It looks like they are going to ask developers to have to rewrite applications to use some of the features of the new system. If I'm a developer with a limited budget and am told I'm going to have to make major changes, or even minor changes, to my applications to keep up with Apple's operating system, I'm probably going to write for Windows and not for Mac.

It's all just an indication of the old saying that nothing succeeds like success. If a market is booming, and people are looking for products, there will naturally be companies happy to provide them.

It might be possible to host a whole operating environment and a complete stack of software that performs some needed function in a virtual machine that runs on another operating environment. While this is workable, it may not perform well, be reliable, or be supportable for some other reason.

There's certainly a play for style with Apple, and they're going to use widgets for that.

This announcement addresses three major industry trends organizations' focus on cost reduction strategies, organizations' need to find measurable value for IT investments in a very short order, and organizations' need to allow their staff members to collaborate with one another from wherever they are, using whatever network enabled device they choose. Customers deploying open source software in a virtual machine can reduce their software and hardware costs, and simultaneously enhance their agility in addressing future computing needs.

This approach to development is highly responsive to changes to the environment. Systems Solutions brings together the best of breed open-source operating systems and collaboration software so customers experience a straightforward solution that is flexible and cost effective.

This could be just about Oracle buying an installed base they can sell more software and services to. But I don't know if the open-source community feels comfortable being purchased, or if they see Oracle as an acceptable custodian of the code base they have contributed to.

Apple focuses pretty strongly on innovating by thinking about how people use their products, and also what consumers want from the products. There can sometimes be a gap between those two, and that's where they concentrate.

Apple knows that even with this Intel chip switch, it's not going to go around talking about chips and what's inside the box. The company builds on the differentiation it's already found from its software, which combines with the design of the machine.

Apple's shipment numbers do not represent a clear picture of the company's opportunity.