Circle City (Mekons vs. Peace Love Hooligans)

The past couple of years have been good ones to be a Mac User. Gone are the days when the press couldn't bring themselves to type the word Apple without joining it with 'beleagured'. OS X has become the finest operating system in the world, having already incorporated innovations that Microsoft keeps dropping out of the next iteration of Windows in an attempt to even bring the thing into production. The hardware is shiny, and nearly maintenance free. And the iPod and iTunes have changed music delivery forever, as well as keeping my Apple stock in very good shape. Sales of Macs are up 40%, and margins remain high. The company has a multi billion dollar cash warchest.

Most telling, though, people no longer express much surprise when they see me pull a Powerbook out for a presentation, or stop by the office and see the banks of Macs running our systems. That, to me, indicates that Apple has changed people's perceptions of the computers in general, so they are no longer an anomaly, but simply an alternate choice, like picking a car. Which is much closer to the real situation than the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) assertion about Windows dominance due to market share. Apple doesn't compete with Microsoft: they've always sold more computers than Bill Gates.

But along with some other very strategic decision in recent years, Apple decided to abandon the struggling IBM PowerPC chip for INtel. IBM focused their development on their embedded processors, and the heavier duty chips stalled; the performance advantage the RISC chips originally held over Intel chips evaporated as Intel kept up their pace of development. However, small deal; a Mac is not reducible to a particular chip, but it's the integration of hardware and software, elegance, reliability of the whole system that makes for the experience.

Now, Apple has sealed the deal. While Microsoft struggles to update Windows in a meaningful way (or, for that matter, to secure it), Apple has made another strategic move to increase their market share. They've created Macs that boot Windows XP.

This is a jaw dropping move, that will solidify Apple's increasing sales without threatening Microsoft in any way. After all, you still have to buy a copy of Windows. Actually, if Microsoft is smart, they will make an OSX native version of Windows.

It won't affect die hards of either platform (looking at you , Zelmo. You too, Silent Mike). Apple users will just buy the Apple hardware and go on their merry way. Windows die-hards will continue to say that Macs are just pretty, or fine for graphics, but not real computers, or just exult in being able to change their own hard drives or home build their own for $400 (only if their personal time is worth about 3 cents per hour).

But taken by itself, it simply removes another objection from computer buyers who might consider a Mac, but feel there's some specific Windows software they can't do without. I suspect these buyers will find themselves booting into Windows less and less, until one day, when their forced to (again) reinstall Windows to clear out a virus or other Malware (OSX will remain unaffected) they'll just decide not to reinstall it. A lot of fence sitters no longer have a fence.

The biggest danger here is that Apple will become too successful. They've proven (twice now) that they can do what Microsoft can't: drastically update their hardware and operating system, bringing all their users along, without losing their entire customer base to dissatisfaction. Microsoft engineers admit that they can't update Windows because the legacy baggage creates too much drag and bloat, and they are terrified that if their customers have to upgrade too much, they will abandon the platform.

But Apple is a corporation, too. If they become a dominant player, with a near-monoploy hold on the market, I have little illusion that they will not become a vicious bullying predator like Microsoft. It's how corporations work; it's what they are designed to do.

So, anybody that's reading this, do me a favor. If you have any input into a corporation or other large buyer of computer systems, I am sure that in coming time you will face someone who encourages upgrading to Macs. They will be armed with proof that Macs are cheaper to run, last longer, easier and more productive to use, and safer. Please help me to keep Apple to limited market share by discouraging these ideas in any way possible. Resort to all the old Lies, FUD, and distortions about Macs (you can find them on any Mac web site that has the rebuttals). Do what you have to, but make sure that Macs remain a minority, so I can keep using mine in peace and security.

Thanks. Now go update your security software.