Could Eazel Kill the Mac?

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Could Eazel Kill the Mac?
Stephen Van Esch
August 30, 2000
Recently an article appeared in MacWeek stating that Mac platform is, because of the interest in Linux, doomed. While this would seem to be an overstatement, Linux is definitely making inroads into the market. Several other writers have (correctly) pointed out that Linux still has a long way to go to achieve consumer acceptance. While they have been catching up to the Mac in terms of market share, this does not necessarily indicate that the full-blown acceptance is just around the corner.
Linux clearly fills a gap in the OS market. Linux is more appealing to some users because it offers something that neither Windows, Macintosh, Be, or Unix can. A significant surge in market share is a result of a number of people finding a platform just right for them: technically challenging, cheap, and robust.
How many people, however, fit into that category? Many will drop out at the mention of "technically challenging." Eazel is aiming to erase this problem.
I think Eazel poses the largest risk to Macs. Linux is, without a doubt, a strong competitor in the OS market. Right now the "technically challenging" is what's holding it back. Without that one (huge) shortcoming, Linux could be the next Microsoft. Stable, fast, and free. What more could anyone ask for?
OS X, of course, is Apple's answer to any OS questions critics have. OS X is essentially Eazel in action. OS X is a Mac skin on a Free BSD underbelly. Eazel is a Mac skin on a Linux underbelly.
Make no mistake: a computer shipped with Eazel would be a formidable competitor for Macs. At the very least, Linux is sexier than Free BSD because all of the media attention lavished upon it. Everyone knows it's a geek system, so if you run Linux, you are, by default, related to geeks in some way. Even if the tough part is well hidden "geek mystique" can still rub off on the owner. Tell people you run Linux, and you will likely get a few admiring glances, similar to the ones people who service their own cars get.
Tell someone you're running the Mac OS, and you'll likely get a yawn and the question, "Is Apple still around?" Even after explaining that the new Mac OS contains FreeBSD you will likely get nothing more than a blank stare.
The cool factor could help Eazel immensely. Free and easy to use will only add to its competitiveness. Add it all together, and you've got an OS that could dominate.
Of course, even with Eazel, the Linux market has quite a ways to go to put the Macs out to pasture. Battle hardened from the Windows war, Mac advocates have shown that they won't go quietly into the night.
But I'll be watching my back.
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Stephen Van Esch is the founder and president of the E-learning Foundry, an online training resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual, since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
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