Well, it's true. Apple is moving to Intel. Who would have ever imagined it? Actually, the move to Intel technology makes a lot of sense for Apple, which since the introduction of OS X has moved its core architecture to previously PC-only territory. It will be interesting to see how the "establishment PC" crowd will feel about Apple now.
Few argue that Apple has one of the most stable and robust operating systems out there today. Windows still rules the day, of course, but OS X with its rock-solid stability and immunity to many viruses has got it noticed outside creative and scientific circles in recent years.
What's still missing is OS X's robustness in the enterprise. Windows has such a head start, one wonders if Apple could ever catch up. But again, who would have foreseen the Mac GUI running on top of UNIX powered by Intel chips?
Moving to Intel means Apple will finally produce a world class laptop with world class power-saving features and extended battery life. My G4 Powerbook running OS X is a great machine, but it's no match for my office HP laptop with its P4M. Battery life on the PC extends easily to 4 or 5 hours, while the Powerbook stuggles to run 2 to 3 hours...especially when pushed by intense computing.
Scalability is another factor I'm certain Steve Jobs considered in deciding to switch. It is very possible you could see OS X running on your iPod, cell phone or PDA in the very near future.
Long gone are the days of Apple's legendary hardware/software integration. It just isn't as necessary today as it was in the early days of computing.
Will Apple's move to Intel mean we can buy any piece of hardware off the shelf to run OS X? I doubt that is Jobs' intention, but I figure if he tries to prohibit it someone will reverse engineer around it and make it possible.
I continue to be very optimistic about Apple's future. I figure the move to Intel will be the last straw for some of the Apple faithful, but those losses will be easily replaced by appealing to a new and larger market that never would have considered an Apple without "Intel Inside."
Tim Yarbrough
MacDoor Editor
Apple Better Off with "Intel Inside"
Wednesday, June 8, 2005 at 8:24 PM Posted by zxmacman
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10:55 PM
Intel chips inside Macs may make them faster and run cooler, but I have to wonder is Apple selling its soul to embrace PC technology?
11:18 PM
I think this is but Phase 1 of a multi-part strategy. Apple will keep OS X locked-in at first, then license it AFTER the transition is complete.
I also feel that we will be seeing some Intel Mac product shipping in well under a year. Expect to see the first Intel-inside PowerBooks at MacWorld in January 2006. The OS, bundled apps, iApps, iWork and Pro Apps will already be ready by then, so why wait?