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Home Front: Tech
Apple to Announce Switch to the Dark Side Monday
2005-06-06
SAN FRANCISCO — A stormy, decade-long relationship between Apple Computer Inc. and IBM is over, according to published reports. Apple Supreme Being CEO Steve Jobs is expected to announce Monday morning at the company's software developers conference in San Francisco that Apple will discontinue using microprocessor chips made by IBM in favor of Intel chips, according to CNET Networks Inc.'s News.com and The Wall Street Journal. Officials from Apple, Intel Corp. and International Business Machines Corp. could not be reached Sunday to confirm the report.

For years, rumors of Apple's wish to jump to the Dark Side Intel have been circulating. But two weeks ago, analysts were skeptical when The Wall Street Journal reported that Intel and Apple were in negotiations. One reason for the skepticism is that the move represents a significant risk for Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple.

Switching to Intel's x86 chips would force Apple's programmers to rewrite its software in order to adapt to the new processor while still preventing it from running on Intel boxes. "I don't know that Apple's market share can survive another architecture shift," Insight 64 analyst Nathan Brookwood told News.com. "Every time they do this, they lose more customers."

News.com reported that Apple would begin the transition to Intel with its lower-end computers, such as the Mac Mini, in mid-2006 and higher-end models a year later. Apple's break with IBM stemmed from Jobs' wish that IBM make a faster chip larger variety of the PowerPC processors used in Macintosh systems. IBM balked because of concerns over the profitability of a low-volume business, News.com reported.

By wrestling away Apple's business from IBM, Intel tightens its stranglehold on the PC processor business. The company holds more than an 80 percent share of the market.
Monopoly, anyone?
Although IBM suffers a setback with the loss of Apple, the company could reap a financial windfall from deals with Microsoft (MSFT), Nintendo and Sony Corp. (SNE) to put microprocessors it is producing in next-generation video-game consoles. A new microprocessor that IBM co-developed with Sony and Toshiba Corp, code-named Cell and planned for Sony's next PlayStation console, is being touted as capable of delivering 10 times the performance of today's PC processors.
As a dedicated Mac user, I'm finding this very hard to believe, but we'll know later today. The popular Mac website/weblog Macintouch has lots more info if you're interested.

But you guys will pry my one-button mouse from my cold, dead fingers. :-)
Posted by:Steve

#12  psssst. .com

thinken thisn em blog ya mite like:

nsfw
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-06-06 21:03  

#11  I reckon they'll use the Pentium D or a variant. Why? I spell D-R-M. (Digital Rights Management)

Here's a write up from Ars Technica.
Posted by: eLarson   2005-06-06 18:54  

#10  Hmmm... They've certainly changed since the 68020 days...
Posted by: Fred   2005-06-06 16:25  

#9  kinda lookerin like my pc

nise pic .com :)
Posted by: muck4doo   2005-06-06 15:14  

#8  Fred - Here's one for your Apple-related image collection.
Posted by: .com   2005-06-06 14:28  

#7  Soooo, who's gonna buy a Mac until the new Intel models are available?
Posted by: Steve   2005-06-06 14:27  

#6  WWDC 2005, SAN FRANCISCO, June 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At its Worldwide Developer Conference today, Apple(R) announced plans to deliver models of its Macintosh(R) computers using Intel(R) microprocessors by this
time next year, and to transition all of its Macs to using Intel microprocessors by the end of 2007.
Apple previewed a version of its
critically acclaimed operating system, Mac OS(R) X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac(R) to the over 3,800 developers attending CEO Steve Jobs' keynote address. Apple also announced the availability of a Developer Transition Kit,
consisting of an Intel-based Mac development system along with preview versions of Apple's software, which will allow developers to prepare versions of their applications which will run on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.
"Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "It's been ten years since our transition
to the PowerPC, and we think Intel's technology will help us create the best personal computers for the next ten years." "We are thrilled to have the world's most innovative personal computer company as a customer," said Paul Otellini, president and CEO of Intel. "Apple
helped found the PC industry and throughout the years has been known for fresh ideas and new approaches. We look forward to providing advanced chip technologies, and to collaborating on new initiatives, to help Apple continue
to deliver innovative products for years to come."
"We plan to create future versions of Microsoft Office for the Mac that support both PowerPC and Intel processors," said Roz Ho, general manager of Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit. "We have a strong relationship with Apple and will work closely with them to continue our long tradition of making great applications for a great platform." "We think this is a really smart move on Apple's part and plan to create
future versions of our Creative Suite for Macintosh that support both PowerPC and Intel processors," said Bruce Chizen, CEO of Adobe.
The Developer Transition Kit is available starting today for $999 to all Apple Developer Connection Select and Premier members. Further information for Apple Developer Connection members is available at developer.apple.com. Intel plans to provide industry leading development tools support for Apple later
this year, including the Intel C/C++ Compiler for Apple, Intel Fortran Compiler for Apple, Intel Math Kernel Libraries for Apple and Intel Integrated Performance Primitives for Apple.
Posted by: Steve   2005-06-06 13:46  

#5  The new cell chips that will be in the new XBOX and SPS are so much faster than the new intel processors its not even funny. They are amazing. Also.. its been rumourded the ones that are shipping in the SPS and the XBOX are triple core. They are already faster than everything else and on top of that triple core. These are going to be multiteraflop processors (btween 1.5 and 3) which means they will be roughly 100 or 200 times faster than a P4 3.0
Posted by: robi   2005-06-06 13:07  

#4  "I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here for a long time"
Posted by: gromky   2005-06-06 12:55  

#3  Hey, just in time for the new dual-core processors with DRM built in.

What a coincidence.
Posted by: mojo   2005-06-06 12:51  

#2  Is Steve Jobs a reckless fatalist or what?
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2005-06-06 12:01  

#1  By wrestling away Apple's business from IBM, Intel tightens its stranglehold on the PC processor business.

Got you in a stranglehold, baby
You best get out of the way ...
Posted by: Ted Nugent   2005-06-06 11:57  

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