<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV><DIV>On Sep 22, 2005, at 1:51 AM, Tarik Bilgin wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV>Microsoft run full page adverts in magazines, posters at bus shelters, and everywhere else constantly focussing on why their OS is so great. Of course that is Microsoft's flagship product (whereas Apple's is (sadly) an MP3 player and Music Library software).</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><DIV>This is just my opinion but if Apple *really* wants the PC business back they could do one thing - release Mac OS for non-Apple hardware. Get Leopard out the door two months before Microsoft releases Vista and drop the bomb that Leopard is available for $129 for any PC. Then get it out there on the shelves of every store where Windows XP now resides. I wonder if Microsoft could ever recover from such a move? Their stock prices are pretty flat the past few years and I suspect investors would bail like mice jumping off a sinking ship. Even the Windows pundits are scared of Mac OS to the point where they feel they have to bolster their ego by holding up Microsoft's monopoly as the reason Windows is better.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Get my drift? The commodity PC business is the hardware champion - Apple can't really compete there. But they have proven they can do a better job than Microsoft at getting a superior OS and application suite into the hands of consumers. Marry the two.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>The Apple die hards might find it hard to swallow that their next PowerBook is an IBM/Lenovo Z-series, but they'd probably get over it.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>MSN's Virtual Earth might right now show an <A href="http://virtualearth.msn.com/default.aspx?ss=apple&cp=37.333411%7C-122.029708&style=h&lvl=17&v=1">empty field</A> where Cupertino's headquarters are shown on <A href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=37.332307,-122.030103&spn=0.005924,0.010131&t=k&hl=en">Google Maps</A>, and I'm sure Microsoft would like a world free of the menace of Apple Computers. But it's Apple's turn to out-maneuver, and Microsoft might be forced to put Apple back on the map :-)</DIV><DIV>--</DIV><DIV>Chris</DIV></BODY></HTML>