Will Lion Be Apple's Last Boxed OS?

In what has become a yearly/bi-yearly tradition, Apple fans line up at an appointed time to get the latest version of the Mac OS X operating system at the nearest Apple store. (There are rumors that in my days working Apple retail, I may have had my hair painted as a tiger print to celebrate one launch. I will not confirm or deny.)

Are those days about to become a thing of the past? is the communal spirit of an OS launch about to disappear and be replaced, like so many things, with hunching over a computer in the solitude of your home and pressing "purchase?"

It would certainly seem that with the Mac App Store, Apple now has the perfect delivery model for the next OS, and it wouldn't be surprising if Lion ends up being available through the store. Of course not everyone can access the store yet, depending on how current their OS is. So this time around, shiny boxes of Lion at the Apple Store are pretty much a sure thing, but what happens next?

The most noticeable impediment to a download only model for operating system sales would be the lack of a backup disc, or other way to re-install if things go awry. But look at the iPhone and iPad: they both get along just fine without any kind of installation disk. Adding the ability to burn a startup disk at installation could be a quick solution, but given the indications that optical drives aren't long for the Apple world, a more innovative solution could be around the corner.

Sure people have already speculated countless ways the new Apple data center could be used, along with plenty of wishlist features/ideas for the next iteration of MobileMe. It doesn't seem like a stretch to think Apple could add the ability to remotely re-boot/re-install the operating system to those services.

Would the lack of a physical OS disk be bad? From Apple's perspective it is probably substantially cheaper to move bytes around, rather than shipping physical media. It would also cut out re-sellers like Amazon, Best Buy, etc: If you want the new OS, you go through Apple. It also wouldn't be a stretch to see one more aspect of iOS carry over to the desktop: free upgrades. With the cost of getting the OS to consumers reduced to the price of a download, and with the new features of each OS increasing hardware sales, or enabling more purchases from within the Apple eco-system (ie the App Store) it's certainly plausible for the OS price to drop to zero.

The bigger question would be what would this decision do to competitors, particularly Microsoft. If Apple commits to delivering free OS updates, how Microsoft continue to justify upgrades costing hundreds of dollars? Can Microsoft even survive without the revenue of OS updates? And won't they eventually have to bring Office into the App Store, where it will face new price pressures?

Stay tuned.

Google's Chrome OS: Good For Apple

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Google is working on a web-based operating system! Ahh! The news spread like wildfire, landing on the home page of CNN, no less (hey, Michael Jackson could only be on there so long). Some tech blogs pointed out the forthcoming OS will run on x86 hardware, be it Windows or Mac (it is it's own OS, after all) but the early installations will be on netbooks.

Frankly, this could prove to be a blessing for Apple. Don't forget, not only does Apple not compete within this sector, they don't make the OS available for other hardware suppliers. Who does? Microsoft, of course. If Chrome is successful, Microsoft will have to cloud-ify Windows more and more to stay dominant in that space. The further Chrome leads Microsoft into the cloud, the more pronounced the differences will be between OS X and future Windows products. After all, it's the tight integration of apps like iMovie, iTunes, etc, (as well as stability) that sets OS X apart. No cloud app in the near future will allow for the video editing power of iMovie, or meet the needs of professional photographers like Photoshop. 

So for now, we say bring on the Chrome OS, and Microsoft, have fun chasing your own tail keeping up with Google. We'll be sitting over here with a tightly integrated hardware/software solution that doesn't require an internet connection to get pro work done.

Buy a Psystar, And You're On Your Own

Something really crazy almost happened today. I was within two clicks of buying a Psystar Open Comptuer with Mac OS X installed. We've had fun with their name, and we've questioned their legal footing, but when I saw comparable MacPro specs on a $1500 configuration, it was almost enough to "add  to cart." My mind was imagining editing our videos here in half the time, without a care in the world. And after all, no matter what happened with Apple and Psystar, I would be safe. I mean, what are they going to do, take the computer back?

And then I got to the last portion of the FAQ's page: Psystar is not responsible for any legal repercussions brought upon you due to your use or involvement with the Open Computer and/or OpenPro.

Saying something, and having it be the law are two different things, but it's just the kind of clause that really takes away the warm fuzzies of getting a "Mac" at half the price. I'll pass.

Root Access: By Request, More With the Dell 9 and OS X

Due to popular demand, we've got another look at the Dell Mini 9 running OS X. Today we take a look at some key mac apps running on the Dell, and look at some rough benchmarking. It's really quite remarkable to see iPhoto and other apps so responsive on such a low cost machine. The test unit had 2GB of RAM, but was still less than $450, including a hard drive upgrade.

Enjoy!

Root Access: Hands On with a Dell Mini 9 Running OS X

A few weeks ago, Jamie mentioned he was installing OS X on his Dell mini 9 for the sake of educational purposes. Well, he stopped by for a fresh taping of Root Access, and brought the MacinDell with him. In the first segment he talks about the challenges (or lack of) in installing Mac OS X the Dell. The second segment focuses on the usability of the hack, and what Apple could learn from the performance of the Dell. And finally, we shot b roll of the OS in action, but due to some time constraints, it wasn't edited into the other two clips, so now you can take a look at that unedited in the third clip.