PC Magazine: Will Apple Adopt Windows?

This is an interesting theory. If this were to happen and Apple focused completely on hardware, there would be more than riots going on in the U.S. But I'd like to propose one more step which Dvorak doesn't mention...open source.

The real kicker for this scenario would be if Apple released its operating system to the Open Source community. Imagine the ability to continue to develop this OS in a community which has tried to make a compelling case for desktop Linux but can't get the GUI or OS to be as simple as Windows. Suddenly they would have a compelling GUI and the ability to develop an OS many average users would find useful. With a shift to "Intel Inside", there is no reason why this couldn't happen. Desktop Linux would be left in the dust as a serious contender and a solid alternative to Windows would emerge. Maybe Google would tweak it and rebrand it so the dream of a GoogleOS would be a reality.

I know it's only one possible scenario but since John Dvorak and the Rutgers University professor Yakov Epstein have raised the question, I'd like to think the answer might be even more profound.

Note: Thanks to "The Pirate" for this intriguing start to my morning.