Well boys and girls, we all know the big rumor of the day is that Apple is looking to ditch IBM and cozy up with Intel to start producing chips for Macs across the line.
Let's take a look at how people across my NetNewsWire subscriptions are reacting to this:
- Jonathan Rentzsch calls dibs on Mac OS X86
- Scoble says it isn't a rumor, but a fact and offers up some interesting questions to ponder (Will Apple lock out Windows from running on their machines? Yes, yes they will)
- The Blackfriar thinks that Apple might be looking at Intel, but for reasons other than powering the next generation of Macs
- Tim Bray offers up a reason why Apple might not be thrilled with IBM, other than the sluggish processor speeds
- Tom Bridge starts quoting Ghostbusters, so you know it must be bad
- Russell Beattie thinks that there will be a Tiger Server X86 version, or Tiger Lite for x86's
- Don Yacktman thinks the whole thing is baloney
- Dave Winer does a special Morning Coffee notes: WWDC edition
- John Stanforth thinks Apple should go with AMD
- Jason Kottke wonders what chip Intel will make for Apple
- Jonas Luster is worried about Intel's DRM (it's baked into the chips! Hurrah!)
- Chris Adamson tells us all to chill (but Apple running on Intel?! We're all dooooomed!)
- Wes Felter isn't buying it, though hopes he'll be able to run Windows and OS X on the same laptop without emulation
- Applepeels has more questions than answers about the whole thing
- John Gruber still isn't buying that Apple will be switching to Intel, but thinks something big will be going down tomorrow
- Steve Kirks thinks that the Mac mini will be the first to go x86
- Om Malik says that his Steveness is the new Howard Hughes and may be switching to Intel because people didn't expect it.
- codepoetry will be posting pictures of him naked on top of his car if Apple moves to x86 chips (please, Steve, reconsider. For the love of my retinas!)
- Jason Snell thinks that Apple will be building a new device using Intel chips (and I'm with him).
- Gus Mueller thinks that VooDooPad might be just a recompile away from running on an Intel powered Mac.
- Ted Leung postulates that it is all about the laptops, baby.
So, what do you think, dear readers?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Small Paul said...
I'm scared and confused.
But... Apple did make a huge marketing splash about Tiger: "The world's most advanced operating system". So maybe this will now be: "The world's most advanced operating system. Now for Mac and PC." But can Apple actually make money just from selling the OS?
I'm still scared and confused. This is more like it! Last-minute pre-WWDC rumour fever!
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Colin Crawford said...
Comments here:
http://colincrawford.typepad.com/idg/2005/06/intel_inside_ap.html
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Ryan Green said...
If they hadn't released the mac mini earlier this year then MAYBE this would have some semblance of making sense. But it doesn't. looking at the OS X -as-windows-replacement: The biggest thing about the mac is that you never have to worry about what hardware you're running. If it has to deal w/ all of these different drivers, you loose this huge advantage, and the incentive to switch becomes smaller.
On switching the chips inside: Why? The only reason to do so would be if every Power chip manufacturer has told steve that they would shortly be imploding. x86 is a really really old platform, with lots of legacy stuff to deal with. PowerPC doesn't have as much cruft in its architecture. Cost savings? please. Even if powerpc chips go up in cost, apple's profit margins would go down, but considering that they are huge, the losses would be minimal compared to switching over the entire platform.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Robert Emslie said...
I think Apple will go Intel whole hog. They may have an idea as to the state of Longhorn and want to get into the PC box before Longhorn comes out to provide a stable alternative to the Microsoft OS.
Should Apple compete directly with MS in the OS arena, they are bound to lose. The only way to topple the MS OS monopoly is through the side-door of alternative platform that provides compelling reasons to use, which overcome other limitations of not being the mainstream player.
I hope this is wrong, but the strange lack of any rumor-mongering prior to an Apple event, tied to the previous suits against rumor sites, leads me to believe that Apple is trying desperately to contain some bombshell information to be released in a controlled fashion.
Perhaps it will just be that Steve's black turtlenecks will now all be Centrino (r) powered, and if you stand close enough to him, you will get a decent WiFi signal. :-)
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
John Green said...
Who's making the chips for the next gen games machines? Isnt it IBM? Would that make the production of PPC chips for apple grind to a halt.. forcing Apple to look elsewhere for a supplier?
Also, I've been holding out for a tablet type thingy, to WiFily control my tunes from my G5 to various Stereos (think Sonos) .. would THAT be on Intel? If so.. perhaps no panic after all.
But.. if the next gen Macs are all to be Intel based.. i'd be very scared indeed.. not least for that damn tune they insist on adding to any TV commercial they are on!
Aaargh!
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Cameron Durham said...
An Intel-based Mac doesn't necesarrily mean OSX ported to existing Intel systems. I think Intel-based means an Apple designed system around an Intel chip. The system would still be Apple designed and controlled.
One of the strong advantages that Apple has is that they control the hardware -- giving up this control means their OS would have to adapt to varying third-party engineering and driver writing skills. The risk in this is if a third party builds a substandard component, the end user doesn't see that, they see that their Mac is broken -- and blame it on Apple. Apple doesn't want that.
Cam
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
fra said...
I have some theories :
A - Intel will make a version of the PowerPC
B -Apple will use Intel for low-cost systems (MacMini, less pricey versions of the iMac)
C - Intel could be used in their 'next big thing'
D - This may just be a stunt to gain more stock
E - This whole thing wont happen
F - Steve will wear a WHITE turtle-neck
But I don't see MacOS on a DeLL and I don't see iMac booting up to see the windows flag.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Thomas Bonk said...
I hope that it isn't true.
If Apple really switches to x86 processors, I guess that the hardware architecture will not be compatible with any other x86 operating systems by default.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
JG said...
I've never owned a mac. I infact hate Apple. I do however love OS X. Granted I'm stuck in my ways with Microsoft, but for one main reason: marketshare. There just isn't enough hot apps for my liking (apps not created by Apple.) At the current pace it looks like Apple will never have more than 5% Moving to or adding x86 capability could be key to making ground on MSFT. While I agree PPC is superior to x86, lets give credit where it is due: to the OS. The BSD core and stability and OS X experience is what makes Apple appealing. I love freebsd. I hate Xwindows. Apple solves that issue in one quick step.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
iFelix said...
I wonder if Intel could make a non x86 chip for Apple, an Intel version of the PowerPC chip?
We have seen Motorola do it with the G4 and now IBM with the G5, could Intel produce the G6?
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Pat said...
What did the little endian say to the big endian?
Um, I'm sure there is a punchline in there somewhere...anyway, no way will Apple move the Macintosh line to x86. Intel makes lots of chips other than CPUs though...
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Rui Carmo said...
Whatever turns up, there are five things you can take for granted:
http://the.taoofmac.com/space/blog/2005-06-05.23%3A21
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Rafe H. said...
Its all about Intel's DRM. The movie industry won't settle for anything less than DRM on the motherboard, but they want Apple to lead the way like they did with music. Apple has already conceded that Wintel has won the desktop war, and consumers want to play their newly purchased, newly downloaded movies on each PC in their house. Intel can make this happen. IBM can't (they don't make chips for Windows, much less DRMed). Now lets start with the Mini first :)
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Brandon said...
I think we should just combine all of the rumors together...
tomorrow Apple is coming out with a kick-ass video ipod/pda/phone that runs on Intels xscale processor. It will run tiger lite and be windows and mac compatible. Would that be nice... I know I would breathe a sigh of relief if that were announced tomorrow. Anyone with me?
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Travis Beard said...
After all that time talking about numbers of pipes at last years WWDC.. please just dont turn on your word.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Tom Bridge said...
Frankly, I think the situation warrants the Ghostbusters quote, only because, if it is true, people will freak out, and because if it's NOT true, people will freak out.
This whole cats and dogs, living together kind of situation is one of the media's making. If they're right, story of the year. If they're wrong, oh man, watch the eggs come flying.
I'm not sure that anyone out there has it nailed just yet.
We'll know in about 15 hours.
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Steve Kirks said...
Thanks for the link! Now I'm subscribed...
Steve
Reply
6-16-2005 @ 4:19PM
Colin Crawford said...
Apple's Multi-core strategy
http://colincrawford.typepad.com/idg/2005/06/apples_multi_co.html
I'm with those who see this as one of the most exciting opportunities every to hit the Mac platform and the PC industry and look forward to many more details emerging over the next few days.
Reply