Apple Goes Intel?

[nfotxn]

C|Net is reporting that Apple is going to announce a transition towards Intel processors. This rumour is about as old as the company but now a major media outlet is parroting it. They didn't say they'd be x86 chips or not but chances are that Intel is a new supplier of sorts, even if they are making PPC chips for them.

I hope this means that Apple can start selling desktops with an LCD display for less than $800US. You know, like everyone else in the market who sells computers? You can still get a Dell with a 15" panel for $350US which gives them a lot of head room for pricing if they intend on staying a premium brand. Which I think they should stop doing because it's fucked up and retarded. Remember that the original Bondi Blue iMac was a big hit because it had a built-in modem, ethernet, USB, browser, monitor and everything you needed to get on the internet for $1300. That was one heck of a deal in 1998. They have the market clout to start allowing all sorts of people to afford Macs again. Now that would be thinking different.

Comments

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how the cell processor will be licensed. It might be unlike that Apple can get their hands of them. If anything Apple probably sees IBM's defecting to larger customers as a good reason to get in an agreement with another supplier.

I think you may be drinking a lot of the Sony Cell hype machine koolaid. Most modern GPUs are likely just as powerful, if not more capable, than that processor in practical applications.

[coltcub.livejournal.com]

Don't be surprised, the big news was his new Mac OS will run native in the PC platform to do the direct competence to Microsoft!

They know that it's so hard to do a big market share but it's a good start.

[thafuzz.livejournal.com]

They have the market clout to start allowing all sorts of people to afford Macs again

But certain demographic groups would lose their 'cool' and 'hip' edge. What would the 'mos and art geeks use in Mac's stead?

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

More expensive Macs? Yeah, it's unlikely.

[brianrdu.livejournal.com]

I don't believe it. Why would Apple shoot itself in the foot by announcing things happening a year or more from now? They are far too clever for that kind of thing. I guess we'll know on Monday.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

They did it before when they moved to PPC from 680x0. Plus technically OSX came from Openstep/Mach which was originally an x86 binary ported to PowerPC. It's somewhat feasible however clumsy. My money is on Apple having Intel manufacture PPC chips for them. As IBM seems to be a little less into making chips for them as they used to be.

[fredneckteddy.livejournal.com]

do you have a link to the article?

[cpratt.livejournal.com]

http://news.com.com/Apple+to+ditch+IBM%2C+switch+to+Intel+chips/2100-1006_3-5731398.html?tag=nefd.lede

[fredneckteddy.livejournal.com]

thanks :)

[colin.livejournal.com]

It's also in the Wall Street Journal.

[jawnbc]

Well the eMac, boxy as it is, prices in at CA$999.00 (plus socialist taxes). And I don't think for a minute Apple will allow non-Apple machines to be sold with their OS....they tried that a bit in the early 90s and it created more heartache than profit.

One of their core strategies is to offer seamless hardward/software (OS anyway) support. It's a formula that Dell copied to great success.

[nfotxn.livejournal.com]

Yeah but a commodity PC machine with a flat panel with better specs is still only $699 (plus socialist taxes)!

I don't think Apple is going to license OS X at all. Not a chance. But if they can start using slightly modified PC hardware they will certainly be able to drive down prices. I still suspect that Intel will just be fabbing PPC processors for them.

[teddyb.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing this is being driven by IBM. IBM has been shedding its manufacturing units for years now, including the recent sale of its PC division to the Chinese company Lenovo recently. IBM wants to be primarily a services company, and that puts Apple at risk if it continues to rely on IBM as the supplier of its processor chips. I think IBM is moving away from chip manufacture, and Apple is looking to partner with a company that still has that as a core business.

And it doesn't hurt that Microsoft pissed off Intel by supporting other chip makers in the high-end server market.

[freakystyle.livejournal.com]

Put it this way...
Dell computers are pure garbage. If you look at the way all electronics are going, you may see that most people buy what is the cheapest. Quality doesn't seem to be an issue any more. That makes it really hard for manufacturers that USED to make good products. It all about volume over quality now. Apple should start advertising their computers as much as their ipods and maybe they'll start to sell more. We all know that Dell has been advertising the fuck out of their products. Too bad most people don't know how crappy they are.

[jliv.livejournal.com]

My suspicion is that Apple wants to leverage the massive economies of scale Intel has acheived with its manufacturing processes, in regards to semiconductors. Apple has had numerous supply issues with Motorola delivering PowerPC chips, so definite business needs are coming from the distribtion channel. IBM and Motorola have not proven themselves to be in step with Apple's designs for the future.