A Mac OS X Trial Version for the PC

The Mac is a wonderful system. It is an icon of both form and function which only a few in the hardware and software domain have ever achieved. Not only is the computer itself a real stunner, the operating system is an ideal convergence of rock-solid Unix reliability and modern-day user interface design. The seamless integration of both hardware and software is unmatched in the PC world

But for most businesses and a lot of people, crossing the bridge to Macland is a costly and uncertain venture. Long-time PC users have established habits and ways of doing things which they are not sure if doable on the new platform. This uncertainty and doubt is multiplied for businesses where there are more than one user to consider and where interoperability with the existing system is not to be taken lightly. Also, businesses typically have more established ways of doing things.

However, there is no easy way to find out what can be done on the other side of the bridge. The only way to know is to buy the Mac OS X operating system so that you can see how things are done there and how your favorite program or its Mac equivalent behaves in that environment. But the problem is, you cannot just install it on the PC that you are currently using. You need to shell out some serious cash for a Mac.

The hindrance is not a technical matter but a legal one. Macs now use the same hardware architecture and components as a PC; so, it is technically possible to run OS X on your average garden variety computer as long as it meets the minimum system requirements. But thanks to Apple’s End User License Agreement (EULA), you can only install OS X on Mac branded computers and nothing else. And they enforce this with some kind of a chip in their Macs and a team of lawyers on their payroll. You could bypass the former, but if you do, you’ll be messing up with the latter which is the last thing you’d want to do.

As a consequence, those entertaining the thought of switching to the Mac are required to take a considerable leap of faith. A lot of users are unwilling to undertake this leap blindly—and for good reason. Instead, Apple should make the transition easier by relaxing their EULA to allow users to try out even a time-limited version of OS X on their regular PCs. Users could then sample OS X’s goodies without having to spend a fortune before deciding if the Mac is really for them.

If Apple is listening, I believe that this is a great idea—an opportunity for them, even: offer a trial version of OS X so that users can see for themselves the wonders of this operating system and what it can do for their productivity before they purchase a real Mac. Apple could convert more users this way and make some headway into homes and businesses.

This technique has been successfully used by shareware programs for years and commercial programs nowadays are catching up by offering downloadable trial versions of their products. If this system benefits those selling software, then it will work all the more for Apple because they themselves said that they are in the hardware business, not in the software business. So, offering a trial version of the software should be no sweat specially if it could boost their hardware sales where the real money is made.

If Apple acts on this, the next computer on your officemate’s desk might be a Mac.