The Unix feature of Mac OS X shows “lots of promise,” according to a ComputerUser article.
The article says that Linux recently got a “new round of thrashing” from another competitor to Linux on the desktop: Mac OS X. How so? At its core Mac OS X runs a version of Unix called BSD (Berkeley Standard Distribution). Linux is, of course, also based on the Unix tradition. According to ComputerUser this means that Mac OS X and Linux could appeal to many of the same users.
“The advantage of the Macintosh approach is that while it runs Unix underneath, Mac OS X provides a very elegant user interface, suitable for beginning computer users,” the article says. “Add the power and flexibility of Unix to the Macintosh user experience and you have a powerful combination, one that could spell trouble for Linux … Users tired of fighting their hardware may well flock to Mac OS X systems, with their ease of integration, desktop applications, including Microsoft Office, friendly interface, and absolutely beautiful hardware.”
The BSD networking stack provides built-in support for a variety of ways for connecting to the Internet, including dialup modem (PPP), cable modem, DSL (including PPPoE), built-in Ethernet and AirPort. It supports DHCP, BootP and manual network configurations. BSD also allows for the use of standard Internet services.
In fact, Mac OS X includes Apache, the open source Web server technology. BSD also enables the Perl, Telnet and FTP command-line utilities, all of which makes it easier for developers to publish UNIX-style network programs on the Mac, according to Apple.