IBMac

First, some of your letters on last months “IBMAC”.

I agree that IBM should get involved with the Apple Operating System. Perhaps a machine that uses the Power PC chip and runs Apple, and Windows in the same box. One machine that can run all kinds of applications and communicate where necessary would be a powerful machine.

Phil Bach

Love your Ezine, man! Keep it up, and keep it coming.
Regarding the recent developments concerning Apple Inc. and the Mac OS, I believe that Apple hardware has always been an over priced delivery system of a marvelous software package. IBM would be a good match. Kind of like Picasso meets J.P. Morgan, gender preferences aside. For Apple and the Mac, the benefits would include a fawning suitor, the promise of security and staying power, and of course, the concentration of more clout than should be allowed by law. For IBM, the primo benefit would be the affirmation of the power of concentrated capital. If you don’t actually possess something yourself, why you can always buy it. For IBM to actually acquire the crown jewels of the Mac OS.Boggles the mind, doesn’t it? The elusive wraith of genius and creativity would finally be theirs.
Please keep My Mac coming my way!

Macrobiff

So far I have read issues 11 and 12 and I like the E-zine very much. I down loaded them from AOL, and have decided to subscribe to the free E-mail version. I would also like to comment about the rumors of IBM clones on the MAC O/S…let them! This would greatly disrupt the current PC magazines rumors every month that apple is going under.They had a bad quarter, give them a break, they were restructuring! If one of the major players, such as IBM, were to make clones, perhaps others would follow. Plus, the new PPCP is going to throw the whole industry for a loop. I can not wait to see what the future holds for the MAC O/S! All I know is that right now I have the best OS around, providing me with power, speed, and ease of use to further expand my knowledge in the ever changing world of computers. POWER MACS RULE!

Sincerely,
Dustin L Roberts
My comments last month on the IBMAC generated more mail than any topic I have wrote about thus far. Of course, after what I say in my columns “Open Mind” and “My Mac”, that may change;-)

Here the scoop on the IBMAC:

As reported in MacWeek, IBM said their company is close to signing a deal with Apple to license the Mac OS. The license in the works now, however, is reportedly with IBM’s Microelectronics Division (who sells most of its products to other IBM divisions) IBM reportedly has no current plans to build Mac clones. The company is focusing on the PowerPC Platform, (PPCP) which runs versions of the WindowsNT, MacOS, Novell, AIX, and Solaris.

It is expected that IBM will have an agreement with Apple that will allow IBM to sublicense the Mac OS to purchasers of its PowerPC chips. So, let say Compaq buys PowerPC chips from IBM. IBM can, therefore, sell the right’s to Compaq to create a Macintosh clone.

This is great news, and not so great news. I would prefer that IBM started to create a Mac now, be it a PPCP machine or not. But at least the rumors of the sublicense is a move in the right direction! It may take a while, but we will see some major computer manufacturers creating Mac clones in the near future. I just hope Apple can stay healthy for that long.

So, it is now known that IBM will indeed start working somewhat with the MacOS. Does this mean OS/2 Warp, IBM’s operating system, will go the way of the Amiga? Don’t count on it.

OS/2 Warp’s next version, code-named “Merlin”, will start shipping any day now. It is said to have a voice-activation interface. Features include support of Sun’s Java programming language, support for Novell’s Net-Ware and Windows NT, integrated remote access capabilities, and a built in Web browser. (OS/2 Warp is also a clean 32-bit operating system since 1992). It is also very easy to port existing applications over to OS/2 Warp from Windows 3.1 (still the #1 most used OS out there). In fact, it takes about 1/50th of the time to port to OS/2 Warp than it does to Windows 95!

So, what does all this mean for IBM and any plans to port the MacOS to a IBM machine? Who knows? But with all the work IBM seems to have done to OS/2 Warp, I would not expect them to just drop it for the MacOS anytime soon. I can see IBM offering some PPCP machines running the MacOS, but more then likely not. Really, what’s in it for IBM? And with all the computer manufaturers seriously looking at a possible MacOS license, or being able to buy PowerPC chips from IBM (thus sublicencing the MacOS from IBM) why would IBM really want to get into that race?

It will be some time before we learn more of IBM’s plans for the MacOS, but we will keep you informed here at My Mac.