Apple CEO Tim Cook tweets photo showing Mac production line running Windows

[JAKEBAB]

 

"Apple’s PR machine is usually on the ball, but this time there’s been a slip up and it’s come from the CEO, and on Twitter of all places.

 

Tim Cook tweeted a picture of the Mac Pro production line in Texas. “Watching the Mac Pro come together in Austin yesterday,thanks to a team loaded with American manufacturing expertise.” Seems fair, considering Apple’s big push to bring manufacturing back to the US. But the picture with the tweet clearly showed iMacs running Windows OS. It’s not clear which version of the OS is being used, but it does look like Windows XP or Windows 7. The icons in the taskbar do make us lean towards the latter."

 

Source: http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/apple-ceo-tim-cook-tweets-picture-mac-pro-production-line-running-windows-225374.html

 

Just LOL!! someone please explain to me why they wouldn't be testing with mac osx since that's the os that really matters if it works or not with these products.

 

Edit: updated photo for a little better quality since people in the thread are trying to say it might not be windows its clearly windows.

 

[ivhyn]

You can't have every software on any OS.

 

[elecxonica]

It's potentially windows only softwear they'd be using. It'd be pretty niche.

[JAKEBAB]

You can't have every software on any OS.

 

 

 

Thanks for spotting the obvious but this is the actual manufacturing process! wouldn't they have mac osx app specifically made for this so they know mac osx works?

It's potentially windows only softwear they'd be using. It'd be pretty niche.

[Simmytu]

Thanks for spotting the obvious but this is the actual manufacturing process! wouldn't they have mac osx app specifically made for this so they now mac osx works?

I think they needed to run other os, for example Windows that's been shown on that picture, on their systems to verify it's fully compatible to work, because there are people who want to dual boot an iMac with Windows 7 or 8 for their work and no one wants to have compatibility issues with such an expensive piece of equipment.

Personally I like how Apple at least qualifies their products before shipment and to me it makes a lot of sense and it also justifies the price a bit that they ask for their products.

[Misanthrope]

Actually I'm shocked time-critical applications like a factory production line aren't running on Linux: everything else is potentially to unstable to be dependable.

[LAwLz]

My guess is that some program they use for manufacturing only exists for Windows, so that's the reason why.

The program they are running on it does not seem to be some kind of validation program like some people are suggesting. The text written with a black market right on the front of the display indicates that they are part of the manufacturing plant, not some machine being tested.

 

I like the pink hand bags behind them.

 

 

Actually I'm shocked time-critical applications like a factory production line aren't running on Linux: everything else is potentially to unstable to be dependable.

That doesn't seem to be a time critical station. If it was a robot or conveyer belt involved then yeah, they should use a real-time OS, but it looks like it's just some guy soldering something together.

[coreRoss]

Thanks for spotting the obvious but this is the actual manufacturing process! wouldn't they have mac osx app specifically made for this so they know mac osx works?

I think you might be mistaking this, it's the Mac Pro production line. Not the iMac line, so there not testing the iMacs there using them as part of some specific production part of the Mac Pro line.

It's overkill to be using an iMac in any part of a production line so if they could use Mac OS for the job I'm sure they would have, the manufactures of the machinery will defiantly only make windows software and if it's really XP there certainly slow at making software for any platform.

[Misanthrope]

That doesn't seem to be a time critical station. If it was a robot or conveyer belt involved then yeah, they should use a real-time OS, but it looks like it's just some guy soldering something together.

 

Well the truth is that we really don't know if that machine is just there to show the guy if he has a small smoke break this week and facebook/porn when nobody's watching or of it's doing anything to the line but point taken.

[MrSuperb]

Just LOL!! someone please explain to me why they wouldn't be testing with mac osx since that's the os that really matters if it works or not with these products.

First, judging by the picture it might very well be a Linux distro.

Second, this NOT an Apple company. That is contract manufacturer called Flextronics.

[JAKEBAB]

First, judging by the picture it might very well be a Linux distro.

Second, this NOT an Apple company. That is contract manufacturer called Flextronics.

But its an imac running WINDOWS....

[MrSuperb]

But its an imac running WINDOWS....

 

So what?

 

Apple officially supports Windows on Macs. They provide software to make the installation easy and also provide windows drivers for their hardware?!

[JAKEBAB]

So what?

 

Apple officially supports Windows on Macs. They provide software to make the installation easy and also provide windows drivers for their hardware?!

Omg really?!!! I never knew that ive been living under a rock my whole life just hanging with Patrick you know.

 

what is your point that its not an apple company? there still using macs so they clearly need them to validate or whatever the mac pros there working on otherwise they could just buy cheap Pcs and use windows all they want but my whole thing is why hasnt apple made an mac app specifically for this they dont need to validate it with windows because microsoft already does that for them because its using normal pc hardware intel cpu, intel chipset and nvidia or amd gpu.

[MrSuperb]

what is your point that its not an apple company?

there still using macs so they clearly need them to validate or whatever the mac pros there working on otherwise they could just buy cheap Pcs and use windows all they want but my whole thing is why hasnt apple made an mac app specifically for this they dont need to validate it with windows because microsoft already does that for them because its using normal pc hardware intel cpu, intel chipset and nvidia or amd gpu.

 

The amount of stupidity here is too damn high, I am out.

[JAKEBAB]

The amount of stupidity here is too damn high, I am out.

Wow so when u dont have a come back u run like a little bitch cool.

[Accursed Entity]

First, judging by the picture it might very well be a Linux distro.

Second, this NOT an Apple company. That is contract manufacturer called Flextronics.

This.

[wjdobie]

They are most likely using iMacs because they take up so little space on the factory floor - as for the software, it's probably some ancient piece of crap that was written for windows 10 years ago and it's just never been updated

[Raid]

I'm more confused as to why they chose to use iMacs.

[MrSuperb]

I'm more confused as to why they chose to use iMacs.

 

Flextronics is a contract manufacturer (besides others like Foxconn). Sometimes those contractees (like Apple), especially in long term relations, offer cheaper or even buy certain inventory for their contractors (like Flextronics)

[Derangel]

Omg really?!!! I never knew that ive been living under a rock my whole life just hanging with Patrick you know.

 

what is your point that its not an apple company? there still using macs so they clearly need them to validate or whatever the mac pros there working on otherwise they could just buy cheap Pcs and use windows all they want but my whole thing is why hasnt apple made an mac app specifically for this they dont need to validate it with windows because microsoft already does that for them because its using normal pc hardware intel cpu, intel chipset and nvidia or amd gpu.

 

You have clearly never even stepped foot into a factory that manufactures or assembles electronics much less have any experience doing so so please stop pretending you have a clue what you are talking about. Macs are not common in the manufacturing process, most software used by companies is designed for Windows or *nix OSes. It's looks like an assembly line, not a testing or validation line. For all we know the only thing they use the iMacs for are assembly instructions and logging information. Even if they're doing some kind of tests on the parts they assemble why would they need OSX to verify if a tiny piece of hardware passes specifications? The OS does not matter an ounce for testing hardware, what matter is the test process and the software and as I said before that stuff is all written for Windows or *nix OSes. The only point in the process where OSX would need to be involved as when the thing is all put together and they're installing the OS/making sure the computer turns on and functions with everything assembled. You seem to be under the assumption that they need to "validate" every piece of hardware with the OS every time it's installed. That is...Well quite frankly that shows your computer knowledge pretty well. Apple knows everything is compatible with OSX because they detail the exact specs of the computer and have drivers for it. You don't need to reverfy hardware works every time you build a system to an exact spec.

 

As for Apple making Mac specific software. Why? Apple isn't a manufacturing software company. They would have to hire an entire team to do it, it would serve exactly zero purpose, and would not make them a single cent. Whats the point of developing new software when there is no market for it and what Flextronics has clearly works for them already?

[JAKEBAB]

You have clearly never even stepped foot into a factory that manufactures or assembles electronics much less have any experience doing so so please stop pretending you have a clue what you are talking about. Macs are not common in the manufacturing process, most software used by companies is designed for Windows or *nix OSes. It's looks like an assembly line, not a testing or validation line. For all we know the only thing they use the iMacs for are assembly instructions and logging information. Even if they're doing some kind of tests on the parts they assemble why would they need OSX to verify if a tiny piece of hardware passes specifications? The OS does not matter an ounce for testing hardware, what matter is the test process and the software and as I said before that stuff is all written for Windows or *nix OSes. The only point in the process where OSX would need to be involved as when the thing is all put together and they're installing the OS/making sure the computer turns on and functions with everything assembled. You seem to be under the assumption that they need to "validate" every piece of hardware with the OS every time it's installed. That is...Well quite frankly that shows your computer knowledge pretty well. Apple knows everything is compatible with OSX because they detail the exact specs of the computer and have drivers for it. You don't need to reverfy hardware works every time you build a system to an exact spec.

 

As for Apple making Mac specific software. Why? Apple isn't a manufacturing software company. They would have to hire an entire team to do it, it would serve exactly zero purpose, and would not make them a single cent. Whats the point of developing new software when there is no market for it and what Flextronics has clearly works for them already?

your right i have no idea about manufacturing but i still dont understand why there using imacs to run windows on when they could be using some cheapo pc for windows

[Derangel]

your right i have no idea about manufacturing but i still dont understand why there using imacs to run windows on when they could be using some cheapo pc for windows

 

Apple probably gave them a good price or just gave them a bunch of iMacs for the Mac production lines. iMacs monitors are very thin and the bases are small. It's easy to just put them somewhere. A cheap PC would require finding room for cases and routing cables so they're not in the way and it would require additional plugs for power cords. It's  more of a hassle.

[mc141]

Its a mac running windows. there u feel better lol

[91Chris]

I saw this when it was first posted on 9to5Mac. I thought that it looked like Windows but it could just be an application that looks similar, it might not even be an OS at all.

[Argent]

Not going to read the article or all the comments but I'd like to point out that Apple often uses virtual machines (or BootCamp) to run Windows and Linux and then shift through the screens depending on what work or application they need to do.  It isn't a big deal.