On a fundimental level, I agree that it is highly unlikly that there will be a real MacOS X release for Intel.
Does anyone else find this sad. Inovation and the potential merger of 15 years of separate innovation on the two platforms stiffled by economics. Is this suprising? NO. Is it right? Absolutly not. This is the reason that I support the free software movement. Yes, Linux has bugs, Yes, StarOffice is a poor answer to Office 97. In general, however, what has this movement brougt us? Linux (free and more stable than ever) on more platforms than windows or mac will ever claim [MIPS, Alpha, x86, PPC and Sparc]. At least there is someone fighting for something besides market share. The MacOS/*nix/Intel permutation is a fantastic opertunity which I believe is limited only by the greed that has encompased nearly all of the computer industry. Sad but True;(
I understand the brunt of your comment but as a die-hard SGI user I must dis agree with one statement:
only real non-X86 CPU
Realistically, x86 and PPC are very unviable in the "real" computer world. On the contrary, I see two very distinct alternatives to the Big Two: MIPS and Alpha. No one in their right mind would ever build a real workstation with a PPC or x86. In fact, the only good use that I can see for them is playing flashy *over priced* games and watching DVD's [Or if you want to pretend that you are a big shot]. Alpha has been the main stay of the workstation world for quite a while. Alpha reached 600Mhz when Intel was scratching itself at 300Mhz. What about MIPS? MIPS is the graphics workstation of choice, in fact, it has always been. Look at the canonical list of the worlds fastest computers . Fully 80% of them are CRAYS or SGI's. CRAYS use Alphas and SGI, in general, use MIPS. Don't like IRIX or NT, Linux has been successfully ported to MIPS (non-SGI) and Alpha. An SGI MIPS port of Linux is in the works now. With the proliferation of bargin PC's the price of older [but still kick butt] SGI's and Alpha stations are down right cheap! An Indigo2 IMPACT can be bought loaded for under $3000 on Ebay. Heck, I just saw an 8 processor [R5000] Challange XL go for $6000. Just this year, I bought a loaded Indigo R4400 w/ Elan Graphics & 21" monitor for under $500.
Now, I do not recommed the use of such systems for everyone, or for home use. But for you to make the above statement is asnine [and/or misinformed]. IRIX is thousands of times more stable that Linux or Windows [normally] and if you feel so inclined, MIPS and Alpha will do windows too. You are among many who believe that the universe revolves around a PC that you bought at CompUSA. Expand your bounderies, maybe an Alpha or MIPS is not for you, but an informed person can see that PPC is not the...only real non-X86 CPU.
I am personally glad to see a *nix core go into a more public eye. Let's be honest, I run linux [on my PC] , I like linux [on my PC] , however it is far from perfect. I also run NextStep on Mac hardware (is a NeXT cube, 68040 25) and I find the combination quite favorable. I am excited to see this realm explored once more by the computer world. NextStep / OpenStep was (to my knowledge) the fist exploration into the world of cross platform *nix computing. It ran on Intel, Motarola, Sparc, and AXP. It is not mentioned very often but it is in many ways what MacOS X is trying to become. Yet, it is hardly perfect either. Applications are few and far between (Try finding binaries for a Next cube running a 68040 [NON_EXISTANT: I use gcc ALOT]).
The point of my little spiel is that I am really looking forward to the future of cross platform POSIX computing. The possibilites are nearly limitless. Who knows what the future holds:
The endless (how many idiotic flames have we seen on/.) Mac bashing by PC users for their "inferiority" may finally end.
The end of the Finder is near.
Machine choice dictated by quality of computer not OS compatibility (yes, Motarola chips hold quite a few advantages over Intels).
Time is growing short and I fear that I have sposken more than i had intended, but to conclude: Behold the future, finally the commercial world treads into the nether regions of the OS in Linux's wake.
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Does anyone else find this sad. Inovation and the potential merger of 15 years of separate innovation on the two platforms stiffled by economics. Is this suprising? NO. Is it right? Absolutly not. This is the reason that I support the free software movement. Yes, Linux has bugs, Yes, StarOffice is a poor answer to Office 97. In general, however, what has this movement brougt us? Linux (free and more stable than ever) on more platforms than windows or mac will ever claim [MIPS, Alpha, x86, PPC and Sparc]. At least there is someone fighting for something besides market share. The MacOS/*nix/Intel permutation is a fantastic opertunity which I believe is limited only by the greed that has encompased nearly all of the computer industry. Sad but True ;(
only real non-X86 CPU
Realistically, x86 and PPC are very unviable in the "real" computer world. On the contrary, I see two very distinct alternatives to the Big Two : MIPS and Alpha. No one in their right mind would ever build a real workstation with a PPC or x86. In fact, the only good use that I can see for them is playing flashy *over priced* games and watching DVD's [Or if you want to pretend that you are a big shot]. Alpha has been the main stay of the workstation world for quite a while. Alpha reached 600Mhz when Intel was scratching itself at 300Mhz. What about MIPS? MIPS is the graphics workstation of choice, in fact, it has always been. Look at the canonical list of the worlds fastest computers . Fully 80% of them are CRAYS or SGI's. CRAYS use Alphas and SGI, in general, use MIPS. Don't like IRIX or NT, Linux has been successfully ported to MIPS (non-SGI) and Alpha. An SGI MIPS port of Linux is in the works now. With the proliferation of bargin PC's the price of older [but still kick butt] SGI's and Alpha stations are down right cheap! An Indigo2 IMPACT can be bought loaded for under $3000 on Ebay. Heck, I just saw an 8 processor [R5000] Challange XL go for $6000. Just this year, I bought a loaded Indigo R4400 w/ Elan Graphics & 21" monitor for under $500.
Now, I do not recommed the use of such systems for everyone, or for home use. But for you to make the above statement is asnine [and/or misinformed]. IRIX is thousands of times more stable that Linux or Windows [normally] and if you feel so inclined, MIPS and Alpha will do windows too. You are among many who believe that the universe revolves around a PC that you bought at CompUSA. Expand your bounderies, maybe an Alpha or MIPS is not for you, but an informed person can see that PPC is not the ...only real non-X86 CPU.
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I am personally glad to see a *nix core go into a more public eye. Let's be honest, I run linux [on my PC] , I like linux [on my PC] , however it is far from perfect. I also run NextStep on Mac hardware (is a NeXT cube, 68040 25) and I find the combination quite favorable. I am excited to see this realm explored once more by the computer world. NextStep / OpenStep was (to my knowledge) the fist exploration into the world of cross platform *nix computing. It ran on Intel, Motarola, Sparc, and AXP. It is not mentioned very often but it is in many ways what MacOS X is trying to become. Yet, it is hardly perfect either. Applications are few and far between (Try finding binaries for a Next cube running a 68040 [NON_EXISTANT: I use gcc ALOT]).
The point of my little spiel is that I am really looking forward to the future of cross platform POSIX computing. The possibilites are nearly limitless. Who knows what the future holds:
The endless (how many idiotic flames have we seen on /.) Mac bashing by PC users for their "inferiority" may finally end.
The end of the Finder is near.
Machine choice dictated by quality of computer not OS compatibility (yes, Motarola chips hold quite a few advantages over Intels).
Time is growing short and I fear that I have sposken more than i had intended, but to conclude: Behold the future, finally the commercial world treads into the nether regions of the OS in Linux's wake.
};