RSSWhy are Windows products moving to Apple's Mac OS?
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published January 17, 2008, 2:32 PM
Although you can run Windows applications on Apple's Leopard anyway, many vendors at Macworld are debuting Mac OS editions of products originally designed for Windows.
This, in spite of the vaunted Windows/Mac cross-platform capabilities of Apple's new Leopard operating system. And regardless of Mac fans' claims of relative security versus Windows, some of the new products for Mac OS are geared toward virus protection and Web filtering.
Some vendors well known in the Windows space, ranging from security giant McAfee to network attached storage (NAS) specialist NetGear, are exhibiting at Macworld this year for the first time ever.
At the same time, Blue Coat Systems is releasing the beta edition of K9 Web Protection, a Mac OS edition of its security-oriented Web filtering software for Windows-based home PCs. Blue Coat also produces enterprise Web filtering software for government agencies and large businesses.
Meanwhile, label and business card printing maven Avery is using this year's Macworld as the launchpad for a Mac version of DesignPro, constituting that company's first stand-alone software for Mac OS 24 years after the first Macintosh was introduced.
That great app you've loved for Windows for years, now for Mac OS!
Vendors today have been porting Windows products to Mac OS for many years on end, and the same phenomenon has also happened in reverse -- particularly back in the 1990s, when design divisions within large businesses were adopting Windows in droves.
But migration from Windows to Mac OS does seem particularly evident this year, particularly with big names showing up at Macworld for the very first time. Some analysts agree that the trend is especially interesting at a time when running Windows applications on Apple hardware has probably never been easier.
If you want to run a Windows app on one of the new MacBook Air laptops, or any other Apple hardware outfitted with the latest edition of Mac OS, all you have to do is boot up into Windows.
Alternatively, if you're interested in running the same apps directly within OS, you can use an emulation program such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion, or a package such as Codeweavers' Crossover for Mac.
Crossover is a commercialized version of Wine, an open source software package designed to let applications run faster by re-implementing the Win32 kernel inside Mac OS, thereby allowing Windows apps to operate in native mode.
On the other hand, you can avoid the aggravation of either booting into Windows or loading Crossover or an emulation package, by running Mac versions of your accustomed Windows apps directly inside Mac OS.
At the same time, Apple is also making it easier with its new OS for Windows developers to create Mac OS versions of their products, according to Jeff Gamet, an analyst with The Mac Observer.
For one thing, Apple has now stepped to the Intel processor, an architecture that Windows developers already know quite well, Gamet told BetaNews.
For another thing, Leopard comes with more than 100 tools for Mac OS X development, free of charge, he said.
"This is a giveaway, and there's no surprise add-on cost. Everything you need for developing for OS X is included with the computer," according to the analyst.
With rising market shares come unwanted guests
Rising market shares for Mac hardware are also spurring software vendors on, Gamet said.
Indeed, Apple astounded the computer industry last fall by jumping to an 8.1% market share of the US PC shipments in the Gartner Group's industry study for the third quarter of 2007.
According to Gartner's fourth quarter numbers, just released in preliminary form yesterday, Apple's dropped back to 6.1% at the end of last year. But that's still a far cry better than Apple's results in the 3% range just a few years ago.
And Apple is still in fourth place in the US market, according to Gartner, behind Dell at 31.1%, Hewlett-Packard at 26.1%, and Acer at 9.0%.
Long-time Mac fans gain obvious benefits from obtaining new hardware and software applications for Mac OS, said Philip Leigh, a senior analyst with Inside Digital Media, Inc.
Leigh also told BetaNews that he thinks Apple was smart to offer a solid state drive (SSD) for the new Leopard-based MacBook Air laptop announced at Macworld. Beyond allowing devices to be smaller, SSDs are also more rugged than hard disk drives and better able to withstand the "shake, rattle, and roll" of ongoing use, Leigh contended.
The original iPods came with hard drives, but Apple has since replaced those hard drives with flash memory, the analyst pointed out.
So why are security vendors such as McAfee and Blue Coat flocking to Macworld for the first time ever?
Mac fans have long claimed security advantages for their favorite platform versus Windows, citing reasons ranging from a much smaller installed base to the use of a Unix kernel which gives high levels of protection against viruses.
"Some people don't like Windows because it has so many viruses," Leigh noted.
But as the Mac OS expands in usage, is it now becoming a wider target for security exploits?
In announcing the its own Macworld debut, McAfee officials pointed out the recent discovery of the first Macintosh-based "rogue cleaning tool" exploit.
Known as MacSweeper, the tool reportedly warns the Mac user that something is wrong , and then asks the user to pay for a clean-up.
Other Mac-based exploits uncovered over the past year have included a rogue application for the iPhone and a Trojan horse masquerading as a video codec.
McAfee actually launched its first antivirus software for Mac OS back in 2006, but its efforts in the Mac space have been met by strong resistance from some users who say these products aren't necessary.
The new Mac version of K9 Web Protection, now entering beta is designed to filter out spyware and phishing exploits along with content that might be inappropriate for children.
Above and beyond this week's MacWorld show, Lotus Software -- an entity that supported Mac OS desktops prior to its acquisition by IBM in 1995 -- is now rumored to be planning announcements of a Mac-compatible version of its Symphony office suite, as well as iPod and iPod Touch versions of Lotus Notes, for its own Lotusphere show next week.
An IBM spokesperson was initially unavailable for comment.
I can answer the headline question: perceived revenue. Same reason vendors move apps in ANY direction. Revenue. They don't care what the platform really is as long as they can move units and rack up numbers.
I thought this was kind of ironic though: "Indeed, Apple astounded the computer industry last fall by jumping to an 8.1% market share of the US PC shipments in the Gartner Group's industry study for the third quarter of 2007"
How can Apple be 8.1 percent of "PC" shipments? Does that mean they consider themselves a PC? :)
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in marketing yes, but in commercials, sadly no, lol....wannabees, afterall they use "PC" hardware now, hehe
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DUH!
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Kind of amusing...Vista today has overtaken OS X's marketshare yet OS X (Tiger and Leopard) has more apps than those that are Vista exclusive.
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???
Good thing the majority of XP apps work just fine in Vista?
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yeah, that post made no sense whatsoever, at least no real common sense
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I just switched from Vista to OSX, and I have to say the out-of-the-box experience is much better with the Mac. But, I've had a few weird crashes, had to update from 10.4 to 10.5 to 10.5.1 as it wasn't updated from the factory, then almost every iLife app updated as well.
'Better' is rather subjective... I like it better, because it is different and I was getting tired of the same old Windows. I like that it works better with my iPod... I like the whole 'disk image' thing for distributing apps... I have found some much nicer shareware apps on the Mac than on the PC - for a lot less money. I like Time Machine... a lot.
Hardware wise, I like the packaging on the iMac... it makes 0 noise. Nice bright screen. But, you pay almost x2 premium for the same hardware vs. a PC. Even more on the laptops.
Anyway, before you slam OSX, or Windows for that matter, you need to look at what it is you are actually DOING with your computer, and realize that each has it's own areas where it is better.
My Windows experience improved 500% a few years ago when I ditched ALL game-playing on the PC and stuck with consoles. No better way to screw up a perfectly fine Windows box that install some bleeding-edge video card with a 1/2 baked driver.
Good or bad, you don't have those kinds of problems to deal with on a machine where there are only 2 video cards available. Pretty easy to support that.
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"But, you pay almost x2 premium for the same hardware vs. a PC."
you lost me here. Can you give us an example?
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I think he was referring to an equivalency rather than a 1:1 comparison.
I would have to agree that in general the same capabilities are more expensive on a MAC, but you see the same thing in other products. The polished shiny widget is sometimes more expensive than the plainer one that does the same thing. Apple machines do have a reputation for quality construction and good engineering as far as I am concerned, but you cannot base your entire buying decision on that when there are so many other factors to consider.
Take away the gaming aspect and the iMac does compare more favorably to the PC, but they are aimed at a slightly different demographic in many cases.
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I bought my iMac in Canada, but the US prices are close. I'm using Apple.ca vs. Dell.ca. Jan 18 prices.
iMac 20", 2.4Ghz Core 2, 1GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive - $1599
Dell Inspiron 530, 2.4Ghz Core 2, 3GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive, 20" Digital FP with webcam - $849
If you start "optioning" up your Apple at Apple.ca it gets ridiculous. ie, for 4GB RAM, add $935. (vs. $100 at any other web bargain store).
What I mean is, aesthetics aside, you pay a lot more for the same Apple guts.
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you always do, but I hoped you would have known this since it's inception. Apple charges a huge amount for junk, that's why pc enthusiast prefer the non apple world, linux and windows users
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Recently my friend show me a 20" Apple LCD for $600, and I thought it has killer specs. I carefully read the specs found out the specs is less than my 20" Dell which I purchased 2+ years ago for half the price. I told him that and he rebutted. "You don't understand, don't you? It's the BRANDING!!!"
Yea, whatever.
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If I am not mistaken, the different between a Mac and PC hardware is the mobo.
So it will not justify 100 to 200% more.
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Well, I'd like to thank Apple for their design choices, which regular PC manufacturers chose to imitate.
Can you imagine us all still using the bloody horrible -looking beige boxes that we used to have? ;-)
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MacBook Air:
http://store.apple.com/1..._mac/family/macbook_air
Toshiba Portege:
http://www.toshibadirect...b2c/cmod.to?coid=-33781
Costs less, weighs about half of the Macbook Air, more functionality (swappable batteries, internal optical drive)....
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I only have a problem with Mac laptops.
I have seen 7 with medium to catastrophic problems (out of 8).
The one that hasn't broken is the old PPC chip one.
I quite agree that OS X is a refreshing change from Windows, but I don't think the hardware reliability is anywhere near where I need it to be (for the laptops at least).
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"Why are Windows products moving to Apple's Mac OS?"
The answer is simple. There was a time when the Mac's market share was just above 1%. As of the end of 2007, it has reached 7.3-8% depending on who you ask. A strong resurgence of the Mac and an Apple era is undeniable. The end of 2008 will definitely see a double digit market share.
Vendors are seeing this and getting on the bandwagon early which is smart. The days of a 25% market share aren't unthinkable anymore but possible reality. More and more people simply want to come out of the stone ages of computing (Windows) to something fresh, visually appealing and more feature rich. Mac OS X is just that not to mention more stable than Windows because it's built upon a rock solid UNIX foundation which is incredibly stable, impenetrable to hackers and viruses and well...it just works!
I know, I know, many of you here are still stuck in an 80's like experience of computing and actually think you've got it made and take exception to the above. Let me leave you with a quote from Confucius, "Don't hate the playa, hate the game." (^__^)
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The above announcement is brought to you by fanboy.com, look for further news to be followed shortly.
So, a far superior OS and it just works, huh? It doesn't just work go to the mac forums there's a lot of people who beg to differ, who are not happy with Leopard.
While I do agree it is getting more of the market, to say Windows is in the stone age truly, shows your post is nothing more then an advertisement for the next Iproduct...
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Had you ended your thought with the first paragraph I would have agreed with you entirely.
The second paragraph is just plain fanaticism. The reality is that in addition to the market share increase many of these vendors, which if you notice are security and network vendors, are recognizing the shortcomings of OSX.
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a rock solid UNIX foundation which is incredibly stable, impenetrable to hackers and viruses and well...it just works!
ROFLMAO!!!
Wow. Just...wow. Clueless doesn't even begin to describe that one.
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Yes that was a ridiculous thing to say but bending your considerable wit to reply to him is almost like kicking a puppy.
Better to just ignore that sort of thing. Then we can just have a moment of silence to reflect in pity on a mind wasted by marketing hype.
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Hey, some of us *enjoy* kicking puppies. :p
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Noted.
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Actually I would guess that the thought part did end with the first paragraph, the rest was simply what was left over when the thinking stopped too abruptly.
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lol.
My cat does that running. He stops abruptly (or tries to) and slides into the wall at nearly full speed. Usually ends up upside down, c***eyed, and confused.
...much like the OP, actually.
Gotta check dem brakes.
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No need to take notes,man. There won't be a test. ;)
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It's really sad what advertising does to people. I am amazed at the ignorant comments you have made, I will say no more.
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Thank you. The worlds now a better place.
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You are being sarcastic. I mean no offense with my comment. If there was a better word than ignorant and less offensive I'd use it. I mean this. I mean no offense. I can tell you one thing. No operating system is 100% secure. Although Mac OS X is more secure than Windows and although it is very much vulnerable, still I don't believe AV in the background is necessary. Whenever I see a security product for a Mac I can't do anything else but laugh. (see I support Apple here). What's Apple response to this? At one end, Apple claims their OS is super secure, on the other end these security companies say you need AV for Mac because it's not secure. Go fugure...Which one will you trust, Apple or the security companies? Personally? I would trust neither of them. Just learn how to use a computer and you will be fine. I am on Windows and have no AV in the background and I am just fine but I do have a firewall. I closely monitor what's starting on Windows start.
Yes it is good to see Windows products being ported to OS X but seeing AV products being ported to a Mac and seeing people happy about it is hilarious.
I am sure all of you who read this are confused about my side. My first post looks like a pro-Microsft, than I change tunes then again... Whose site am I on? Apple's, Microsoft's or the security companies? I am on neither's side. I am just saying what I believe is right. There is always a limit. Yes Mac OS is more secure but claiming it is superior to Windows is ridiculous. Yes Mac OS X it is not 100% secure but producing AV products for Mac OS X is hilarious.
People are now excited that Windows products are being ported to OS X. When I see business apps ported then I would be happy. At the time, it is funny how these companies use "Windows" terms for Mac OS X. Phishing attacks, spyware etc etc. Max OS X hasn't reached this level yet but is very likely to reach it in about 1-2 years so in one way, you will need these products *but only to clueless users* and you will need them when the time comes.
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I am sure Mac can become better and maybe reach 25% market share if they continue taking good stuff from PC world. First they got finally some real CPUs, then they took UNIX "for a base" to get a real operating system... in the end some old Mac user will recalculate and realize that he/she became a PC user and that all that's left form a Mac is a name...
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I will say no more.
...you lie like a rug. :p
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i like apple and people like me, so they thought they'd make something to impress me and i gotta say, it's appreciated, guys. keep up the good work!
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"...and people like me,"
Hey that is great, we like you too.
Sorry, could not resist.
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People make their products for the biggest platforms and user base. If 95 percent of users are windows, why would they program for linux or mac os who has has 5 percent a piece?
Now that Apple with their mac os is gaining so much attention, people are buying them left and right. Their user base is growing and I have no doubt a lot of companies are being asked, do you have it for the mac?
So it only makes sense, lets start making our program for the mac os as well.
This is when things start to turn from the dominate platform and another platform starts to make a dent and become more acceptable.
Let's also not forget a lot of companies are getting tired of spending so much managing their windows systems, imagine managing 20k computers based on windows. malware management, spyware, patch tuesday. Now yes mac os might have those issues, but they are not nearly as difficult to deal with or dealt with as often..
So point is, if you spend a bit more on the computers, but less on management. They seem to be more reliable, stylish and easy to use. Where are you losing out putting your software on it? Apple's market share will start to grow more now with more vendor and developer support, especially if all your software you need is available. There simply is no reason to stick with windows anymore. Games, firefox browsing, less threats of viruses and spyware. I am not sure where the downfall is anymore.
I am considering getting a mac myself, although I am a hardcore windows gamer, so i'm kinda screwed in that sense, see my point? Put all the games I like on mac, I bet I wouldn't miss windows. Now add in the fact directx is windows only, there goes your very expensive video card value.
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Short answer:
People are generally more productive with Windows products.
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Yes, that is why it is still used in large cooperations.
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Umm, I think it has more to do with the fact that most 3rd party business software is windows only.
Software like vertical market point of sale systems and Enterprise level accounting and billing. Well some of them have back ends that run on UNIX or mainframe, but the fat clients are win32. Add to that the impenetrable MS Office suite led by Excel, fronted by Word, and backed by in-house monky developed Access database apps.
People can say all they want about OOo (which is a great product). But, it's lacking a critical feature: the close hooks into windows services that can be used by scripting within documents.
Pay attention: the only commercial environments with a significant non-windows desktop deployment is publishing and music. Sure, Adobe suite is available and works well on windows. But it doesn't work as well as it does on the Mac. Ditto for many highend DAW apps. Beyond that there's just the Unixy desktops of government and accademic research (and now we're talking a really small slice of the pie).
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no, it has more to do with the fact that mac/os did not realize this thing called multitasking and more than one button mice.
Windows people are productive and do work. As opposed to just sitting there and being an ahole
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McAfee sold VirusScan for Macs many years ago, around the time of Mac OS 8.5. The company later bought the company behind Virex, which was the number one anti-virus software for Mac OS. When they decided to create the Virex for Mac OS X, they use a combination of Virex and Dr. Solomon's, which they also owned.
However, they've kept the virus scanner buried deep in their web site and don't allow single purchases.
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Because the Windows world is saturated, and because more and more people are buying Macs, there's money to be made.
What a concept!
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More and more are also moving to Linux as well, at least then they won't have to buy an entirely new system also. Apple should make a version of OS X that'll run on a true PC.
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At which point Microsoft would crush them like a bug.
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Thats againts the Apple way of things. It won't happen until OSX gets enough of a market share that they are forced to open up to different vendors.
Otherwise other companies, such as motherboard makers would go out of business. ASUS, Gigabyte, etc...
Or CPU, right now they are all Intel, but that may be forced to open up to AMD and Via as well.
Give it time, if they big enough... They'll may be forced to sing a different tune.
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with what? the total failure that is Vista? or the total failure that is M$ Zune? Or my buddies M$ XBox360 which just bricked again last night?
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It's Microsoft....Microsoft always finds a way to crush or buy out any major competition.
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Hello $Dave
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Vista while not perfect still sold far more then OSX did on a bad day...The Zune failed?
Seems they did it right the second time around as they actually have a showing and a interest, your blind allegation to a single brand is most disturbing.
Yes, the hardware was huge problem with the xbox360 but again people are still buying it so once again you are an idiot.
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So by your own logic the M$ Zune is a failure; it sold a tiny fraction of what the iPod sells. thanks for confirming my point.
"Yes, the hardware was huge problem with the xbox360 but again people are still buying it so once again you are an idiot."
Only in America. outside of America, no one is buying it. Even the PS3 outsells the M$ XBox outside of America.
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I know this might be shocking to you, but if you look at MOST products, they tend to sell more in America then anywhere else.
You cannot compare a product that has been out for 8 yrs to one that has had a brief showing, because of Apple's marketing, the average consumer associates mp3 player with apple.
For little to no marketing the Zune did pretty well, nothing I say won't matter as its clear if MS cured cancer you would still continue to type with the oh so creative M$, Maybe apple should change their name to Apple$, because in order to watch hdtv mvies from itunes you have to buy Apple TV, but no they are a good wholesome company and would never ever screw their consumer, LOL
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I'd be interested to see what the folks at Google have to say about that. Who is the crusher, and who is the crushee?
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Ok so there are a few exceptions but very few.
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i think it has the potential to become flamebait, but this story does have merit. interoperability between mac and windows was probably inevitable after apple switched from powerpc to intel processors
and like it or not, vista is an extremely secure OS (and yes more secure than leopard)...meaning a lot of these computer security companies probably felt that mac versions of their software were the logical move. plus the ipod, iphone, and other apple "gadgets" have helped apple creep their way up to a respectable marketshare. all these new companies probably feel they can finally turn a profit on mac versions of their software.
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"and like it or not, vista is an extremely secure OS (and yes more secure than leopard)..."
sorry u fail
Vista is not an extremely secure OS, its userland security measures are pathetic, the rate of virus infections are not reduced by implementing UAC because people just click yes all the time.
at best you could say Vista is the most secure desktop OS that microsoft has ever made.
but its certainly not a extremely secure os.
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"and like it or not, vista is an extremely secure OS (and yes more secure than leopard)..."
LMAO
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haha... no. lol
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http://secunia.com/product/13223/?task=advisories
http://secunia.com/product/96/?task=advisories
haha...YES. lol
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wow this site has been hacked! :O
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flame WAR between microsucks and overpriced apple products .. but what can you expect from the average American consumer XD
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That's human nature; it has nothing to do with being American.
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Because there is finally beginning to be something of a market for Mac OSX apps?
Increased market share = bigger target, for the good and the bad. More money can be made on apps for the platform (starting slowly...cedega "ports" and such), and it becomes more tempting to exploit.
The real question: Is this news to anyone, or is it just flamebait?
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Methinks the latter...
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Only a ms tool could spin a [convention] news story about Apple gains over PC software as flamebait. Next I'll guess you'll claim that MS Office 2008 for the Mac is a conspiracy. You are out of your mind.
"Some people don't like Windows because it has so many viruses," Leigh noted. is not news either, but because it's a fact, it's a flame for Microsoftards.
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mac people don't do much but brag they have/use a mac...get some work done! So now they can actually do something.
and more flamey...this site must have soem apple stock :D
one genre of app that has always existed and will exist more so for apple os...corruption recovery software. Gotta love how stable it is to do that on every single version. ;)
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*LOL*
Alright...be nice now - your liable to get people riled up ;-)
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Let's see where to start, truly? Everything you say on here sounds like a 12 year old composed it, you made a site dedicated to someone you have never met, anyone that makes a comment on an article that anyone with half a brain could see its flamebait apparently is a ms drone tool.
Good god now don't want to trample your idol Steve Jobs!
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so market has nothing to do with it?
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Isn't he cute, folks?
Follows me around like a lost puppy...
Now I just have to train him to stop s***ting all over the place.
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