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Wouldn't it be viable for Apple to release an all PC version of OS X that becomes a real competitor to Windows?

The general premise here is that it may not be a perfect, all-peripherals-supported, run-on-all solution, but such a project would be really interesting from the point of bringing out a real competitor.

And we'll happily accept any bugs that ship with the first version!

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Definitely not under this name, though ;-) – Thilo Sep 1 '09 at 0:31
Should be community wiki. – Chealion Sep 1 '09 at 0:39
FIGHT THE POWER! BLANK PANTHERS UNITE! iconicphotos.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/… – TheTXI Sep 1 '09 at 1:16
Thilo, you never know! :)! – ymasood Sep 1 '09 at 9:12
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The thing is that, although you might be able to accept the bugs and incompatibilities, the rest of the consumers won't. Releasing an operating system with poor third party driver support would only 'taint' and 'dilute' the OS X image for Apple.

Besides, Apple does not make money from its operating systems. It mainly makes money from hardware and its higher-end software, such as Final Cut Pro

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Consumers may love to have a lesser buggy OS as compared to the Windows menace. An endless number of users are Hackintoshimg their PCs. If Apple makes the move today manufacturers will run to write drivers for it. People may eventually acquire superior Apple hardware. It could be FREE initially! – ymasood Aug 31 '09 at 21:48
Not too mention, driver conflicts and general driver issues could also taint the Mac image (Nvidia drivers and Vista BSODs, anyone?). – Nathaniel Aug 31 '09 at 22:43
ymasood: People who run OSx86 on their PCs ARE NOT CONSUMERS. Well, they are not the majority of consumers. They represent only a tiny minority of computer users. When Apple releases an operating system, they will make sure it fits the requirements and needs of the majority of users so they get the most money possible. They cannot do this if the develop an operating system tailored for just you. – joshhunt Sep 1 '09 at 2:15
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Apple tried this in the '90s; they made agreements with companies such as Power Computing and Umax allowing them to manufacture Mac clones that legally ran Mac OS. It almost drove Apple's business into the ground because consumers were buying the cheap clone machines instead of Apple's machines, which is where Apple has always made most of its profit. Remember that Apple is, at heart, a hardware company; its software is basically there to sell the hardware. – Lawrence Velázquez Nov 30 '09 at 4:53
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And toppling a player as entrenched and ubiquitous as Microsoft is far easier said than done. – Lawrence Velázquez Nov 30 '09 at 4:54
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