Here’s his take on the process by which the Apple OS will go mainstream:
1. Apple releases OS X86 as a proprietary system for its boxes. It’s immediately pirated and goes into the wild.
2. Apple squawks about the piracy to draw attention to it, thus increasing the piracy, creating a virtual or shadow beta test. The complaining is necessary to assure Microsoft that Apple does not intend to compete with Windows. This keeps Microsoft selling MS Office for the Mac.
3. There are driver issues that get resolved by the hobbyists, and OS X86 now remains in shadow beta, being tested in a process that is apparently outside of Apple’s control, but is in fact carefully monitored by the company.
4. Once the system stabilizes in the wild, Apple announces that it cannot do anything about the piracy situation and that it’s apparent that everyone wants this OS rather than Windows. It’s “the will of the public.” Apple then makes the stupendous announcement that it will sell a generic boxed OS, “for the rest of you!” One claim is that it is a solution to spyware.
5. Microsoft freaks out and stops development of Office for the Mac. But in the interim, while not selling OS X86 “for the rest of you,” Apple has been developing a complete Office suite, which it announces at the same time.
6. Spyware and viruses emerge on the Mac.
Sounds about right.
This scenario is an insult to the intelligence — and paranoia — of Bill Gates, who has not been known to let grass grow under his feet when a competitor threatens Microsoft.