Apple, Mac OS X, and why they're missing a trick

[Adapted from a comment on an article at The Inquirer.]

Wnat I don't understand about Apple right now is that they don't seem to understand what a cash cow they have in their barn.

If Apple released Mac OS X for general PC devices, they'd at a stroke make massive inroads into Windows.

At the same time, sales of Apple hardware would drop, sure, but not all that much. The current crowd of Mac-heads would remain loyally buying Apple kit, but they'd be joined by a whole new group of both home users and business people desperate to get away from MS's stranglehold. It's even possible, maybe even likely, that a new côterie of Mac OS users would drive an increased demand for Apple kit.

And the best thing of all, from Apple's viewpoint, is that it costs practically nothing to press and ship DVDs. Unlike hardware sales, which need a constant and VERY expensive design, development and production pipeline, OS sales are almost entirely margin, and don't have all the WEEE/green/certification problems that hang off electronics manufacture. Trust me, I've been there. I'm still there!

I just want to see the AAPL share ticker when they finally see the light. There's never been a better time for Apple to liberalise and liberate their OS assets, but they've got to move NOW, whilst Microsoft is still weakened from the Vista débacle.