3 ms·

Why would they port Windows to their competitor platform?

mschuster91 5y ago
Apple and Microsoft have cooperated for years to bring Bootcamp on the x86 platform. Apple, no matter the OS, still makes a ton of margin on the hardware.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
dwaite 5y ago
On Microsoft's homepage (e.g. for a primary consumer focus), they list Windows behind Office 365 and behind the Xbox and Surface. For corporate use, they are pushing seats for O365 and other hosted services as well as selling Azure-based hosting. The loss of the mobile phone market and hits to the low end by Chrome OS means that pursuing a platform lock-in strategy is no longer viable.
- garaetjjte 5y ago
  >On Microsoft's homepage (e.g. for a primary consumer focus), they list Windows behind Office 365 and behind the Xbox and Surface. Windows consumer revenue comes from preinstalled licenses, they don't need to advertise it directly. M1 Windows port would be admitting defeat and kill Surface. For Office, they already have MacOS version of it.
  - kergonath 5y ago
    If they enable something like Boot Camp, those OEM licences would just be replaced by consumer ones, I am not sure it’d be much worse in terms of bottom line. Their Surface line has already tons of of competition from all the Wintel manufacturers anyway.
  - philistine 5y ago
    When you say it would kill Surface, are you 100% sure that all those corporatey types would stop buying those machines? Kill is a strong word.
- zamadatix 5y ago
  The platform lock-in strategy being no longer viable seems like a reason Windows wouldn't be ported, after all it IS the platform. Things like Office are already available for macOS and Apple isn't going to sell MS the M1 for Surface laptops.
_ph_ 5y ago
First of all, why would the Mac be a competitor platform? MS always has supported the Mac with their software. Then, it could be strategic. Consider the scenario in which the ARM based chips maintain a steady advantage vs. the x86-based chips. Microsoft then certainly wants to have a share of that market on Windows and not leave it exclusively to Mac OS. Considering how that depends on the availabilty of native ARM in software, they probably want to run on the one nice ARM implementation available on the desktop right now.
kube-system 5y ago
MS isn't a serious hardware company. They're a software and services company, and they make money when people use their software. Putting software on more devices is in their interest.
- Pulcinella 5y ago
  Heck even with Xbox, I would point to GamePass as just further evidence of this. Microsoft wants you to purchase and use software/games for a Microsoft platform, not Microsoft hardware (the hardware is just there to facilitate the platform).
artificialLimbs 5y ago
They've already ported to ARM64. It is shockingly fast on my M1 MBP. Some software doesn't work, of course. You will need to be logged in with a "Windows Insider" account, which if I recall was fairly easy to sign up for. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewarm64 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsins...
Tagbert 5y ago
Competitors often work together when it benefits both participants. Competition is not a death-match.

Apple and Microsoft have cooperated for years to bring Bootcamp on the x86 platform. Apple, no matter the OS, still makes a ton of margin on the hardware.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

dwaite 5y ago

On Microsoft's homepage (e.g. for a primary consumer focus), they list Windows behind Office 365 and behind the Xbox and Surface. For corporate use, they are pushing seats for O365 and other hosted services as well as selling Azure-based hosting. The loss of the mobile phone market and hits to the low end by Chrome OS means that pursuing a platform lock-in strategy is no longer viable.

garaetjjte 5y ago
>On Microsoft's homepage (e.g. for a primary consumer focus), they list Windows behind Office 365 and behind the Xbox and Surface. Windows consumer revenue comes from preinstalled licenses, they don't need to advertise it directly. M1 Windows port would be admitting defeat and kill Surface. For Office, they already have MacOS version of it.
- kergonath 5y ago
  If they enable something like Boot Camp, those OEM licences would just be replaced by consumer ones, I am not sure it’d be much worse in terms of bottom line. Their Surface line has already tons of of competition from all the Wintel manufacturers anyway.
- philistine 5y ago
  When you say it would kill Surface, are you 100% sure that all those corporatey types would stop buying those machines? Kill is a strong word.
zamadatix 5y ago
The platform lock-in strategy being no longer viable seems like a reason Windows wouldn't be ported, after all it IS the platform. Things like Office are already available for macOS and Apple isn't going to sell MS the M1 for Surface laptops.

_ph_ 5y ago

First of all, why would the Mac be a competitor platform? MS always has supported the Mac with their software. Then, it could be strategic. Consider the scenario in which the ARM based chips maintain a steady advantage vs. the x86-based chips. Microsoft then certainly wants to have a share of that market on Windows and not leave it exclusively to Mac OS. Considering how that depends on the availabilty of native ARM in software, they probably want to run on the one nice ARM implementation available on the desktop right now.

kube-system 5y ago

MS isn't a serious hardware company. They're a software and services company, and they make money when people use their software. Putting software on more devices is in their interest.

Pulcinella 5y ago
Heck even with Xbox, I would point to GamePass as just further evidence of this. Microsoft wants you to purchase and use software/games for a Microsoft platform, not Microsoft hardware (the hardware is just there to facilitate the platform).

artificialLimbs 5y ago

They've already ported to ARM64. It is shockingly fast on my M1 MBP. Some software doesn't work, of course. You will need to be logged in with a "Windows Insider" account, which if I recall was fairly easy to sign up for. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewarm64 https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsins...

Tagbert 5y ago

Competitors often work together when it benefits both participants. Competition is not a death-match.