Is it just me, or isn't it obvious that since Rhapsody will run on Intel, Apple will start licensing again?
No, it's not just you. I've been thinking the same thing. I was stunned when Jobs killed cloning, and after a lot of thought decided that Rhapsody was the answer to that. What point is there in cloning a shrinking market of Macs when in a year they will have access to the entire PC clone market?
I also think that they've been very quiet on this because they don't want to depress MacOS/PPC sales. Nothing would kill those sales better than to announce a replacement OS on a different platform. Jobs wants a couple of profitable quarters leading up to the intro of Rhapsody, because it would be impossible to get it taken seriously if Apple hasn't pulled out of its tailspin by then. And the only way to be profitable right now is the way Jobs is doing it--kill clones, cut costs, increase margins, etc.
And incidentally, this is another reason why Bill Jackson's Mac vs. Wintel market share comparisons no longer make sense. It assumes a world in which the two stay separate. I think the real punchline of the Think Different ad campaign will come when Rhapsody ships, and we see the Apple logo on a PC.
rhet0ric |
