At 03:29 PM -0400 06/06/2005, Daniel wrote:
Am I the only one who is completely perplexed by this
switching-to-Intel announcement? I don't get it. I see it as a
move of desperation, done only in order to upgrade the PowerBooks.
On the face of it, it sounds like a wonky decision. But the more I
think about it, the more I think it may be a reasonable business
decision.
Apple's PowerPC purchases from IBM represent only about 2% of IBM's
total chip revenue [*]. That's just not enough to create clout. IBM
has been so busy cranking out high-end Power processors (for servers)
and the specialty fast-graphics chips (for game consoles etc) they
just don't care about the dumbed-down Power chip that we call the
PowerPC.
Apple CANNOT just sit around with nothing in the pipeline, waiting
for IBM to get around to producing faster lower-power chips. So
other possibilities had to be examined. No time to develop new
architecture (another Jobs failure?)... and since the "port" to x86
already works, you might as well get in bed with Intel and keep your
options open for using the offshoots (AMD etc).
Now, Apple is a hardware company. Using x86 will permit them to
crank out product line at a higher profit margin, *IFF* they fark Mac
OS X so it cannot be booted on generic x86 hardware.
And remember that the plan isn't to just "dump" PowerPC suddenly.
It's a phase-in, like they did with the 68k->PPC transition. Back to
the FAT Binary days...
It seems to me that this will make it harder to sell Apple hardware:
Ayup. I already had a client call me about canceling his order for PM G5s.
IMO, Apple has just blown off half of their "uniqueness". So they're
actually going to have to advertize the other half (aka Mac OS X)
heavily. *gasp* Apple advertizing. What a concept! :\
[*] This is Jobs' fault. Sure Apple's sales are good, but they could
have been magnitudes better if they'd just bothered to advertize.
- Dan.
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