Apple to ditch IBM and switch to intel

[nick25]

So its not just a rumour (sorry if you new this already, I might be a bit slow).

Apple Computer plans to announce Monday that it's scrapping its partnership with IBM and switching its computers to Intel's microprocessors, CNET News.com has learned.

Apple has used IBM's PowerPC processors since 1994, but will begin a phased transition to Intel's chips, sources familiar with the situation said. Apple plans to move lower-end computers such as the Mac Mini to Intel chips in mid-2006 and higher-end models such as the Power Mac in mid-2007, sources said.

The announcement is expected Monday at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, at which Chief Executive Steve Jobs is giving the keynote speech. The conference would be an appropriate venue: Changing the chips would require programmers to rewrite their software to take full advantage of the new processor.

Link

One of the reasons is intel provides a higher performance/watt ratio over powerpc, lol.

Anandtech conference coverage

 

[Master_G]

This is something i NEVER expected to actually happen, still seems weird atm to talk about intel and apple being together.

The graphs of intel against the powerpc are just apple statistical genius yet again, they are the masters at getting graphs and stats to show exactly what they want need (even though the fiddling makes it clearly BS)

Seems funny that they have spent years putting out tests showing apple kicking the crap out of intel, and now they are going to their side so had better get changing their graphs lol.

Good for the company though, it needed something or else the computers were going to die eventually, ipods are making more money than the computers atm, so seems a good time to make a huge change without having to lose all your revenue.

G

 

[nick25]

Had no idea they have been R&Ding in X86 for 5 years.

Wouldn't ming giving OSx a go on my PC.

What chip do you think Apple are planning on using. Maybe a Dothan? Or will intel make a new cpu designed for the mac?

 

[Phil Stanbridge]

If this is the case, then it doesnt look good for PowerPC does it?

 

[nick25]

Quite amusing how apple go to intel and microsoft go to IBM (through XBOX 360).