Apple a monopoly?

[tlarkin]

I happen to think Apple isn't really restricting the distribution of their OS because they're not. BSD (which is what OS X actually is) is FOSS, all Apple do is plonk features onto it and tweak/extend it for Mac's. Think of Apple as selling the UI, not the core system itself.

Yup, and it is completely legal to package open source software and sell it and support it. You can download Darwin for free, which is the non gui Unix based version of OS X. Then you can put on your own window manager, like Gnome or KDE.

 

[PabloTeK]

Exactly, all you technically buy is what Apple put on the front, why make a whole new OS when you can use a open source, stable kernel?

 

[tlarkin]

Exactly, all you technically buy is what Apple put on the front, why make a whole new OS when you can use a open source, stable kernel?

Well apple does a lot on the back end too, it is Apple's version of Unix in many ways. Sure it is completely POSIX compliant and has a full set of BASH commands, but it is way different than BSD in many repsects.

 

[PabloTeK]

Well apple does a lot on the back end too, it is Apple's version of Unix in many ways. Sure it is completely POSIX compliant and has a full set of BASH commands, but it is way different than BSD in many repsects.

I stand corrected, I though Apple just put their own softwares on. Thinking about it Apple probably would to make their stuff work best and the way they want. Baring in mind OSX was orginally designed for PPC...

 

[tlarkin]

I stand corrected, I though Apple just put their own softwares on. Thinking about it Apple probably would to make their stuff work best and the way they want. Baring in mind OSX was orginally designed for PPC...

For example Apple created launchd, which is the one launch daemon that controls everything. I could go on and on about the differences under the hood, and even how apple actually symbolically links Unix directories and then masks them from the user. For example both, /etc and /var are actually sym links of /private/etc/ and /private/var.

 

[teamhex]

Isn't Apple considered a monopoly since you have to buy there computer to get OSX? I just think way back when the gov't went after microsoft for being a monopoly and it makes more sense that apple is. Thought's?

Its not a monopoly because you can choose to buy or not buy their product. However it is a proprietary OS.

 

[/\E]

Don't turn this into a MAC vs PC thread... this thread has nothing to do with the performance of any computer.

Arguing about speed is not exactly a raw subject among Apple and PC users. Compared to Vista, we know who takes the cake, XP is arguable.

I happen to think Apple isn't really restricting the distribution of their OS because they're not. BSD (which is what OS X actually is) is FOSS, all Apple do is plonk features onto it and tweak/extend it for Mac's. Think of Apple as selling the UI, not the core system itself.

Nope...Apple doesn't just sell the UI.

Maybe you should look at NextStep. This is how Steve Jobs got back into Apple after John Sculley 'fired' him.