Much ado has been made of late about the speculation and reports that Apple is "going to ship Apple branded Linux boxes." And those "Telephone Game" reports soon made it into the "mainstream consciousness;" much like those erroneous "$999 Consumer iMac Price Cut" reports. There's just "One Small Problem" with those reports -- they're not true. And here's where RFI has to reveal yet another aspect of "Golden Convergence."
The plethora of "Telephone Game" reports confused "Linux application compatible boxes" with "Linux boxes." For how long has: RFI, Robert Morgan, Echo 4, et al been singing the tune that OS X Server and Mac OS X Pro/Consumer "Out Linux's Linux"? Weeks? Months? Even years if one takes into account the "Post Macworld Expo (Boston '97) Special Report"?
Okay. Here's the "truth." Both OS X Server and Mac OS X Pro/Consumer will have "Linux application compatibility" as well as "compatibility" with most major flavors of Unix. Hell, Apple could even make Microsoft's life REALLY easy (until they get NT5/Win2K out the door) by tossing in Win32 into the release. And no, that's not a "Bad Thing" for Microsoft if it occurs; especially if "Judge Justus" prevails and seeks to "Hydra"te Microsoft. You see, if Apple does that it will only help slow or stall the momentum of Linux versus NT, and it will buy Microsoft precious time until they can get their new Operating Systems out the door. RFI is not kidding. We're deadly serious.
That does not mean Apple will ship "Linux boxes." Why should they? Linux application compatibility is "Good Enough." We wrote a "cheer" that describes the notion that OS X "Out Linux's Linux." It's as follows: "Ease of Use! Look and Feel! That's the OS X Appeal!" It's consistent with RFI's positions vis-a-vis "The Operating System Formerly Known As Rhapsody" from August '97.
What's funny as all get out is that so many people bought the story of "Apple Branded Linux Boxes" hook, line and sinker. This coming from a company, Board and CEO who doggedly pursued a strategy to kill the Mac Clone market ("They hated PowerComputing so much they bought the company") because it threatened their market share and viability? What were those who bought that story: smoking, inhaling, ingesting, or rubbing into their belly buttons? Especially since "Apple Branded Linux Boxes" would not only compete with "Apple Branded OS X Boxes" but would also severely "hack off" one of their strategic partners (Microsoft) to no end?
You can have an "Apple Branded Linux Box" today if you so desire. All you have to do is: create a volume on your hard drive, or on a secondary hard drive; download PPCLinux/MkLinux from Apple or linux.org; install it and have at it. Problem is there's no software for it. You might as well use the same arguments against Linux that has been used against the Mac OS. "But it's Open Source code!" proponents will exclaim. "Yeah, but will it work with the stuff I've already got?" the skeptics will answer. Will Office98 run? Will AppleWorks 5? Will anything? Other than PPCLinux applications?
Truth be told, because Linux is "Open Source," it's continually playing "Catch Up," much like the "Amigans," who have vested their fortunes on "Gateway's Wholly Owned Subsidiary -- Amiga, Inc." Linux is usually trying to play "Catch Up" and only Microsoft's problems in getting NT5/Win2K has given Linux a window of opportunity. A window that will start to close once OS X Server and Mac OS X Pro/Consumer starts shipping.
Now, would you (personally) rather run an "Apple Branded Linux Box," or would you rather run an "Apple Branded OS X Box" that offers Linux application compatibility? Given the fact that an "Apple Branded OS X Box" not only has Apple Support standing behind it, but has a shitload of current and future software ready to run on it? To borrow the phrase from the Fox News Channel: "We Report. You Decide."
With those reports of "Apple Branded Linux Boxes," you might as well have locked us all into an extremely confined space and opened the spigot full force on a bottle of Nitrous Oxide ("Laughing Gas") for the effects those reports had. It would have had the same effect.
Sorry. Those "Apple Branded Linux Boxes" reports and stories were the best laugh we had in a long time. Didn't the absence of Mac Publishing / MacWEEK coverage, and their refusing to jump on that particular wagon tell you anything? That's something to chew on, isn't it?
If Apple does ship "Apple Branded Linux Boxes," RFI will wonder whether Mr. Jobs and Apple's Board members have been "whiffing laughing gas." We don't think they have been.
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