[LINK] Mac v Windows: Big battle ahead

[Stephen Loosley]

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Mac v Windows: Big battle ahead

The Age	June 7, 2024 Technology Email By Tim Biggs


Happy Friday! This week Nvidia overtook Apple to become the world’s 
second-most valuable company while Apple prepared to engage Microsoft 
(world No. 1) on a new front in the AI-powered personal computer war.

Between Microsoft claiming a new era of AI PCs is upon us, and Apple 
about to make some big announcements at WWDC next week, things are 
beginning to feel properly competitive in the Windows v Mac space for 
the first time in ages.

I’m sure you remember Apple’s attempts to out-cool the fuddy-duddy 
Microsoft about 20 years ago, and Microsoft’s comeback in its Surface 
era, and Apple’s boost from its M-series chips, but now we seem poised 
for an unprecedented battle.

Apple has been all-but untouchable for sleek and powerful laptops since 
it ditched Intel’s chips for its own ARM-based M-series. But now, not 
only is Microsoft embracing ARM as well with its Co-Pilot+ branded 
Windows laptops, but it has caught Apple off-guard by being much more 
prepared for the popular swing towards generative AI.

Reports indicate, however, that OpenAI − the ChatGPT maker in which 
Microsoft has invested billions − has signed a deal to bring generative 
AI to Mac and iPhone, which surely has Satya Nadella sweating just a 
little bit.

If both Windows and Mac have sleek, powerful, efficient laptop options, 
and both have generative AI working on-device, which one is the cool 
T-shirt-clad Long and which is the lame tweed dad John Hodgman? As ever, 
it’s likely going to come down to marketing.

What to watch for

Not one to be overlooked amid the Mac v Windows battle, Google is making 
moves to cement its ChromeOS platform among businesses and schools, with 
the aquisition of virtualisation specialist Cameyo. With many services 
moving to the cloud and browser-based apps, low-cost Chromebooks are a 
tempting alternative to PC or Mac.

And Cameyo builds tools that can virtualise full Windows apps and make 
them work in browsers, so switchers can continue to use them ..

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