nah i tried a PC version of osx via the osx86 project and did not like it. tried many versions of Linux as well and nothing has been able to let me think of ditching windows

Yes I would. In fact I am seriously considering the Dell Mini 9 or the Lenovo S10 for that very act whether Apple Likes it or not. Don't get me wrong I like Apple and Mac Hardware, but currently Apple doesn't have anything that I really want, although I am curious if they are going to be doing any refreshes in March...cough. Mini....Cough Power Mac.

apple should open up osx to every hardware vendors and allow end users to directly purchase it for their non apple pc. they would go from a nitch player to giving micrsoft a heart attack. i would buy a copy for $99 to play with. they may see a large number of windows xp users who have not upgraded or users who have downgraded from windows vista back to windows xp try their os out and many may just not go back to microsoft... is anyone at apple reading this... or are they content at being a bunch of could haves. dell should be selling it as an option for their pcs, ect... maybe with jobs gone the company can evolve from the nut jackit he put it in.

The only people who want Apple's OS to be open to other vendors are those who are to cheap to buy an Apple computer (usual those who don't know value and only see price), Vista users who realized they made a mistake, or people who are generally anti-Apple to begin with.

Apple's business model seems to be working well for Apple, so why switch to a Microsoft business model...Isn't Microsoft trying to adopt a more Apple-like approach?

Bloggers keep on blogging, the world never seems to care, and bloggers never realize.

I like apple hardware but a mid tower with expandability that is within the price range of a high end mac mini or I mac seems out of reach.

I can either get an underpowered computer for $700, a non upgradeable or expandable for $1,500 or an actual high end tower for $2,200

All i want is a midtower that can hold 2 3.5 hardrives and 2 or 4 graphic cards for multi monitor display

Apple doesn't want to license OS X because it would vastly eat into their hardware sales. OS X is not meant to make them money on it's own, it is meant to persuade people into buying Macs. I think that is one of the reasons Apple has mostly looked the other way from the hobbyist OSx86 community. They know that it gets some people to try OS X who wouldn't otherwise. Some will come to love the OS, and decide it's worth going with an Apple box to have, and BOOM, hardware customer. Heck, if they're lucky the OSx86-er even payed for the original Hackintosh license anyhow.

Even if Apple is forced to license the OS out, I don't think they can legally forced to support it on 3rd party hardware, just to not take any actual measures against 3rd party installs. Debateably (I haven't looked into it enough), aside from some lines in the EULA, they already do it this way. If it is licensed, driver support may be pretty sketchy. They may also be able to keep it mostly in house through a loophole (at least for a little while) by saying "We want to continue to only support EFI booting. It isn't our fault other PC vendors choose not to make EFI boards."

i definitely want to at least try osx and i have no problem with actually buying a copy of it. but i refuse to buy an overpriced, under performing, and outdated computer.

Most definitely and for one simple reason: I can build a cheaper and more powerful workstation compared to the hardware Apple currently offers. No I don't care about their design. I want to run Logic Studio, And Final Cut Studio on a computer I can continually upgrade with hardware Apple doesn't even offer. Apple at that point would truly put a dent in MS business...

Would be a very hard transition. If they released it to vendors tomorrow it is not as if you could go pick up a copy and install it on your machine. You thought driver problems plagued Windows Vista?

Apple will fight to the bitter end to keep OS X inside their own environment because wrapping OS X in that expensive hardware is how they make money. The Apple fans out there should be hoping that this DOESN'T happen.

No. Never in hell will I run a OS X. I consider it a contamination - in fact, I'm running the Safari browser in a sandbox so it won't affect rest of the system.

Call me anything you want, but truth is, I will stay with the versatility of Windows.

I would run it as a dual boot, but I would have to stick with windows as my main...The only time I could see myself using OSX is when I have the rare urge to edit a song or movie, which isn't very often.

Its "unforeseeable future" not "foreseeable future"

I already run one hackintosh for Audio production (to run Logic 8). OSX is ok - it will be just another decent BSD distrobution if it gets 3rd party licensing. If anything it's made me appreciate Windows alot more. There's nothing specifically amazing about it for me other than Logic after version 5 being mac only.

I'd give it a try. I've used Mac's and have nothing against them, what I have a problem with is having to pay 3-4 times as much money to buy Apple's machine versus building my own. I currently dual-boot between XP and Ubuntu.

I hope Apple opens up the os. It might hurt hardware sales but could be compensated for the os sales.. I think it would slap Microsoft in the face.. It would be funny to open up osx right when windows 7 comes out. I would add it to my boot list... Apple's hardware is kinda dated to me and the price is why I don't own a mac.. Let me think.. I could spend 3 grand on a mac and it be so so or I could build a monster pc and control NORAD with it...

I hate closed OS'es.
Apple is one step further then MS,in the sense that not only can't you investigate the OS;they don't even allow you to build programs!

The more closed a company is, the less I want anything to do with it!

The only reason I'm not on Linux yet,is that I find WinXP, Win98se (with latest SP) and Win7Beta are really well working OS-es, who have plenty of drivers, and work like a charm speedwise.
I don't particularly find Linux faster then windows xp. (Then again I always run it from flash drives).

Linux is like apple, pretty safe, but there are hardly any programs out there that run smooth (games, or other tools I use in Windows).
Though this is getting better lately.

Apple is really last on the list for me!

Apple will fight until the very end to prevent the transition of OS X from Mac-Rom based computers to all computers because nobody would buy their overprice, underpowered, piece-of-crap computers if they had the choice. Since Apple uses Intel processors now, there is no actual reason to buy a Mac unless you want the "sleek but underpowered" design, or OS X... and if OS X is no longer Mac exclusive, only the remaining pseudo-hip morons would purchase iMacs and the like.

Apple needs better hardware as there mini is a joke and even with a update may not be good. intel atom in the mini ?? grate slower then to days mini in cpu power even with the 9400m the cpu does not have the power to get full speed with the gpu and that was with 256 of vram apple will likely go with system ram makeing it even slower.

Also what price $500 a little high $600 a joke for a atom $800 are you kidding me?

People should stop buying into the Mac fallacy that OSX holds any advantage over Windows or Linux. Most Mac users seem to think they have superior hardware under the hood too, and we all know that's not the case. OSX is not worth using(especially for the $3000 premium it adds to the hardware), it's nothing but a bunch of stuff Apple ripped-off from the open-source community, combined with their proprietary restrictions and crap support, and of course, their apple forum where they censor bug reports.

I totally would run OS X on my PC hardware. Not everyone can afford the crazy upgrade costs. PC hardware would let me upgrade over time. I think I can afford a new MB, RAM, Video & CPU upgrade soon but no way on the whole shooting match.
I also hate the cases, you have to pull the LCD to upgrade the HD on the latest iMac and the MacMini just sucks all around. So what I am going to spend $2700 on a MacPro with 8 cores when I don't think I can use more that 2 consistently?? I know they don't like to look generic but there are some advantages to upgradable hardware.

I would definitely use the OS. There are tons of professional applications that I would like to use on a mac right now that I can't use on my PC. Unfortunately (for both me and Apple), their systems are overpriced and not upgradable... so I don't buy them. Apple can't expect to really make a dent in Microsoft until they make their systems more accessible to regular, every-day people.

All of the PC fanbois here crack me up. I would dual boot an OSX box no problem. Yes Apple's hardware is over priced and not up to PC speediness but what does it matter if you can rip a dvd in 6 mins instead of 3 etc. The people so concerned about squeezing every ounce of speed out of their PC hardware are the ones who upgrade 3x a year just to make sure their e-peen is up to snuff.

Gaming is the only computer task where hardware really matters. Since most PC titles are Windows based it kinda makes the OSX discussion moot.

The marketing behind "it just works" is actually true to a certain degree. Out of the box a mac can edit make dvd's, edit pictures, make a webpage, watch movies and surf the web so easily a blind monkey could do it. None of that requires codecs, 3rd party software or add ons. That for a lot of users is "what just works."

I'd like to be able to try OS X but I am certainly not going to shell the money to do so. At least, I could try Ubuntu for free even if in the end, I still prefer Vista (yeah, it's not glamorous but I still think its a much more mature product that works perfectly well for me).

windows seven is not bad! as far as purchasing a license for osx.. no way(once in a while I enjoy my hackintosh), i dont even want to think of spending the money on a real mac(just a WASTE, u limit yourself and accept Apple control over your life).

@Lunatic Magnet: If it "just works", then why the f$^@ does Mac have to censor bug reports in their forums? I'm into audio production, and a bunch of suckers I know who bought a Mac and Logic because Apple marketing had duped them into thinking that this was a "pro" setup have since reverted back to either Cubase or Reaper on a PC due to all of the crashes, incompatibility, and plugins that use twice as much CPU under OSX.

If apple releases Their OS to PC market then No one will buy their Apple Branded machines... So they will Hardly do that.. Bu if they do then i am buying one.

@Lunatic: Macs have no strengths, they suck at their niche markets(audio and video), and they're no better for everyday computing than Linux or Windows. Ubuntu "just works" if you're a basic email/internet/office/video/music type user, and you save the $3000 OSX surcharge($1000 for laptops). Not to mention, your hardware devices have a better chance of working on Linux, because if they don't say "Mac Compatible", then it ain't happening on OSX.