Let the debate once again begin as well known writer Robert X. Cringely is saying that Leopard is going to straight up run Windows applications like OS/2 used to!
Cringely goes out on a ledge and writes:
I believe that Apple will offer Windows Vista as an option for those big customers who demand it, but I also believe that Apple will offer in OS X 10.5 the ability to run native Windows XP applications with no copy of XP installed on the machine at all.
This is much like IBM did with OS/2 2.0 with its big selling point of being able to run Windows 3.0 applications. There was no need to buy a copy of Windows and install it on OS/2 or pay IBM an extra fee so it could pay for the license of Windows. Nope, OS/2 just straight up executed any Windows 3.0 application as if it were a native OS/2 app when double clicked. Cringely irons it out by saying, “This will be accomplished not by using compatibility middleware like Wine, but rather by Apple implementing the Windows API directly in OS X 10.5.”
Unlike IBM, Apple won’t have to worry about Microsoft changing things to stop OS X from starting Windows applications as Redmond did to all the dismayed OS/2 users when Windows 3.1 applications started turning up. No, because of the anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft, Bill Gates’ company can no longer check, “For a different underlying OS,” as Cringely continues in his proof of the next Windows app running Mac OS.
Even better, remember that Steve Jobs signed the dotted line with the Evil Empire in 1997 that gave both companies a five-year patent cross-licensing agreement. Many, myself included, figured Microsoft would loot the labs of Cupertino and Jobs would never get that CEO job for sure after Apple fell deeper into its abyss. But take note of the signing date and when Windows XP was release. October 25, 2001 was the date the Luna interface of XP hit desktops around the world which was 10 months before the agreement was to expire. Thus, Apple had full access and rights to the API. Since the agreement allows for the technology to be used, that was developed during the five year covenant, even after expiration of the deal, Apple’s definitely been running Windows API’s in OS X for some time for sure. Remember how long OS X was running on Intel chips? Yup, since 10.0. But if you don’t believe me, then believe Cringely because he has sources who have seen!
I’m told Apple has long had this running in the Cupertino lab – Intel Macs running OS X while mixing Apple and XP applications. This is not a guess or a rumor, this something that has been demonstrated and observed by people who have since reported to me.
So will we see Steve Jobs opening Internet Explorer in OS X at this years WWDC? Will he gleefully show how spyware will be attaching itself to IE’s Browser Help Object (BHO), a favorite trick of malware, and how it won’t even effect OS X? I’m sure he will – heck, I know he will! He’ll cheerfully tell the stunned crowd for the second year in a row that Apple is giving its customers what they want and how only Apple is the company that cares about its customers because it listens to them. I can hear it now, “Why wait for Vista when you can have it now?” Trust me, Leopard will ship before Vista and this alone with the Windows API embedded into the OS will make for wonderful holiday sales for MacIntel hardware. Hoo-hoo-hoo!
[tags]windows,leopard,vista,api,support,native[/tags]