Re: Mac OS X and Linux
From: Robert Heller (heller_at_deepsoft.com)
Date: 07/20/04
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Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2004 20:51:26 +0200
Bats <nomail@no.way>,
In a message on Tue, 20 Jul 2004 20:17:23 +0200, wrote :
B> I want to ask (what may be) a stupid question:
B> If Mac OS/X is based on some kind of BSD/Unix OS and it can run apps like MS
B> Powerpoint and Adobe Photoshop (and others), what does this mean?
B> 1. Does it mean those apps have been ported by MS and Adobe (etc) to run
B> under a BSD/Unixy paradigm?
Basically, this is most likely the case.
B> 2. Does it mean that Apple has the source for those apps and has compiled it
B> for their OS?
B> 3. Does it mean they are running under some kind of WINE or somesuch?
B>
B> And finally, If these are ports, why have they not arrived on the Linux
B> desktop yet? Even commercially?
There are in fact 'rumors' of Adobe porting Acrobat to Linux and some
*vague* 'rumors' of MS porting some of their code to Linux. It is
likely that Adobe will port *some* of their code to Linux, at least the
*server* code. Adobe *main* market for Photoshop has been (and
continues to be) Mac people -- the Graphic Design world is heavily a
Mac world. Adobe has no interest in any particular operating system,
but it is likely 'playing the numbers'. If/When Linux gets enough
market share on the desktop, Adobe will likely come out with Linux
versions of their various applications.
Microsoft has a different set of fish to fry -- Microsoft is very much
into the notion that they are an *operating system* company. The
problem is that most of their customer base could really care less what
operating system is running on their computer, so long as the
*applications* they feel they need to have available will work. So,
Microsoft will not be likely to port any of the *applications* off
Microsoft Windows if they can help it. So long as programs like
MS-Word, PowerPoint, etc. 'rule' the office place, Microsoft Windows
will also rule the office place. Microsoft wants to keep this going.
Porting MS-Office, etc. to Linux *might* give some people the idea that
they can drop MS-Windows in favor of Linux and Microsoft does not
really want that. Yes, they have ported their code to MacOSX, but only
because Microsoft has an 'interest' in Apple and as a minimal gesture
to suggest that Microsoft is not a monopoly. Microsoft is sure that the
'suits' are not going to drop the boring PC boxes in favor of flashy
Macs. The 'suits' *might* drop MS-Windows in favor of Linux if it means
that the cost per PC box might drop by $100-$200, and this is a problem
for MS-Windows.
B>
B> I await my licks!
B> --
B> Bats
B> ~..~
B> (I can only post on weekends and rare times during the week.)
B>
B>
\/
Robert Heller ||InterNet: heller@cs.umass.edu
http://vis-www.cs.umass.edu/~heller || heller@deepsoft.com
http://www.deepsoft.com /\FidoNet: 1:321/153
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