OS 9 Dead, Boot to X Only in 2003


As previously reported on IGM and elsewhere, Macs will no longer be able to boot into OS 9 in 2003, according to a story posted at Maccentral.

While not an official announcement by Apple, MacCentral says that Expo attendees in Paris were informed by Apple employees that 2003 Macs would not be able to boot into OS 9, although Classic would remain an available in OS X.

The article quotes Kevin Browne, General Manager of Microsoft's MacBU, as being pleased that Apple has adopted this decisive shift to OS X.

Update: Apple has now issued a press release to this effect, stating that new Macs from January 2003 will not boot into OS 9.

Analysis: We note Kevin Browne's back from holidays and wonder how much influence he and the MacBU had in determining this decision by Apple. Given the relatively impolite exchanges he and Phil Schiller had on the subject of OS X shipments some weeks back, it's probably all the better Phil is safely tucked away in San Francisco at Seybold.

X Boot Only A number of issues arise here: which 2003 Macs won't boot into OS X? January's? Will developers be able to hack the software ROM file, or will the block be in hardware? Would a software hack violate the EULA?

If Quark doesn't get XPress 6.0 for OS X out the door anytime soon (scheduled for some time in 2003), that's a whole raft of pro customers who won't be 'switching' - to X. While we agree that OS 9 is the past and X the present, we argue, as Steve said at MW Boston '97, "Choice is good, don't you think?"