I can't think of any reason they wouldn't, but to my knowledge Apple hasn't made anything for Linux yet.

Or you could just make an "emulator" and use thier drivers...LOL, isn't Mplayer the ONLY player other that Windows Media Player that can play WMV files? I know I had a hell of a time trying to get away from having to use another player for EVERYTHING, but always had to end up using WMP for WMV files......now that I have Linux and Mplayer...I'm as happy as can be...a do it all player...yummy......

try using a simple win32 media player like "merak" with wine.
this one in particular can play wma files, and is simple enough to run smoothly in wine with some effort. do a google for it.

I would think that apple would try to support anything that wan't microsoft. I mean microsoft doesn't like apple as much as they don't like linux.

Apple made their OS Unix Based.. I can't see why they would have a problem with Linux.. for Apple Vs. Mircrosoft, thats for a different message board, but I will say one thing.. They have been in a constant battle since the beginning..

I really don't see Apple and Microsoft as particularly battling one another in a serious way. Apple has a share of the market which though small is incredibly loyal. It's a bit upscale, you have to shell out for their hardware, and it's different hardware from what MS runs on. Apple is pretty much it's own little world and will remain so as long as they control both hardware and OS. They'll do fine long term, though the cost barrier will keep them from ever having a significant share of the OS pie. But they'll always have a slice, as neither Linux nor MS is a threat to that cozy corner of the OS world.

That said, it also isn't really in their interest to encourage either Linux or MS. You'll never see an open source Apple Aqua desktop environment for PC operating systems. You'll never even see something like that as a commercial product. If you want nice Appley things, then shell out the dough for their hardware and move on up.

You are right about Apple being costly, I would love to have an apple machine set-up here, but they cost way too much, even know if I ever find a Powerbook for say $500 that runs OS X and has what I want, and is fast enough I will get one.

Now I don't think that Linux of MS is a threat to Apple, and like you said they have a small but loyal community of users. People who will throw out that 'dough' to own, what I might call "Fancy" computers.

Still I don't understand why apple, being that OS X was built on Unix, why Apple would not make programs for Linux..

You can't ignore Linux. It's a proven fact now.

Many software companys are ignoring linux

...and what's happening? They're missing out on a perfectly good market. I guess whoever decides to go mainstream in Linux will probably be fairly wealthy quickly.

They are indeed missing out.. there are many people that would pay good money for a Flash Player for Linux with Shockwave player.. and Dreamweaver.. Just one expamle of a software company that could become richer, by making linux software...

Another good reason for companies to support linux is the fact that if they don't offer there own products then someone is going to write a program that may even be better and replace the original. Linux and open source can not be ignored. Almost everyday now you see a dell or web hosting commercial about linux. Even Walmart sells linux. Apple has also been gaining ground lately. Mainly due to the new ipods and itunes. Not to mention the G5. I never used to like apple computers but i have to admit I like the way OSX looks and wouldn't mind owning a G5. Maybe Microsoft needs to take some notes on what apple did and start over from the ground up and stop trying to drag dos along with it. And try to write secure code the first time..........I could go on forever...

Well I have to admit I feel better now...

SwishMax is a inexpensive flash program I'd like to see ported to Linux. Why? Because flash is very popular and useful for web development.

More graphics programs would be nice too: Ulead, Paint Shop, ect.

Stuff that makes looking at a computer screen pleasant.

We might be better off with Linux users making programs and offering them for free, rather then companies making linux software and charging out of this world prices for it.. which is bound to happen if there is alot of supply and demand in linux software from linux users wanting this software.

For apples I have always been a mac addict.. I mean my school as always had mac machines. I got my first Apple when I was really young, it was an apple IIe, that had some really old learning games on 5 1/4 Inch floppy disk drives. I then had a Mac Classic, and then a Mac LC111 and then I got a Centris 610, which I had for quite awhile.. intill my dad sold it a few years ago for $20, I have not had an apple since then.. but I would love a G5 running panther.. but I would settle for a G3 running 9.1..

Microsoft needs to make some changes, for starters they need to make a more stable OS..