Apple Systems To Ship With Mac OS X As Default OS

At MACWORLD Expo today, Steve Jobs announced that Apple will make Mac OS X the default OS on all Macs, effective immediately. According to Apple:

“The time is now right for most Mac users to make Mac OS X their primary operating system,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Mac OS X is the world’s most advanced operating system, marrying the power of UNIX with the simplicity and elegance of the Mac. With thousands of native third-party applications and support for almost every popular digital device on the planet, it’s now time to make the switch.”

Mac OS X has been included on Macs since May of 2001, but this marks the first time it will be the default bootable OS on shipping machines. Mac OS 9 will still be included and can be used just like it is today, either in Classic mode or as a standalone OS.