BiCC

I wonder what is going on behind the scenes with Meta, Microsoft, and Apple.  If Microsoft and Apple tie in Meta into an API the telecommunications industry will fold.  It would be Messages for everybody, and Amazon is launching 3200 satellites - already started yesterday, and jumping Fiber cable.  Something is going to give.  Do you know how much the telecommunication industry hates Apple's Messages - a lot.  The satellites are as big as a fridge. And Apple has Messages for Windows.  Alphabet the deep state will step in - the three letter named people, hence Alphabet.  Microsoft, Apple, Amazon are not original deep state - Meta who knows.  Pass the popcorn...

zeus423 said:

“Apple's App Store tax has been a hot button issue for quite some time…”

Not everyone agrees that it is a “tax.” Can I sell goods on eBay without paying a fee? It’s simply the cost of doing business. If companies don’t like it, build the fee into the price. 

You just broke your own argument. "Build the Fee into the price" - that's called TAX.  Put it on the Price Tag like Euro Trash or put it on the Receipt Canadian and American Style.  It's still a Tax. 

That's a great article and update.  Both Epic and Apple have sound arguments.  But it is on Apple Hardware and Software (Operating System) - I don't have a Dog in this fight.  This case is huge.  At the end of the day Apple hosts on their servers but Epic does too.  They each conform to code - literally. If I were a Justice, I would skip class on this one.

dewme said:

Microsoft allows VMWare and Parallels because users are expected to purchase a Windows license for each VM. 

Yes but Microsoft will ALLOW Windows virtualisation on a Macintosh and you have to buy Windows - and Microsoft banks coin.  Apple will NEVER  license the MacOS on anything except which they build.  Hate or Like - Microsoft kills and they will be on par with the MacOS in a few years.  Microsoft has so much legacy 'stuff' that they just can't abandon ship - but they are getting there.  The M chips for Apple are huge, Office was one of the first applications for the M chipset.

dewme said:

Another option for having ready access to a Windows PC from your Mac is to use Microsoft's Remote Desktop and remote into a Windows (Pro) machine. This works equally well when accessing a headless machine. The RDP protocol is amazingly fast. I have access to a fairly decent Windows machine on my home network and often remote into the Windows machine from my Mac. I usually run the Remote Desktop session in full-screen or on a second monitor attached to my Mac. With Apple's Magic TrackPad I can easily swipe to the Windows 10/11 Pro machine. By the way, the Remote Desktop client has no problems running the Windows desktop on Apple's 5K monitors. 

Remote Desktop with RDP protocol is amazingly responsive when both the Mac and PC are on the same LAN. I have never tried running a game from within a Remote Desktop session. Not sure how it would respond. 

It's good to know that if you need access to a Windows machine from your Mac setup, for whatever reason, and don't want to add a dedicated keyboard, video, and mouse to your setup you have quite a few options to choose from. With considerations for performance and ease of use I would see any of the following options as viable:

1) Put a physical Windows PC on or near your Mac setup and use a KVM to switch between your Mac and the PC.

2) Put a physical Windows PC on or near your Mac setup and use the video input select on your monitor and use a keyboard and mouse that can support more than one device.

3) Use Remote Desktop client to remote into a Windows (Pro) PC on your local LAN.

4) Use a VNC client app like Screens to remote into a Windows PC on your local LAN that has a VNC server running.

5) Install VMware or Parallels and run a virtual Windows PC on your Mac.

It really comes down to finding out which option meets your needs. I am very happy with Option 3 (Remote Desktop) and Option 5 (VMware) and often do both at the same time with more than one Windows PC without any major hitches. I'm not a gamer. I'm also doing this strictly on my local LAN. Both Remote Desktop and VNC apps can work over the internet, but I have no need to do so. Obviously, doing anything beyond your local LAN requires a few more security and firewall related configuration steps.

Let's take CAD for example: VMware or Parallels will still have unnecessary barriers on the Macintosh.  Let's go to Photoshop or PDF.  It is simply better on the Macintosh.  But here is the interesting part that seldom gets mentioned - Microsoft actually allows VMware and Parallels to exist, Apple would never allow virtualisation of the MacOS.  Just get a windows machine if you need it.  Problem solved - Especially now, they work really well, and are dirt cheap, plug the windows machine into your Mac as a monitor through HDMI.  I won't even get into compiling - you will need native windows.  On Ethernet Windows and MacOS will work seamlessly.  Apple is awesome but Microsoft isn't that evil.  They play fair for the most part.  Apple and Microsoft aren't even in competition anymore, it's not 1997.