Pay up, Apple

Posted June 13, 2006
Filed under: Tech |

I’m still pissed about the state of open-source software for the Mac? Why do we have to jump through so many hoops to get native (and by native, I mean non-X11, non-Java) open source apps to run on a Unix-based OS, while they’re automatically ported to Windows? I’m sure there are several reasons:

  • Part of it is developer laziness. It’s easier to make an X11 port than an Aqua port. Hence OOo, Inkscape and Gimp. I understand this compulsion, and those developers aren’t getting paid, so you really can’t complain. At least they’re making something available.
  • Part of it is user base. You’re an open-source developer, and the work that you do is a community service. If you develop for Windows you help a lot more people than if you develop for Mac. This is fair, even if it sucks.
  • But the last reason isn’t justified, and it can and should be changed: There’s the perception that Macs are high-end hardware only used by the rich. So they can afford commercial apps. That used to be true, but it isn’t any more.

Ever since OS X came out, people have switched because of greater stability and longevity. I’m convinced that I saved money by purchasing a Mac, because my last PC crapped out on me in the amount of time since I bought my iBook, which is still going strong. And since OS X is *nixy, lots of developers are starting to use it so they can run Unix utilities and pretty, commercial software side-by-side.

Macs are pricey, and the cost of additional software makes people less likely to purchase them. So Apple should subsidize some open-source development. Get nice, fast, native aqua versions of Gimp and Inkscape, Gnumeric and OpenOffice.org going, and tell people “there’s already great software for the Mac, and best of all, it’s free.” True, they might cannibalize their commercial applications like iWork, or their partnerships with Microsoft and Adobe. But we aren’t seeing that happen on Windows, despite the open-source stuff that’s readily available — people use the tools that work best for them. So come on Apple, everyone will benefit.