I stand by what I said. You don’t buy OSX, you buy a Mac. The OS is a value added proposition with Apple products.

Whereas Windows has no value to the majority of users, and could be replaced by anything. In many companies that I deal with, Windows is deliberately crippled, so that only one application, the one that the employee uses, can be run. Whether that application runs on BSD, Linux, OSX, or Windows doesn’t matter, as long as it runs.

And its the same in many homes – the only application used is the web browser. As long there is a web browser, the OS doesn’t matter.

@The Mad Hatter,

Huh? Sales of OS X may be incidental in and of itself to Apple’s bottom line. That is, Apple makes its money from the sale of hardware. However, if you think Apple would be selling the same amount of hardware with Windows or Linux installed instead of OS X, you’re completely delusional. Similarly, do you think Apple would sell as many iPhones with Windows Mobile installed on the same hardware? No, of course not.

Here’s a question I have about Apple. I have a very hard time buying that Apple sells hardware not software. Is Apple working right now because they’ve finally gotten hardware right or because they’ve got software right or a combination? And is Apple actually succeeding right now or is Next succeeding after assuming Apple’s identity?

ChuckO,
Go into an Apple store, and look. What do you see? Computers and music players take up 80% of the store. There’s a small set of shelves in the back with boxed software.
So yes, Apple sells hardware.
Even better, go to your local Honda dealer and look at the cars. I just bought a new Honda Fit today, nice little car, great fuel economy, lots of room, etc. The software that runs the MP3 player, the engine, and the air conditioning is incidental. Honda couldn’t sell the car without the software. I didn’t buy the car because of the software. I bought it because I needed a car for my kids, and this was the one that satisfied our needs.
When you buy from Apple, you are buying the computer. OSX is incidental. You don’t need to use it. Hell, I know people who replace it with Linux/FreeBSD (programmers). Or even, god forbid, Windows (though it would make more sense to use Boot Camp, Parallels, or DarWine).

if they give free tech support to anyone about anything to do with MS software on any hardware, they will be a big success (in filling up the store at least). Because! so many PC users need so much help so often. and everyone else, like the BestBuy Geek Squad, charges rip off prices for it.

but i bet they don’t do that.

instead they will likely sell an MS version of AppleCare and/or provide tech support for hardware (including now PC’s) that you buy directly from MS in the store or on line (at retail list instead of web discount price). why give away for free what you can “monetize”?

so free help will probably be sharply limited in both time and scope.

in fairness, the free Genius Bar help at Apple stores is not really “free” of course. it is just part of the store overhead that is covered by the retail list prices you pay there for Apple and third-party products. but it sure is convenient.

on the spot warranty repair/replacement is the other big Apple retail store advantage. will MS provide that service for the PC’s it sells? of course, the XBox warranty desk will always be mobbed.