist" WTF??? Apple is just as much of a monopoly as Microsoft. Unless you don't consider closed source propietary code, total hardware/software lock in with every product they sell (like the I-pod) and massive DRM as monopolistic behavior. The only differences between Apple and Microsoft are Microsoft's larger market share and Mac's superior quality/technology.
Bullshit. AMD Opteron based machines give better performance at a lower cost. I have a dual opteron at work loaded with 4G RAM that is cheaper than a G5 box. And you're not stuck with Apple monopoly-like tactics.
How long till AMD cries foul and we get big tech lawsuit one gazillion and one heading for the courts? Ah, too late ;)
This has been discussed quite enough.
Translation: Our PR department has been trying to kill this speculation for weeks. Please stop discussing it, lest our market capitalization decrease.
Apple wins when the cost/performance ratio is considered; that's why Virgina Tech bought all those G5's last summer!
Virginia Tech bought all those G5s last summer because at the time they were available and less expensive than other 64-bit architectures. The AMD 64 wasn't available in quantity. They also received quite a bit of consideration from Apple sweetening the deal.
Nevertheless, this advantage will be lost with the costs of the first upgrade cycle.
It's not a CEO mandate. It's a valid technical decision.
That may or may not be (hence the discussion you would like to suppress).
AMD 64s are much less expensive, noticably faster, and run a cost-free operating system Pixar has already migrated to, and upon which their critical applications (and in-house applications) already run. They also have a sizable investment in existing infrastructure that would blend seamlessly with newer, faster, and less expensive Linux/AMD64 solutions.
Instead they have, at the public urging of their CEO (who also happens to have been CEO of Apple for a much longer period of time), opted to migrate their entire enterprise, at considerable cost in time and energy, to a new, more expensive, and slower platform.
Even if the equipment and software are provided by Apple at cost, this is a costly deal. Add to that the licensing and hardware costs of future upgrades (which almost certainly won't be supplied at cost), and any advantage today's freebie gave Pixar is negated.
This will be costing Pixar far more than a Linux/AMD solution would have after the first upgrade cycle, and that adversely affects shareholder value. It is, in short, good for Apple and lousy for Pixar.
And this isn't SCO we're talking about, so you can keep your "fudiciary" issues to your fudself.
A a stock holder I most certainly will speak up when I see a CEO with a conflict of interest doing something that appears to be quite at odds with the value of my holdings.
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
No, we'd have the hoardable and underdeveloped BSD and the copylefted but immature GNU Hurd.
This is not about Linux, but freedom.
IP doesn't exist. Patents and copyrights yes. And both are blocking progress and the distribution of wealth. Copyleft offers a way out.
Too bad it is hoardable. Do you realize it is the GNU GPL that better protects the authors' rights, and that's one of the reasons for the GNU/Linux success over BSDs? Moreover, that another one of the reasons BSDs never developed as fully was that the lack of copyleft propitiated forks that never contributed back to the community, like SunOS, NeXTStep, Ultrix and HP-UX?
Too bad Darwin is not nearly as free as BSD, not even as the GNU GPL. Too bad also it is useless without the proprietary Cocoa and Aqua.
Yes he cares. If he didn't he'd have gone fully free software.
Go elsewhere. This is /.
Leandro Guimarães Faria Corcete DUTRA
DA, DBA, SysAdmin, Data Modeller
GNU Project, Debian GNU/Lin
After all, on Slashdot you must "align" yourself to a specific mindset. It's impossible to you that someone might have criticisms of all operating systems and not have a viewpoint that can be labelled as strictly pro-Microsoft or pro-Linux.
Why didn't you just link to my page? Then people can read my "douchebag" opinions and recognize that though I may hold views contrary to the majority, that doesn't mean it deserves the freakish stalking obsession I currently get from you. The multiple AC posting thing to each comment is getting freaky.
"Sufferin' succotash."
seeing as pixar and apple have ties that go back when they were still a nothing animation company that presented short films at film festivals.
hell, watch knick knack and some earlier ones and you'll see steve jobs in the credits and thanks to him and apple computers in the creds...
looks like an old reunion to me.
from all this reading
:)
1. Apple DOES NOT MAKE THE HARDWARE - IBM and other 3rd party companies do - Apple simply puts their name on it.
2. Mac OSX is not even 64bit capabale as far as i know?
3. Windows 64bit does exist for AMD64' (64bit cpu's) also you have Server 2003 which is 64bit - then you also have th elinux flavours.
4.The main reason Pixar for G5's is because Steve Jobs owns both companies so WHY would he want the competitors making money from him - pixar likely paid next to nothing for those systems.
5. Go spec out a dual Xeon system - yeah it will run you about $1500 US for an "okay" system - go spec out a dual G5 - your looking @ over $2k + - i have done my own price comparisons and each time i can get a PC that has everything a MAC has an often more for the same price - especially when you include 21' studio displays - of cours each one beats out the other in various "tests". neither is ever a mile ahead as so many reviews want you to beleive.
Anyways - what ever works - g5's got some good stuff and is definetly a saviour to MAC users world around from the G4 giant paper weight - but for all the MAC zealots stop worshipping your system and realize that PC are not the crap you think they are.
End of my rant for now.
P.S - can anyone spare $2k so i can get my own G5?