I think that the reason some software vendors are welcoming this news is that they will be taking their compiled DLLs from windows, and hacking a way to use those binary packages to produce a "Mac" product.
Not so sure. Windows DLL's are as much, if not more, dependent upon Window's software architecture (stretching the term) as they are on the processor. Hacking a Windows-compiled DLL to work under OS X would most likely be more work than writing a Cocoa version from scratch.
I've also heard people worry that some vendors might stop creating Mac versions and just put out a Windows version and say "just dual-boot or run VPC". Again, I don't see it happening. The percentage of the general population that even knows what "dual-boot" means is teeny-tiny. And I can't see a software vendor surviving that forces you to buy Windows or VPC just to use their product -- especially for "switchers" like myself who worked very hard to jettison Windows from their homes and who aren't letting it back in in any way shape or form. And not to mention the confusion that would be caused by the severe dichotomy between the two user interfaces competing on the same screen
So catering to the dual-boot/VPC-savvy would limit the vendor to a tiny percentage of the Mac market. Why bother? They'll either support the Mac or they won't, just like today. No is going to make any money with a middle-road strategy.
Does that mean I have no worries? Of course not. I base most of my thoughts on people making good business decisions. But we all know, a lot of really crazy business decisions get made every day. So we wait to see...
My new 14" iBook arrives today!
[ June 30, 2005: Message edited by: Bear Bibeault ]