Black Monday? Apple Switches to Intel

Black Monday? Apple Switches to Intel
Posted :: Jun 6, 2005 by Antares

In-house Absolute Insight Apple expert, Antares, reports Apple’s latest strategic move.

It is hard to underestimate the enormity of Apple's latest move: Intel will now provide the chips for all Macintosh computers, starting in 2006. Apple had previously relied on IBM and Freescale Semiconductor, an offspring of Motorola.

Although such a move has been rumored since the mid-1990s, Apple stayed committed to the fledgling PowerPC architecture in its earliest days. Recently, Apple has publicly stated its frustration with IBM for lackluster production. Even after problems at IBM's fabrication labs in Fishkill, NY, Big Blue was unable to produce enough high-rated chips to satisfy Apple's growing appetite (processors receive ratings based on clock speed in cycles per second known as Hertz, but you already knew that, right?).

But how bold is such a move? Not as bold as it may seem.

Mac OS X, Apple's exclusive operating system, has been living a secret double-life. A version designed to run on Intel chips — code-named "Rosetta" — has been in the works from the beginning. Future versions of Mac OS X, including the next "Leopard," will presumably support both PPC and X86, at least for now. According to Apple, the recompiling process will be simple and fast.

Die-hard Mac users have been seen wearing black attire and repenting, heralding in the end of days. Apple has an uphill battle ahead, if it is to convince its loyal customer base that Intel is no longer the "enemy". Market analysts have been optimistic, however, praising Apple's decision to use the industry-leader.

Of special interest is Intel's new anti-piracy chip, which would allow Apple to sell movies the same way it sells music through iTunes. With streaming HD now possible and broadband on the rise, we may have a monster on our hands. For now, Apple has unleashed its own monster.

While Apple has turned to Intel, IBM will be supplying processors for all three next-generation gaming consoles.

Intel Press Release
Apple Press Release