I have no idea what you mean by 22 22 22 22, but I agree, pds. Well, they <i>are</i> using off the shelf parts already, of course, but using intel's chips won't change much about the price of the actual computers. If a Mac mini with an intel processor is cheaper to produce than a Mac mini with a PPC, then basically, Apple will earn more. Sure, they'll have to make sure that the mini is attractively priced, but they don't have to kill themselves over it. Similar things for the portables. Takes a little more R&D to have top-notch notebooks that work in real-life situations. Apple does a good job there.
Where I _do_ see a chance for price drops: The PowerMacs. For years, Apple had to pay IBM and Motorola to create ever faster processors (just for them!). Then they had to make them dual processor machines in order to stay competitive with the PC world. With the switch to intel, that problem's solved. They can use off-the-shelf processors and actually compete with HP, Sony, Dell etc. While I expect them to still do better in case design etc. than its competitors, they can now offer the desktops in a more competitive area.
They could invent another machine, for example. The Mac mini is a great switcher-bait. But people for whom the mini is "too little", the iMacs and PowerMacs probably aren't an alternative because of the huge price gap inbetween. Apple could either create a lower PowerMac with a Celeron (get people interested in the mini, then they'll buy that low-end PowerMac instead...) or - like I said - a whole new line of cheaper desktop machines (using the Celeron, too). If they truly want to expand market share, I think that's a great opportunity.
Where I _do_ see a chance for price drops: The PowerMacs. For years, Apple had to pay IBM and Motorola to create ever faster processors (just for them!). Then they had to make them dual processor machines in order to stay competitive with the PC world. With the switch to intel, that problem's solved. They can use off-the-shelf processors and actually compete with HP, Sony, Dell etc. While I expect them to still do better in case design etc. than its competitors, they can now offer the desktops in a more competitive area.
They could invent another machine, for example. The Mac mini is a great switcher-bait. But people for whom the mini is "too little", the iMacs and PowerMacs probably aren't an alternative because of the huge price gap inbetween. Apple could either create a lower PowerMac with a Celeron (get people interested in the mini, then they'll buy that low-end PowerMac instead...) or - like I said - a whole new line of cheaper desktop machines (using the Celeron, too). If they truly want to expand market share, I think that's a great opportunity.
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