OS X on Intel
It’s official, Apple is moving to Intel. The text of the Stevenote can be found here.
Apparently one of the sticking points is that IBM couldn’t make a G5 processor for a laptop as they ran too hot. Another was the slow delivery times.
The BBC is running an article questioning whether it was a good move or will it deter customers until they come out? Unlike the swich from OS 9 to OS X however, the switch to intel will be pretty much unnoticed by consumers. The same “unified” binaries will run on each, and they will look and feel the same.
The BBC paraphrases a ‘poster’: “there was no point in him buying a Powerbook if it was going to be obsolete in 18 months’ time”. I hate to break it to the poster, but if he is worried about his computer hardware being obsolete in 18 months time, perhaps he should stick with good old pens an paper.
OS X on Intel will still require an apple computer though. The BIOS and motherboard are different. However, this does prove how easy it is to port OS X, and Apple would certainly be able to release OS X for WinTel machines if they wanted.
On the stock front, Apple shares have quadrupled in the last few years and are about to have a 2:1 split. They are the fastest growing technology company on the Nasdaq. Of course, to profit you would have had to pick your timing right, avoiding the bursting of the IT bubble…
Will.
Here’s another interesting story of the change.
Will.
A report about people using the development Mac OS X intel boxes.
Will.
I watched the Stevenote in full, it was very interesting. If anything the crowd as they warm to the annoucement, you could tell they weren’t exactly thrilled at first (unlike customers, developers will have to spend time making things work).
Cringely has an interesting take on the news.
Will.