Apple and Intel

Any serious analyst, either amateur or professional, doubted that Apple would actually switch to Intel. Apple makes somewhere close to 30% margin per machine sold, and (theoretical) extra sales of Mac software would never make up this gap. However, according to Senior VP Phil Schiller, users will not be able to run Mac OS X on machines not built by Apple. I guess some sort of BIOS DRM? Not sure how this will work exactly, but this is the question I most want an answer to.

Also, seems like sales of Macs will plummet in the next few quarters in anticipation of new machines.

Apple throws the switch, aligns with Intel | CNET News.com: In his speech, [Steve] Jobs revealed that Apple has been developing all versions of OS X since its inception to run on Intel and PowerPC chips. “Mac OS X has been leading a secret double life the past five years,” he said.
Also on Monday, Jobs said the next version of OS X, called Leopard, will be released in late 2006 or early 2007. That is the same time frame as Microsoft's next Windows update, dubbed Longhorn, he noted. Microsoft has said Longhorn will be released by late 2006.

After Jobs' presentation, Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller addressed the issue of running Windows on Macs, saying there are no plans to sell or support Windows on an Intel-based Mac. “That doesn't preclude someone from running it on a Mac. They probably will,” he said. “We won't do anything to preclude that.”
However, Schiller said the company does not plan to let people run Mac OS X on other computer makers' hardware. “We will not allow running Mac OS X on anything other than an Apple Mac,” he said.

At its Worldwide Developer Conference today, Apple® announced plans to deliver models of its Macintosh® computers using Intel® microprocessors by this time next year, and to transition all of its Macs to using Intel microprocessors by the end of 2007.  Apple previewed a version of its critically acclaimed operating system, Mac OS® X Tiger, running on an Intel-based Mac® to the over 3,800 developers attending CEO Steve Jobs' keynote address. Apple also announced the availability of a Developer Transition Kit, consisting of an Intel-based Mac development system along with preview versions of Apple's software, which will allow developers to prepare versions of their applications which will run on both PowerPC and Intel-based Macs.

“Our goal is to provide our customers with the best personal computers in the world, and looking ahead Intel has the strongest processor roadmap by far,” said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. “It's been ten years since our transition to the PowerPC, and we think Intel's technology will help us create the best personal computers for the next ten years.”

Wow, just wow.

update: 2:23 from WSJ:

The company also plans to offer a software utility called Rosetta that will allow programs for existing Macintosh systems to work without modification on the new machines.

update 5:23: the Keynote is here, at the moment (quicktime, natch)

{Techno-babble, Business, Macintosh}

Tags: Business, /Macintosh, /Techno-babble