May 17, 2006 3:41 PM PDT
Apple's move to Intel threatening open core?
It appears that one casualty of Apple Computer's move to Intel chips could be its open-source Darwin core. According to InfoWorld magazine (free registration required), Apple won't release code for the Intel version of Darwin, the open-source Unix core that forms the base layer for Mac OS X.
"Apple's retreat to a proprietary kernel means that all users must accept a fixed level of performance," the report says. "The default OS X kernels are built for broad compatibility rather than breakneck speed and throughput."The move in part results from the fear of users pirating the operating system for cheaper PC clones, writes InfoWorld's Tom Yager, who asserts that "stripped of openness, (Mac OS X) no longer possesses the quality that elevated Linux to its status as the second most popular commercial OS."
Apple was not immediately available for comment Wednesday afternoon.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie.
