Mac to use Intel Chips!

Oscar Castillo

Oscar Castillo

Registered
With all the talk of Apple switching to Intel I think there's one thing that may have been overlooked. If PPC was a joint venture of Apple, IBM and Motorola, it stands to reason that each member had rights to develop a CPU based on the PPC architecture. Apple being the only member without CPU plant could not and had to rely on Motorola or IBM. The switch could very easily mean Apple using Intel to develop G6 and beyond. Like them or not Intel reigns in CPU fabrication and will remain so into the forseeable future.
 
riccbhard

riccbhard

Tech
Not really on the topic of Intel and Apple; but if Apple did somehow manage to get OS X ported to x86 and promote it; Microsoft would lose a lot :))). But; I would be afraid of the reputation of Apple and OS X. One of the reasons windows does not run too well is because it is hard to program a OS for who knows how many different brands and ways of hardware; including processors. I fear this would happen to OS X if Apple made it x86-compatible.
 
Oscar Castillo

Oscar Castillo

Registered
Being x86 compatible does not mean OS X will run on any x86 motherboard. Apple can still design the motherboard around their custom chipset so it would only work with systems supplied by them. It may still be a very closed system.
 
mi5moav

mi5moav

Registered
About a year ago someone mentioned how HP would be the first to license OSX on intel. I guess they were right. I wonder how much HP had in influencing Apple to go to the Dark side?
 
Oscar Castillo

Oscar Castillo

Registered
It's hard to believe that will all the recent advancement with the PPC varians like Cell and Xenon. that Apple would move to x86. I have to doubt the rumors will be true. After all PPC has Cell with 3 cores while x86 is only now making it's move to 2 cores. I'm certain Cell and Xenon can be tweaked for general purpose computing and be in the next line of PowerMacs. I hope they instroduce it tomorrow at WWDC.
 
M

MacFreak

Chic Not Geek
I hope your faith is true that Apple will not switch to Intel and will use new CELL! If not I will be MAD

Since XBox 360 is slim and using Cell 3.2 ghz and sure that will use for new level of processor for Apple.
 
MDLarson

MDLarson

Registered
My just wife IM'd me this USA Today article, and she was worried about the part where software engineers would have to re-write their software to make it work with the new stuff. And please realize that my wife is not as much of a techno-nerd as I am.

I'm worried now! :(
 
AdmiralAK

AdmiralAK

Simply Daemonic
well...T-minus one hour to find out ;)

Dont worry...take it easy...breathe!
The first rumors of this came out in 2000, we've outlived them ;)
 
J

jasonray_f

Registered
This is just a ploy by Apple to scare IBM. IBM has been lagging in development of the processor Apple uses, and they are 'leaking to the press' that they are in talks with Intel, in hopes to scare IBM to get cracking. Intel is a crappy processor to use for the Mac OS, and they would suffer from performance, something Apple would not want to do.
This is the same tactic Dell used to get Intel to drop their prices by 'talking to AMD.'
 
fryke

fryke

Moderator
Staff member
Mod
Basically, most software developers would only have to re-compile their applications as FAT applications - containing code for both PowerPC and intel processors. However, some apps contain code that is specialised for one architecture.
 
D

dixonbm

Registered
CNBC is all over this. They act like it is a done deal. Unless this is just some kind of ploy, which I doubt it is, then we will all be using Intel machines quite soon.
 
pismo

pismo

Registered
I don't think Steve's ego has fully recovered from his "3 GHz by next summer" statement two years ago regarding the G5. Steve doesn’t like being crossed and IBM has really burned him on their promises for the G5.

Another issue is likely that notebooks are out selling desktops which will be a continuing trend. If notebooks are where the money is going to be and Apple is no where near getting a G5 in a PowerBook how competitive are they going to be in the near future?

I can see reasons for the switch but I don't see how Apple can pull it off at this time. Tiger just came out, which means we probably won’t see 10.5 for another 2 years. If the rumors are correct, then x86 Macs will come at the beginning of 2006. Are we going to have 2 versions of Tiger? Are people going to continue to buy Macs when they know the architecture is going to change? Are developers going to want to invest the time in money in porting their software once again in such a short period of time?

I dunno. Seems crazy to me but if anyone can do it, Steve can. He's the master of spin. It might be time to buy stock in Kool-Aid (NYSE: KFT) because it will definitely be in demand if the rumors are true. :)
 
jeb1138

jeb1138

Carioca
This would be the most incredibly awesome thing I could hope for on the Mac. I cannot count how many times I have not been able to even suggest 'switching' to business clients because they have _current_ software that is Wintel only and is _not_ likely ever to go Mac, with no feasible alternatives. Finally, a way for every Mac to emulate Windows programs at plenty-near-to-full-speed. And it could be bundled free. They could use their existing Windows licenses even. Ahh....if only.... I hope this rumor is true -- I'll get a lot more converts in the coming months if so. Those Mac Minis will start to look REALLY tempting.
 
D

dixonbm

Registered
Help! Intel is inside me! Get it out, get it out! The sky is falling!

Buck up boys and girls! It's not the end. We will now all go out and buy new Macs with Intel inside...why you ask...because Steve Jobs has decreed that we shall....afterall we are the Mac Faithful.

Edit: I can't believe I said that....Apple....Brainwashing....I will buy a new Mac with Intel inside....mmmmmm....Intel inside my Apple......Mactel...

Edit 2: FYI: In case you happen to be questioning my sanity, this rant is pure sarcasm.
 
jeb1138

jeb1138

Carioca
YES! THIS IS AWESOME!! Can't wait to convert every business I support! But Apple -- you *have* to make your own VirtualPC!
 
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