Analyst Claims Apple Will Move To Intel

by , 8:00 AM EDT, August 5th, 2002

According to a CNET News.com article on Friday, industry analyst Andrew Neff claims that Apple will make a switch to Intel chips. Neff, of the brokerage firm Bear Stearns, also feels that there will be changes throughout the industry. According to the article:

"The key for investors to is to realize that this isn't a game where companies die and simply go away," Neff wrote. "In reality, this is a rare occurrence. We believe it is a time for company managements to take steps toward concrete changes, as those that recognize the need for action first will get the best deals...The point being, there is no easy way out."

Neff's predictions in the 50-page report vary depending on the circumstances in which the companies find themselves.

Neff, for instance, predicted Apple, which uses chips from Motorola and IBM that currently top out at 1GHz, will switch to Intel, whose chips run at 2.5GHz, to get a performance boost and gain more customers. There's a better than 80 percent chance Apple will make the jump in two to four years, he said.

You can read the article in full at CNET News.com.

The Mac Observer Spin:

We've been amused by the reports from Bear Sterns before: in January of 2001, the very same Andrew Neff advised that Apple should switch to Intel. It's the same situation today as it was then: a great theory, but in practice it'll be a little hard to execute.

CNET News.com: Analyst: Apple to lie down with Intel